Congressman John Rose holds virtual town hall

Congressman John Rose held a virtual town hall meeting on Facebook last week to hear from and discuss constituents' concerns.

In the video that lasted just under 35 minutes, the first-term congressman addressed the national debt, reducing federal regulations, rebuilding the U.S. economy and the House's role in responding to COVID-19.

"As we speak tonight, that debt is approaching $27 trillion," Rose said. "Worse yet, the debt is growing at an unsustainable rate and it's something we need to address."

Rose said in visiting the Sixth District recently, the rule of law and getting the country back to work were among the top concerns he heard from constituents. He decried what he called a diminishing respect for law and order in America's cities and called the idea of defunding the police "ridiculous."

Rose noted the fact that Tennessee schools have reopened statewide and said the mixture of in-class and online educational models were helping in that process.

"I think we see a variety of approaches across the state and I think we'll see school systems learning from each other and finding best practices," he said. "We can't afford to do what we did again this year, though."

Rose touted the strength of the U.S. economy prior to the pandemic, noting low unemployment and lower taxes.

Asked if there would be another round of stimulus for Americans hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic, Rose said he was dubious.

"There might be an extension of the (PPP) program we had in place," he said. "The shutdown has affected businesses in dramatically different ways… Some are enjoying the best year they've ever experienced. On the other hand, we have businesses that have shut down and have not been allowed to reopen."

"I think we've learned that coronavirus affects certain elements of the population more than others," he added. "I believe it's time for America to get back to work and get our kids back in school."

Rose said he felt any future aid should be specifically targeted at businesses that have not been able to reopen.

Asked about the political divisions currently among Americans, Rose said he felt there were areas where common ground could be had.

"That disagreement is not in an of it itself a bad thing. We have divided government right now. Democracy is not always pretty to watch… I'm optimistic at the end of the day."

The need to improve infrastructure — including broadband — was an area Rose said he hoped to see Congress address in the future, especially as circumstances return to normal.

Rose said he considered it a privilege to serve as the Sixth District's congressman and said he hoped to continue promoting Tennessee's interests and values.

"I think those Tennessee values, if applied in Washington, could turn the country around and get us headed in the right direction," Rose said. "I'm thankful for the confidence that you've placed by allowing us to serve you in Washington."