Inside AGC — May/June 2007

Advocay Update —In Depth: An Interview With Senator Bob Corker

Freshman senator discusses views on important legislation

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) Born: August 24, 1952 Hometown: Chattanooga, Tenn. Family: Wife-Elizabeth and daughters-Julia and Emily Committee Appointments: Foreign Relations, Energy and Natural Resources, and Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committees and the Special Committee on Aging AGC’s Michelle Bernard recently interviewed Sen. Bob Corker to find out his views on the legislation that matters most to the construction industry. Sen. Corker has a unique perspective in the Senate because of his construction background and as the only Republican freshman senator elected in 2006.

AGC: You’ve been involved in politics for a long time. What got you started?

Corker: After a moving mission trip to Haiti in my late 20s, I began to take a closer look at needs in my own community. I began going into inner-city Chattanooga to help people fix up their homes and yards. In the process, I realized that many people in Chattanooga didn’t have decent housing and that home ownership could be a real turning point for many poor families. I led the creation of a nonprofit organization that today has helped over 10,000 families secure decent, fit and affordable housing through low-interest loans and personal training in home maintenance. That sparked my involvement in public issues and public policy.

AGC: How has your construction work experience helped you get to where you are now? How will it help you as you examine important business legislation in the Senate?

Corker: I don’t have to read white papers to understand the issues facing businessmen and women. My background in business has so much to do with who I am as a person, how I approach issues and solve problems.

Being able to start a construction business with $8,000 when I was 25 years old—after working in the field as a laborer, rough carpenter, foreman and superintendent—has instilled in me a deep respect for hard work, the desire to encourage others to take risks and the important role employers have in creating jobs for our citizens.
I have lived through the impacts of legislation and regulations firsthand and understand that much of the legislation passed is not practical and can be very counterproductive. Certainly, my experience and understanding of many of these issues will help me as I examine business legislation and try to ensure that it doesn’t create unnecessary burdens for business owners.

AGC: What are your positions on the Death Tax, the 3% withholding tax and the Alternative Minimum Tax?

Corker: We need total tax reform, simplification and policies that encourage saving and investment. One step along that road is the permanent repeal of the Death Tax. It clearly slows economic growth and particularly hurts small-family businesses and farms.

The 3% withholding tax, especially as it applies to construction contracts, is abusive and should be repealed. The cost of implementation, bookkeeping requirements—not to mention the fact that most contractors’ profit margins are very thin—cause this policy to be incredibly counterproductive.

The AMT was not designed to increase with inflation and therefore is not fulfilling its initially intended purpose. Elimination of AMT should be part of a total tax-reform policy.  

AGC: What is your stance on immigration reform?

Corker: It is essential that we get control of our borders and patrol our points of entry. To achieve this goal, additional resources—both personnel and technology—must be employed along our borders to provide an effective deterrent against illegal entrants.

I believe we need a common-sense, instant employer certification so employers know if the people they are hiring are legal. We also need to take a serious look at our country’s workforce, discover where labor is needed and look at potentially adjusting our quota levels for temporary workers to respond to the need.

AGC: Will you be engaged in the effort to ensure that our transportation programs are funded at a level that will provide the nation’s transportation requirements over the next 50 years?