Robert Phillips Corker Jr.
Corker served two Senate terms, retiring in 2019. This profile grades his 2012-cycle second term (Jan 2013-Jan 2019), focusing on his role as Foreign Relations chair during the early Trump era.
Robert Phillips Corker Jr.
- among Republican senators10th of 60
- among all senators19th of 115
All tracked promises
Ensure congressional review of any Iran nuclear deal.
Corker authored the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 (Pub.L. 114-17), signed May 22, 2015. The bill passed the Senate 98-1 and gave Congress 60 days to review the JCPOA.
Repeal the Affordable Care Act.
Corker voted yes on the skinny repeal (failed 49-51, July 28, 2017). The ACA remained in force.
Reform GSEs (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac).
Corker co-authored the Johnson-Crapo bill (S.1217) in 2014 to wind down Fannie and Freddie. It passed the Senate Banking Committee 13-9 but never reached a floor vote. No subsequent GSE-reform bill advanced during his term.
Confirm well-qualified federal judges.
Corker voted yes on Gorsuch (April 7, 2017) and Kavanaugh (Oct 6, 2018), plus the 85 lower-court judges confirmed during the 115th Congress.
Pass tax reform.
Corker initially voted no on TCJA in committee citing deficit concerns, then voted yes on final passage (Dec 20, 2017, 51-48) after a provision benefiting real-estate LLCs was added — a vote he received public criticism for.
Address the federal deficit.
The federal deficit nearly doubled from $585B (FY2016) to $984B (FY2019). The TCJA he ultimately supported added an estimated $1.9T to debt over 10 years per CBO.
Restore congressional War Powers authority.
Corker introduced a new AUMF in April 2018 with Sen. Kaine but it did not reach a floor vote. He did vote yes on S.J.Res.54 to end U.S. support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, which passed the Senate 56-41 on Dec 13, 2018.
Hold Russia accountable for 2016 election interference.
Corker voted yes on the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (Pub.L. 115-44, Aug 2, 2017, 98-2). He publicly criticized Trump's softer Russia framings, including in his Oct 2017 'adult day care' tweet.
Reauthorize NDAA and support military readiness.
Corker voted yes on FY2018 NDAA (Pub.L. 115-91), FY2019 John S. McCain NDAA (Pub.L. 115-232, $717B authorization), and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 raising defense caps.
Support free trade and oppose unilateral tariffs.
Corker publicly opposed Trump's Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs and co-sponsored a resolution to require congressional approval, but it did not advance. NAFTA was renegotiated as USMCA, signed Nov 30, 2018.
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