Providing Our Men and Women in Uniform the Tools They Need

Senator Corker issued the following statement last Tuesday after voting for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

“I am pleased this bill stays within the current budget caps because the greatest long-term security threat to our nation is the inability to get our fiscal house in order,” said Corker. “As this legislation advances, I hope we continue to make prudent fiscal decisions that allow us to provide our men and women in uniform – including the tens of thousands who call Tennessee home – the tools they need to defend our nation from a variety of threats at home and abroad. By setting priorities and investing responsibly, we can maintain a strong national defense at a time when U.S. leadership around the world matters more than ever.”

Questioning the Obama Administration’s Approach to Libya

Click here or on the image above to view video.

Senator Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, last week questioned the Obama administration’s approach to Libya. The committee heard testimony from U.S. Special Envoy for Libya Jonathan Winer about U.S. support for the internationally-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli as it attempts to establish legitimate authority over the entire country.

“Five years after the U.S. decision to intervene in Libya, which I think most of us…agree was a textbook case of what not to do in foreign policy, I am still wondering what our Libya policy is,” said Corker. “If we can cause people to come together through the efforts that are underway at present, we really would just be getting back to where [Libya was] in 2013.”

He further suggested that the U.S. missed an opportunity to stop the advance of ISIS in Libya before the terrorist organization established a significant presence in urban areas.

“It still appears to me that we have a really light touch,” Corker said. “It still doesn’t appear to me that we’ve come together around [a policy] that has the sense of urgency or seriousness to it relative to the negativity that could occur if Libya fails.”

Archived footage and full witness testimony is available here.

Saddened by the Passing of Lee Anderson

Senator Corker released the following statement last Thursday on the passing of Lee Anderson, former publisher of the Chattanooga Free Press and one of the longest-serving newspapermen in the nation.

“I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of an exceptional Tennessean and a Chattanooga icon,” said Corker. “Lee Anderson’s impact on our city through his many roles at the paper, his civic service, and his passion for serving others, cannot be overstated. I am fortunate to have known him most of my adult life and will miss him dearly. My thoughts and prayers are with the Anderson family, his former colleagues at the Chattanooga Times Free Press, and all those across our city and state who were touched by his life.”

Welcoming Tennesseans to Washington

Last week, Senators Corker and Alexander hosted more than 50 Tennesseans at “Tennessee Tuesday,” a regular breakfast held on Capitol Hill every week the Senate is in session for visitors from the Volunteer State. For more information, click here.

Senators Corker and Alexander met with students from Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association last Wednesday to discuss the importance of public service.

Senator Corker visited with the Hoover family of Murfreesboro last Thursday during their trip to Washington.

Senator Corker met with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) of Tennessee last Thursday to discuss important updates in research and patient access to treatment.