Sen. Jeff Sessions visited Clanton on Thursday, speaking to business leaders about healthcare, government spending, energy and other hot topics.

Sessions spoke during the Chilton County Chamber of Commerce’s luncheon at Clanton First Methodist Church’s Activity Center.

The Republican started his remarks by focusing on government spending and the national deficit.

Sessions expressed doubt that last year’s federal stimulus did much of anything to improve the economy. The senator also warned about borrowing billions and the impact that will have for future generations.

“The greatest tragedy about it (the stimulus package) is we got so little growth,” Sessions said. “It was not job creating.”

On the recent healthcare legislation, Sessions believes the overhaul will expand government and the national deficit, and reduce the quality of healthcare.

“We (the federal government) are not capable of running healthcare in America,” he said.

The senator also spoke about energy, an area President Obama is expected to focus on now that healthcare reform has passed.

“I don’t believe we need to head down the same road with energy as we have with healthcare,” Sessions said.

While Sessions said he wouldn’t mind lowering carbon dioxide emissions, he could not support cap and trade legislation.

He described such proposals as a tax on industry to pay for the right to emit CO2.

He said the country’s energy laws should work to reduce the cost of energy and to keep America productive and competitive.

“If you drive up the cost, it makes us less competitive,” Sessions said.

The senator said he would support looking into using nuclear power more and drilling for additional oil off American’s coast.

While Sessions doesn’t agree with Obama on much, the senator said he did think the President was doing a good job listening to U.S. generals in forming policies to further the country’s interests in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq, while helping the people there.