Chairman's Press
Chairman Alexander Statement on Democratic Staff Report on COVID-19 Testing
MARYVILLE, Tennessee, July 9 - Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement on the Democratic staff report on COVID-19 diagnostic testing: "Blaming President Trump for a problem that four Presidents and several Congresses have tried to solve for twenty years does not make Americans safer. Instead of pointing fingers, Democrats and Republicans should be working together. Already the United States is testing twice as many people as any other co… Continue Reading
07.07.20
Chairman Alexander Statement on World Health Organization
MARYVILLE, Tennessee, July 7, 2020 - U.S. Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement on President Trump's decision to terminate the United States' membership in the World Health Organization (WHO): "I disagree with the president's decision. Certainly there needs to be a good, hard look at mistakes the World Health Organization might have made in connection with coronavirus, but the time to do that is after the crisis has been dealt with, no… Continue Reading
07.02.20
Sen. Alexander: “Will There Be Enough COVID-19 Tests So We Can Watch Some Football This Fall, Or Basketball This Winter?”
*Click HERE for video of the senator's remarks.* "The administration has said that 40-50 million tests will be available per month by September, enough for widespread testing as Americans go back to school and back to work. Whether there will be enough tests to allow teams to play sports or spectators to watch may depend upon breakthrough concepts being fast tracked at the National Institutes of Health 'shark tank.' The more tests, the more sports." - Senator Lamar Alexander Washington, … Continue Reading
06.30.20
Chairman Alexander: “Stakes are Too High” for Pro-Trump, Anti-Trump Mask Debate to Continue
"Unfortunately, this simple lifesaving practice has become part of a political debate that says: If you're for Trump, you don't wear a mask. If you're against Trump, you do. But the administration's four health experts testifying today have said: 'If you want to be able to go back to school, back to work and out to eat: wear a mask.' The University of Tennessee's Athletic Director, Phillip Fulmer, has told us, 'If you really, really want sports, football, and all those things, then wear a mask a… Continue Reading
06.28.20
Alexander: “Millions Who Admire President Trump Would Follow His Lead If He Wore a Mask When Appropriate”
"Most of the time he's with people who have been tested, he's been tested...but there are times when he could wear a mask or the vice president could wear a mask. I think it would be a sign of strength if he would from time to time wear a mask and remind everyone it's a good way [to slow the spread of COVID-19]." - Senator Lamar Alexander MARYVILLE, Tenn., June 28, 2020 - U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today told Manu Raju on CNN's "Inside Politics" that "millions of Americans who… Continue Reading
06.24.20
Alexander: Now is the Time to Prepare for the Next Pandemic
WASHINGTON, June 24, 2020 - Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said on the Senate floor that "now, during this pandemic when we have got our eye on the ball," is the time for Congress to act on needed changes to prepare for the next pandemic. Alexander discussed some key takeaways from yesterday's Senate health committee hearing - "COVID-19: Lessons Learned to Prepare for the Next Pandemic" - which featured testimony from former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist… Continue Reading
06.23.20
Alexander: Congress Should Act This Year to Prepare for Next Pandemic
While the nation is in the midst of responding to COVID-19, the United States Congress should take stock now of what parts of the local, state, and federal response worked, what could work better and how, and be prepared to pass legislation this year to better prepare for the next pandemic, which will surely come." - Senator Lamar Alexander WASHINGTON, June 23, 2020 - Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said Congress should act this year on "needed changes" to pr… Continue Reading
06.17.20
Alexander: Make the Two Most Important COVID-19 Telehealth Policy Changes Permanent
"In 2016, there were almost 884 million visits nationwide between patients and physicians... If 15-20 percent of those were to become remote permanently due to telehealth expansion during COVID-19-that would produce a massive change in our health care system. Our job should be to ensure that change is done with the goals of better outcomes and better patient experiences at a lower cost." WASHINGTON, June 17, 2020 - Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said that at… Continue Reading
06.11.20
Alexander: The Single Best Thing We Could Do to Help Minority Children is to Help Them Go Back to School Safely This Fall
WASHINGTON, June 11, 2020 - Senate health and education Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said "the single best thing that we could do to help minority children and minority families is to help them go back to school safely in August and September." Alexander said on the Senate floor this morning that our country's 56 million K-12 students returning as safely as possible in the fall to our 100,000 public schools and 34,000 private schools, and 20 million college students ret… Continue Reading
06.10.20
Alexander: 56 Million Students Going Back to School This Fall Will be Surest Step Toward Normalcy
"Any teacher can explain the risk of emotional, intellectual and social damage if a child misses a school year. 91.3 percent of families with children have at least one parent employed, and among married families with children, 64.2 percent had both parents employed. Many children live in environments where the school is the safest place they'll be all day. It's also the place where almost 30 million students receive a school lunch." - Senator Lamar Alexander WASHINGTON, June 10, 2020 - Senate… Continue Reading
06.09.20
Senate Health Committee Chairman Alexander Says Congress Should Prepare This Year for the Next Pandemic
"In this internet age attention spans are short. Even with an event as significant as COVID-19, memories fade and attention moves quickly to the next crisis. That makes it imperative that Congress act on needed changes this year in order to better prepare for the next pandemic." WASHINGTON, June 9, 2020 - Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released "Preparing for the Next Pandemic" - a white paper with five recommendations to address future pandemics based on less… Continue Reading
06.04.20
Alexander: The Question for Administrators of 6,000 Colleges and Universities is Not Whether to Reopen in August, but How to Reopen Safely
"President Trump and Congress should not be telling the California State University System that it must open its classes in person, or telling Notre Dame it cannot-or telling UT-Knoxville that it must test everyone on the campus or telling Brown University that it cannot. Colleges themselves, not Washington D.C., should make those decisions." WASHINGTON, June 4, 2020 - Senate health and education committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said "the question for administrators of 6,00… Continue Reading
05.14.20
Alexander on NPR: The Question Is Not Whether We Go Back To School, But How We Go Back To School Safely
MARYVILLE, Tenn., May 14, 2020 - U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today spoke to National Public Radio's (NPR) Mary Louise Kelly to discuss efforts to ramp up COVID-19 testing to allow students to go back to school this fall and his work as chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee during the COVID-19 pandemic. "I think any principal, any chancellor of a university can say, 'We will take testing. We'll take pneumonia shots. We'll try to keep people as separate… Continue Reading
05.13.20
Alexander on Fox News: We Will Go Back To Work and Back To School State By State
MARYVILLE, Tenn., May 13, 2020 - U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today joined FOX News' "America's Newsroom" to discuss efforts to ramp up COVID-19 testing to allow students to go back to school this fall, and his work as chairman of the Senate health committee during the COVID-19 pandemic. Transcript of the interview below: Fox News: Mr. Chairman, I thought a critical moment was when the Democratic Ranking Member, Patty Murray, pressed Dr. Fauci at one point and said, "If we open up t… Continue Reading
05.12.20
Alexander: Interest Rates on New Federal Student Loans Will Drop to Historic Lows on July 1st
MARYVILLE, Tennessee, May 12, 2020 - Senate education committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said "interest rates on new federal student loans will drop to historic lows on July 1st. "This rate drop is a result of Congress working together in 2013 with President Obama to tie student loan rates to actual federal government borrowing costs," Alexander said. "And I plan to continue working together with my colleagues in a similar bipartisan fashion this year to continue passing legisl… Continue Reading
05.12.20
Alexander: United States COVID-19 Testing is Impressive — Enough to Begin Going Back to Work
MARYVILLE, Tennessee, May 12, 2020 - Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said that COVID-19 testing in the United States is "impressive" and "enough to begin going back to work." "But millions more rapid tests created by new technologies are needed to give the rest of America enough confidence to go back to work and back to school," Alexander added. Alexander made his remarks today during the Senate health committee hearing - "COVID-1… Continue Reading
05.10.20
Statement from U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander’s Office
WASHINGTON, D.C., May 10, 2020 - David Cleary, chief of staff for United States Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), today released the following statement: "Today, Sunday, May 10, a member of Senator Lamar Alexander's staff tested positive for COVID-19. The staff member is recovering at home and is doing well. "Senator Alexander has no symptoms and tested negative for COVID-19 on Thursday afternoon, May 7. After discussing this with the Senate's attending physician, Senator Alexander, out of a… Continue Reading
05.10.20
Alexander on NBC’s “Meet the Press”: What We’re Doing on Testing is Impressive
MARYVILLE, Tenn., May 10, 2020 - U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today joined Chuck Todd on NBC's "Meet the Press" to discuss efforts to ramp up COVID-19 testing and his work as chairman of the Senate health committee during the COVID-19 pandemic. Transcript of the interview below: Chuck Todd: You've been a big proponent of this initiative over at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which you have compared to the show "Shark Tank," essentially to develop a rapid screening test that… Continue Reading
05.10.20
Chairman Alexander Update on Upcoming Hearing “COVID-19: Safely Getting Back to Work and Back to School”
05.09.20
Alexander Statement on Administration Witnesses for Upcoming Hearing “COVID-19: Safely Getting Back to Work and Back to School”
Alexander Statement on Administration Witnesses for Upcoming Hearing "COVID-19: Safely Getting Back to Work and Back to School" MARYVILLE, Tenn., May 9, 2020 - Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement regarding the upcoming committee hearing "COVID-19: Safely Getting Back to Work and Back to School," scheduled for Tuesday, May 12. "After working with the Trump Administration, the Senate health committee scheduled a hearing with four Admi… Continue Reading
