Senator Lamar Alexander visited the University of Memphis this afternoon to deliver a luncheon speech to members of MPACT Memphis, a young adult civic leadership group. In attendance were several local candidates, members of the Shelby County Young Republicans and representatives of New Path Memphis, a non-partisan organization that encourages young adults to take a more active interest in local government.

Sen. Alexander encouraged attendees to get involved in politics and government, so that they can make a change for the better, rather than sit back and complain. He explained that government service isn’t as divisive as cable news coverage would have you believe, making a comparision to coverage of Iraq and other news, which is largely negative and sensational.

Alexander took questions on Social Security, federal energy policy, Medicare and the possibility of a federal GM bailout. He praised President Bush for his efforts last year to reform Social Security, saying he supports private savings accounts, but that those in the Senate who disagreed should have offered an alternative proposal. Alexander supports the development of nuclear power and hydrogen fuel technology, proposes that we overhaul the health care industry by shifting from a employer-centered insurance structure, and said he would continue to help create conditions favorable to American companies such as those in the auto industry.

A second theme of Alexander’s speech was education. The Senator supports a plan that would allow foreign students earning advanced degrees in science and engineering to remain in the U.S. and have the opportunity to create jobs in this country, rather than be forced to return home. He also announced recent school voucher legislation he drafted along with Senator Ted Kennedy, which aids school systems that absorbed students displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

UPDATE: The Commercial Appeal covered Alexander’s education proposals last week (and endorsed his ideas later in an editorial). In his speech today, the Senator mentioned several of the details reported in the article. Alexander hopes that President Bush will advance these proposals later this month during his State of the Union address. For more information, check out the National Academy of Science study, “Rising Above The Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future,” which is available free of charge in PDF form.