The Blackburn Report: Honoring A Heroic Tennessean

- April 28, 2023

In 1944, East Tennessean Master Sergeant (MSG) Roddie Edmonds was captured by Nazi forces and spent over 100 days in captivity at a Nazi prisoner-of-war camp. When the Germans directed Edmonds to order all Jewish-American soldiers of the camp to assemble outside of their barracks, he coordinated a mass formation. Irritated by this defiance, the German Camp Commandant held MSG Edmonds at gunpoint in a coercive attempt to force him to either surrender his Jewish soldiers’ identities or his own life. Edmonds still refused to reveal their identities, and his resiliency, courage, and leadership saved over 200 Jewish lives. This week, I introduced legislation to posthumously award MSG Edmonds with Congress’ highest expression of national appreciation – a Congressional Gold Medal. Read more here.

Weekly Rundown

The fentanyl crisis is a real public health emergency that has hit far too close to home. From August 2021 to August 2022, over 107,000 people died of drug overdoses in the United States – with 66% of those deaths involving synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. Senator Hagerty and I introduced legislation to expand Title 42 to combat drug smuggling at the border. This will give U.S. Border Patrol agents a necessary tool to significantly curb this Biden-fueled crisis and keep Americans safer.
	Online platforms have made it easier for pedophiles to groom and exploit children, and there is no excuse for the tech industry not to secure the platforms that enable abusers. The EARN IT Act will push Big Tech to take the necessary steps to make it safer for kids to get online.
On Monday, I continued my 95-county tour in Shelby County, meeting with business leaders from Sylvamo, Sinova Global, and the Memphis Chamber about the region’s economic growth. And any day I get to tour West Tennessee’s first freestanding emergency room and a Navy facility containing one of the world’s most technically advanced high-speed, variable-pressure water tunnels is a day well spent! I was also glad to personally thank Bartlett Officer Nathan Bell who was injured in the line of duty and speak with Bartlett leaders about the work the city is doing to invest in our children.

Marsha's Roundup

Watch My Floor Speeches, Hearing Remarks, Unmuted With Marsha Episodes, And Interviews Below

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ICYMI

Who owns the “virtual you?” Right now, Big Tech and the CCP are fighting for the privilege, but I believe that it’s time for Washington to help put control back in the hands of tech users, not tech companies. Read more about my fight to protect the online safety, privacy, and data of all Tennesseans.
Tennessee homeowners and renters in Cannon, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Lewis, Macon, McNairy, Rutherford, Tipton and Wayne counties who were affected by the severe storms, straight-line winds and tornadoes March 31 - April 1, 2023 may apply for FEMA disaster assistance. Apply at DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-3362, or by using the FEMA mobile app.
You can register for a Capitol tour using the Capitol Visitor Center portal.
Is there something you want to see in the Blackburn Report? Email my office to share!