Bob Corker
Encyclopedia
Robert Phillips "Bob" Corker, Jr. (born August 24, 1952) is the junior United States Senator
from Tennessee
. Before his election to the Senate in 2006, he served as mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee
from 2001 to 2005. Corker was a businessman prior to holding public office.
, Corker moved to Tennessee
at the age of 11. He graduated from Chattanooga High School in 1970. He earned a Bachelor of Science
degree in Industrial Management from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 1974. Corker is a member of Sigma Chi
fraternity. He and his wife Elizabeth, whom he married on May 18, 1987, have two daughters. The family's permanent residence is at the Anne Haven mansion built by Coca-Cola Bottling Company heirs Anne Lupton and Frank Harrison.
After working four years as a construction superintendent, he started his own construction company, Bencor, which he sold in 1990. In 1999, he purchased the two largest real estate companies in Chattanooga, Osborne Building Corporation and the Stone Fort Land Company, making him the largest private land owner in Hamilton County, Tennessee
. He sold most of these holdings in 2006 to Henry Luken. His business successes have made Corker a multimillionaire.
Corker's assets were estimated at $19.19 million in 2008.
. During the primary, Frist’s campaign manager labeled Corker “pond scum” in a Corker attack, which made statewide headlines.
.
Although Chattanooga's mayors are generally Democrats, as Republican mayor of the fourth-largest city in Tennessee from 2001 to 2005, Corker oversaw a $120 million renovation project, including an expansion of the Hunter Museum, a renovation of the Creative Discovery Museum
, an expansion of Chattanooga's River Walk, and the addition of a new salt water building to the Tennessee Aquarium
.
While Bob Corker was mayor of Chattanooga, he pushed thru the sale of public wildlife wetlands, much to the dismay of the citizens of Chattanooga, to the Walmart corporation. These vital wetlands, some of the few in the Chattanooga area, were sold to Walmart, with no referendum or vote. It was noted, that while Bob Corker, had put his personal and business interests in a private trust, part of the deal pertaining to the sale of the wetlands happened to involve a parcel of land that he owned and subsequently profited from. In effect, it was perceived that he was using his position of mayor of Chattanooga for his own personal gain and profit. It stretched the imagination of most, if not all, citizens that, private trust or not, he was not doing this for his own personal gain. It is a widely held belief of many of the locals that Bob Corker, like so many before him, bought his way into the exclusive 'boys club' known as the U.S. Senate.
, who had announced that he would not run for reelection. In the Republican primary election, he ran against two former congressmen, Ed Bryant
and Van Hilleary
. Both of his opponents ran as strong conservatives, denouncing Corker as a moderate and eventually labelling him a leftist. In the course of his primary campaign, Corker spent $4.2 million on television advertising, especially in the western portion of the state, where he was relatively unknown before the primary. In the August primary election, he won with 48% of the vote over Bryant's 34% and Hilleary's 17%.
For the general election campaign, his Democratic opponent, Harold Ford, Jr.
, challenged Corker to seven televised debates across the state. In response, Corker said he would debate Ford, though he did not agree to seven debates. The two candidates eventually participated in three televised debates: in Memphis
on October 7, in Chattanooga on October 10, and in Nashville
on October 28.
In October 2006, as polls indicated that Ford was maintaining a slight lead over Corker,
- the Republican National Committee
ran a television advertisement that would provoke a nationwide outcry. In the 30 second television advertisement, sound bites of numerous "people in the street" pronouncing Ford wrong for Tennessee were interspersed with two shots of a white woman animatedly recalling meeting Ford—who is African-American and who was unmarried at the time—at "the Playboy
party". The ad concludes with this woman leeringly inviting Ford to phone her. The ad was denounced by many people, including former Republican Senator and Secretary of Defense under Bill Clinton
, William Cohen
, who called it “a very serious appeal to a racist
sentiment.” Corker subsequently pulled ahead in the polls. Corker went on to win the election by less than three percentage points. He was the only new Republican Senator in the 110th Congress. Tennessee holds the distinction of being the only U.S. state
to elect a new Republican
to both houses of Congress in the 2006 mid-term elections.
Corker was sworn in as Senator on January 4, 2007. At the ceremony he was accompanied by “two former Senate majority leaders from Tennessee, Howard Baker
and Bill Frist
”.
Corker has become a defender of the Iraqi war since taking his seat in the 110th Congress. Despite frustration by the public, any further reduction in U.S. forces in Iraq must be based on improved conditions in the country, Corker said. He urged ultimate success will be determined by the Iraqi government, over which the U.S. has limited control, and the withdrawal of some of the troops that were added in 2007 has created some pressure on the Iraqi government, but warned that further cuts now could destabilize the country.
Corker has voted against a cap-and-trade measure, but said he might accept a "rational" version of the legislation. Criticizing as “political stimulus” for electoral campaigns, Corker became one of the only sixteen Senators who opposed the tax rebate stimulus plan
. Later, he had described the stimulus package that passed Congress as "silly".
Corker was one of the original members of the Gang of 10, now consisting of twenty members, which is a bipartisan coalition seeking comprehensive energy reform. The group is pushing for a bill that would encourage state-by-state decisions on offshore drilling
and authorize billions of dollars for conservation and alternative energy.
In December 2008, Corker opposed a Democratic proposed federal bailout for the failing US automakers, and expressed doubt that the companies would be salvaged. Corker proposed that federal funds be provided for automakers only if accompanied by cuts in labor costs and other concessions from unions. Negotiations regarding Corker's proposal broke down on the evening of December 11, 2008. The United Auto Workers
, which had previously accepted a series of cuts in its current contract, sought to put off any further cuts until 2011, while Corker requested that cuts go into effect in 2009. Republicans blamed the UAW for failure to reach an agreement, while the UAW claimed that Corker's proposal singled out "workers and retirees for different treatment and make[s] them shoulder the entire burden of restructuring." On December 13, 2008, Businessweek
reported that Corker was "one of those responsible for winning the new Volkswagen Chattanooga Assembly Plant
at a cost of $577 million in tax incentives" during his tenure as mayor of Chattanooga, raising questions about Corker's motivations during the bailout negotiations.
In September, 2009, Corker became a ranking member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging
, replacing former Sen. Mel Martinez
. On September 30, 2009 Corker described Canada
as being "parasitic" for siphoning U.S. dollars to that country with low prescription drug prices. He stated that "In essence, the Canadian government and its citizens are taking advantage of our citizens by virtue of setting prices that are lower than competitive prices."
Corker opposed President Barack Obama's health reform legislation; he voted against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
in December 2009, and he voted against the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010
.
In late February 2010, Corker took a decidedly less bipartisan turn when he became the sole senator to back retiring Senator Jim Bunning
of Kentucky
in filibustering a 30-day extension of expiring unemployment and COBRA
benefits.
On May 20, 2010, despite his initial role as the key Republican negotiator on financial regulatory reform, Corker voted against the Senate Financial Regulations Bill that if passed would increase scrutiny of financial derivatives traded by major U.S. banks and financial institutions. Senator Corker does not believe that the government should regulate markets more carefully, but rather that they should be regulated by current laws already on the books. Senator Corker supports the view of many conservatives that the Glass Steagall Act should not be reimplemented. Senator Corker has been a vocal opponent of financial regulations passed by the Senate in 2010. He also opposes limits to credit card fees imposed by banks on merchant transactions. The main critique of financial reform offered by Corker on June 10, 2010 at the joint House and Senate conference on Financial Regulation was that it would hurt industry and jobs if passed. Corker offered no evidence for his contention that regulating derivatives would impose constraints on the financial recovery of the United States.
Senator Corker was one of three Republicans to support the New STrategic Arms Reduction Treaty
(New START) in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in September 2010.
on most social and economic issues through television advertisements, his campaign website, and in debates.
Corker scored 83% on American Conservative Union
’s 2008 Ratings of Congress. According to National Journal
’s 2009 Vote Ratings, he was ranked as the 34th conservative member among the 40 GOP senators.
111th Congress
reporter Nicole Duran reported that Senator-elect Corker and Dean Heller
(Rep.-elect, NV
) would be joining the moderate Republican Main Street Partnership
, according to its executive director. This caused a stir in conservative circles, since Corker ran in Tennessee as a conservative, and several bloggers accused him of betraying his promises. By the end of the day, however, Corker's office responded to the report to say that not only was he was not joining the organization, but that he "only learned of the group’s existence when this story was reported today." Roll Call subsequently reported that the group's executive director stated she had been "misinformed", and only Heller would be joining the group.
In the 2006 primary campaign, Corker's opponents said that he has changed his view on abortion
since his first Senate campaign in 1994. Corker responded that he "was wrong in 1994" when he said that the government should not interfere with an individual's right to an abortion, stating that he now believes that life begins at conception. Corker now says he opposes abortion rights except when the life of the mother is endangered or in cases of rape
and incest
.
In the 2006 general election, Corker received the endorsement of the National Right to Life Committee
, but the state branch of the group, Tennessee Right to Life, refused to endorse him, calling him a "pro-abortion" politician.
Corker supports broad Second Amendment
rights and "appointing Federal judges who practice judicial restraint."
and the 2003 tax cut
permanent. He has shown interest in replacing the federal progressive
income tax with a flat tax
.
Corker has expressed skepticism regarding the claims of human-caused global warming
. He favors imposing a tax on carbon
. Corker opposed John McCain
's 2008 campaign proposal to suspend the 18-cents-per-gallon federal gasoline tax
, calling it "pandering extraordinaire".
He chose to endorse the initial $350 billion of Wall Street bailout money,
and opposed releasing additional $350 billion of it.
In 2011, Corker voted in favor of the Republican alternative budget proposed by Representative Paul Ryan
(R-Wis.
), a proposal that would eliminate the health care provided through the Medicare
program and instead give seniors subsidies for part of the cost of obtaining private medical insurance. Corker referred to such programs as Medicare and Social Security
as "generational theft".
’s Afghan war
strategy, and expected that America's military mission in Afghanistan
will last at least another 10 years. Corker told that he will agree a bigger U.S. military presence if General Stanley A. McChrystal
determines there is need.
for $4.6 million while he was mayor of Chattanooga. According to Joe Prochaska, an attorney representing the Tennessee Environmental Council, "What they did was outrageous. They just ran roughshod over this public property for private gain." Environmental educator Sandy Kurtz filed suit in 2003 to stop the land deal, but the lawsuit was dismissed.
New allegations, however, surfaced in August 2006, and a suit was filed by Kurtz and the Tennessee Environmental Council accusing Wal-Mart of encroaching onto an adjacent protected nature area that is also held by a company owned by Corker. The suit alleges that Corker did not fully disclose his interest in the property where the Wal-Mart was built or in the adjacent nature area at the time the deal was made. The Corker campaign has countered that Corker's company filed papers to develop the wetlands in 2000, before Corker became mayor, and that it was widely known that Corker had an interest in the property.
On September 18, 2006, a Memphis, Tennessee
newspaper, The Commercial Appeal
, reported that Corker's attorneys acquired city authorization to cut a road through the protected property owned by Corker in July 2003 while Corker was mayor. City records show that Corker's attorneys won concessions from the city as details of the deal were worked out, much of which was done in private.
Corker's campaign manager has said that a blind trust
kept Corker from the details of the project.
On October 13, 2006, lawyers involved in the case announced a settlement agreement. Details of the settlement were not announced, but court records indicate that a portion of the settlement involved a 45-day option for the Tennessee Environmental Council to purchase over 13 acres (52,609.2 m²) of the land in dispute that the Council hopes to dedicate for public use.
Some of the e-mails were discovered on his former assistant's computer by The Commercial Appeal in October 2006.
that Corker set up to run his businesses to avoid conflicts of interest
while he was mayor "may not have been all that blind". According to e-mails discovered by the Appeal (some of which had previously presumed to be lost):
The e-mails show that Corker often met with officials from his private company, the Corker Group, which was part of the blind trust, while he was mayor.
When asked about these e-mails by the Appeal, Corker said that he thought the blind trust had "worked very well" and that he had sold most of his business holdings so that he could avoid the appearance of conflicts of interest in the Senate.
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. Before his election to the Senate in 2006, he served as mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
from 2001 to 2005. Corker was a businessman prior to holding public office.
Early life and family
Born in Orangeburg, South CarolinaOrangeburg, South Carolina
Orangeburg, also known as "The Garden City," is the principal city in and the county seat of Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city is also the fifth oldest city in the state of South Carolina. The city population was 12,765 at the 2000 census, within a Greater Orangeburg...
, Corker moved to Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
at the age of 11. He graduated from Chattanooga High School in 1970. He earned a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in Industrial Management from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 1974. Corker is a member of Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon...
fraternity. He and his wife Elizabeth, whom he married on May 18, 1987, have two daughters. The family's permanent residence is at the Anne Haven mansion built by Coca-Cola Bottling Company heirs Anne Lupton and Frank Harrison.
After working four years as a construction superintendent, he started his own construction company, Bencor, which he sold in 1990. In 1999, he purchased the two largest real estate companies in Chattanooga, Osborne Building Corporation and the Stone Fort Land Company, making him the largest private land owner in Hamilton County, Tennessee
Hamilton County, Tennessee
Hamilton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It was named for Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury. The 2005 Census Estimate placed the population at 310,935 . Its county seat is Chattanooga....
. He sold most of these holdings in 2006 to Henry Luken. His business successes have made Corker a multimillionaire.
Corker's assets were estimated at $19.19 million in 2008.
1994 Senate campaign
Corker first ran for the United States Senate in 1994, losing the Republican primary to eventual winner Bill FristBill Frist
William Harrison "Bill" Frist, Sr. is an American physician, businessman, and politician. He began his career as an heir and major stockholder to the for-profit hospital chain of Hospital Corporation of America. Frist later served two terms as a Republican United States Senator representing...
. During the primary, Frist’s campaign manager labeled Corker “pond scum” in a Corker attack, which made statewide headlines.
Mayor of Chattanooga
From 1995 to 1996, Corker was appointed Commissioner of Finance and Administration for the State of Tennessee, working for Governor Don SundquistDon Sundquist
Donald Kenneth Sundquist is a former governor and congressman from Tennessee. A Republican, he served as the 47th Governor of Tennessee from 1995 to 2003...
.
Although Chattanooga's mayors are generally Democrats, as Republican mayor of the fourth-largest city in Tennessee from 2001 to 2005, Corker oversaw a $120 million renovation project, including an expansion of the Hunter Museum, a renovation of the Creative Discovery Museum
Creative Discovery Museum
The Creative Discovery Museum is a children's museum located in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee. The museum contains art, music, and field science areas, along with a water-themed zone called RiverPlay, a rooftop exhibit, an inventor's workshop, and a temporary exhibit space...
, an expansion of Chattanooga's River Walk, and the addition of a new salt water building to the Tennessee Aquarium
Tennessee Aquarium
The Tennessee Aquarium is a non-profit public aquarium located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Its River Journey building is the largest freshwater aquarium in the world....
.
While Bob Corker was mayor of Chattanooga, he pushed thru the sale of public wildlife wetlands, much to the dismay of the citizens of Chattanooga, to the Walmart corporation. These vital wetlands, some of the few in the Chattanooga area, were sold to Walmart, with no referendum or vote. It was noted, that while Bob Corker, had put his personal and business interests in a private trust, part of the deal pertaining to the sale of the wetlands happened to involve a parcel of land that he owned and subsequently profited from. In effect, it was perceived that he was using his position of mayor of Chattanooga for his own personal gain and profit. It stretched the imagination of most, if not all, citizens that, private trust or not, he was not doing this for his own personal gain. It is a widely held belief of many of the locals that Bob Corker, like so many before him, bought his way into the exclusive 'boys club' known as the U.S. Senate.
2006 Senate campaign
In 2004, Corker announced that he would seek the U.S. Senate seat to be vacated by incumbent Republican Senator Bill FristBill Frist
William Harrison "Bill" Frist, Sr. is an American physician, businessman, and politician. He began his career as an heir and major stockholder to the for-profit hospital chain of Hospital Corporation of America. Frist later served two terms as a Republican United States Senator representing...
, who had announced that he would not run for reelection. In the Republican primary election, he ran against two former congressmen, Ed Bryant
Ed Bryant
Edward Glenn Bryant, usually known as Ed Bryant, , American politician, is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Tennessee . Born in Jackson, Tennessee, he earned his B.A. in 1970 and J.D. in 1972, both from the University of Mississippi. As a student he was...
and Van Hilleary
Van Hilleary
William Vanderpool Hilleary, usually known as Van Hilleary is a Republican politician from Tennessee.-Early life and career:...
. Both of his opponents ran as strong conservatives, denouncing Corker as a moderate and eventually labelling him a leftist. In the course of his primary campaign, Corker spent $4.2 million on television advertising, especially in the western portion of the state, where he was relatively unknown before the primary. In the August primary election, he won with 48% of the vote over Bryant's 34% and Hilleary's 17%.
For the general election campaign, his Democratic opponent, Harold Ford, Jr.
Harold Ford, Jr.
Harold Eugene Ford, Jr. is an American politician and was the last chairman of the now-defunct Democratic Leadership Council . He was a Democratic Party member of the United States House of Representatives from , centered in Memphis, from 1997 to 2007...
, challenged Corker to seven televised debates across the state. In response, Corker said he would debate Ford, though he did not agree to seven debates. The two candidates eventually participated in three televised debates: in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
on October 7, in Chattanooga on October 10, and in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
on October 28.
In October 2006, as polls indicated that Ford was maintaining a slight lead over Corker,
- the Republican National Committee
Republican National Committee
The Republican National Committee is an American political committee that provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is...
ran a television advertisement that would provoke a nationwide outcry. In the 30 second television advertisement, sound bites of numerous "people in the street" pronouncing Ford wrong for Tennessee were interspersed with two shots of a white woman animatedly recalling meeting Ford—who is African-American and who was unmarried at the time—at "the Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
party". The ad concludes with this woman leeringly inviting Ford to phone her. The ad was denounced by many people, including former Republican Senator and Secretary of Defense under Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, William Cohen
William Cohen
William Sebastian Cohen is an author and American politician from the U.S. state of Maine. A Republican, Cohen served as Secretary of Defense under Democratic President Bill Clinton.-Early life and education:...
, who called it “a very serious appeal to a racist
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
sentiment.” Corker subsequently pulled ahead in the polls. Corker went on to win the election by less than three percentage points. He was the only new Republican Senator in the 110th Congress. Tennessee holds the distinction of being the only U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
to elect a new Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to both houses of Congress in the 2006 mid-term elections.
Tenure
Howard Baker
Howard Henry Baker, Jr. is a former Senate Majority Leader, Republican U.S. Senator from Tennessee, White House Chief of Staff, and a former United States Ambassador to Japan.Known in Washington, D.C...
and Bill Frist
Bill Frist
William Harrison "Bill" Frist, Sr. is an American physician, businessman, and politician. He began his career as an heir and major stockholder to the for-profit hospital chain of Hospital Corporation of America. Frist later served two terms as a Republican United States Senator representing...
”.
Corker has become a defender of the Iraqi war since taking his seat in the 110th Congress. Despite frustration by the public, any further reduction in U.S. forces in Iraq must be based on improved conditions in the country, Corker said. He urged ultimate success will be determined by the Iraqi government, over which the U.S. has limited control, and the withdrawal of some of the troops that were added in 2007 has created some pressure on the Iraqi government, but warned that further cuts now could destabilize the country.
Corker has voted against a cap-and-trade measure, but said he might accept a "rational" version of the legislation. Criticizing as “political stimulus” for electoral campaigns, Corker became one of the only sixteen Senators who opposed the tax rebate stimulus plan
Economic Stimulus Act of 2008
The Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 was an Act of Congress providing for several kinds of economic stimuli intended to boost the United States economy in 2008 and to avert a recession, or ameliorate economic conditions. The stimulus package was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on January...
. Later, he had described the stimulus package that passed Congress as "silly".
Corker was one of the original members of the Gang of 10, now consisting of twenty members, which is a bipartisan coalition seeking comprehensive energy reform. The group is pushing for a bill that would encourage state-by-state decisions on offshore drilling
Offshore drilling
Offshore drilling refers to a mechanical process where a wellbore is drilled through the seabed. It is typically carried out in order to explore for and subsequently produce hydrocarbons which lie in rock formations beneath the seabed...
and authorize billions of dollars for conservation and alternative energy.
In December 2008, Corker opposed a Democratic proposed federal bailout for the failing US automakers, and expressed doubt that the companies would be salvaged. Corker proposed that federal funds be provided for automakers only if accompanied by cuts in labor costs and other concessions from unions. Negotiations regarding Corker's proposal broke down on the evening of December 11, 2008. The United Auto Workers
United Auto Workers
The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers , is a labor union which represents workers in the United States and Puerto Rico, and formerly in Canada. Founded as part of the Congress of Industrial...
, which had previously accepted a series of cuts in its current contract, sought to put off any further cuts until 2011, while Corker requested that cuts go into effect in 2009. Republicans blamed the UAW for failure to reach an agreement, while the UAW claimed that Corker's proposal singled out "workers and retirees for different treatment and make[s] them shoulder the entire burden of restructuring." On December 13, 2008, Businessweek
BusinessWeek
Bloomberg Businessweek, commonly and formerly known as BusinessWeek, is a weekly business magazine published by Bloomberg L.P. It is currently headquartered in New York City.- History :...
reported that Corker was "one of those responsible for winning the new Volkswagen Chattanooga Assembly Plant
Volkswagen Chattanooga Assembly Plant
Volkswagen Chattanooga Assembly Plant is an automobile assembly plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee that began production in April 2011, was formally inaugurated in May 2011 and is expected to employ approximately 2,000 once fully operational...
at a cost of $577 million in tax incentives" during his tenure as mayor of Chattanooga, raising questions about Corker's motivations during the bailout negotiations.
In September, 2009, Corker became a ranking member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging
United States Senate Special Committee on Aging
The United States Senate Special Committee on Aging was initially established in 1961 as a temporary committee; it became a permanent Senate committee in 1977...
, replacing former Sen. Mel Martinez
Mel Martinez
Melquíades Rafael Martínez Ruiz, usually known as Mel Martinez , is a former United States Senator from Florida and served as Chairman of the Republican Party from November 2006 until October 19, 2007, the first Latino to serve as chairman of a major party...
. On September 30, 2009 Corker described Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
as being "parasitic" for siphoning U.S. dollars to that country with low prescription drug prices. He stated that "In essence, the Canadian government and its citizens are taking advantage of our citizens by virtue of setting prices that are lower than competitive prices."
Corker opposed President Barack Obama's health reform legislation; he voted against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
in December 2009, and he voted against the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010
Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010
The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 is a law that was enacted by the 111th United States Congress, by means of the reconciliation process, in order to amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act...
.
In late February 2010, Corker took a decidedly less bipartisan turn when he became the sole senator to back retiring Senator Jim Bunning
Jim Bunning
James Paul David "Jim" Bunning is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and politician.During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1955 to 1971, most notably with the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies. When he retired, he had the second-highest total of career...
of Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
in filibustering a 30-day extension of expiring unemployment and COBRA
Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985
The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 is a law passed by the U.S. Congress on a reconciliation basis and signed by President Reagan that, among other things, mandates an insurance program giving some employees the ability to continue health insurance coverage after leaving...
benefits.
On May 20, 2010, despite his initial role as the key Republican negotiator on financial regulatory reform, Corker voted against the Senate Financial Regulations Bill that if passed would increase scrutiny of financial derivatives traded by major U.S. banks and financial institutions. Senator Corker does not believe that the government should regulate markets more carefully, but rather that they should be regulated by current laws already on the books. Senator Corker supports the view of many conservatives that the Glass Steagall Act should not be reimplemented. Senator Corker has been a vocal opponent of financial regulations passed by the Senate in 2010. He also opposes limits to credit card fees imposed by banks on merchant transactions. The main critique of financial reform offered by Corker on June 10, 2010 at the joint House and Senate conference on Financial Regulation was that it would hurt industry and jobs if passed. Corker offered no evidence for his contention that regulating derivatives would impose constraints on the financial recovery of the United States.
Senator Corker was one of three Republicans to support the New STrategic Arms Reduction Treaty
New START
New START is a nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States of America and the Russian Federation with the formal name of Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms...
(New START) in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in September 2010.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban AffairsUnited States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban AffairsThe United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs has jurisdiction over matters related to: banks and banking, price controls, deposit insurance, export promotion and controls, federal monetary policy, financial aid to commerce and industry, issuance of redemption of notes,...
- Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community DevelopmentUnited States Senate Banking Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community DevelopmentThe Senate Banking Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development is one of five subcommittees within the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.-Jurisdiction:...
- Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance and InvestmentUnited States Senate Banking Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and InvestmentThe Senate Banking Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment is one of five subcommittees within the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.-Jurisdiction:...
- Subcommittee on Security and International Trade and FinanceUnited States Senate Banking Subcommittee on Security and International Trade and FinanceThe Senate Banking Subcommittee on Security and International Trade and Finance is one of five subcommittees within the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.-Jurisdiction:...
(Ranking Member)
- Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development
- Committee on Energy and Natural ResourcesUnited States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural ResourcesThe United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources has jurisdiction over matters related to energy and nuclear waste policy, territorial policy, native Hawaiian matters, and public lands....
- Subcommittee on EnergyUnited States Senate Energy Subcommittee on EnergySenate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy is one of four subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.-Jurisdiction:...
- Subcommittee on National ParksUnited States Senate Energy Subcommittee on National ParksSenate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks is one of four subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.-Jurisdiction:...
- Subcommittee on Public Lands and ForestsUnited States Senate Energy Subcommittee on Public Lands and ForestsSenate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests is one of four subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.-Jurisdiction:...
- Subcommittee on Energy
- Committee on Foreign RelationsUnited States Senate Committee on Foreign RelationsThe United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is a standing committee of the United States Senate. It is charged with leading foreign-policy legislation and debate in the Senate. The Foreign Relations Committee is generally responsible for overseeing and funding foreign aid programs as...
- Subcommittee on African AffairsUnited States Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African AffairsThe Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs is one of seven subcommittees of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.-Jurisdiction:...
- Subcommittee on European AffairsUnited States Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European AffairsThe Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs is one of seven subcommittees of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.-Jurisdiction:...
- Subcommittee on International Development and Foreign Assistance, Economic Affairs,
and International Environmental Protection (Ranking Member) - Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs
- Subcommittee on African Affairs
- Special Committee on AgingUnited States Senate Special Committee on AgingThe United States Senate Special Committee on Aging was initially established in 1961 as a temporary committee; it became a permanent Senate committee in 1977...
(Ranking Member)
Political ideology
In the 2006 Senate race, Corker positioned himself as a conservativeAmerican conservatism
Conservatism in the United States has played an important role in American politics since the 1950s. Historian Gregory Schneider identifies several constants in American conservatism: respect for tradition, support of republicanism, preservation of "the rule of law and the Christian religion", and...
on most social and economic issues through television advertisements, his campaign website, and in debates.
Corker scored 83% on American Conservative Union
American Conservative Union
The American Conservative Union is an American political organization advocating conservative policies, and is the oldest such conservative lobbying organization in the country.-Organization:...
’s 2008 Ratings of Congress. According to National Journal
National Journal
National Journal is a nonpartisan American weekly magazine that reports on the current political environment and emerging political and policy trends. National Journal was first published in 1969. Times Mirror owned the magazine from 1986 to 1997, when it was purchased by David G. Bradley...
’s 2009 Vote Ratings, he was ranked as the 34th conservative member among the 40 GOP senators.
111th Congress
- National JournalNational JournalNational Journal is a nonpartisan American weekly magazine that reports on the current political environment and emerging political and policy trends. National Journal was first published in 1969. Times Mirror owned the magazine from 1986 to 1997, when it was purchased by David G. Bradley...
: 66% Conservative- Economic: 29% Liberal / 69% Conservative
- Social issue: 29% Liberal / 70% Conservative
- Foreign-policy: 41% Liberal / 56% Conservative
- Americans for Democratic ActionAmericans for Democratic ActionAmericans for Democratic Action is an American political organization advocating progressive policies. ADA works for social and economic justice through lobbying, grassroots organizing, research and supporting progressive candidates.-History:...
: 10% (Liberal Score) - National Taxpayers UnionNational Taxpayers UnionNational Taxpayers Union is a taxpayers advocacy organization and taxpayers union in the United States, founded in 1969 by James Dale Davidson. NTU advertises that it is the largest and oldest grassroots taxpayer organization in the nation, with 362,000 members nationwide. It is closely...
: 83% (Grade: B; Rank: 24)
Republican Main Street Partnership controversy
On December 6, 2006, Roll CallRoll Call
Roll Call is a newspaper published in Washington, D.C., United States, from Monday to Thursday when the United States Congress is in session and on Mondays only during recess. Roll Call reports news of legislative and political maneuverings on Capitol Hill, as well as political coverage of...
reporter Nicole Duran reported that Senator-elect Corker and Dean Heller
Dean Heller
Dean A. Heller is the junior United States Senator from Nevada and a member of the Republican Party. Heller was appointed by Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval to a vacant seat created by the resignation of John Ensign. He was previously a member of the United States House of Representatives,...
(Rep.-elect, NV
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
) would be joining the moderate Republican Main Street Partnership
Republican Main Street Partnership
The Republican Main Street Partnership is a group of moderate members of the United States Republican Party. They tend away from the dominant social conservatism of many Republicans and towards a moderate fiscal conservatism and limited government to a degree. The group is the rough equivalent of...
, according to its executive director. This caused a stir in conservative circles, since Corker ran in Tennessee as a conservative, and several bloggers accused him of betraying his promises. By the end of the day, however, Corker's office responded to the report to say that not only was he was not joining the organization, but that he "only learned of the group’s existence when this story was reported today." Roll Call subsequently reported that the group's executive director stated she had been "misinformed", and only Heller would be joining the group.
Social policy
In the 2006 primary campaign, Corker's opponents said that he has changed his view on abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
since his first Senate campaign in 1994. Corker responded that he "was wrong in 1994" when he said that the government should not interfere with an individual's right to an abortion, stating that he now believes that life begins at conception. Corker now says he opposes abortion rights except when the life of the mother is endangered or in cases of rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
and incest
Incest
Incest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
.
In the 2006 general election, Corker received the endorsement of the National Right to Life Committee
National Right to Life Committee
The National Right to Life Committee is the oldest and largest pro-life organization in the United States with affiliates in all 50 states and over 3,000 local chapters nationwide. The group works through legislation and education to work against abortion, infanticide, euthanasia and assisted...
, but the state branch of the group, Tennessee Right to Life, refused to endorse him, calling him a "pro-abortion" politician.
Corker supports broad Second Amendment
Second Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights that protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms. It was adopted on December 15, 1791, along with the rest of the Bill of Rights.In 2008 and 2010, the Supreme Court issued two Second...
rights and "appointing Federal judges who practice judicial restraint."
Fiscal policy
He supports making the 2001 tax cutEconomic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001
The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 , was a sweeping piece of tax legislation in the United States by President George W. Bush...
and the 2003 tax cut
Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003
The Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 , was passed by the United States Congress on May 23, 2003 and signed into law by President George W. Bush on May 28, 2003...
permanent. He has shown interest in replacing the federal progressive
Progressive tax
A progressive tax is a tax by which the tax rate increases as the taxable base amount increases. "Progressive" describes a distribution effect on income or expenditure, referring to the way the rate progresses from low to high, where the average tax rate is less than the marginal tax rate...
income tax with a flat tax
Flat tax
A flat tax is a tax system with a constant marginal tax rate. Typically the term flat tax is applied in the context of an individual or corporate income that will be taxed at one marginal rate...
.
Corker has expressed skepticism regarding the claims of human-caused global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
. He favors imposing a tax on carbon
Carbon tax
A carbon tax is an environmental tax levied on the carbon content of fuels. It is a form of carbon pricing. Carbon is present in every hydrocarbon fuel and is released as carbon dioxide when they are burnt. In contrast, non-combustion energy sources—wind, sunlight, hydropower, and nuclear—do not...
. Corker opposed John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
's 2008 campaign proposal to suspend the 18-cents-per-gallon federal gasoline tax
Fuel taxes in the United States
The United States federal excise tax on gasoline, as of February 2011, is 18.4¢/gal and 24.4¢/gal for diesel fuel. In January 2011, motor gasoline taxes averaged 48.1¢/gal and diesel fuel taxes averaged 53.1¢/gal, which accounted for 14% of the price of gasoline and 15% of the price of diesel.As...
, calling it "pandering extraordinaire".
He chose to endorse the initial $350 billion of Wall Street bailout money,
and opposed releasing additional $350 billion of it.
In 2011, Corker voted in favor of the Republican alternative budget proposed by Representative Paul Ryan
Paul Ryan
Paul Ryan may refer to:* Paul Ryan , member of the U.S. House of Representatives* Paul Ryan , music agent for The Agency, former Cradle of Filth guitarist* Paul Ryan , comics artist...
(R-Wis.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
), a proposal that would eliminate the health care provided through the Medicare
Medicare (United States)
Medicare is a social insurance program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over; to those who are under 65 and are permanently physically disabled or who have a congenital physical disability; or to those who meet other...
program and instead give seniors subsidies for part of the cost of obtaining private medical insurance. Corker referred to such programs as Medicare and Social Security
Social Security (United States)
In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
as "generational theft".
Foreign policy
Corker doubted Barack ObamaBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
’s Afghan war
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
strategy, and expected that America's military mission in Afghanistan
Military operations of the War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
Since October 7, 2001 following the September 11, 2001 attacks, the United States has been engaged in a war in Afghanistan.-Background:From May 1996, Osama bin Laden had been living in Afghanistan along with other members of al-Qaeda, operating terrorist training camps in a loose alliance with the...
will last at least another 10 years. Corker told that he will agree a bigger U.S. military presence if General Stanley A. McChrystal
Stanley A. McChrystal
Stanley Allen McChrystal is a retired four-star general in the United States Army. His last assignment was as Commander, International Security Assistance Force and Commander, U.S. Forces Afghanistan...
determines there is need.
Sale of protected wetlands
In 2003, Corker's real estate company sold protected wetlands near South Chickamauga Creek in Chattanooga to Wal-MartWal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
for $4.6 million while he was mayor of Chattanooga. According to Joe Prochaska, an attorney representing the Tennessee Environmental Council, "What they did was outrageous. They just ran roughshod over this public property for private gain." Environmental educator Sandy Kurtz filed suit in 2003 to stop the land deal, but the lawsuit was dismissed.
New allegations, however, surfaced in August 2006, and a suit was filed by Kurtz and the Tennessee Environmental Council accusing Wal-Mart of encroaching onto an adjacent protected nature area that is also held by a company owned by Corker. The suit alleges that Corker did not fully disclose his interest in the property where the Wal-Mart was built or in the adjacent nature area at the time the deal was made. The Corker campaign has countered that Corker's company filed papers to develop the wetlands in 2000, before Corker became mayor, and that it was widely known that Corker had an interest in the property.
On September 18, 2006, a Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
newspaper, The Commercial Appeal
The Commercial Appeal
The Commercial Appeal is the predominant daily newspaper of Memphis, Tennessee, and its surrounding metropolitan area. It is owned by The E. W. Scripps Company, a major North American media company. Scripps also owned the former afternoon paper, the Memphis Press-Scimitar, which it folded in...
, reported that Corker's attorneys acquired city authorization to cut a road through the protected property owned by Corker in July 2003 while Corker was mayor. City records show that Corker's attorneys won concessions from the city as details of the deal were worked out, much of which was done in private.
Corker's campaign manager has said that a blind trust
Blind trust
A blind trust is a trust in which the fiduciaries, namely the trustees or those who have been given power of attorney, have full discretion over the assets, and the trust beneficiaries have no knowledge of the holdings of the trust and no right to intervene in their handling...
kept Corker from the details of the project.
On October 13, 2006, lawyers involved in the case announced a settlement agreement. Details of the settlement were not announced, but court records indicate that a portion of the settlement involved a 45-day option for the Tennessee Environmental Council to purchase over 13 acres (52,609.2 m²) of the land in dispute that the Council hopes to dedicate for public use.
Missing papers
On September 9, 2006, The Commercial Appeal reported that official records from both Corker's 2001 to 2005 service as mayor and his 1996 service as state finance commissioner are missing. The missing records include letters written and received by Corker during a six month period in 1996 and e-mails written and received by Corker in his official capacity as mayor between 2001 and 2005.Some of the e-mails were discovered on his former assistant's computer by The Commercial Appeal in October 2006.
Blind trust
On October 11, 2006, The Commercial Appeal reported that the blind trustBlind trust
A blind trust is a trust in which the fiduciaries, namely the trustees or those who have been given power of attorney, have full discretion over the assets, and the trust beneficiaries have no knowledge of the holdings of the trust and no right to intervene in their handling...
that Corker set up to run his businesses to avoid conflicts of interest
Conflict of interest
A conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other....
while he was mayor "may not have been all that blind". According to e-mails discovered by the Appeal (some of which had previously presumed to be lost):
"Corker met often with employees from his private companies while mayor from 2001 to 2005, and he shared business tips with others. Corker also got help organizing his 2001 mayoral campaign from City Hall, where a government secretary passed on voting lists and set up meetings for the millionaire commercial real estate developer."
The e-mails show that Corker often met with officials from his private company, the Corker Group, which was part of the blind trust, while he was mayor.
When asked about these e-mails by the Appeal, Corker said that he thought the blind trust had "worked very well" and that he had sold most of his business holdings so that he could avoid the appearance of conflicts of interest in the Senate.
Electoral history
External links
- Senator Bob Corker official U.S. Senate site
- Bob Corker for Senate official campaign site
- 2001-2005 Mayor Bob Corker official Chattanooga government site