WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the below statement following the announcement by Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) that he will not seek re-election in 2018:

“When I joined the Senate in 2009, Bob Corker was one of the first people I sought out because of his experience in business and local government. Since then, he has become a dear friend, and we have worked closely together on a number of budget and banking-related issues, particularly housing finance reform. No matter the challenge, you can always count on Senator Corker to bring a reasoned, thoughtful approach, and to make decisions based not on partisanship but on what he believes is in the best interests of the American people. I am sorry to hear of his decision not to run for another term in the Senate, but I appreciate his many contributions to the people of Chattanooga, where he served as mayor; to the State of Tennessee, where he served as Commissioner of Finance and Administration; and to our country. I salute his service, value his friendship, and wish him nothing but the best in the future.

“I also hope this is a wake-up call to all of us in the Senate that we need to recommit ourselves to creating an environment where reasonable, thoughtful people of both parties can come together to solve problems.” 

Sen. Warner and Sen. Corker have worked across the aisle on a number of policy initiatives and reforms to the country’s financial system. In 2010, they partnered on bipartisan financial reforms that were included in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. In 2013, they partnered on bipartisan effort to reform the broken housing finance system, an effort that remains ongoing. That year, the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress awarded Warner and Corker with its prestigious Publius Award for their bipartisan leadership in Congress.

###