The Blackburn Report: Celebrating America’s Birthday

- June 30, 2023

247 years ago, America’s founders endorsed a revolutionary idea: We the People should control the government, not a monarch or bureaucrats. Our Declaration of Independence, penned in 1776, is more than a few sentences – it is our very first breath as a nation. On July 4th, we celebrate the notion that our government is intended to preserve the God-given rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. As we prepare for Independence Day, I hope you reflect on how lucky we are to live in this country and remember the lessons of our nation’s founding.

Weekly Rundown

With Independence Day around the corner, many families can’t even afford a holiday meal. In one year, lettuce is up 9.4%, potato salad is up 7.1%, and buns cost 12.5% more. I spoke on the Senate floor about the Biden administration's reckless spending agenda.
	Since taking office, Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador has sought to dismantle counter-narcotics cooperation with the United States. I sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging the Biden administration to use every diplomatic tool available to persuade the Mexican government to counter the national security threat posed by Mexican drug cartels.
This week, I continued my 95 County Tour, visiting the University of Tennessee in Knox County and a new healthcare facility in Fentress County. I also met with local officials in Pickett County, Morgan County, Anderson County, Scott County, Campbell County, Overton County, and Union County.
	Also on the 95 County Tour, I discussed inflation in Giles County, visited the Warrior Veteran Museum in Lincoln County, met with the leadership of Jack Daniel’s in Moore County, and spoke about the fentanyl crisis in Franklin County.
Step aside Texas – Tennessee is now home to the world’s largest Buc-cees! It was great to be in Sevier County earlier this week for the grand opening. In addition to serving great food, Buc-cees will help provide jobs and economic growth to the area.

Marsha's Roundup

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

ICYMI

Communist China is taking advantage of our feckless president by embarrassing his deputies on the world stage, launching full-scale surveillance operations against our national security installations, and shifting military assets ever closer to the U.S. Read more here.
The Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding eligible private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Tennessee of the July 17 deadline to submit disaster loan applications for physical damages that occurred from severe storms, straight-line winds and tornadoes from March 1-3, 2023. Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website and should apply under SBA declaration # 17932.
For those of you who are planning on traveling internationally, please make sure your passports are current. At this time, the State Department is taking months to process passport requests. If you have any questions about this process, please call any of our state offices for additional information.
If you’re planning a visit to our nation’s capital this summer or fall, please contact our office as soon as possible to see which tours are available. Tours with the White House and Capitol tend to fill up months in advance. You can register for a Capitol tour using the Capitol Visitor Center portal.
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