Update from Senator Bob Corker
May 26, 2012
On Memorial Day we pay tribute to the men and women who have given their lives in service to our country. Their devotion reminds us of the greatness of our nation and the pride we feel to be Americans. Memorial Day is also a time to thank our active duty service members, veterans and their families for all they have done to keep our nation safe. Our military men and women perform the highest form of public service, and today we honor their service and sacrifice on our behalf.
During the month of June, Senator Corker’s office, in partnership with members of the Tennessee congressional delegation, local officials, and veterans service organizations, will host “Rally Point” events in Jackson and Cookeville to provide veterans with a one-stop shop to access local resources. The Rally Points, to be held from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 5, at Jackson State Community College and on Wednesday, June 13, at Leslie Town Centre in Cookeville, are free events open to all Tennessee veterans and their families, featuring agencies and organizations with information on a number of resources, including VA claim assistance, vocational rehabilitation, education, employment, mental health, housing and business loans.
For further information about Rally Point, visit: http://bit.ly/KTwPVC.
Senate Passes GAIN Act
On Thursday, the Senate passed Senator Corker’s GAIN Act as part of the FDA reauthorization bill. The GAIN Act, introduced by Senator Corker and Senator Blumenthal of Connecticut, is focused on spurring development of new drugs to treat increasing cases of bacterial infections resistant to conventional antibiotics.
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"The GAIN Act has received strong support from both parties and numerous health care stakeholders because it’s commonsense legislation that provides market incentives to encourage innovation without putting federal dollars at stake,” Senator Corker said. “Antibiotic resistance is a growing issue that we must address now to properly prepare for the future. As Dr. William Evans, director and CEO of St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Tennessee, has said, ‘We don’t want to find ourselves in a situation in which we’ve been able to save a child’s life after cancer diagnosis only to lose them to an untreatable multidrug resistant infection.’”
Next week the House of Representatives is expected to consider its version of the FDA reauthorization bill, which also includes the GAIN Act.
For more information on the GAIN Act, click here.
J.P. Morgan Should Serve as a Learning Moment for Congress
Appearing on CNBC’s Squawk Box Tuesday morning, Senator Corker discussed the recent trading losses at J.P. Morgan and his hope that upcoming Senate hearings will serve as a learning moment for Congress. “I think these hearings are very important… I think it’s an educational process and I think many in the Senate may, for the first time, understand that our banking system is far more complex than they ever thought during the Dodd-Frank debate.”
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Senator Corker, a member of the Senate Banking Committee, was the first member of Congress to call for hearings into the events surrounding J.P. Morgan’s recent trading losses. The Banking Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on the J.P. Morgan losses on June 7.
"I'm glad Chairman Johnson has agreed that the Banking Committee should hear directly from J.P. Morgan, and I hope it will be a substantive hearing that examines the complexities of distinguishing between a hedge and a proprietary trade and focuses on the balance of eliminating systemic risk while not removing important tools for normal bank risk management,” said Corker.
Addressing the Eastern Coal Council's Conference
Senator Corker was in Kingsport on Monday to address the Eastern Coal Council’s Southern States Energy Board’s 33rd Annual Conference. In addition to discussing the state of the coal industry, Corker spoke about our country’s fiscal challenges and the importance of embracing the free enterprise system that has made our country great.
Bristol Herald Courier: Coal leaders looking toward presidential election
"Corker said this year’s presidential election boils down to a question of whether the nation will focus on its strengths – and maintain its free enterprise system. That system, he said, has allowed more of the population to achieve the satisfaction of earned success than anywhere else in the world. ‘Hundreds of people around the world have been lifted out of poverty because they tried to emulate this tremendous free-enterprise system that we have in our nation,’ Corker said… ‘When I look at this nation and I look at what we’ve been through over the last several years, it appears to me that we are a nation that is going through tremendous self-doubt,’ Corker said. ‘The financial crisis happened because of tremendous disruption in our economy … and it’s almost as if we have lost faith in the free enterprise system.’ Whoever wins the election, Corker said, Congress must tackle the nation’s fiscal issues…” Read more here.
Kingsport Times News: Conference speakers say EPA at war with coal industry
WCYB.com: Conference: Coal Industry Suffering From Strict Regulations
Memphis Commercial Appeal Editorial: Corker makes his call
"As the latest in a long line of Tennessee businessman Republicans, Corker could play an important role in guiding his party toward real solutions to national problems. He has shown a talent for just that in his first term.” Read more here.
