U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) delivered remarks on the Senate floor highlighting what she described as significant achievements by the Republican majority in the first seven months of the current session. Blackburn pointed to several legislative actions, including the passage of the Laken Riley Act, the HALT Fentanyl Act, a $9 billion rescissions package, and a comprehensive bill referred to as the One Big Beautiful Bill.
“If there are four words to describe the first seven months of the Senate Republican majority, it’s ‘promises made, promises kept,’” Blackburn stated during her remarks. She said that Republicans had received a mandate from voters to focus on border security, economic growth, reducing government spending, and other priorities.
The Laken Riley Act was cited as strengthening Department of Homeland Security efforts to detain criminal illegal aliens. The HALT Fentanyl Act was described as giving authorities more tools to address drug trafficking by cartels. Additionally, Blackburn noted that Senator Hagerty’s GENIUS Act aims to support economic freedom and American leadership in cryptocurrency development.
Blackburn also discussed efforts to reduce federal spending through a $9 billion rescissions package that targets what she called “wasteful spending on everything from biased media outlets to far-left NGOs.” She indicated this would be one of several such measures sent for presidential approval.
On executive branch appointments, Blackburn acknowledged challenges but said progress has been made: “Despite Democrat obstruction, we’ve also confirmed more than 100 civilian nominees who are carrying out President Trump’s agenda. And we are continuing to fight for confirmation votes to make certain that the President has his entire team in place to serve the needs of the American people.”
A major focus of Blackburn’s remarks was tax policy changes included in what she called the One Big Beautiful Bill. She emphasized that extending provisions from President Trump’s 2017 tax cuts prevented what she described as “the largest tax hike in American history: $4 trillion.” According to Blackburn, this extension benefits small businesses and working families across Tennessee and beyond.
Blackburn shared feedback from business owners and workers about these changes: “Just the other day, I was talking to a small business owner in Tennessee who said that after the 2017 tax cuts first went into place, he was able to hire two new employees who were desperate for work…But if the tax cuts expired, he feared that he would struggle to keep them on his payroll. In his words, it would have been ‘catastrophic.’”
She also quoted restaurant staff regarding new provisions affecting tips: “As one restaurant owner in Knox County recently explained, reduced taxes on tips will help his servers get about $1,000 back on their taxes at the end of the year: ‘[This] will make us more competitive when we’re looking at hiring people.’ A server in Chattanooga said these tax cuts will be ‘very beneficial for every server.…We did earn that money, so I think it’s great that we’re going to be able to keep it.’”
Blackburn detailed additional outcomes from recent legislation:
– Tennessee households are expected to save $2,600 next year on taxes.
– Seniors may now claim a $6,000 enhanced deduction.
– Families will see a permanent $2,200 child tax credit.
– Family farms receive relief from estate taxes.
– Most small businesses in Tennessee retain existing tax breaks.
She added that lower- and middle-income workers stand to see proportionally larger reductions in federal taxes compared with prior years.
Beyond tax measures, Blackburn listed other components of recent bills such as increased investment in border security—including funding for wall construction and Border Patrol hiring—changes requiring work for some Medicaid recipients without dependents or disabilities, and cuts aimed at reducing federal spending associated with climate-related programs.
“These are huge wins for the American people,” Blackburn concluded. “And the good news is that President Trump and congressional Republicans are only getting started on delivering on our mandate to Make America Great Again.”
