Chairman's Press
Alexander Statement on Secretary DeVos’ Proposal to Reform Title IX
WASHINGTON, November 16, 2018- U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate's education committee, today released the following statement on the U.S. Department of Education's proposal to clarify Title IX, a law protecting people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance, so that schools will more fully understand their roles and responsibilities to better comply with the law: "Secretary DeVos has begun the … Continue Reading
11.13.18
Alexander: New App Makes Applying for Federal Aid for College like Booking An Airline Ticket
"We have apps on our phones to do anything from booking an airplane ticket to placing an Amazon order, so while it may seem very ordinary to fill out the FAFSA on an app, this is the first year it's possible. There are still too many questions on the form. But this is an important step to make it simpler for 20 million American families each year to apply for student aid." --Lamar Alexander SEVIERVILLE, TENN., November 13, 2018 - Senate education committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.… Continue Reading
10.24.18
President Trump Signs Alexander Bill to Fight Opioid Crisis
"This is the most important new health care law this year. It deals with the nation's worst public health epidemic by helping stop deadly fentanyl from coming from China to America by mail, finding new non-addictive pain killers, reducing the supply of opioids and providing more opportunities for treatment. During this year, Congress has appropriated $8.5 billion to implement this legislation and support communities, families, law enforcement and medical personnel who are fighting this crisis." … Continue Reading
10.22.18
Alexander: Trump Administration Announcement Will Help States Lower Health Insurance Premiums
WASHINGTON, October 22, 2018 - Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement on the Trump Administration's newly released guidance for Obamacare's section 1332 waivers: "Secretary Azar and Administrator Verma today are giving states a better tool to help lower Obamacare health insurance premiums, by giving them more freedom in the law's 1332 State Innovation Waiver. In four bipartisan health committee hearings I chaired last fall, virtually ev… Continue Reading
10.15.18
Alexander: “Strong, Bipartisan Congressional Support” for Trump Administration Step to Add Prices to Prescription Drug Ads
Maryville, Tenn., October 15, 2018 - Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement on the Trump Administration's proposed rule to add prices to prescription drug advertisements: "There is strong, bipartisan congressional support for this Trump Administration step to reduce prescription drug prices. The more consumers know about drug prices the more likely those prices are to be lower. I suggest that pharmaceutical companies expend their energy… Continue Reading
10.10.18
Alexander: New Law Will Allow Pharmacists To Help Patients Pay Less for Prescriptions
WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 10, 2018 - Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) praised a new law led by Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) that will ban "gag" clauses that prevent pharmacists from helping patients pay less for their prescriptions. Alexander was at the White House today when President Trump signed the Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act, sponsored by Senator Collins. "If you walk into a pharmacy and ask for the prescription your doctor has written for an antibioti… Continue Reading
10.10.18
Alexander: Democrats Try to Block 1.7 Million Uninsured Americans from Buying More Affordable Health Insurance in 2019
"Even after the Affordable Care Act passed in 2010, President Obama and the Democratic Congress thought it was a good enough idea to allow these short-term plans to continue that they kept them in the law." You can watch Senator Alexander's floor remarks here. WASHINGTON, October 10, 2018-Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said lower-cost short-term health insurance plans, which Democrats today tried to block Americans from buying, were available to Americans… Continue Reading
10.03.18
Alexander: Senate Sends to President Opioids Legislation Called “Landmark” by Leader McConnell
WASHINGTON, October 3, 2018 - The United States Senate today passed by a vote of 98-1, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, sponsored by Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.). Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has called the bill, which is now heading to the President's desk for his signature to become law, "landmark" opioids legislation. "This legislation represents the work of 8 committees in the House and 5 committees in the Senate who have worked together to reach consensus about… Continue Reading
10.03.18
Alexander: Senate Sends to President Opioids Legislation Called “Landmark” by Leader McConnell
WASHINGTON, October 3, 2018 - The United States Senate today passed by a vote of 98-1, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, sponsored by Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.). Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has called the bill, which is now heading to the President's desk for his signature to become law, "landmark" opioids legislation. "This legislation represents the work of 8 committees in the House and 5 committees in the Senate who have worked together to reach consensus about… Continue Reading
09.28.18
Alexander: House Passes What Senate Leader McConnell Calls “Landmark” Opioids Legislation, 393 to 8
WASHINGTON, September 27, 2018 - The House of Representatives today passed by a vote of 393 to 8 "The Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018" sponsored by Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.). Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has called it "landmark" opioids legislation. "This legislation represents the work of 8 committees in the House and 5 committees in the Senate who have worked together to reach consensus about how to help address the opioid crisis which is affecting virtually ever… Continue Reading
09.26.18
Bipartisan Committee Leaders Announce Opioid Legislation Agreement
WASHINGTON, DC - Bipartisan leaders from committees of jurisdiction in both the House and Senate today announced an agreement on sweeping legislation to combat the opioid crisis. In June, the House passed H.R. 6, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act by a vote of 396-14. On September 17th, the Senate passed the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 by a vote of 99-1. This bipartisan, bicameral agreement will allow final legislation to move swiftly through both chambers of Congress and to the… Continue Reading
09.26.18
Alexander: Senate and House Reach Consensus on What Senate Leader McConnell Calls “Landmark” Opioids Legislation
WASHINGTON, September 26, 2018 - The Senate and House of Representatives today reached consensus on what Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) calls "landmark" opioids legislation that is the product of bipartisan bills that passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 396-14 and the Senate by a vote of 99-1. The House and then the Senate will need to pass this consensus legislation before it can go to the President for his signature. "This legislation represents the work of 8 comm… Continue Reading
09.25.18
Alexander: States Continue To Innovate As They Implement Law Fixing No Child Left Behind
WASHINGTON, D.C., September 25, 2018 - Senate education committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said students would benefit from the law fixing No Child Left Behind because "states are back in the driver's seat for decisions on how to help their students." Alexander said, "Candace Hines, a kindergarten teacher in Memphis, recently wrote in the Memphis Commercial Appeal: 'This year, Tennessee schools will begin to implement our state's new education plan under the Every Student Succee… Continue Reading
09.18.18
Alexander to College Leaders: Veto the Heckler’s Veto
"What the federal government should not do is pass a law trying to solve all this. Conservatives do not like it when judges try to write laws and conservatives should not like it when legislators and agencies try to rewrite the constitution." -Lamar Alexander WASHINGTON, D.C., September 18, 2018 - Senate education committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said college leaders should "veto the heckler's veto" and punish students who interfere with the right of speakers to speak and aud… Continue Reading
09.17.18
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Says “Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018” is “Landmark Legislation”
*Click here for VIDEO of the Senator's remarks.* "We are already working to combine the Senate and House-passed bills into an even stronger bill to fight our nation's worst public health crisis. There is a bipartisan sense of urgency to send the bill to the President quickly." - Sen. Lamar Alexander, Senate health committee chairman WASHINGTON, September 17, 2018 - The U.S. Senate today passed The Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018-which Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) calls "landmark… Continue Reading
09.13.18
Alexander: NLRB Proposal Good News for Nation’s 780,000 Franchises
WASHINGTON, September 13, 2018-Senate labor committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement after the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) released a new proposed rule on the "joint employer" standard: "The NLRB's proposed rule is good news for the men and women operating our nation's 780,000 franchises. It would return to the standard that for decades required that for a business to be considered a 'joint employer,' it must hold direct control over the term… Continue Reading
09.12.18
Alexander: Senate to Vote Soon on “Landmark” Opioids Legislation
*Click here for VIDEO of the senator's remarks.* "The appropriations bill Congress passed in March of this year included $4.7 billion to fight the opioid crisis, of which $1 billion was for grants to states. The fiscal year 2019 appropriations bill, which the Senate passed just last month, includes $3.7 billion to help combat the opioid crisis. That would mean Congress has approved roughly $8.4 billion within a few months." - Senator Lamar Alexander WASHINGTON, September 12, 2018 - United Stat… Continue Reading
09.07.18
Alexander: Senate Agrees to Vote Next Week on “The Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018”
WASHINGTON, September 6, 2018 - The Senate agreed today to vote next week on the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018-a bipartisan package of over 70 proposals recommended to the full Senate by five committees: Health, Finance, Judiciary, Commerce and Banking. Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said: "This legislation represents the work of over 70 senators, five committees, and countless staff who have worked together to help put an end to the opioid epidemic ravaging vir… Continue Reading
08.27.18
Bipartisan, Bicameral Leaders Urge Effective Administration of 340B Drug Pricing Program
WASHINGTON, DC - House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR), Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN), and Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) sent a letter to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) regarding the fact that they have not used their rulemaking authority to implement regulations to better administer … Continue Reading
08.24.18
Senators Introduce Legislation To Protect Americans with Pre-Existing Conditions
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, August 24, 2018 CONTACTS: Daniel Keylin (Tillis) | (202) 224-6342 Taylor Haulsee (Alexander) | (202) 224-8816 Nicole Tieman (Grassley) | (202) 224-6522 Megan Taylor (Heller) | (202) 224-6244 Matt Wolking (Cassidy) | (202) 224-5824 Karina Petersen (Murkowski) | (202) 224-9301 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Yesterday, Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Dean Heller (R-NV), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Joni Erns… Continue Reading
