At the RNC, Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn touted tax cuts but failed to mention housing

Tennessee U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Brentwood, made national headlines and the Saturday Night Live cast lampooned her in 2022 when she asked then-Supreme Court Ketanji Brown Jackson to define the word “woman.”

It was on brand for a culture warrior who found political success by stoking the flames on issues such as abortion restrictions and health care for transgender minors.

However, a more subdued, less bombastic Blackburn showed up Monday during primetime remarks at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to talk about a substantive topic: the economy and tax cuts.

Blackburn criticizes Biden and Harris: 'Bless their hearts.'

Blackburn was the only Tennessee lawmaker tapped to speak at the coronation of former President Donald Trump as the 2024 GOP presidential nominee and her speech addressed the theme of the evening: “Make America Wealthy Again.”

She touted her experience two decades ago of having successfully taken on a governor, fellow Republican Don Sundquist, opposing a state income tax, and criticized the Biden Administration and President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for their economic policies.

“You know who will return us to an era of prosperity? Donald Trump!" she said.

The senator said Trump would make the 2017 tax cuts permanent and added he would “fire” the 85,000 IRS agents Congress authorized Biden to hire.

“Now, Joe and Kamala, bless their hearts, they couldn't help themselves," Blackburn said.

Residents of the South know that use of “bless their hearts” was the ultimate put-down.

Of course, this being politics, she avoided discussing any of the Biden Administration’s economic successes including:

• The CHIPS and Science Act, which invests billions of dollars in domestic semiconductor research, passed the Senate 64-33, with Blackburn voting no and junior Tennessee Sen. Bill Hagerty voting “yes.”

• The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which directs funds to repair, maintain and build roads, bridges and transportation infrastructure. Tennessee is benefiting from these state-federal partnerships. On July 12, Gov. Bill Lee touted a “historic” $400 million investment to replace the I-55 bridge in Memphis, known as America’s River Crossing, thanks to state-federal cooperation. Blackburn and Hagerty voted against this measure.

Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn earns bipartisan win, but she's still a political bruiser

While the stock market rose to an all-time high recently, Blackburn has tapped into legitimate fears from Americans regarding high inflation and the cost of goods as well as citizens’ feelings of economic insecurity despite macroeconomic successes.

RNC speech avoided a top issue facing Americans: Housing security

I was disappointed that she did not speak about a truly remarkable piece of bipartisan legislation that she has sponsored on low-income tax credits and tax relief for Americans who are struggling to afford the cost of housing and rents.

The Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 would address the housing accessibility issues faced by Americans across the country in both red and blue states.

The House passed the bill in January with five of Tennessee’s eight Republican members of Congress voting yes (the lone Democrat in the congressional delegation, Rep. Steve Cohen, also voted yes).

However, it still has yet to pass the Senate and passage this year could benefit Biden, but why should that matter?

Reread 'Costs of Growth and Change in Nashville' series

Housing security is a fundamental economic issue that requires urgent attention. The Trump tax cuts were beneficial, especially to wealthier Americans and corporations, but they will not expire until 2027.

Blackburn has made efforts in recent years to cross the aisle on bipartisan legislation ranging from ending sex trafficking to holding Big Tech accountable for harms to minors.

However, at the end of the day, her natural instinct is to play the role of partisan warrior.

On Monday, she did so convincingly and proved once again that she’s all in for Trump.

David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee. He is an editorial board member of The Tennessean. He hosts the Tennessee Voices videocast and curates the Tennessee Voices and Latino Tennessee Voices newsletters. Call him at (615) 259-8063, email him at dplazas@tennessean.com or find him on X at @davidplazas.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee’s Marsha Blackburn plays tax cut warrior for Trump at RNC