Wednesday, October 18, 2017

US Senate seat
US Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) is running for the US Senate in Tennessee which has been hit hard by the opioid crisis. Now, she is facing criticism for supporting a bill that weakened law enforcement's ability to curb the flow of pain pills to the black market. Blackburn co-sponsored a bill that raised the DEA standard for freezing suspicious drug shipments, following pharmaceutical industry's contributions to her campaign. She was closely aligned with President Trump during the 2016 presidential election and is receiving support from his base in the Republican primary. Says Blackburn, "I believe in President Trump's immigration ban, and I'll fight with him every step of the way to build that wall." But now former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen is considering a run for the Senate seat. Bredesen initially said he wasn't interested in the seat however he says several people have urged him to reconsider a run. Political observers say Bredesen, a moderate Democrat, would bring a competitive candidacy to the campaign. Fellow Democrat James Mackler, who is a declared candidate for the US Senate seat, criticized Blackburn over her involvement in the bill that cut the ability of the DEA to stop shipments of opioids. He has called on Blackburn to pull out of the race. "I'm running for the U.S. Senate because Tennesseans need a senator that will stand up for them rather than catering to special interests and corporate lobbyists," said Mackler, a Nashville attorney, and Iraqi war veteran.


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