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. As a member of the Republican Party, she previously served as a state senator from 1999 to 2003. From 2003 to 2019, Blackburn represented Tennessee's 7th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. During her time in the House, she was consistently rated as one of its most conservative members.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

1964: Civil Rights Act of 1964.

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 voted for constitutional amendments to ban same-sex marriage.

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

2006: Blackburn voted for constitutional amendments to ban same-sex marriage.

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

2009: Sponsored Legislation on Birth Certificates

In 2009, Marsha Blackburn sponsored legislation requiring presidential candidates to show their birth certificates in response to "birther" conspiracy theories regarding Barack Obama's citizenship.

2009: Blackburn Voted 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 voted against repealing 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy.

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 stated that the website healthcare.gov violated HIPAA and health information privacy rights, even after being questioned about the limited health-related information requested by the site.

2013: Blackburn votes on the 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 of the act, which expanded VAWA to apply to people regardless of sexual orientation.

2013: Managed Debate on Abortion Bill

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 for rape or incest.

July 2014: Conference call regarding the effects of a 2016 law

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

2014: Rejected Climate Change Consensus

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

August 2015: Rannazzisi removed from his DEA position.

In August 2015, Joe Rannazzisi, who had led the DEA's Office of Diversion Control, was removed from his position.

2015: Led Panel Investigating Planned Parenthood

In 2015, Marsha Blackburn led a panel that investigated the Planned Parenthood undercover video controversy.

2015: Blackburn opposes Supreme Court's decision on same-sex marriage.

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

March 2016: Chaired Republican-Led Select Investigative Panel

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".

2016: Blackburn co-sponsored bill

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 introduces measure to dismantle online privacy rule.

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. The measure passed the House in a party-line vote.

2017: Legislation revising DEA legal standard

According to The New York Times in 2017, 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 that "a significant and present risk of death or serious bodily harm that is more likely than not to occur", rather than the previous tougher standard of "imminent danger", before suspending the manufacturer's opioid drug shipments.

2017: Blackburn argues for repeal of the Affordable Care Act

In 2017, Marsha Blackburn argued for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), falsely stating 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."

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: Ran Controversial Advertisement

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".

June 2018: Blackburn argues for greater oversight and restrictions on tech companies.

In June 2018, Marsha Blackburn published an op-ed arguing for greater oversight and restrictions on tech companies, sparking a vocal 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, emphasizing the importance of protecting the Second Amendment and addressing mental health issues.

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

November 2019: #MoscowMarcia Trending on Twitter

In November 2019, the hashtag #MoscowMarcia started trending on Twitter after Marsha Blackburn tweeted allegations against Alexander Vindman during Trump's first Senate impeachment trial. The Week characterized her tweet as a "conspiratorial smear".

December 2020: Controversial Tweet

In December 2020, Marsha Blackburn posted a controversial tweet about China's history, leading to a heated exchange with a Chinese official and protests from the Tennessee Chinese American Alliance.

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 the employment status of an employee who had criticized her.

2020: Blackburn supports Trump's false claims of victory in the 2020 election.

In 2020, after Biden won the presidential election, Marsha Blackburn supported Trump's false claims of victory and raised funds to overturn the election results in court. Although she briefly called Biden the 'president-elect' on November 20, she retracted this as a mistake.

January 2, 2021: Blackburn to oppose certification of the 2020 election results

On January 2, 2021, Marsha Blackburn and 10 other Republican senators announced their intent to vote against certifying the 2020 presidential election results on January 6, alleging widespread election fraud and unconstitutional changes to voting laws.

March 2021: Blackburn accuses Biden of encouraging illegal immigration.

In March 2021, Marsha Blackburn visited the southern border of the United States with several other Republican senators; she accused President Biden of encouraging a surge of illegal immigration.

2021: Blackburn likens Biden's 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. She also 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: Called Griswold v. Connecticut Constitutionally Unsound

In March 2022, Marsha Blackburn called Griswold v. Connecticut, a landmark Supreme Court decision protecting the right to contraceptives, "constitutionally unsound".

March 22, 2022: Blackburn questions Jackson on the 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".

August 2022: Congressional Delegation to Taiwan

In August 2022, Marsha Blackburn led a congressional delegation to Taiwan, where she met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and voiced support for Taiwan.

March 2023: Newsom Criticizes Blackburn for Accepting NRA Donations and Voting Against Gun Control

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: Criticized Barbie Movie

In July 2023, Marsha Blackburn criticized the movie Barbie for allegedly including a map displaying China's territorial claim in the South China Sea. Warner Bros., Barbie's production company, denied the map made any type of statement.

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