Senate

Mitch McConnell: The 100 Most Influential People of 2023 (Time)

TIME | Mitch McConnell this year became the longest-serving Senate leader of either party in history—and for a reason. He leads exceptionally, every two years overwhelmingly affirmed by his colleagues. My perspective is colored by the four years he served as whip when I was leader. Every day I saw his style: leadership with clarity, uncanny…

How the ‘red ripple’ could impact health policy in 2023 and beyond (The Hill)

THE HILL | Rather than a red wave, the 2022 congressional midterms brought a ‘red ripple’.  With races still being decided and votes counted, Democrats have won control of the Senate, despite a runoff in Georgia. It looks like Republicans will take back the House — albeit with a much smaller majority than they had hoped. …

Congress must not miss the chance to reform the Electoral Count Act (The Hill)

THE HILL | It was Jan. 6, and a United States Senator and a member of the House of Representatives had just issued a formal challenge to the electoral votes from one state — halting congressional ratification of the presidential election results. It was nearly unprecedented, and turned a civilized ceremony into what one publication referred to…

Can We Unite Around Gun Safety? Yes, Think Local And Get The Data (Forbes)

FORBES | Earlier this week, as I was checking in at the Aspen Ideas Festival, a man approached me unexpectedly. He said, “Excuse me, Dr.-Senator Frist. I am a pastor in North Carolina. I want to bring people together on gun issues, right and left, Republican and Democrat, rural and urban. Is it possible? And…

We Failed to Act on Pandemic Preparedness Before. Let’s not Make that Mistake Again. (LinkedIn)

LinkedIn | As the COVID-19 pandemic surge peaks and we begin to think about reopening our economy, our policy makers should immediately address how to prepare for the next one, for it is inevitable that a next one will occur. I share with you my exact words from an address I gave at the National…

Sen. Frist on Sen. Alexander’s Decision Not to Run in 2020

Lamar Alexander’s unparalleled intellect, his unwavering commitment to commonsense Tennessee values, combined with his extraordinary willingness to do the hard work (he does more in a day than most do in a week!) has led to countless achievements that have improved our lives and dramatically enhanced our well-being.  Senator Alexander has been a tireless servant…

Reading The Healthcare Tea Leaves In The 2018 Midterm Elections (Forbes)

FORBES | The November elections left us with a lot to digest—it wasn’t the decisive “blue wave” that some were predicting, but the tea leaves did tell us some interesting things about what voters believe and value, particularly when it comes to healthcare. Interestingly, pollster Bill McInturff of Public Opinion Strategies found a notable phenomenon…

The Future Of Healthcare Innovation And Why Government Matters (Forbes)

FORBES | Why do politics matter to health? Because government, when focused, can do incredible things to move our health forward. Here are just two examples that I was directly involved with while in the United States Senate. Read more at Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/billfrist/2018/11/06/the-future-of-healthcare-innovation-and-why-government-matters/#f00d712192d2

70 Years Ago America Led The Largest Humanitarian Airlift In History: Today Would We Do The Same? (Forbes)

FORBES | In June of 1948 there was a crisis in Berlin. The Soviet Union—one of four countries tasked with redeveloping Germany after its World War II loss—set up a blockade around the capital city. By cutting off food, water, electricity, and other supplies, the Soviets expected to take over a starved Berlin and expand…

Fixing the opioid crisis requires the two things Congress hates most: Bipartisanship and government spending (NBC News)

NBC NEWS | Practically every community in America, and most families, are facing the still-growing opioid epidemic that is tearing at the soul of our health and wellbeing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 115 Americans die each day from opioid-related overdoses, and research suggests that misuse of prescription opioids is a risk factor for heroinuse. It is…

Murder In The Capitol: Honor The Fallen And Improve Mental Health (Forbes)

FORBES | Twenty years ago tomorrow was one of the most memorable days in my U.S. Senate career. And it haunts me still. It doesn’t mark the anniversary of major legislation being signed or a bipartisan deal being struck. Rather, July 24, 1998, was the day our U.S. Capitol building was attacked by a mentally ill, armed individual who took…

Confirming Brett Kavanaugh Twelve Years Ago And His Prospects Today (Forbes)

FORBES | Brett Kavanaugh will make a terrific Supreme Court Justice, and I know from firsthand experience. Earlier this week, the New York Times ran a photo of me with Kavanaugh taken over 12 years ago when then-Majority Whip Mitch McConnell and I spearheaded his Senate confirmation. Seeing that photo brought me back to my time as…

The Future for The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Research matters. An agency that I fought to save many years ago is at risk again, and Congress must make a move to save it. I had just been sworn into the U.S. Senate in 1995, when I first found out that the The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) – then known as the…

Three Challenges Impacting The Future Of Obamacare (Forbes)

FORBES | Last week’s Supreme Court decision puts the Affordable Care Act firmly and securely into institutional and cultural permanence.  It still bears flaws due to its imperfect construction and divisive passage, but after five years, the new certainty for insurance markets will permit a maturity of risk pools, and the more direct and predictable provider…

FDA Reform (Morning Consult)

MORNING CONSULT | The FDA’s warning letter Anne Wojcicki received as the CEO of 23andMe in November 2013 came as a shock to the direct-to-consumer product industry dealing in the “peri-medical” device space. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had not previously made such a move, and perhaps 23andMe was being used to set an example,…

Aspen with Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson

Spent the other day at the Aspen Institute in beautiful surroundings with my former colleague Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson discussing health and defense strategy.

How to Build a Better Health-Care System

(Washington Post, April 17, 2013) By Tom Daschle, Bill Frist, Pete Domenici, and Alice Rivlin Tom Daschle, a Democrat and former senator from South Dakota, was Senate majority leader from 2001 to 2003. Bill Frist, a Republican and former senator from Tennessee, was Senate majority leader from 2003 to 2007. Pete Domenici, a Republican and…

Need for Affordable Care Cuts Across Party Lines

(The Hill, August 1, 2012) Need for affordable care cuts across party lines By Tom Daschle and Bill Frist On June 28, 2012, the Supreme Court issued a decision that affects the health and well-being of every American, as well as the fiscal future of our nation. By affirming the constitutionality of the Patient Protection…

5 reasons deficit hawks should lay off global health initiatives

(The Week, April 24, 2012) By Bill Frist, M.D. America’s national debt is ballooning at a worryingly rapid pace. But some programs ought to be spared the chopping block. Government spending is about to get chopped — no matter who wins the next presidential election. President Obama and his GOP challenger Mitt Romney have both…

Portrait Two

Portrait One

Looking Back On The Portrait Unveiling

Norman Shumway was smart. Peering over the open chest cavity — a flabby and worthless heart just lifted out and my mentor knowingly guiding my then novice hands as we sewed in a healthy heart — he would say: “Remember … whatever you’re doing at a moment’s time, you never own it.  You are… always……

Frist / Breaux Op-Ed in Politico

(Politico, March 19, 2010) By Sen. Bill Frist, M.D. and Sen. John Breaux Though we come from different political backgrounds and disagree on key aspects of health-care reform, we share a deep concern about provisions of proposed legislation that would establish a super-powerful board to dictate the future of Medicare. While the new entity, an…

A Historic and Dangerous Senate Mistake

By Bill Frist Published: February 26, 2010 Using ‘reconciliation’ to ram through health reform would only deepen partisan passions. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has announced that while Democrats have a number of options to complete health-care legislation, he may use the budget reconciliation process to do so. This would be an unprecedented, dangerous and…

Leading the Fight Against Global HIV/AIDS

The following is text of remarks delivered on the Senate floor.  May 14, 2003 – Senate Floor Remarks Mr. President, the size of HIV is about 100 nanometers. That is tiny, microscopic, and invisible to the naked eye. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. If you divide 3 feet, into 1 billion parts, and…

May 2003 Senate Floor Remarks on HIV/AIDS

The following is text of remarks delivered on the Senate floor.  May 13, 2003 – Senate Floor Remarks Mr. President, the sequence we just walked through is very important. The sense of urgency for the HIV/AIDS legislation, for me, really boils down to the fact that every 10 seconds somebody is dying from this little…

January 2003 Senate Floor Remarks on HIV/AIDS

The following is text of remarks delivered on the Senate floor.  Jan. 30, 2003 – Senate Floor Remarks Mr. President, for a few moments before closing tonight–and we have had a very productive day and we will make the more formal announcements in about 15 minutes or so–I take a few moments addressing an issue…