It's been a good year for Tennessee values in Washington | Marsha Blackburn

• Marsha Blackburn, R-Brentwood, represents Tennessee in the U.S. Senate.

If the commentariat are to be believed, nothing has happened this year in our nation’s capital outside the scope of impeachment.

Funny thing about that: while most of Washington and the mainstream media were focused on the story of the day, I knew that back home, Tennesseans wanted to see a values-driven agenda that didn’t hinge on the Republican Party’s success in the 24-hour news cycle.

It wasn’t an easy thing to pull off. It took a lot of elbow grease to drag the Senate’s collective attention outside of the Beltway and into the homes and businesses of the American people; but I left my office for the last time in 2019 feeling a deep sense of gratitude for all I was able to accomplish on behalf of my fellow Tennesseans.

A salute to the suffragists

As the first woman senator from the Volunteer State, I felt a renewed connection to the women suffragists who gathered in Nashville in 1920 to bring their 72-year campaign for the vote across the finish line. To honor the 100th anniversary of their stunning victory, this year I introduced the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commemorative Coin Act. The bill authorized the Treasury to create $1 silver coins honoring the suffragists at zero cost to the taxpayer with all proceeds benefiting the Smithsonian Institution’s Women’s History Initiative.

It was a successful, symbolic effort, and a reminder that no person — man or woman, old or young — should ever be legally defined as somehow less than.

On that same note, back in January I filed my first piece of legislation in the Senate: the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act. The bill compliments the Trump Administration’s pro-life agenda, and would place a statutory prohibition on funneling tax dollars to abortion providers.

Tennesseans understand that pro-life policies are important — and that the label covers more than the protection of the unborn. My bipartisan “Rural Health Agenda,” a package of three bills, will put federal dollars to work on behalf of Tennesseans whose access to health care has been decimated by the recent wave of rural hospital closures.

Internet access and privacy go hand in hand

I extended my focus on rural communities to include relief for Tennesseans living without access to broadband.  The bipartisan Internet Exchange Act will make sure that these communities are able to build and maintain the infrastructure needed to support high speed internet connections.

A stronger broadband network will change the game for local businesses and outside investors, but as we well know, connectivity comes at a price.  

Since before I came to the senate, I have supported legislation that puts control over privacy in the hands of consumers. Once passed, my bipartisan BROWSER Act will give consumers a say over how Big Tech puts personal data to work. In return for incorporating opt-in provisions into their data privacy policies, tech companies will be free to innovate and use consumer data to make their platforms profitable—provided they respect their users’ decisions to keep some information private.

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As head of the Judiciary Committee’s Tech Task Force, I have had the privilege of bringing all sides of this debate to the table for frank conversations on how to responsibly regulate Big Tech. I look forward to continuing that work in the new year.

Tech comprises just one sector of Tennessee’s booming economy. This year I worked tirelessly to support and build upon the success of the Trump Administration’s tax cuts and introduced amendments into the budget process that would cut wasteful spending. Bills ensuring our beloved artists and musicians are fairly compensated for their creativity rounded out a year focused on allowing individuals to flourish in spite of the government and not because of it.  

Military gets a raise

Of course, all this means nothing without secure borders and a strong military. The 2020 National Defense Authorization Act includes funding to support our service men and women at Fort Campbell and all across the country with a 3.1% pay raise. Advanced border security initiatives will stop human traffickers and cartel mules in their tracks; and new investments in artificial intelligence and cyber security will prepare American forces for the future of modern warfare.

2019 was a good year for Tennesseans; but make no mistake: we’re in for a wild ride when the Senate reconvenes in January. There is still so much more work to be done; but as the new year dawns, I will stand by the pledge I made to each and every Tennessean on election night: to defend faith, family, freedom, hope and opportunity, no matter what.

Marsha Blackburn, R-Brentwood, represents Tennessee in the U.S. Senate. She was elected in 2018.