U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, on Tuesday introduced a bill that would modify existing immigration law to make individuals ineligible for entry if they intend to come to the United States for the purpose of giving birth to obtain citizenship for their child. “Foreign nationals have been exploiting our nation’s immigration laws for far too long, taking advantage of the system to come to the United States for the sole purpose of giving birth to obtain U.S. citizenship for their children,” Blackburn said in a press release. Blackburn’s bill, called the Ban Birth Tourism Act, comes just after the U.S. Supreme Court began hearing arguments related to former President Donald Trump’s executive order that aimed to end birthright citizenship for children born in the United States without at least one parent who is a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident.

A bill aimed at identifying and supporting ways to increase music-related tourism across the country passed the U.S. Senate last Wednesday. The American Music Tourism Act of 2025 was introduced by Republican Rep. Diana Harshbarger of Kingsport and Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Brentwood. According to WBIR, the bill directs the assistant secretary of commerce for travel and tourism to help facilitate incentives and conferences to boost music-related tourism, with an emphasis on “rural and other destinations” that are “rich in cultural heritage or ecological tourism” for international meetings, conferences or exhibitions. The bill passed the U.S. House with bipartisan support in April.

U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles is calling for federal investigations into Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell, alleging the mayor is interfering with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. Ogles, who represents Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District, said he will formally request that the House Judiciary and Homeland Security committees open inquiries into whether O’Connell directed city agencies to obstruct or monitor ICE activity. According to NewsChannel 5, Ogles claims O’Connell instructed local police to report any communication with federal immigration authorities and encouraged the public to file complaints against officers who cooperate with ICE. Ogles publicly accused O’Connell of using his office to shield undocumented immigrants and block lawful enforcement efforts, and said he has shared those concerns with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. A formal investigation has not been launched, but Ogles said he plans to move forward with the request.

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Republican of Brentwood, has introduced two bills in Congress aimed at combating crime, The Commercial Appeal reports. The "Advancing Frequent and Tailored Education to Rebuild Safe Communities and Help Orchestrate Opportunities and Learning Act," known as the AFTER SCHOOL Act, would authorize $15 million each year for four years to fund a grant for after-school programs in areas with high juvenile crime. The grants would go to after-school programs "proven to reduce juvenile crime and recidivism" in areas that have a "juvenile offense rate exceeding 10% of total violent offenses," according to the senator. The second bill, the Federal Carjacking Enforcement Act, would remove the requirement that prosectors prove an "intent to cause harm" to bring carjacking charges, instead requiring they show only that a defendant “knowingly” took the vehicle. Blackburn says the bill is needed to "fix a broken statute" and empower federal prosecutors to "hold offenders accountable." In a press release issued on the proposed bill, Blackburn says Tennessee saw a nearly 200% increase in auto theft crime by juveniles in 2023.

Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) leaders recently met with the members of the state’s congressional delegation in Washington, D.C. TBA participants included President-elect Heidi Barcus, YLD President Sean Aiello, ABA House of Delegates Chair Jonathan Cole and Executive Director Sheree Wright. Nashville attorney John Weber also joined in for some meetings. The group met with Sen. Marsha Blackburn and staff from Sen. Bill Hagerty's office. On the House side, the group met with 3rd District Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, 4th District Rep. Scott DesJarlais, 5th District Rep. Andy Ogles and 8th District Rep. David Kustoff, a TBA member. The group also met with the staff of several other members. TBA members traveled to D.C. to participate in the American Bar Association's (ABA) annual Day on the Hill, which brings together state and local bar leaders from across the country to advocate for issues important to the legal profession. See photos from the event.

The Trump administration’s pick to head the U.S. Marshals Service says judicial security is his leading priority and pledged to seek more resources to protect judges, if needed, Bloomberg Law reports. Gadyaces Serralta told U.S. senators at his confirmation hearing that threatening a judge “is a serious, serious crime” and he is open to studying manpower issues. “If I do need more human resources, I would absolutely take it up with the Department of Justice and ensure that we make the ask,” he told the Judiciary Committee in response to a question. Bloomberg Law has more on the hearing.

U.S. Rep. Diana Harshbarger's American Music Tourism Act has passed the U.S. House floor with bipartisan support. The legislation would require the assistant secretary of commerce for travel and tourism to implement a plan to support and increase music tourism for both domestic and international visitors. It also would mandate a report to Congress on the success and challenges related to achieving those tourism goals, the Jefferson County Post reports. “We’ve been working longer than nine to five to get this legislation passed through the House, and I’m thrilled that it passed with such overwhelming support,” the Kingsport Republican said. “This legislation will have a direct impact on Tennessee’s 1st Congressional District … we play a vital role in the music tourism industry.”

A new complaint has been filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) against U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, News Channel 5 reports. The complaint from the Campaign Legal Center in Washington, D.C., accuses Ogles of engaging in an "overarching effort" to hide how he raised and spent money for his two campaigns for Congress. Specifically, the group alleges that Ogles “deliberately filed false reports disclosing a fabricated $320,000 loan” in order to make his campaign’s fundraising look better in a competitive primary. The 26-page filing also alleges that Ogles deliberately misreported a series of disbursements, according to the Nashville Banner.

U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, and Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina, introduced the Sister City Transparency Act to identify the risks of foreign espionage within sister city partnerships, which exist to promote cultural exchange and economic development. The bill would direct the comptroller general to study partnerships involving foreign communities in countries with significant public sector corruption and report to Congress. Three Tennessee cities have official partnerships with 21 cities around the world through Sister Cities International. Read more in a press release from Blackburn's office.

Dean John Sauer was confirmed as U.S. solicitor general and the Trump administration’s top lawyer for Supreme Court cases in a 52-45 Senate vote, Bloomberg reports. Sauer, a former federal prosecutor and Missouri solicitor general, successfully argued before the Supreme Court last year on behalf of former President Donald Trump in his bid for immunity from criminal prosecution related to the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot. Additionally, the Senate confirmed attorney Harmeet Dhillon, Trump’s pick to lead the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, also in a 52-45 vote. Dhillon will oversee both criminal and civil matters, including hate crime prosecutions, voting rights litigation and investigations into law enforcement agencies for patterns of discrimination.