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Tim Burchett
Timothy Floyd Burchett (/ˈbɜːrtʃɪt/ BUR-chit; born August 25, 1964) is an American politician who is the U.S. representative for Tennessee's 2nd congressional district, based in Knoxville, serving since 2019.
A Republican, Burchett was formerly mayor of Knox County, Tennessee. He served in the Tennessee General Assembly, first in the Tennessee House of Representatives, in which he represented Tennessee's 18th district. He later served in the Tennessee State Senate, representing the 7th district, part of Knox County.
Burchett is a part of the new House subcommittee overseeing President Trump's Department of Government Efficiency.
Burchett is a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, where he was born in 1964. He attended West Hills Elementary School, Bearden Junior High School, and Bearden High School. After graduating from Bearden High School in 1982, he enrolled in the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in education in 1988. He is a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.
Burchett's first election to public office was in 1994, when he won a seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives. He served in the House for two two-year terms, from 1995 to 1998. In 1998, he won a four-year term in the Tennessee State Senate, representing the 7th district. He succeeded Clyde Coulter "Bud" Gilbert. He was re-elected twice, serving a total of three four-year terms, from 1999 to 2010.
In 1999, Burchett received national media attention for sponsoring a bill to legalize the eating of roadkill, wild animals killed by vehicles, before notifying the county game warden. He defended the proposal as a "common-sense thing" intended to prevent edible meat from being wasted. Eating roadkill was already legal – as it is in most places – but required prior notification of the county game warden. Burchett's bill allowed processing and consumption of roadkill before notifying the warden. Burchett proposed the bill after being contacted by a constituent who had been penalized for giving a needy family the meat from a deer his vehicle had accidentally hit.
In 2006, while a state senator, Burchett failed to report six political action committee checks totaling $3,300. The Registry of Election Finance did not fine him. In 2008, while still a state senator, he was fined $250 for failing to disclose three PAC contributions that totaled $1,500.
In January 2005, following the 2004 elections that gave Republicans their first Senate majority since 1869 by a single seat, Burchett and fellow Republican senator Michael Williams broke ranks during the leadership vote. The two sided with Democrats to re-elect long-time Senate Speaker John Wilder by an 18–15 margin. Their defections ensured Wilder’s eighteenth term as Speaker and lieutenant governor, maintaining Democratic control of the chamber’s leadership at the time. After the 2006 elections, however, both Williams and Burchett supported Republican Ron Ramsey for Senate Speaker in January 2007, helping him secure the position.
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Tim Burchett
Timothy Floyd Burchett (/ˈbɜːrtʃɪt/ BUR-chit; born August 25, 1964) is an American politician who is the U.S. representative for Tennessee's 2nd congressional district, based in Knoxville, serving since 2019.
A Republican, Burchett was formerly mayor of Knox County, Tennessee. He served in the Tennessee General Assembly, first in the Tennessee House of Representatives, in which he represented Tennessee's 18th district. He later served in the Tennessee State Senate, representing the 7th district, part of Knox County.
Burchett is a part of the new House subcommittee overseeing President Trump's Department of Government Efficiency.
Burchett is a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, where he was born in 1964. He attended West Hills Elementary School, Bearden Junior High School, and Bearden High School. After graduating from Bearden High School in 1982, he enrolled in the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in education in 1988. He is a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.
Burchett's first election to public office was in 1994, when he won a seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives. He served in the House for two two-year terms, from 1995 to 1998. In 1998, he won a four-year term in the Tennessee State Senate, representing the 7th district. He succeeded Clyde Coulter "Bud" Gilbert. He was re-elected twice, serving a total of three four-year terms, from 1999 to 2010.
In 1999, Burchett received national media attention for sponsoring a bill to legalize the eating of roadkill, wild animals killed by vehicles, before notifying the county game warden. He defended the proposal as a "common-sense thing" intended to prevent edible meat from being wasted. Eating roadkill was already legal – as it is in most places – but required prior notification of the county game warden. Burchett's bill allowed processing and consumption of roadkill before notifying the warden. Burchett proposed the bill after being contacted by a constituent who had been penalized for giving a needy family the meat from a deer his vehicle had accidentally hit.
In 2006, while a state senator, Burchett failed to report six political action committee checks totaling $3,300. The Registry of Election Finance did not fine him. In 2008, while still a state senator, he was fined $250 for failing to disclose three PAC contributions that totaled $1,500.
In January 2005, following the 2004 elections that gave Republicans their first Senate majority since 1869 by a single seat, Burchett and fellow Republican senator Michael Williams broke ranks during the leadership vote. The two sided with Democrats to re-elect long-time Senate Speaker John Wilder by an 18–15 margin. Their defections ensured Wilder’s eighteenth term as Speaker and lieutenant governor, maintaining Democratic control of the chamber’s leadership at the time. After the 2006 elections, however, both Williams and Burchett supported Republican Ron Ramsey for Senate Speaker in January 2007, helping him secure the position.