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 for the people of Tennessee, first as Governor for eight years and now as a United States Senator for the last sixteen, in addition to serving the American people as the U.S. Secretary of Education under President George H.W. Bush.
I am grateful to have served with him in the United States Senate and together on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, which he so capably chairs today. He is the master of results in the Senate. Focused always on achieving forward progress – not political posturing – Lamar has led the way in writing, crafting and passing many of our most impactful laws, including the 21st Century Cures Act to speed the next generation of cures and treatments to patients, the Every Student Succeeds Act to improve our federal education system and reform No Child Left Behind, the America COMPETES Act to invest in American innovation, and the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act to smartly tackle the ongoing opioid epidemic. While Washington seems to increase in partisanship with each passing year, Lamar keeps his head down, vets and develops evidence-based solutions that will serve the American people and quietly and effectively cultivates broad support from both sides of the aisle. He is a true statesman and a trusted, honest negotiator whose leadership in Congress has reflected the best of who we are as Americans.