|
In the 114th Congress, Rep. Marsha Blackburn (TN-7) has introduced a series of bills aimed at cutting spending, eliminating waste, reducing the size of government, and benefitting all Americans.
Data Security:
Congressman Blackburn knows we cannot afford to sit idly by as malicious hacker groups, and the countries that sponsor them, devise more sophisticated and effective ways to attack our citizens, businesses, and government institutions. She has introduced legislation that will provide better data security and privacy provisions and believes the private sector and government should also be working together to share information about threats.
HR 1770: The Data Security and Breach Notification Act of 2015 will protect consumers by improving data security provisions and setting a national breach notification standard for industry.
House Energy and Commerce Committee Vice Chair Marsha Blackburn talks with witnesses about efforts to protect consumers from data breach at a hearing held by the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade on draft language of her bill, the Data Security and Breach Notification Act of 2015:
Immigration:
Marsha knows that secure countries have secure borders. Today, every state is a border state and every town is a border town. Since coming to Washington, Congressman Blackburn has worked to ensure that our immigration policies are in sync with this new reality.
HR 2964: The CLEAR Act of 2015 gives law enforcement the tools they need to help the Federal government deport criminal aliens from our country and withholds certain funding for sanctuary cities.
In addition, Marsha has led the fight in the House to stop President Obama’s executive amnesty. She passed an amendment to the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill in January to freeze the President’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program (DACA).
Blackburn voices support for solutions to keep our cities safe:
Health Care:
Health care costs continue to rise and have become unsustainable for the American government and the American family. Congressman Blackburn believes that patient based reform that uses market forces to give consumers leverage is the best way to bring down cost, improve quality, and expand access to health care.
HR 543: The Health Care Choice Act of 2015 will allow Americans to buy insurance policies across state lines. The bill would allow insurance companies to compete for your business, offering plans with the benefits you want at a price you can afford.
HR 2396: Getting bureaucracy out of the way and allowing innovation to take place is a priority for Congressman Blackburn. Nowhere is this more important than in healthcare. The FDA is the agency charged with assuring the safety and efficacy of drugs and medical devices. But data is not a drug or device and it makes no sense to regulate it as such. However obvious that is, it hasn’t stopped FDA from trying to make medical device law fit health IT. Medical device legislation was enacted in the 1970s. Leisure suits were popular and floppy disks had just been invented. We need to modernize the FDA authorities to reflect the new reality of health IT. That is why Congressman Blackburn introduced the SOFTWARE Act.
HR 865: The Good Samaritan Health Professionals Act would help victims of natural disasters have access to critical on site medical attention. During Katrina, inconsistencies in state and federal laws left volunteer healthcare providers vulnerable to unwarranted lawsuits which led to shortages of healthcare providers. The legislation authored by Congressman Blackburn would provide limited civil liability protection to licensed healthcare providers during a declared natural disaster.
Energy and Commerce Committee Vice Chair Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) spoke on the House floor in support of H.R. 6, the 21st Century Cures Act. This bipartisan legislation includes language authored by Blackburn -- the SOFTWARE Act -- that would provide opportunity for health IT to deliver on the promise of better health for all Americans. (July 9, 2015):
Spending:
As she has in every Congress in which she has served, Congressman Blackburn is offering her colleagues a choice of spending reduction bills.
HR 39: To make 1 percent across-the-board rescissions in non-defense, non-homeland-security, and non-veterans-affairs discretionary spending for each of the fiscal years 2015 and 2016.
HR 49: To make 2 percent across-the-board rescissions in non-defense, non-homeland-security, and non-veterans-affairs discretionary spending for each of the fiscal years 2015 and 2016.
HR 58: To make 5 percent across-the-board rescissions in non-defense, non-homeland-security, and non-veterans-affairs discretionary spending for each of the fiscal years 2015 and 2016.
Congressman Marsha Blackburn joined Neil Cavuto on Fox Business to discuss her efforts to tackle out of control spending and get Washington's fiscal house in order. (August 13, 2015):
Good Government:
Too often, in a rush to address the hot issue of the day, Congress fails to consider ideas that just make good common sense, save the tax payer money, or holds Washington accountable. Congressman Blackburn has filed bills with that purpose in mind.
HR 603: Congressman Blackburn believes that you have worked hard for your social security dollars and they should be there when you need them. She does not think the federal government should treat social security as a fungible source to shore up bad programs in the budget. Her bill, the Save Social Security for Seniors Act creates a lock box for those social security dollars so that they may not be re-appropriated for use for other uses.
Protecting Online Innovators from FCC Overreach:
Congressman Blackburn has been leading the fight against the Obama Administration’s net neutrality regulations since they were first proposed in 2010 by Former Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski. Despite being struck down by a Federal Appeals Court in January of 2014, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler announced that the FCC had once again adopted new Net Neutrality rules on February 26, 2015. In response to this announcement from Chairman Wheeler, Congressman Blackburn reintroduced legislation she first authored in the 112th Congress to block the FCC's efforts to implement new net neutrality rules.
HR 1212: The Internet Freedom Act would block the FCC's Net Neutrality rules from 2015 by stating that they shall have no force or effect and would also prohibit the FCC from reissuing new Net Neutrality rules.
HR 1106: The States' Rights Municipal Broadband Act of 2015 prevents the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from overriding state and local municipal broadband laws.
House Energy and Commerce Committee Vice Chair Marsha Blackburn questioned commissioners of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) about Net Neutrality regulations during a hearing held by the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology:
Energy:
Cheap and reliable energy is crucial to restoring our economic strength. Congressman Blackburn knows we need to pursue clean, economical and responsible energy options that ensure we have access to the energy we need – including natural gas, nuclear, and coal. We should not allow ourselves to be hamstrung by the environmental lobby that pushes winners and losers at the expense of the American people.
HR 1273: The Energy Savings and Building Efficiency Act of 2015 increases transparency and cost-effectiveness in the development of model energy codes, which set the baseline for energy efficiency in buildings.
Energy and Commerce Committee Vice Chair Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) speaks on the House floor about her efforts to stop EPA overreach and the need to promote energy innovation like the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Watts Bar Nuclear facility:
Pro-Life:
Throughout her career, Congressman Blackburn has been a passionate supporter of the right to life. She believes every life is precious and that we must work to build a culture that respects the right to life. Congressman Blackburn believes the use of taxpayer money to fund big abortion businesses like Planned Parenthood is both morally indefensible and fiscally irresponsible. She remains committed to working with the Senate, the House leadership team, the Pro-Life Caucus, and pro-life organizations to move pro-life legislation forward.
HR 3494: Congressman Blackburn’s bill will bolster the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act of 2002. The bill will amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to ban any provider proven of violating the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act from participating in Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP and will allow states that suspect any violation of this law to ban those suspected from the state’s Medicaid program.
To watch video of Congressman Blackburn leading the fight to defund Planned Parenthood, click below:
Protecting the Rights of Musicians:
Congressman Blackburn has strong ties with Tennessee’s recording industry and the songwriters and performers who make it great. In 2003 Blackburn founded and continues to serve as Chairman of the Congressional Songwriters Caucus to give the nation’s creative community a voice on Capitol Hill. In 2007, she was awarded the Congressional Grammy by the Recording Academy; the White Hat award from the Nashville Songwriters Association and in 2008 received the Platinum Award from the RIAA. The Cecil Scaife Foundation has awarded her the Visionary Award.
H.R. 1999: The Protecting the Rights of Musicians Act is bipartisan legislation that would condition the ability of broadcasters to opt for retransmission consent payments on whether radio stations they own pay performers for their music. Further, a provision that would prohibit the Federal Communications Commission from imposing radio chip mandates for mobile devices has been added to the bill. Internet radio pays music creators fair market value for their performances, Satellite radio pays music creators for performances, Cable and Satellite TV/radio stations pay music creators for their performances. Everyone but AM/FM radio pays. This is a basic issue of fairness that must be addressed.
Congressman Marsha Blackburn is leading the effort in the House to ensure music creators receive fair compensation for their work. She is the lead co-sponsor of H.R. 1733, the Fair Play Fair Pay Act:
|
