Update from Senator Bob Corker
August 12, 2011

On the Road in Tennessee

August 9, 2011 – Senator Corker greets members of the Loudon County Rotary Club.

During August, Senator Corker is actively moving around the state, talking with constituents about Washington’s out-of-control spending, debt and its effect on economic growth and job creation.  He believes our country’s battle with spending is the struggle of this decade.  Since taking office, Corker has made more than 760 visits throughout Tennessee, held 113 town hall meetings and, since last August, conducted more than 60 discussions on America’s debt crisis.

This week Senator Corker made stops in Knox, Union, Roane, Loudon, Knox, Campbell, Jefferson, Sullivan, Hawkins, Claiborne, Bradley, Monroe, and Meigs counties.

He kicked off his August travels in Cleveland, meeting Monday morning with members of the Business Roundtable, a group of area business leaders who meet monthly to discuss business and economic development issues affecting their individual industries. Later in the day, he addressed the Knoxville Economics Forum, a civic group launched by the Department of Economics at the University of Tennessee.

August 8, 2011 – Senator Corker speaks to the Knoxville Economics Forum.

Senator Corker spoke to the Loudon County Rotary Club on Tuesday. 

August 9. 2011 – Senator Corker speaks during a Loudon County Rotary Club luncheon.

On Wednesday, he began the day at Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City for a breakfast with top college leadership and members of the Carson-Newman Board of Trustees.  In the afternoon, he attended the NETWORKS – Sullivan Partnership board meeting in Blountville. NETWORKS is an economic development organization serving Sullivan County.  He finished the day in Mt. Carmel with a visit to the Armed Forces Reserve Center.  The new facility is home to the Tennessee National Guard’s third squadron of the 278th Armored Cavalry Unit and the Army Reserve’s 7244th Medical Support Unit. Senator Corker met with 278th ACR Commander Colonel Frank McCauley, toured the center, and visited with members of the third squadron.

On Thursday, Senator Corker was in Decatur, where he participated in a roundtable discussion with community and business leaders at the Meigs County Chamber of Commerce.

August 10, 2011- Senator Corker speaks during the Carson-Newman College leadership breakfast.

August 10, 2011 – NETWORKS-Sullivan Partnership Chairman Bill Locke introduces Senator Corker during a board meeting in Blountville.

August 10, 2011 – During a visit and tour of the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Mt. Carmel, Senator Corker stops for a photo with members of the 278th Armored Cavalry Unit's 3rd Squadron. The 278th has completed two tours in Iraq.

A Wake-up Call for America


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Senator Corker said this week that Standard and Poor’s downgrade of the United States’ credit rating, “shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone and is further evidence that Washington is dysfunctional and our country’s battle with spending is the struggle of this decade. The concerns that led S&P to downgrade our credit rating are the same ones that led me to have 60 conversations with Tennesseans about our debt over the past year and to introduce the CAP Act to put a fiscal straitjacket on Congress to reduce spending by $7 trillion over 10 years. Unfortunately, the plan passed last week was the best we could get under the current administration and Republican control of only one house of Congress, but it’s not nearly enough, and I will continue pressing my colleagues for much larger cuts and a stronger straitjacket that applies to 100 percent of the budget.”

In the News

Chattanooga Free Press Editorial: 'The struggle of this decade'