As part of WUTC’s coverage of the November 8 elections, we are speaking to many major candidates on the Hamilton County ballot. This is our interview with Chuck Fleischmann, who is running for re-election as the Republican candidate for Tennessee’s 3rd Congressional District.
JACQUI HELBERT: Where are you from and what is your background?
CHUCK FLEISCHMANN: Well my name is Chuck Fleischman. I'm the current United States Representative for the third district of Tennessee.I have proudly represented the great people of East Tennessee for the past six years and I'm running for a fourth term. I live in Ooltewah, which is in Hamilton County, Tennessee. My background is, I've been married 30 years to the same wonderful woman. I have three outstanding sons. I was blessed to have a small business in Hamilton County for 24 years, with my lovely wife. And in 2010 I was elected to this position, and I still proudly serve in that capacity.
HELBERT: What made you decide to get into public service?
FLEISCHMANN: Well, I have always loved this country. I've always been interested in the political process. I was a political science and history major in college. And then I obtained my law degree from the University of Tennessee. So I was always active helping in the election of judges, and commissioners, governors, senators, and representatives. So I was always active in the process- helping people. And when I had the opportunity in 2010, because of an open congressional seat to actually step up and run, I wanted to do that. I want to do that for several reasons. First of all, I was totally dissatisfied with the way the country was going. At that time we had unfortunately seen the passage of Obamacare, we'd seen the passage of Dodd-Frank. Both of those pieces of legislation, I think, we're and still are a disaster. So I said it was time for me to step up, run for office, and offer myself as a servant of the people to go to Washington D.C.; to represent solid East Tennessee values, to work hard for the people who sent me there. And that's what I did then and that's what I'm doing now.
HELBERT: Has anything surprised you about going to D.C.?
FLEISCHMANN: Yes. The sad condition our country is in for a lot of reasons. The overwhelming growth of government, big government has just usurped so many things. The administrative agencies that are up there operate almost like a fourth unchecked branch of government. They pass rules that stifle businesses, hurt consumers, and...And literally, I think, having infringed on the power- the constitutional power of the legislative branch. That was shocking to me. I knew it was bad, it's a lot worse. The other thing about that is the booming federal debt. We are almost 20 trillion dollars in debt and that is just unforgivable. It’s something that's not being talked about by the two major candidates for president. And I think that's something that really needs to be a wakeup call to all Americans regardless of party affiliation. We have got to do something to address the magnitude and the... the... the problem of the staggering national debt. Which, again, is at $20 billion and sadly rising.
HELBERT: So what would be the first thing that you would do to address the national debt?
FLEISCHMANN: Well, the first thing we need to do is what I have done- is to make sure that we work to fight waste fraud and abuse wherever we can find it. That has been very important. To try to streamline government. To take away, again, duplication of efforts. We have federal agencies many of which are trying to perform the same task. That might not just be one or two that might be ten or twenty. So the federal bureaucrats are stepping all over one another to try to figure out problems that I think should be solved by the legislative branch. Let's face it, I represent 700,000 wonderful East Tennesseans. They can sit down with me, like you can, tell me their concerns, tell me how they want me to vote, tell me how they want me to legislate, and I can respond to that. These administrative agencies respond to nothing. And that's what's sad about that. And what's sad over time Congress has delegated this power whether it's the EPA, to OSHA, to the IRS. And what's happened is these agencies have taken on a life of their own and that needs to be dealt with. The other thing that we need to do is find out where we're spending our money. And what we've got to do is ultimately look at reining in the mandatory spending programs that are just skyrocketing. Ten thousand baby boomers a day are going on the rolls of Social Security and Medicare. They deserve to have the promises kept that have been made to them. People like me who have paid into Social Security, if you're self-employed like I was we paid in double. But other folks that have paid in deserve their benefits. But we've got to do something to look at reforms that the vast majority of Americans can sit down and look at to save these programs but also to keep us fiscally sound. The big problem is the debt is skyrocketing and really neither major party, neither major candidate, are addressing those issues. So we've got to sit down. The problem is there. The American people deserve for us to look at that.
HELBERT: Why do you think the voters should choose you again?
FLEISCHMANN: Well, first of all I've been an effective representative. I represent the people of the 3rd District of Tennessee. Yes I'm a conservative Republican. But when there comes a time to take a vote I always look at it what is the best thing for the people of the Third District of Tennessee. Let me give you an example. The expansion of broadband Internet. I support that into the rural areas. I was one of four Republicans to vote for that. Why? Because I fervently believe that that is what benefits education, economic development, and that is something that any time I have...A situation where I look at it. I'm going to always look at, what benefits the vast majority of the citizens of the Third District of Tennessee. I'm not beholden to any of these outside groups, outside interests, that have tried to affect so many other congressional senators’ races in this country. I can look at the people in the third district to Tennessee- as I do, at event after event when I am out with the people and say "I represent you."
HELBERT: Thank you, and what are the biggest challenges facing the third district and how do you plan on meeting those challenges?
FLEISCHMANN: Well, I've already begun to meet them. The first one was the Chickamauga Lock. And let me tell you what I did. When I got there Chickamauga Lock funding dried up... dried up. And the reason for that is they did away with earmarks. My first day in Congress, my party did away with earmarks. For better or for worse they did away with earmarks. They're gone. What an earmark was, was that any legislator could go in and write in funding for a particular project. What was wrong with the lock system was, the trust fund was broken. The trust fund was underfunded. And what we did, we went out and we fixed the trust fund. I worked with Republicans. I worked with Democrats. I worked with senators. I worked with members of the house. We fixed the broken trust system. We funded the broken trust system. And the most important of all what I did to get Chickamauga Lock funding was, we made sure through the appropriation process- and I want all your listeners to know. I'm the only member in the United States House from Tennessee on the powerful House Appropriations Committee. That is critically important to the people the 3rd district. That is important to the people of this state and to this nation. I'm Tennessee's member on the Appropriations Committee. What Senator Alexander and I did was, excuse the pun, we locked in Chickamauga Locks priority in the funding format that ensured that dollars would and did flow to funding new Chickamauga Lock. And that's what we got done. So it was a threefold event- fixing the trust fund, funding the trust fund, and then making sure that we maintained our priority. The other thing that I'm doing, and I'm especially proud of that. I'm bringing the tremendous resources from Oak Ridge; particularly Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the premier science lab in the country, to all of the Third District, including Chattanooga. I'm hooking up brilliant people from all walks of life who are coming together with tremendous scientific know how- the ability to raise capital. We're bringing Chattanooga and Oak Ridge together. The two big cities of the 3rd District of Tennessee are coming together in a way that's going to benefit both of these great cities. That has never happened before. And that's what I have done. And that's probably the most important thing that I've done, I think, since I've actually been in Congress. It's going to benefit education, it's going to benefit our workers, it's going to better for workforce development. It’s a win win for all.
HELBERT: Thank you. And let's see... what do you think sets you apart the most from other candidates?
FLEISCHMANN: Well, I have been blessed to have had a successful business, a wonderful wife and family. This country's been good to me. I'm the first person in my family to ever get to go to college and get a formal education. And I was able to get an undergraduate degree in political science and history. And then very fortunate to obtain a law degree. And it's given me a tremendous opportunity to see the benefits of education, the necessity for a good education, and to allow more people to be liberated by getting a great education. Having that shot at the American dream. So I think what sets me apart was, I have been privileged to be part of the American dream. And it's very important to me to share that. And I love to sit with young people in schools and talk with them about their future. And I want to point out a... an optimistic vision for this country. Yes, we have a tremendous amount of problems. Yes, we have a bitter- bitter partisan divide. Yes, we have a debt problem in this country. But we are the United States of America and I think my eternal optimism and belief that our best days are ahead of us is something that I want to impart to people from all walks of life, all ages. And I think I have done that. I think I exemplify that.
HELBERT: Okay thank you, and we've just got a couple more questions here. Let's see, and we've asked everybody this. Could you explain your stance, are you pro-choice or pro-life and why?
FLEISCHMANN: I’m a 100 percent pro-life supporter. I have a 100 percent pro-life voting record, been endorsed by National Right to Life. Let me say this; I cherish women. I support women's rights. I have really worked hard to make sure that women entrepreneurs in the third district can get ahead. And I am so proud of the fact that women are moving ahead in all walks of life. But I believe that human life is sacred from conception and that is very important to me. Remember this half, of the fetuses that or aborted are women. And it is to me a national outrage that we have let Roe vs. Wade stand and I am going to continue to fight for the right to life. The unborn deserve to be protected. So I am 100% pro-life.
HELBERT: What legislation do you most want to push through right now?
FLEISCHMANN: I have several things that I would like to see move forward. I have a bill to return land to our great Native Americans, the Eastern Band of Cherokee in Tanasi. I'd like to see that passed. They deserve this land back and everyone agrees they should get this land back, it was promised to them. So I'd like to see that come into fruition. That's very important. I want to see legislation continuing to fund all of the great things that we do in Oak Ridge, where there is the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The uranium processing facility, our nuclear cleanup. I fight very hard for the environment. I'm the chairman of the nuclear cleanup caucus in Congress that cleans up dirty legacy sites all of the United States. Not only just in Oak Ridge, Savannah River, Hanford these communities deserve to have those legacy sites cleaned up. And the funding for that it's...it's always a battle. Our dollars are scarce to come by. So as an appropriator it's very important for, I think our constituents to know, that I'm always fighting for the people of East Tennessee to get our spending priorities in order. But I also want to accomplish some things nationally-again like nuclear cleanup, and things like that. That I think are going to be very important for our country for decades to come.
HELBERT: Anything else?
FLEISCHMANN: Well I want to thank your listeners for the outstanding privilege. I've served you all for three years. I look forward to going back to the house for a fourth year. I ask everybody for their vote. One thing for sure; Yes I'm a conservative Republican but I always put the interests of the people of the Third District of Tennessee first. That's the way I vote. That's the way I legislate and that's the way I am.
HELBERT: Thank you so much.