A Weekly e-Newsletter from
Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA)

July 14, 2006

Dear Friends,

Today, I spoke on the Senate floor regarding the emergency that our illegal immigration crisis has caused in America. I believe the President and Congress must commit to securing the border. Therefore, I proposed using a supplemental spending bill to fully fund the manpower and technology necessary to do so. We pass emergency supplementals for various things in this body. We’ve done it in response to Katrina. We’ve done it in response to Iraq. I would submit that the American people would tell you there’s no greater emergency than securing our border. If the White House sent an emergency supplemental to this Senate for border security, I doubt you would see dissenters. Everyone knows it is an emergency and needs to be done. I also continue to urge my Senate colleagues to recognize the critical importance of a “border-security-first” approach to immigration reform. About two months ago I offered an amendment to the Senate immigration bill, which at the time was referred to as a deal-breaker. It’s now being referred to as a deal-maker. In the absence of border security, there can be no comprehensive reform.

During the Fourth of July recess, President Bush reconsidered his position on immigration reform by agreeing to ‘take a close look at’ putting border security programs in place before creating a temporary worker program. I am pleased the president is willing to consider this approach; because as I have said time and time again, border security is the prerequisite for comprehensive immigration reform. The trigger amendment I introduced in the Senate during the debate on immigration reform would have prohibited the implementation of any program granting legal status to those who have entered the country illegally until the Secretary of Homeland Security has certified to the President and to the Congress that the border security provisions in the immigration legislation are fully funded and operational. The Senate defeated the amendment by a vote of 40 yeas to 55 nays.  

This week, we received good news with the latest forecasts showing that the federal budget deficit will be $127 billion less than projected. The tax policies enacted by Congress and the President have generated unparalleled economic growth, strengthened government revenues and helped to reduce the deficit. The economy has grown for 18 consecutive quarters, and the United States gained more than 5.4 million jobs during the last three years. The current unemployment rate remains at a low 4.6 percent. These numbers confirm what I have always believed – letting American taxpayers keep more of their hard-earned money pays far better dividends than sending that money to Congress to spend on another government solution. In the wake of this news, I believe it is also time for Congress to pass the Stop Over-Spending (“S.O.S.”) Act, which I co-sponsored, to further reduce the federal deficit and reform the federal budget process.

On Thursday, the Senate unanimously passed legislation I sponsored that gives the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the not-for-profit CDC Foundation greater flexibility in sharing resources and working directly together for the benefit of the CDC. The bill was passed in the House on Tuesday and now goes to President Bush for his signature. The bill also increases the maximum amount of money the CDC can give to the Foundation from $500,000 to $1.25 million and lets the CDC redefine its fellowships based on a donation amount as opposed to a time amount. The CDC Foundation does remarkable work to enhance the advances made by the CDC to fight threats to the health and safety of all Americans. I’m pleased Congress has recognized the importance of giving these two organizations the ability to work together more directly.

Also on Thursday, I spoke to a Senate subcommittee hearing and urged the EPA to reject a proposal to revise and tighten air quality standards due to the potential negative economic impact on Georgia communities that are working to meet the current standards. EPA has unilaterally chosen to ‘move the goalposts’ on states and communities that are diligently working towards implementation plans for current clean air standards. Non-attainment of federal air quality standards seriously impacts an area’s ability to attract and retain jobs. The impact it has on the tax base causes negative repercussions on schools, emergency services, and the community. Currently, 60 percent of Georgia’s citizens live in areas that do not meet federal air quality standards. I believe the Clear Skies Act, which has been stuck in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee for over a year and would curb air pollution is a better form of regulation than the current law.

I am also pleased to welcome new interns to our offices. Our second summer session interns in Washington, D.C. are Lee Catherine Booker, Brad Forsling, Richard Gerakitis, Tim Lee, Anna Katherine Moody, Elizabeth Roach, and Sarah Shaw. In Atlanta this week we welcomed Brittany Bremer, Chris Harney and Kristen Settlemire for the next six weeks. These students perform invaluable services during their internship, including policy research, communications work, and constituent services among other office and field work which contribute to the efficiency of our offices. I appreciate their hard work.  

What’s on Tap for Next Week?

Next week, the Senate will debate legislation regarding federal funding for stem cell research.                                                        

Sincerely,
Johnny Isakson