Congressman Burchett speaks at Rotary

Has a broken rib and bruising, after being accidentally kicked by a horse over the weekend

By Charlotte Underwood

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF)- Congressman Tim Burchett guest spoke at Tuesday’s Campbell County Rotary Club Luncheon held at the LaFollette Methodist Church.

The congressman was introduced by Rotarian Ann Ayers Colvin, who gave some background and bio information.

“Burchett took office in January of 2019, after serving eight years as Mayor of Knox County where he currently lives with his wife and daughter. During his administration, he cut debt, kept tax rates low and paid for a new elementary school without adding debt. Prior to that, he started a successful small business, before serving 16 years in the Tennessee General Assembly. Congressman Burchett currently serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, as well as the DOGE subcommittee.”

Burchett said it was a “pleasure to be home” and that he loved to come to Campbell County’s Rotary meetings for the wonderful food and the wonderful people.”

A few topics Burchett touched on included the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and his work with that subcommittee, saying that “Elon Musk probably identified a lot more than what was disclosed.”

The congressman also spoke about “legislation he has worked on this year”, “called defund the Taliban Bill” which has passed the House and is in the Senate. The Bill would affect Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) which Burchett said there are over 1,000 operating in Afghanistan that are set up to “take care of poor people and kids.” These organizations get sent government money (tax dollars), but according to Burchett, that money has to go through three banks that are controlled by the Taliban and that those leaders take a “cut off the money and that they auction off our cash.”

Other topics he touched on included the One Big Beautiful Bill, saying it “is a lot more than (he) wanted to spend at three trillion dollars over the next four years.”

“We have to get some control over the Pentagon spending,” Burchett said, adding that technology and war tactics had changed and that America needed to invest in drone technology and had to stop building these “dadgum” aircraft carriers.  

He said the Big Beautiful Bill “does some great things” including “the border, our farmers and on down the line.”

“We’re going to start getting our energy from here, small nuclear reactors … coal, gas, oil, things that are important to this area, things that God put into the ground, we’re going to start using it; there’s going to be some environmental cost, but it’s a lot better than it was and it sure is a lot better than us going overseas to fight these wars over oil…, they can eat their dadgum oil,” Burchett said.

He thanked the Rotary club for having him speak and once again said that he “always felt like he was at home here in Campbell County.” (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-07/30/2025-6AM)