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Marine Corp Times
Bill would help improve barracks, hospitals
June 23 – A $72.8 billion bill that would provide better barracks for some Marine and soldier trainees, fix antiquated military medical facilities, hire more veterans claims processors and increase access to care for veterans has cleared its first hurdle in the House of Representatives. “One of the biggest challenges is to make sure VA follows through,” said Rep. Zach Wamp. “If Congress doesn’t lead and direct and hold them accountable, all the money in the world is not going to lead to more efficiency. It’s easier to appropriate or allocate money than it is to hold these agencies accountable.”
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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Obey funds war he votes against
June 18 – Anti-war Democrats are not the only ones unhappy about the way Iraq spending bills have taken shape. Republicans argue that emergency bills should not be used to fast-track unrelated domestic programs. "This is the serious business of freedom," said Zach Wamp, a Tennessee Republican. "It needs to be funded without all the extraneous stuff, and frankly, all the tricks associated with getting what they want in addition to what we need."
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Congressional Quarterly
Record VA funding would have strong health focus
June 16 – The Military Construction-VA Subcommittee approved a draft spending bill that would provide a record $118.7 billion for military construction and Veterans Affairs in fiscal 2009. “One of the biggest challenges is making sure the VA follows through, because the VA is a bureaucracy,” said Zach Wamp, the subcommittee’s ranking Republican. “It is easier to allocate the money than it is to exercise oversight.”

WDEF TV
A military salute at Hamilton Place for Flag Day
June 13 – The local American Red Cross and Hamilton Place Mall host "A Military Salute" in conjunction with Flag Day. It's an opportunity for the community to express its support of both our troops and veterans. A Military Salute" also celebrates the return of the local 181st Army Reserve group from Iraq. Rep. Zach Wamp said, "We've been talking about in Washington the lesson of Vietnam is even if you don't agree with the mission we know now that you better appreciate wholeheartedly the men and women in uniform who stand against any threat in our civilian population."
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WRCB TV
Politicians react to death of Russert
June 13 – "I don't think anyone, regardless of where they stand politically, did not have respect for Tim Russert," said Congressman Zach Wamp. For journalists and lawmakers, the tributes may seem a bit self-serving if Russert had not so completely transcended network and party affiliation. "He's the model of how you should do your research, your homework, your diligence and then be fair and reasonable about it all," said Wamp. Tim Russert was the longest running host of Meet the Press, having held court Sunday mornings on NBC since 1991.
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Roll Call
Appropriations encounters turbulent start
June 9 – With a budget passed, House appropriators will start marking up bills. Rep. Zach Wamp, the ranking member of the MilCon-VA Subcommittee, said that appropriators in both parties are frustrated that bills are unlikely to move. “We’re trying to reform the process, and they’re trying to protect it,” he said. “That definitely added to the angst.” Wamp, meanwhile, said there had not been enough cooperation even on issues such as military construction in the war supplemental. “If we’re not cooperating on military issues in a time of war, we’re not cooperating on anything,” he said.
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The Hill
Conservation for warriors, not wimps
June 7 – The nexus between national security, energy and the environment is one of the most important issues of our time. I’m for an “all of the above” approach to leading the world on energy solutions. Conservation is not for wimps, it’s for warriors. While not everyone will wear the uniform of our armed forces, everyone can help secure America’s future by lessening our dependence on foreign oil.
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Congressional Quarterly
Appropriations encounters turbulent start
June 2 – Legislation could remove barriers and inspire more people to get back in shape. One measure — sponsored by Zach Wamp — would allow businesses to deduct from their taxes the cost of health club memberships purchased for their employees.

Roll Call
GOP rank and file take opportunity to vent
May 21 – House Republicans emerged from a closed-door Conference meeting calling the hour-plus venting session constructive and productive. “What you’re seeing today is a real pulling together of the Conference, and it comes at a good time: six months before the election,” Rep. Zach Wamp said.
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Earth Times
President's Council launches new national adult fitness test
May 14 – The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (PCPFS) launched its new national Adult Fitness Test. "While many Americans know physical activity is important for leading a healthy life and reducing the risk for many serious diseases, many Americans don't know where to begin," says Rep. Zach Wamp, founder and co-chair of the Congressional Fitness Caucus. "Everyone has a point at which their new fitness regimen should start, and this test will help determine what level of activity is best for each individual."
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The Tennessean
Modernized GI Bill is long overdue
April 24 – 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.
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WATE TV Knoxville
Y-12 complex offers military radiation detection training
April 18 – Some National Guardsmen are getting hands-on training to deal with terrorist attacks and detecting radioactive material, such as in dirty bombs. It's training offered nowhere else in the world, but at Y-12. Congressman Zach Wamp took a tour of the facility. "You want to know with confidence that somebody has been trained to do this in the event of a radiation event in our country," Wamp adds.
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Politico
Legislators demonstrate fitness for office
March 25 – Zach Wamp and staffers say legislative activity doesn’t have to prevent physical activity. Rep. Zach Wamp is one to talk — or run, for that matter. An avid runner, he logs 20 to 30 miles a week. “But that doesn’t mean that everybody has to become a running machine. There are so many things that you can do to increase movement,” said Congressional Fitness Caucus co-chairman Wamp, who adheres to a “physical, mental and spiritual approach for a balanced life.”
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Waterways Council
Work slows on inland navigation projects
March 18 – With revenues in the inland waterways trust fund dwindling, the Corps of Engineers is already tamping down construction of inland navigation construction and rehabilitation projects. “We’ve got a problem, and ... we collectively have got to solve it. To me, it is a Katrina-kind of problem where our economy can be brought to its knees if we don’t address these issues.

RTT News
Club For Growth praises Obey for earmark survey
March 6 – “The level of reform presented and adopted by the Congress so far has not convinced the public that things have changed in Washington. There have still been abuses of the current system by some leaders,” Rep. Zach Wamp said. Reps. Frank Wolf of Virginia, Jack Kingston of Georgia and Zach Wamp of Tennessee have called for the creation of a bipartisan, bicameral panel to review the earmarking system. Announcing the legislation in January, Wamp said lawmakers have not done enough to shed light on the earmarking process. “We need sweeping reforms in a comprehensive way on how earmarks are decided in authorization, appropriations, tax and tariff bills and administration requests.”

Congressional Quarterly
Pelosi may trump GOP on earmarks: ‘It’s Showtime’
March 5 – Rep. Zach Wamp, a cosponsor of Kingston’s plan, said Republicans were unified behind the idea of a moratorium for both parties, but would probably take no unilateral action unless sought by their presidential nominee. “If John McCain asks us not to take earmarks, Republicans would get behind that. Otherwise, I don’t think we would do that,” Wamp said. Republicans were quick to attack the trial balloon floated by Pelosi and her supporters. Kingston has been asking Democrats to sign a discharge petition for his own plan (S Con Res 263) to temporarily ban earmarks and ask a joint select committee to develop permanent earmark restrictions.

WDEF TV Chattanooga
Representative Zach Wamp says protect Tennessee's water
February 29 – Congressman Zach Wamp says the border war could become a Federal issue but he doesn't see Washington, D.C., or the Supreme Court forcing the issue. He says Tennessee River water belongs to the people of the Volunteer State. Rep. Wamp says, "It's one of our greatest resources in Tennessee and what we have to do is protect Tennessee's resources and make sure there that...you know we have compassion for people everywhere, but until somebody forces us to give up water to another state, whatever that state, that's not gonna happen." Wamp said cooperation on matters of transportation and infrastructure works...but you don't move a state line just because one state has a drought problem and the other has an abundant water supply.
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Defense Daily
Administration may proceed with JDAM sale to Saudi Arabia
February 20 – The initial deadline for Congress to object to the sale of the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) to Saudi Arabia has passed. "As consensus has not been built around this action within either the legislative or executive branch, responsible members from both parties should pursue all possible options to stop this sale from being fully consummated," Rep. Zach Wamp said.

WDEF TV Chattanooga
House let Foreign Surveillance Act lapse
February 17 – Congressman Zach Wamp scolds the House for not extending the foreign surveillance act. "It's very obvious in this country that we foil the attempts of the terrorists to bring harm on our country and this law is very much a part of the tools that our intelligence gathering services need."
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Tennessean
Government must live within its means
February 15 – 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. February is the month when Congress begins its budgeting process for next year. The president's budget request is merely a starting point.

World Tribune
Congress not phased by Saudi weapons deal
February 14 – 13 Republican Party members of the House objected to the Saudi procurement. "This [JDAM sale] is a bad idea," Rep. Zach Wamp, a Tennessee Republican, said. "We had hoped there would be more opposition and more scrutiny.”
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Associated Press
Lawmakers want to keep bombs from Saudis
February 12 – A handful of Republican lawmakers, saying Saudi Arabia is funding terrorism, sought to enlist more GOP opposition to the Bush administration's proposal to sell precision-guided bombs to the Arab kingdom." The problem with selling arms to Saudi Arabia is there is a clear pattern here of the royal family in Saudi Arabia basically aiding and abetting the enemy," Wamp said.

Defense News
3 House Republicans fight White House JDAM sale to Saudis
February 12 – Three House Republicans made a last-minute plea to their colleagues to support a resolution to block the sale of U.S. satellite-guided bombs to Saudi Arabia. “This is a bad idea,” Rep. Zach Wamp said of the JDAM sale. Wamp decried Saudi support of terrorist training schools and said Saudi oil revenues help sustain Islamic radicalism.

Memphis Commercial Appeal
Senators, congress members weigh in
February 6 – "The violent storms that tore through Tennessee overnight affect our entire state, and we continue to learn from reports the scope of the devastation. Our hearts to go out to all fellow Tennesseans who are suffering losses, those who are injured and those whose family members were killed in these fierce tornadoes.”
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The Politico
Lott successor Wicker has big britches to fill
January 22 – Roger Wicker earned a reputation in the House as a studious, savvy member of the subcommittees that oversee military spending. “He’s a real solid citizen,” said Rep. Zach Wamp, a fellow member of the class of 1994 who ran Wicker’s successful campaign to be president of the incoming class of lawmakers. “You’re talking about a guy who takes his business seriously.”
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2008 | 2007 | 2006