At the first event sponsored by the brand-new Duke Political Union—a student group that plans to bring high-profile political speakers to campus—Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., spoke to a crowd of about 50 students in the Bryan Center Thursday morning.
Over danishes and coffee, he offered students a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how a bill becomes a law. He also outlined what he sees as the three most important issues currently facing Congress: Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
In addition to domestic issues, he spoke at length about President George W. Bush’s foreign policy, which he says led to the easing of Israeli-Palestinian tensions, Syria’s withdrawal from Lebanon and the elections in Iraq.
“Looking at the international landscape, the president has tried to change the way our Congress acts and how to inject our foreign policy into an ever-changing world,” he said.
Midway through his 50 minute talk, Burr received an alert on his Blackberry disclosing news about the death of Terry Schiavo, whose medical status has touched off a national debate about end-of-life care. Since the Schiavo case was unique, he said it was important to “set a precedent for future Congresses” with regards to right-to-life issues. “I don’t think it’s a wrong thing for Congress to get involved with,” he added.
After his lecture, Burr fielded questions from the audience. When asked why the United States has not intervened to stop the violence in the Darfur region of Sudan, he answered, “The U.S. has acknowledged the genocide that exists there. We have been inactive waiting for Europe to engage.”
Though not all students agreed with Burr’s opinions, many appreciated the Political Union’s efforts to bridge party lines and bring about political discussion.
“Senator Burr holds a different perspective than I do, and I thought that by coming I could engage that perspective and learn from it,” said sophomore Daniel Bowes, incoming president of Duke’s chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.
“I really do think that the state of political discussions of issues in general is horrible at Duke,” Bowes said.
Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994, Burr worked to restore fiscal responsibility to the federal government and improved federal regulations of food, drugs and medical devices. In 2004 he beat out Democrat Erskine Bowles to assume vice presidential candidate John Edwards’ senate seat.
As Burr approaches the end of his first 100 days in office, many are looking back to evaluate his progress.
Before the election, he was often accused of adhering excessively to GOP party lines—Burr backed Bush’s agenda on 96 percent of his votes in the House last year.
In his first three months, he has shown continued willingness to work closely with the president and other Republican leaders, but has by no means acted as a timid freshman senator. Burr was chosen to read George Washington’s farewell address on the Senate floor last month—a tradition usually reserved for more experienced senators. Building on his 10 years in the House, he makes his voice heard in committee meetings and regularly visits the White House.
Republican leaders also appointed Burr the chair of a health subcommittee, a position typically not held by freshmen.
“He has been fabulous,” said North Carolina Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue, a Democrat. “He gets a gold star in my book.”
When the Senate reconvenes after spring recess, energy policies, health care reform and judicial nominees will be pressing issues facing legislators, Burr said.
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