TANNER OUTLINES GOALS FOR 111TH CONGRESS, CALLS INAUGURATION 'HISTORIC MOMENT'

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. John Tanner made the following remarks regarding the 56^th Presidential Inauguration and his priorities for the 111^th Congress:

“This is truly an historic moment that honors the hard work of many Tennesseans and Americans and will hopefully inspire future generations to come.

“I look forward to working with this new Administration and my colleagues in Congress on three of the most important priorities for our country and for the 8th Congressional District of Tennessee.

“First is the immediate need to restore financial stability to the economy and real estate market. The economic turmoil is negatively affecting many Tennessee families and small business owners. President Obama has assembled a top-notch economic security and budget team to address these urgent needs.

“Secondly, I will work with President Obama and Secretary Clinton to restore our country's standing in the international community after years of strained relationships with our longest-standing allies. This is a priority for me in my new position as President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

“Third, I want to continue focusing on Congress’ Constitutional duty to conduct meaningful oversight of the federal government so Tennessee taxpayers know how their money is being spent. We made a big step toward that goal last week when the House unanimously passed a resolution I sponsored requiring regular House committee hearings on the topics of waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement. President Obama supported our resolution, which is a welcome change over previous executive branch leadership.

“It is my strong hope that there will be a change of tone in Washington, free of empty rhetoric and business as usual.”

Tanner, a founding member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats, represents Tennessee’s 8^th Congressional district in West and Middle Tennessee. He serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, where he chairs the Subcommittee on Social Security. Tanner also serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and as President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

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Contact: Randy Ford, 202.225.4714