Lamar Alexander

As a United States Senator, I wake up every day thinking I may be able to do something good for our country, and I go to bed most nights thinking that I have. It has been a great privilege to serve the people in Tennessee, as governor and in the United States Senate.

We were friends during almost all of those years and he went out of his way to support my campaigns for public office. He was cheerful and principled but like Sen.  Everett Dirksen, one of his principles was flexibility. I will miss his hearty laughter and his friendship.

David Keene’s life spanned the life of the modern conservative movement — from Nixon, Agnew and Goldwater to Reagan, Bush and the NRA, as well as his leadership of the  American Conservative Union. In all of that he was hard to pigeonhole and he didn’t pigeonhole others.

His story reminds us of why we say and believe, 'We are all Americans.' I do not know of a more inspiring example of the American character than the heroism of this 26-year-old East Tennessee soldier.

When I introduced legislation to award the Congressional Gold Medal to MSG “Roddie” Edmonds, I said that Master Sgt. Edmonds' courageous statement, 'We are all Jews here,' saved hundreds of Jewish-American soldiers who were captured after the Battle of the Bulge.

@UTKnoxville She made friends everywhere and made lasting contributions in East Tennessee, especially to the University to Tennessee College of Music, the East Tennessee Historical Society, and to Maryville College. She was a dear friend.

@UTKnoxville Natalie Haslam was a beautiful person—beautiful in spirit, beautiful in appearance, and beautiful in her thoughtfulness for others.

Remembering Natalie L. Haslam (’52), who passed away on Jan. 16 at the age of 94. Read more about her life and impact on the university. torchbearer.utk.edu/2026/01/the-he…

Rod Paige was an education trailblazer who launched a national conversation about how best to improve low performing schools and how to hold adults accountable for our children’s learning. We are fortunate for his service.

One might ask, if we don’t end the filibuster, how will we stop future shutdowns? Simple: Stop paying salaries and traveling-home expenses for members of Congress until the government reopens. That should solve the problem within days.

The filibuster is a check on the passions of the president, the politicians and the people.

Most Republicans support the filibuster because they remember when Democrats had 60 senators, Obama was president, Republican votes didn’t matter & Democrats held hands and all jumped off the cliff together to enact ObamaCare & other partisan legislation. bit.ly/4qPfNT0

Read my full op-ed in the @WSJ: wsj.com/opinion/donald…

Mr. Trump’s proposed higher education compact may provoke some useful dialogue around reform. But the federal government shouldn’t try to manage the nation’s 6,000 colleges and universities.

It happens in every presidential administration. New officials come up with some big idea and say, “Now, let’s make everyone do it.”

Read my full op-ed in @knoxnews: knoxnews.com/story/opinion/…

“Think AI in San Francisco, money on Wall Street, songwriters in Nashville, carpet makers in Dalton, Georgia. And nuclear energy in Oak Ridge.”

“Since the Manhattan Project that helped build the atom bomb, Oak Ridge and nuclear power have been synonymous. American innovators tend to cluster so they can learn from one another.”

Honey and I loved our time with them and we had no better friends in Washington, D.C. I want to express my sympathy and respect for Annette’s life and career to Richard and to their entire family.

Dr. Annette Shelby managed to be a pioneer in her academic profession, an adviser and companion to her husband Richard, and an indispensable member of the Senate family during the 36 years he served in the United States Senate.

I knew no one who had a clearer view of the world than Fred did. He was a friend for 50 years and I will miss him. I want to express to the Smith family my respect and admiration for his life.

Very few Americans packed as much into 80 years as Fred Smith did. Decorated Marine, dedicated father, advocate for Memphis, founder and leader of a company that employs 500,000.