'We know that walls work': Sen. Marsha Blackburn stands firm on border wall

Sen. Marsha Blackburn isn't new to Washington, but she is new to her job as a senator for Tennessee.

"My role has changed a little bit because I'm representing the entire state, not just my Congressional district," said Blackburn in a sit-down interview with The Leaf-Chronicle on Tuesday.

But with her new assignments on the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Veteran's Affairs Committee, Blackburn said she's still focused on the needs of Fort Campbell, and of the district she represented until recently.

In fact, she spent the morning — one of her first as senator here on the ground in Tennessee — in a familiar setting, meeting with leadership from Montgomery County, Clarksville and Fort Campbell.

"It's like coming home," she said with a laugh.

One thing she says hasn't changed: her focus on military needs.

"On the active duty side, we know that there are issues with military construction such as updating the barracks, getting more Chinooks and other equipment that is necessary, making certain that we address some of the Department of Defense school needs," said Blackburn.

"With the veterans, we are looking at expanding the Veteran's Choice program, cutting wait times at Veteran's Affairs, making certain that the mental health needs are being met, and being able to have a health record that follows an individual from the day they enlist that is electronically portable."

Blackburn says she also has a list of other priorities to address in Washington, from broadband expansion, to trade issues, to privacy and data security, to transportation needs like adding another lane to Interstate 24 between Clarksville and Nashville.

The first bill she introduced as a senator was to restrict federal funding to abortion providers, which she said is another key issue for her.

"We have worked on this for a long period of time," said Blackburn. 

More:Marsha Blackburn sworn in as Tennessee's newest US senator, first female in state history

Democrats won't deal, she says

But none of that is the focus of Washington right now, as the federal government heads into month two of the partial government shutdown that's left 800,000 federal workers without a paycheck.

On that issue, Blackburn places the blame squarely on Democrats.

"It's been very disappointing to me to see that we have some of the Democratic leadership that's just not willing to negotiate," she said.

It's a claim that both sides have made as the impasse drags on. In spite of the consequences, Blackburn said she believes that funding a border wall is a necessity.

"The Border Patrol consistently says we need three things, and a barrier is one of those three things," said Blackburn, adding that more border patrol agents and better technology are also needed. "They say this is what they need to deter illegal entry into this country, whether it is drugs or human traffickers or sex traffickers or gangs."

Democrats largely dismiss those assertions as fear-mongering, saying Department of Homeland Security data shows that illegal border crossings have been declining for nearly two decades, and that most drugs come through the border at legal points of entry.

Blackburn didn't dispute that data, but instead relied on a slogan she's repeated before.

"We know that walls work. This is about using our resources properly to protect our nation," she said. "Remember this: Until we secure that porous southern border ... every town's a border town, every state's a border state."

'Plenty of blame to go around'

Blackburn said she agrees with President Donald Trump's characterization of the border issue as a crisis, but would not say whether the shutdown was doing more harm than good.

"There's plenty of blame to go around," she admitted, adding that she knows the shutdown is politically damaging to both sides. "It's not helpful to anyone."

Blackburn pointed to the recent offer of legalization for Dreamers in exchange for border wall funding as one example of Trump's willingness to negotiate, an effort she said she supports. She said she thinks the reason for the stalemate comes down to one thing.

"I think (the Democrats) do not want to give President Trump a win," said Blackburn. 

Blackburn said she's ready to negotiate, but didn't budge on her support for the wall. 

"Our door is open, and we have been more than willing to work on this issue," she said.

Reach reporter Jennifer Babich at jbabich@gannett.com or 931-245-0742.

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