Former U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss told Atlanta business leaders Monday that the U.S. faces continuing challenges and cautioned that economic tensions, partisan divide, and China’s global ambitions are likely to intensify before they ease.
Speaking to the Rotary Club of Atlanta, Chambliss stopped short of predicting a recession.
He centered much of his remarks on China, describing the country as America’s “greatest national security threat” and warning that its aspirations to dominate economically, in technology, and militarily by 2030 and 2050 pose long-term challenges. Chambliss said that while the United States has been imposing and negotiating tariff issues with other nations, it has not meaningfully engaged China.
“If we could resolve the situation with China, all of these tariffs would go away, in my opinion,” Chambliss said. Until the two nations engage in substantive talks, he said, the U.S. is likely to remain in a precarious economic situation, with consumers and businesses continuing to feel the strain.
Despite China’s ambitions, Chambliss emphasized that the U.S. maintains the strongest military force in the world and still has international allies.
He also praised the U.S. intelligence community, saying it remains committed to supporting military superiority despite political criticism in recent years.
Chambliss spoke with member Clyde Tuggle, CEO of InVeris Training Solutions, during the club luncheon.
When asked about the growing division in Congress, Chambliss said that while the House of Representatives was designed to be contentious, the Senate has historically functioned through compromise.
The former Senator said the best pieces of legislation that he voted on in Congress were bipartisan.
“At some point in time, civility will return again, but compromise in Congress these days [is not happening],” Chambliss said.
Chambliss addressed a Rotary member question on concerns over cuts to funding in science and medical research and possibly losing a generation of young scientists. He characterized drastic cuts to programs as part of an overreach by President Trump to advance the administration’s broader agenda, adding that in some instances Trump has reversed course on some program reductions.
