Corker sees sequestration’s silver lining

Tennessee Republican touts signs of renewed cooperation

Sequestration has a silver lining, according to Sen. Bob Corker.

Rolling back spending has created extreme circumstances in Washington, which in turn created a new atmosphere of cooperation between the White House and Congress, the Tennessee Republican said in Memphis on Wednesday.

The automatic spending cuts came last month as President Barack Obama and Congress failed to seal a budget deal. The cuts will close air traffic control towers in Millington; Olive Branch; Jackson, Tenn.; and Tupelo, Miss. Further cuts are promised for other Mid-South organizations that rely on federal funding.

Corker said signs of cooperation are already emerging. He attended the much- discussed dinner Obama held for 12 senators last month to renew talks on a budget bargain.

“You’d think that kind of thing happens all the time, right?” Corker told the Rotary Club of East Memphis. “It was the most sincere, honest and respectful conversation that I think has occurred between the Executive Branch and members of the Senate as to how to solve the problem.”

While he said the sequester is “no way to run the government,” the now-open lines of communication could lead to further deals on reforming Social Security, Medicare and the tax code.

Millions in federal payroll dollars could be lost in the Mid-South if a budget isn’t passed in Washington late in the fiscal year, according to politicians and experts.

For example, the 16,000 civilian U.S. Department of Defense employees in Tennessee and Mississippi could be subject to furloughs, reducing payrolls in both states by $86.8 million over a six-month period.

Also, White House estimates said an estimated 280 teachers and teachers’ aides jobs are at risk in Mississippi and Tennessee, costing $20.2 million in payroll between now and Sept. 30.