Wamp pitches plan to Pachyderm

Weston Wamp's bid for Congress is audacious, and he knows it. 

Wamp, the 24-year-old Republican candidate for Tennessee's 3rd District, made the case to a full room of Hamilton County Pachyderm Club members Thursday for why he's seeking to unseat Rep. Chuck Fleischmann and what he would do should he find success in his first pursuit of office. 

The ideas include eliminating pensions for members of Congress, cutting corporate tax rates and instituting a 5 percent across-the-board cut on the federal government.

During his 24-minute speech, Wamp refused to shy away from criticisms regarding his youth. Being the son of former 3rd District Rep. Zach Wamp wasn't an issue to the candidate either—instead, it's a reality he embraces. 

"I've been running for Congress for four months, and I've been criticized only for two things," Wamp said at the beginning his address. "For being young, and for being Zach Wamp's son. Well, I think more young people need to engage in the political process. And I'll never apologize for being Zach Wamp's son."

Wamp steered clear of attacking Fleischmann or any his fellow Republican challengers during his address, acknowledging them as "good candidates" and nothing more. But his effort to distinguish himself from the politician-as-usual was on full display, as Wamp made the case for why sending a person from his age group to Washington would be an asset to the 3rd District instead of a liability. 

"I use the analogy that Washington has gotten ahold of a credit card that has our name on it," Wamp said. "They're spending with no regard for the reality that one day, our generation, and maybe a generation that's not even here yet, will carry the burden. It's un-American and irresponsible. If you want things to change, you've got to stop sending the same people to Washington and expecting a different result."

Wamp revealed a seven-point plan titled "Enough Is Enough," which outlined key areas he described as "realistic priorities" within reach of lawmakers. The candidate made sure to distinguish his plan from a platform—calling the latter a term for something that doesn't solve problems. 

"It comes from the perspective of the debt-paying generation," he said. "It won't fix every problem in this country, but it's a plan that if we follow as a nation, will restore confidence, which is the first thing we've got to do to then approach the greater challenges our country faces."

If he were to be elected, Wamp said the first piece of legislation he would introduce would be to end congressional pensions effectively—an idea that he said if passed would help boost the dismal approval rating of the current Congress. Wamp also suggested shelving pay for legislators until the passage of a budget on time, an idea in line with Rep. Jim Cooper's No Budget, No Pay Act. 

Wamp said that the Department of Education should be downsized to an "agency level" and that any saved funds should be split between deficit reduction and increasing teacher pay. The candidate also focused on reforming entitlements and suggested increasing the retirement age.

"It's an antiquated system," he said. 

Wamp's remaining four points included tax reform (throw out the current code and start over), welfare reform (provide incentives for recipients to pursue work), energy exploration (let the Keystone Pipeline flow) and making a down payment on the deficit. By chipping away at debts, Wamp said he would like to see the government go further than balancing its budget—he wants to see a surplus.

"We need to balance the budget in this country, but we need to go a step further," he said. "We need to run a surplus in this country so we can pay our creditor back … I'm not OK at any point in my life with being a servant to the Chinese."

Before taking questions, Wamp said he believed he could be a "spark" in Congress. Mark West, president of the Chattanooga Tea Party, said following the speech that he thought a spark was all that a candidate like Wamp could be in the House, but he added he was impressed with the his delivery.

"As far as his seven points, I couldn't agree with him more," West said. "They're right on. His point about being a spark, that's probably all he could be in that nightmare scenario in Washington. But we need the sparks."

Larry Grohn, a 64-year-old Pachyderm member and undecided voter, said he thought Wamp's message "raised the bar" for candidates in the 3rd District race.

"I thought he did extremely well today. I was very impressed," Grohn said. "He realizes his limitations and the advantages he has in being able to call upon his father as a mentor … It's going to raise the bar for Chuck Fleischmann, and it's going to raise the bar for Scottie Mayfield."

Along with Fleischmann, Wamp and Mayfield, Dr. Jean Howard-Hill and Ron Bhalla are Republican candidates in the 3rd District primary. 

The election is scheduled for Aug. 2.