Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Marsha Blackburn

A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Marsha Blackburn.

Marsha Blackburn is an American politician and businesswoman currently serving as the senior United States Senator from Tennessee, elected in 2018. A Republican, she previously served as a Tennessee State Senator (1999-2003) and represented Tennessee's 7th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives (2003-2019). She is known for her conservative political stance.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

1964: Blackburn co-signs amicus brief on LGBT employment discrimination

In August 2019, Marsha Blackburn co-signed an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court arguing that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not prohibit employment discrimination based upon sexual orientation or gender identity.

2004: Blackburn votes for constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage

In 2004, Marsha Blackburn voted for proposed constitutional amendments to ban same-sex marriage.

2006: Blackburn votes for constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage

In 2006, Marsha Blackburn voted for proposed constitutional amendments to ban same-sex marriage.

2009: Birth Certificate Legislation

In 2009, Marsha Blackburn sponsored legislation requiring presidential candidates to show their birth certificates, in response to "birther" theories about Barack Obama.

2009: Blackburn votes against Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and Paycheck Fairness Act

In 2009, Marsha Blackburn voted against the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act.

2010: Blackburn votes against repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell

In 2010, Marsha Blackburn voted against repealing the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy.

October 2013: Blackburn criticizes healthcare.gov for violating privacy rights

In October 2013, during congressional hearings on the ACA, Marsha Blackburn said the website healthcare.gov violated HIPAA and health information privacy rights, even after being questioned about the limited health-related questions asked by the site.

2013: Blackburn votes on Violence Against Women Act

In 2013, Marsha Blackburn voted to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act in the House but voted against the Senate's version, arguing that expanding VAWA to apply to people regardless of sexual orientation would dilute funding for women's shelters and law enforcement against crimes against women.

2013: Abortion Bill Debate Management

In 2013, Marsha Blackburn was chosen to manage debate on a bill promoted by House Republicans that would have prohibited abortions after 22 weeks' gestation, with limited exceptions.

July 2014: Rannazzisi informs congressional staffers about effects of Blackburn's bill

During a July 2014 conference call, Joe Rannazzisi told congressional staffers that Marsha Blackburn's bill would cause more difficulties for the DEA if it pursued corporations that were illegally distributing such drugs.

2014: Climate Change Views

In 2014, Marsha Blackburn rejected the scientific consensus on climate change during a debate with Bill Nye, claiming there is "no consensus" in the scientific community about the causes of climate change.

August 2015: Rannazzisi removed from DEA position

In August 2015, Joe Rannazzisi said he was removed from his DEA position.

2015: Planned Parenthood Investigation

In 2015, Marsha Blackburn led a panel that investigated the Planned Parenthood undercover video controversy, in which anti-abortion activists published a video purporting to show that Planned Parenthood illicitly sold fetal tissue.

2015: Blackburn comments on Supreme Court's Obergefell v. Hodges decision

In 2015, regarding the Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, Marsha Blackburn stated that "no one can overrule the truth about what marriage actually is—a sacred institution between a man and a woman."

March 2016: Select Investigative Panel Chair

In March 2016, Marsha Blackburn chaired the Republican-led Select Investigative Panel, a committee convened to "explore the ethical implications of using fetal tissue in biomedical research".

October 2016: FCC adopts online privacy rule

In October 2016, the FCC adopted an Obama-administration online privacy rule that Marsha Blackburn later sought to dismantle.

2016: Effects of 2016 law co-sponsored by Blackburn

In 2016, Joe Rannazzisi said he informed Blackburn's staffers what the effects of a 2016 law she co-sponsored would be.

March 2017: Blackburn's measure repealing online privacy rule passes House

In March 2017, Marsha Blackburn introduced to the House a measure to dismantle an Obama-administration online privacy rule that the FCC adopted in October 2016. Her measure, which was supported by broadband providers but criticized by privacy advocates, repealed the rule that required broadband providers to obtain consumers' permission before sharing their online data, including browsing histories. The measure passed the House in a party-line vote in March 2017, after a similar measure passed the Senate the same week.

2017: NYT reports on Blackburn's legislation affecting DEA enforcement

According to The New York Times in 2017, Marsha Blackburn's best-known legislation was her co-sponsorship of a bill that revised the legal standard the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had used to establish a risk before suspending opioid drug shipments, which was criticized as hampering DEA enforcement actions.

2017: Blackburn supports Trump's travel ban

In 2017, Marsha Blackburn supported Trump's executive order imposing a temporary travel and immigration ban barring citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S.

2017: Senate Campaign Ad Controversy

In 2017, when Marsha Blackburn announced that she was running for Senate, she ran a controversial advertisement saying that she "fought Planned Parenthood and we stopped the sale of baby body parts".

2017: Blackburn argues for ACA repeal

In 2017, while arguing for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), Marsha Blackburn falsely said that two of its popular provisions (protections for people with preexisting conditions and allowing adult children to be on their parents' health plans until they're 26) "were two Republican provisions which made it into the bill."

June 2018: Blackburn publishes op-ed advocating for tech regulation

In June 2018, Marsha Blackburn published an op-ed arguing for greater oversight and restrictions on tech companies, which sparked backlash among Google employees.

November 7, 2018: Blackburn responds to Thousand Oaks shooting

On November 7, 2018, following the Thousand Oaks shooting, Marsha Blackburn responded to a question about the shooting in a Fox News interview by saying that mental health issues needed to be addressed and that we need to protect the Second Amendment and our citizens.

2018: Blackburn criticizes failure to repeal ACA

In 2018, in her declaration that she would run for the Senate, Marsha Blackburn said that the failure to repeal the ACA was "a disgrace".

August 2019: Blackburn co-signs amicus brief on LGBT employment discrimination

November 2019: Tweets During Impeachment Trial

In November 2019, during Trump's first Senate impeachment trial, Marsha Blackburn tweeted allegations against Alexander Vindman, leading to the #MoscowMarcia trend on Twitter.

December 2020: Controversial Tweet on China

In December 2020, Marsha Blackburn posted a controversial tweet about China, leading to a heated exchange with a Chinese state media official and protests from the Chinese American community.

2020: Blackburn claims tech companies stifle free speech

During a 2020 Commerce Committee hearing, Marsha Blackburn claimed that tech companies stifle free speech and questioned Google chief Sundar Pichai about an employee who criticized her.

2020: Blackburn supports Trump's claims of victory

In 2020, after Biden won the presidential election, Marsha Blackburn supported Trump's false claims of victory and raised funds to support the Trump campaign's effort to overturn the election results in court.

January 2, 2021: Blackburn announces opposition to election certification

On January 2, 2021, Marsha Blackburn, along with 10 other Republican senators, announced their intention to vote against the certification of the 2020 United States presidential election results, alleging widespread election fraud and unconstitutional changes to voting laws.

March 2021: Blackburn visits southern border and criticizes Biden

In March 2021, Marsha Blackburn visited the southern border of the United States and accused President Biden of encouraging a surge of illegal immigration.

May 2021: Blackburn abstains from voting on January 6 commission creation

In May 2021, Marsha Blackburn abstained from voting on the creation of the January 6 commission.

2021: Blackburn likens Biden's pre-K proposal to communist policies

In 2021, Marsha Blackburn likened President Biden's proposal for universal pre-K and subsidized child care to the communist policies of the Soviet Union and falsely claimed that the Biden administration proposed to put children in pre-K even if their parents did not want to send them there.

March 2022: Criticism of Griswold v. Connecticut

In March 2022, Marsha Blackburn called Griswold v. Connecticut "constitutionally unsound", criticizing the Supreme Court decision protecting the right of married couples to use contraceptives.

March 22, 2022: Blackburn questions Jackson on definition of "woman"

On March 22, 2022, during the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson, Marsha Blackburn asked Jackson to define the word "woman", leading to a discussion about biology and the clarity of the word's meaning.

April 7, 2022: Blackburn votes against Jackson's confirmation to Supreme Court

On April 7, 2022, Marsha Blackburn voted against Ketanji Brown Jackson's confirmation to the Supreme Court.

August 2022: Taiwan Visit

In August 2022, Marsha Blackburn led a congressional delegation to Taiwan, where she met with President Tsai Ing-wen and voiced support for Taiwan's independence, drawing criticism from China.

2022: Blackburn votes against gun control measures

In 2022, Marsha Blackburn voted against gun control measures, including the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which passed in 2022.

March 2023: Newsom Criticizes Blackburn's NRA Donations and Gun Control Votes

In March 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized Marsha Blackburn for accepting over $1 million in campaign donations from the National Rifle Association of America and voting against gun control measures, including the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which passed in 2022.

July 2023: Criticism of 'Barbie' Movie

In July 2023, Marsha Blackburn criticized the movie Barbie for allegedly containing a map displaying China's disputed nine-dash line claim.

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2023: Blackburn votes against Fiscal Responsibility Act

In 2023, Marsha Blackburn was among the 31 Senate Republicans who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, which raised the U.S. debt ceiling.