Senator visits with local officials

By Staff
Jonathan Willis
U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions returned to the town Tuesday where he first practiced law some 35 years ago.
Sessions was in Russellville Tuesday to meet with local community leaders before sharing dinner in a town-hall type meeting.
Sessions told the crowd of about 80 people at Goodsprings Fish and More that he tries to use his values in each vote he casts in the Senate.
"Right now they are not listening to a lot of folks with our values," Sessions said. "This is a great, great country and I don't know why we would give that up."
Sessions touched on a few national topics that have stirred headlines in recent weeks, including the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
Sessions served on the Judiciary Committee that questioned Sotomayor before her nomination was sent to the full Senate for confirmation.
"I just can't go along with this idea that judges allow their own opinions and sympathies to enter into their decision making process," Sessions said.
He voted against her confirmation.
Sessions also discussed the nation's ever-growing federal deficit.
"There's no way you can borrow yourself out of debt and that's all it looks like we're trying to do."
Sessions said that President Barack Obama's proposed national health care plan would only create more debt and do little in giving citizens a satisfactory health care system.
"Most all of us feel there are things we need to do to reform health care," he said. "But we don't want a government program that tells us what doctors we can see. This is not necessary."
Sessions spent a portion of his time in Russellville looking at the city's new industrial spec building and other projects that are planned.
"We had a good meeting with the senator," City Councilman Gary Cummings said.
"He didn't promise us anything but he was real positive about the things we have going on and seems interested in helping us."