A word from Congressman Zach Wamp...

November 25 – GOP Will Not be the Party of ‘NO’
The silver lining in the cloud for congressional Republicans is that when you hit bottom, every day is a good day because you are on your way back up. The party got in trouble by not being consistent. To earn our way back into good standing, we must stand consistently on our principles with a smile on our faces and love for our fellow Americans in our hearts. We must be a party of solutions and not merely the "loyal opposition," and we must insist on the highest ethical standards with a zero-tolerance policy toward violators of the public trust.

November 14 – First Steps for GOP Comeback
Our first steps should include laying out policies to bring about bipartisan compromises on major issues in the areas of energy, healthcare and the economy. Over the next several months however, Republicans must lay out a simple set of clear principles that we will adhere to all of the time such as low taxes, limited government, more oversight and reform of government agencies, strong and consistent national security and constitutional protection of innocent life, gun ownership, traditional marriage and a secure border.

November 11 – The Importance of Veterans
Freedom in the United States of America is only extended from one generation to the next by the men and women in the uniform of our Armed Forces. So on Veterans Day, I honor each and every veteran who has already left this earth and those that are still among us from every generation. We thank these volunteer fighters for our country who are willing to stand up and defend our way of life to the next generation. We honor them on Veterans Day and every day.

September 16, 2008 – Our economy needs a real energy bill
One issue is burning in the American public like no other issue, and that is the cost of energy. While the American people continue to suffer at the gas pump, House Democrats have decided to bring a so called “energy” bill to the floor that does not do enough to increase our domestic supply of energy now. We cannot afford to pick and choose only certain energy sources. An “all of the above” strategy that includes using all American-made energy is what the American people want and need.

September 15, 2008 – Tennessee Valley Corridor leads south to transportation future
The United States consumes and imports more oil than any other country. Of course, we also output a gross domestic product like no other, so it is essential that we push for technological advancement to maintain our competitiveness. From transportation to energy, the Tennessee Valley Corridor is providing national leadership to keep America at the forefront of innovation.

July 8, 2008 – Compromise Bill Will Give Law Vital Update
FISA is the law that allows our intelligence community to conduct surveillance, including tracking terrorist communications overseas to gather information on future threats, and it is critical to keep our nation safe from attack. Listening to calls of known terrorists has played an important role in keeping Americans safe, and fortunately the U.S. House of Representatives came to a compromise that I supported to improve intelligence collection by updating FISA and closing the gaps created by evolving technology.

June 16, 2008 – Supply and Demand
We can only help lower the price of gasoline by implementing an all-of-the-above approach that increases American-made energy, decreases our dependence on foreign oil and creates jobs here at home in the process. The world needs to see us proactively moving toward energy independence, and the best way we can do it is to deploy the technologies and capitalize on our free-enterprise system to solve these problems. We must continue to invest in next generation vehicles to decrease our petroleum consumption.

June 5, 2008 – The Situation in Iraq is Improving
With the upcoming presidential race and the high cost of energy dominating recent headlines, it has been hard to find much coverage of the good news coming from Iraq. But evidence abounds that shows the surge is working. Though it may not have led the news, significant progress did occur in Iraq during the month of May.

May 20, 2008 – When the Going Gets Tough
My high school basketball coach used to say, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” That battle cry should be our mantra as the leaders of the United States of America at this critical moment in history. Overall, times are really tough for a lot of people. What we need more than any single program or policy is the collective will to face these challenges with the same fortitude, resolve and unity with which we have rallied from adversity before.

April 25, 2008 – “All of the Above” Approach to Addressing Energy Costs
The Jetsons cartoon made many of us think that the car of the future would soar through the air as we fly to our destination. But not many of us would have guessed that the only thing about today’s vehicles that would soar is the cost to keep the tank full of gasoline. Rising fuel costs are bearing down on our nation’s economy and are hampering economic recovery. The more money people have to spend on gasoline, the less they have to spend on other goods or services.

April 24, 2008 – Modernized GI Bill is Long Overdue
After World War II, our country offered education assistance to returning veterans. Today, education benefits are administered under the Montgomery GI Bill, which was last updated in 1984. At that time, the average public college tuition cost about $1,250 per year. A lot has changed since 1984. Tuition averages $5,800 per school year today, and we are also asking more from our military now than any other time in history. Clearly, it is time to modernize the GI Bill.

March 20, 2008 – Broad Energy Policy Needed to Decrease Energy Costs
Many Tennessee families are tightening their budget belts as gasoline prices set new highs this month. The cost of gas also affects the prices of many other goods as transportation costs increase. There is no one thing, no silver bullet, to quickly bring prices down. We need a broad strategy to help reduce prices, from increasing domestic energy production to developing alternative fuels and conservation.

February 15, 2008 – Government must live within its means
The American people have to make difficult financial decisions to live within their means, and they expect their leaders in Washington to do the same. Part of the budget discussion needs to focus on how Congress can restore the American people's confidence in its ability to spend taxpayer dollars responsibly. A thorough inspection of the earmark process is needed to apply how earmarks are decided in authorization, appropriations, tax and tariff bills and administration requests. I have called for a moratorium on earmarks until a bipartisan, bicameral joint select committee can make a full study of earmarks and recommend sweeping changes to help restore the public trust.