Senator discusses election, foreign relations at Chamber breakfast

United States Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama) addressed the Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce at its Aug. 11 breakfast.

Sessions discussed many of the national and international problems Congress is facing, including the issue of defense.

“The defense bill is out of our armed services committee. A few smaller things have blocked it now. We had a pretty good bipartisan vote, thought we were going to have a unanimous vote, but the Democrats have decided to push back on spending," Sessions said.

The pushback stems from a budget issue, where Sessions said there was a need to spend more on defense. International issues, including Russia’s invasion of Crimea and the threat of ISIS, Sessions said have necessitated a greater defense budget.

“We’ve had to spend some more money on defense. We wish it weren’t so, we wish we didn’t have the threats we might have in the Pacific, so we’re having to spend a good bit more money there," he said.

An increase in defense budget, Sessions said, doesn’t mean there will be an increase in the total budget. He said decreases in the budget elsewhere could help balance spending and prevent an increase in the national deficit.

“I think we are not in a place of disaster, but at least we need to stick to the budget that we agreed to,” Sessions said.

Shifting gears toward international relations, Sessions discussed the Iran nuclear deal. Sessions is on the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services and said preventing nuclear proliferation is a longtime view held by both parties. This deal could lead to more countries wanting nuclear weapons, Sessions said.

“I think Iran sees this as an affirmation that they can legitimately build nuclear weapons, it’s just going to have to slow down,” he said. “They’re celebrating a victory in the region.”

An audience member asked how likely it is that the deal will fail, which Sessions said could be tricky. He expects many Democrats to vote against the deal, but said supporters are “desperate” to get it passed.

“I think it will be a close vote,” Sessions said.

He also addressed the crowded field for a Republican presidential candidate. The GOP will face difficulties in its current state, he said, noting the word “entrepreneur” should be left out of candidates’ vocabulary.

“Most of the voters we’re reaching out to are working people,” Sessions said.

By reaching out to swing voters within the working class, Republicans can gain more support. Policies on immigration and trade could benefit these voters by building jobs and making sure those jobs go to Americans, he said.

“We’re not going to allow more workers into the country when you don’t have a job,” Sessions said. 

Some of these changes mean breaking from the GOP’s past, Sessions said, while also building on the American ideals Republicans represent. He closed by thanking the chambers for their work in the community.

“Thank you for the honor of letting me represent you,” he said. “I am really, really proud of what you do; I’m proud of the Chamber of Commerce because you stay on top of the issues that are important to the region. It’s so wonderful that you’re not being dictated … but you come together at the grassroots level and make decisions that are best for this area.”