Chair's Press

The chairman of the Senate committee that oversees healthcare said today "there is good chance" Congress will restore cost sharing payments to health insurers to help limit soaring premiums for those signing up for ObamaCare health plans today for coverage in 2018. U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said a bipartisan plan he developed with Sen....

WASHINGTON, November 1, 2017 – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said today, as open enrollment begins, his bipartisan bill will help the hardworking Tennesseans who are “getting hammered” because they buy insurance in the individual health insurance market and don’t get a government subsidy to help them.  These...

Washington, D.C., Nov. 1 — Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) today announced the support of more than 200 groups for their short-term bipartisan legislation to stabilize premiums and access to insurance in individual health insurance markets. Supporters of...

WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 31  – Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) in a radio interview with A.B. Stoddard said that under his bipartisan legislation with Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and 22 Senate cosponsors, $3.1 billion will be rebated to taxpayers, with billions more in rebates to consumers. At the beginning...

WASHINGTON, October 31, 2017—Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said that “electronic health records are a critical piece to the future of medical innovation and the success of the 21st Century Cures Act, and I intend to ensure these provisions are implemented properly.” “Last...

WASHINGTON, October 31, 2017—Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) in remarks on the Senate floor yesterday evening, said that hardworking Tennesseans—not insurance companies—are the ones hurt by congressional inaction on Obamacare’s cost-sharing reduction payments. “When the 18 million Americans...

GATLINBURG, October 27, 2017 – Senate education Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said the Education Department’s announcement that it is withdrawing nearly 600 out-of-date pieces of sub-regulatory guidance that have been superseded by current law or are no longer in effect is “what most Americans think Washington D.C.,...

President Trump has asked for a bipartisan short-term solution to reduce health-insurance premiums and avoid chaos in the individual market so 18 million Americans won’t be hurt. Last week, 12 Republican and 12 Democratic U.S. senators proposed a solution. After eight years of ObamaCare speeches and votes but zero legislative victories, our...

WASHINGTON, OCTOBER 26, 2017—Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) released the following statement on President Trump’s remarks today on combatting the opioid crisis: “President Trump’s announcement today provides important leadership in helping states tackle the opioid crisis head on. Last year, 1,631...

WASHINGTON, October 26, 2017 — Senate education committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said “universities should be the place where people of different views may speak, audiences can listen, and many contrasting viewpoints are encouraged.” “There is a long history of shouting down speakers with whom students...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 2017 — United States Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today, in remarks on the Senate floor, announced the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office finds his bipartisan stabilization bill with Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) will benefit taxpayers and consumers—not insurance...

WASHINGTON, October 25, 2017—Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) today released the following statement on the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) report on the Bipartisan Health Care Stabilization Act of 2017: “This nonpartisan analysis shows that our bill provides...

WASHINGTON, October 23, 2017 — Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) released the following statement after Massachusetts’ 1332 waiver application was denied because there wasn’t enough time to implement before the next open enrollment window begins: “Under the Alexander-Murray bill, states can get...

WASHINGTON, October 23, 2017 – Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) released the following statement on Iowa’s decision to withdraw its 1332 waiver request, citing “inflexible” requirements of the Affordable Care Act: “Iowa’s decision is further evidence that the Affordable Care Act is too...

WASHINGTON, October 19, 2017 – Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander today spoke on the Senate floor, announcing he and eleven other Republican senators are among 24 senators cosponsoring temporary legislation to keep premiums from rising 20 percent and to keep the federal debt from spiking $194 billion in 10 years. “Our...

WASHINGTON, October 19—A group of 24 senators—12 Republicans and 12 Democrats led by Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.)—today released short-term bipartisan legislation to stabilize premiums and access to insurance in individual health insurance markets. Alexander...

WASHINGTON, October 19 — Today, Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said, “if we really want to focus on improving Americans’ health, why not connect the consensus on wellness to the insurance policies that 178 million Americans get from their job.” “There is remarkable consensus...

WASHINGTON, October 18 — Today, Senate labor committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) made the following statement after the committee confirmed Kyle Fortson to serve as a member of the National Mediation Board:   “While the Board is very fortunate to have Kyle as a member, it will be a loss to the committee,...

WASHINGTON, October 18, 2017 — Following the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee’s approval today of 10 well-qualified nominees, Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) called on his Senate colleagues to quickly confirm the nominees.    The committee met today to...

WASHINGTON, October 17 — Today, Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) announced he and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) have reached a short-term deal to offer bipartisan legislation to stabilize the individual health insurance market and begin to lower the costs of premiums, so all Americans have access to...