Who is he?
Bob Corker is a Republican senator who has represented Tennessee since 2007. He served as the mayor of Chattanooga from 2001 to 2006 and commissioner of finance and administration for Tennessee from 1994 to 2001. Corker graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1974 and began his career as a construction superintendent.
Bob Corker’s official Senate portrait. Source: Wikimedia, U.S. Government Work.
Why is he in the news?
Corker was elected the new chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on January 7, succeeding Democrat Robert Menendez. Corker has been a member of the Committee since taking office in 2007. One of Corker’s first responsibilities was to appoint new leaders of the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittees, including to replace Ben Cardin as chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific. Cory Gardner was appointed as the new subcommittee chairman on January 28.
What can we expect from him?
Corker comes to his new position with a good understanding of U.S. strategic interests in the world and the Asia-Pacific region in particular. He visited Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam last year to discuss ways to deepen U.S. engagement in Southeast Asia. Corker has also expressed an interest in the completion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade negotiations. Expect him to remain engaged and vocal on important security and economic issues facing the United States in Asia in the coming years.
