Area Republicans were among those welcoming President Donald Trump to Tennessee on Monday.
Senator Bob Corker and Rep. Chuck Fleischmann were among those accompanying the President to Nashville.
Senator Lamar Alexander, who joined President Trump at the American Farm Bureau Federation convention in Nashville, said, “The Ppresident is absolutely right to be focused on the needs of rural Tennessee and Tennessee farmers. For too long, our farmers have been overregulated and the needs of our rural communities have been ignored."
At Berry Airfield, home of the 118th Wing of the Air National Guard, Congressman Scott DesJarlais was among those who welcomed President Trump to Tennessee as the President deplaned from Air Force One. The President then spoke at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 99th Annual Convention in his first major speech since tax reform became law last month.The speech took place at the Gaylord Opryland Convention Center.
Rep. Desjarlais (TN-04) thanked the President "for lifting federal regulations harming farmers, ranchers and rural communities." He said, “After the Obama Administration’s record-setting regulatory regime, we needed a chief executive to rein in federal agencies and restore land rights to Tennesseans, who earn a living with their hands and feed America. Our rural Fourth District strongly supports the President’s efforts, in tandem with Congress, to lift the burden of bureaucracy and high taxation from farmers’ backs. Many family farms are small businesses that will benefit from tax cuts, dependable domestic energy and infrastructure improvements, including rural Internet.
"My constituents deserve the same chance to succeed as any American, as well as safety and security. As the President said, farmers settled America, expanded our frontiers, and as members of the military, have historically protected this country from harm. Today was an important reminder of their hard work and service.”
Gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd noted that during his visit to Nashville and address to the American Farm Bureau Federation, President Trump signed two new executive orders "to assist America’s rural communities with broadband expansion and efforts to end the opioid crisis that is destroying too many lives and families in Tennessee."
Mr. Boyd said, “I am proud that President Trump chose Tennessee to outline his vision for ending the opioid epidemic and expanding rural access to broadband. From the start of my campaign, I’ve made it clear that these two issues are vital to the future success of Tennessee’s rural communities. I look forward to working with the President to immediately go to work to put these solutions to work for rural Tennesseans."
Of the opioid issue, he said, “The President has already taken swift action and declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency and allocated additional resources to our region to fight this epidemic."
Another candidate for governor, Bill Lee, said, “I am grateful that President Trump came to our state today to make a commitment to our rural areas. I agree with the initiatives he announced today and share in his enthusiasm for our agricultural industry, which makes up over 13% of our state’s economy. As a farmer and livestock producer myself, I care deeply about this issue and that is why I was the first candidate in this race to release a detailed policy plan focused on Rural Tennessee. We must take action and do something differently than we have been.”
Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Scott Golden said, "Tennessee Republicans stand with President Trump and his commitment to farmers and rural communities across Tennessee. Today’s executive orders echo the important steps Republicans, led by Governor Haslam, took last year in passing the Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Act, ensuring economic opportunity exists no matter where you live and includes having access to high speed internet.
"The Republican Party's support for rural communities includes the President’s promise to cut burdensome regulations that stifle growth. For every new regulation implemented by the Trump Administration, 22 have been cut leading to the the revitalized economy already seen in his first year of office.
"In Tennessee, that commitment has included fully funding infrastructure programs and improvements, as well as bringing important industries and new jobs to every corner of the state. For the first time ever, all 95 of Tennessee's counties have unemployment below five percent. In the last weeks of 2017 alone, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Develop announced investments of over $74.7 million that will bring over 2,014 new jobs to rural Tennessee communities.
"The Republican Party has been, and will continue to be, the party that fights for economic opportunity for all. President Trump’s visit today is a continuation of that commitment and his reception by the members of the American Farm Bureau show just how critical this support is for rural Americans and economies."