Tim Burchett is a lifelong East Tennessee conservative, a husband, a dad, and the Republican Congressman for Congress in Tennessee’s 2nd Congressional District. He ran for Congress because he was fed up with the status quo in our nation’s Capitol.
Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, Tim attended Bearden High School before earning his Bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Tennessee.
Dedicated to serving his community, Tim has spent much of his adult life serving the people of East Tennessee. In the state legislature, Tim sponsored and supported many bills, cutting taxes, protecting American Jobs, and defending the God-given liberties of Tennesseans.
In 2010, Tim was sworn into office as Knox County mayor. As mayor, he has focused on true conservative leadership by limiting the scope of government. He defeated a massive property tax proposal, cut the county’s debt by $45 million, and fought to protect local small businesses.
Tim always stands for what is right, no matter the political cost. Tim is a proven leader who gets the job done and puts the best interests of Tennesseans ahead of petty partisanship and personal gain.
His commitment to working hard and his determination to do the right thing came from his parents, Charlie and Joyce Burchett. Charlie and Joyce grew up during the Depression, served their country and were both career educators. Tim’s father fought under Col. Chesty Puller in the Pacific during World War II. Tim’s mother learned to fly an airplane in support of the war effort, an uncommon feat for a woman in the 1940s.
Tim is also a former small businessman who started his own business, converting over 30 thousand tons of grass waste into mulch and compost. He ran a truck and trailer business. He knows firsthand how much our small businesses struggle with government regulations and incomprehensible red tape.
Tim lives in Knoxville with his wife, Kelly, and their daughter, Isabel, who has given Tim the title of “best crawdad catcher in North America.”
As the divide between Washington politicians and their constituents continues to grow, Tim wants to do what he’s always done – fight for East Tennessee. He wants to fight for the families, the factory workers, and the small business owners who make this country great. Join him.
VETERANS
Veterans make up one percent of our population, but we owe them 100 percent of our freedoms. Tim is proud to come from a family of veterans and service. His dad was a Marine who served in the Pacific during World War II, and his uncle died fighting the Nazis in France. The most important thing we can do as a nation is to honor our veterans and make sure they get the care they need and deserve.
It’s unacceptable that our veterans have to drive three hours to Johnson City to get to the nearest VA hospital, and even there, the care is suspect. After the VA scandal, Congress passed new reforms, but the Veterans Administration still has too much control over our veterans’ care, and veterans are still hamstrung by red tape and bureaucracy. Vets should have the choice to get care wherever they choose.
Tim has worked to support veterans throughout his time in office and is committed to continuing this work as congressman. As mayor, he expanded services for veterans and launched an initiative to better serve veterans suffering from combat-related issues, including PTSD. Tim also spearheaded Wreaths Across America, which raises money to honor veterans’ cemeteries in Knox County.
TERM LIMITS
There’s no question about it: The longer politicians stay in Washington, the more beholden they become to the special-interests who line their pockets. The Founding Fathers never intended for people to go to Washington and make a career out of it. Tim sponsored term limits legislation in Tennessee and has pledged to support term limits legislation as a member of Congress. You can’t clean up Washington with dirty career politicians.
TAXES AND SPENDING
Our federal government already taxes and spends too much. The last thing we need to do is raise more taxes and spend more of America’s hard-earned money. Tim supports a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution that will force the big spenders in Washington to live within their means and make it harder for them to raise taxes. We need to root out the waste and corruption that allows the special interests to secure wasteful projects and programs on the backs of taxpayers.
Tim has been an anti-tax champion throughout his time in public office. As a state legislator, he earned the “Tax Ax” award for fighting off the state income tax. As mayor of Knox County, Tim refused to budge when special interests tried to raise our property taxes. He successfully killed one of the largest tax increases in county history, and refused to raise taxes throughout his eight-year tenure. Tim also introduced fiscally responsible budgets that built up Knox County’s reserves for tough times. He saved taxpayers millions of dollars by introducing efficiencies in government, getting rid of waste even in his own office, selling government buildings, and privatizing services government had no business offering in the first place.
ISRAEL
Tim believes that Israel is our single greatest ally. As the only democracy in the Middle East, Israel and America share a common commitment to freedom, the rule of law, fair democratic elections, and human rights. At the same time, the two countries share many strategic goals and work together on security initiatives that have saved countless American and Israeli lives. Tim is fully committed to defending Israel’s right to defend itself and supports moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem in recognition of an undivided Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
NATIONAL SECURITY
Tim believes in putting American security first. We should never allow international organizations, like the United Nations, to bully the United States into policies that threaten our security or that of our friends and allies.
There is no room for error when combating the rise in global terrorism. We need to destroy our enemies so they don’t have a chance to destroy us. Under President Trump, ISIS has lost 98% of its territory, largely because the U.S. military was given the freedom and flexibility to work with coalition forces on the ground in Iraq and provide the necessary air cover to drive ISIS back.
America faces many threats from dictatorial nations around the country, and we should not be naïve about their intentions. That’s why Tim supports the dissolution of President Obama’s dangerous Iran deal and the return of economic sanctions. Tim also believes we need to be realistic about Russia and China – two global powers who do not have America’s best interests at heart. The United States should work with its allies to pressure both countries on issues relating to human rights, trade violations, and international aggression against their neighbors.
TRANSPARENCY
Tim believes in the public’s right to know, especially when it comes to their hard-earned tax dollars. Government transparency is the best way to hold politicians accountable. That’s why he supports increased transparency for all spending that occurs behind the Capitol’s doors. Tim’s first bill in Congress, the TVA Transparency Act of 2019, calls on the TVA to open meetings of its board of directors to the taxpayers who fund them.
Tim also supports ending congressional special perks that are unfairly funded by taxpayers who don’t enjoy the same luxuries, including cushy health care subsidies for members of Congress.
JOBS AND REGULATION
As a small business owner who ran his own mulch company and was put out of business by liberal government regulations, Tim knows from first-hand experience that government doesn’t create jobs. We have amazing and talented people in Tennessee, but we need to get rid of the burdensome regulations that discourage people from taking risks and investing in our economy. Tim supports President Trump’s efforts to roll back the job-killing regulations at the EPA and other agencies imposed by President Obama’s unconstitutional executive orders.
IMMIGRATION
As mayor, Tim has welcomed new immigrants to our country at local naturalization services because he recognizes that we are a country of immigrants. But Tim is also a firm believer in the rule of law and has worked to crack down on illegal immigration throughout his career. In the state legislature, Tim sponsored legislation to impose penalties on people who transport illegal immigrants in Tennessee.
Tim believes it’s high time we enforce the laws on our books, and secure our southern border. He will work with President Trump to build the wall. Immigration is both an economic and a national security issue, and we need to know who is coming into and leaving our country.
GUNS
Tim is an avid gun owner with a handgun carry permit. In the state legislature, he sponsored legislation to expand gun rights, including co-sponsoring legislation eliminating political patronage in the permitting process, and protecting lawful carry permit holders’ right to carry legally in the state. As a lifetime NRA member, you can count on Tim to protect our Second Amendment rights.
LIFE
Tim is proudly pro-life and earned a 100 percent rating with Tennessee Right to Life. In the state legislature, he sponsored legislation to amend the state constitution to protect unborn life. As your next congressman, he will defend life and make sure your taxpayer dollars are not used to support abortions.
ENERGY INDEPENDENCE
Energy is an economic issue, a jobs issue, and a national security issue. We are blessed with an abundance of natural resources that can provide our own people with cheap energy, create jobs, and protect our country. Instead of sending billions of dollars overseas to our enemies, let’s invest in domestic resources like Oak Ridge National Laboratory right here in our backyard. Let’s lift the restrictions on offshore drilling so Americans can enjoy the jobs and the energy we have here at home.
HEALTH CARE
Health care in this country is a disaster, plain and simple. Congress promised to repeal Obamacare and replace it with a system that actually lowers prices and increases access to care, but the politicians in Washington can’t seem to find the guts to get the job done. It’s time for Congress to follow through and enact commonsense free-market policies. Let’s allow folks to buy health insurance from any provider in any state they want. Let’s get rid of the mandates and coverage requirements that drive up prices. Let’s encourage individual marketplaces so individuals can purchase insurance on their own. And let’s get rid of the monopolies. Congress is very good at talking, but there’s too much talk, and not enough action.