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

January 26, 2007

Dear Friends,                              

This week, I had the pleasure of addressing the annual Georgia Municipal Associations Mayor’s Day conference in Atlanta.  I gave an update from Washington and enjoyed seeing many of my friends from across Georgia at the meeting on Monday.

State of the Union

In Washington, one of this week’s major events was the President’s address to the nation in his annual State of the Union speech.  I was honored to attend once again this year and I remain supportive of the President’s strategy in sending more troops to Iraq and in demanding more accountability from the Iraqi government.  I was very pleased to hear the President call for a bipartisan group of senators and congressman to be his advisors on the battle in Iraq and the overall global war on terror. I think we’re in very difficult and trying times, but very important times for the peace and security of our country. I think the President is right to call on that bipartisan approach, and I think he’ll receive a good response. 

However, on the issue of immigration, I have to disagree with the President.  You cannot have comprehensive reform until you first start with the foundation of secure borders. The President has called for a number of immigration measures, but we still have to get the commitment that all of the border security measures are in place, fully funded and operational before we pursue any guest worker provisions. It’s time we got it right, and that means border security as the foundation for immigration reform.

The President was right to highlight the issues of energy and healthcare.  If you talk to average Georgians sitting around their family table at dinnertime, and they’ll tell you that the cost of energy and the fear of being dependent on the Middle East for our energy – as well as the cost of healthcare, the availability of insurance and the accessibility of insurance – are all huge issues.  The President hit both of those square on the head. I think he’s exactly right to be aggressive in terms of renewable energy, in terms of reducing our dependence on foreign oil and petroleum products. And I look forward to the debate on how to use market-based principles to empower every American to be able to have an insurance policy to cover their healthcare.

The President also discussed the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind, and I look forward again to working with him to strengthen our nation’s public schools and provide students with the educational tools they need to compete in the 21st century.

Iraq Resolution

The other major event this week in Washington was our debate on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the non-binding Iraq resolution. I opposed this resolution because it sends a dangerous signal at a time when the United States is committed in the global war on terror.  The resolution expressed opposition to sending additional troops to Iraq and it passed the committee by a vote of 12 to 9.  I offered an amendment to the resolution that stated: “It is not in the national interest of the United States for Congress to cut off funding for members of the Armed Forces deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom or to cap the number of troops available to our military commanders to be deployed to Iraq.” Unfortunately, my amendment failed by a vote of 8 to 13. Resolutions expressing the sense of the Senate are important in what they say, but they are equally important in what they do not say.  The unintended consequences and misinterpretations of non-binding resolutions can be disastrous and I could not in good conscience support this wrong-headed agenda.

Wasteful Spending

On Wednesday, the Senate refused to end debate and allow an up-or-down vote on an amendment that I cosponsored to allow the President to force Congress to take a second look at wasteful federal spending.  The procedural vote failed 49 to 48. Senate rules required 60 votes to proceed, ending consideration of the amendment for now. The amendment would have given the President more flexibility by allowing him to send up to four rescission packages to Congress per year, forcing Congress to take a second look at discretionary or mandatory spending items the President deems wasteful.  Congress would have been required to fast track the President’s recommendations within eight days, and, unlike the previous 1996 line-item veto proposal, the amendment would have required Congress to affirm the President’s rescission package with a simple majority vote. This amendment was an opportunity for us to not only get a second look, but in the case of a lot of these earmarks a first look, at wasteful appropriations.  This country has a serious deficit problem, and it has had a serious spending problem. This amendment does not give a President unilateral authority. Enhanced rescission places the responsibility on the President to delineate a mistake and forces Congress to affirm if in fact it was a mistake.

Subcommittee Announcements

Last Friday I was chosen to serve as the senior Republican on the Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over issues such as transportation, federal disaster relief programs, historic preservation and green buildings.  I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as ranking member of this important panel.  I look forward to working with all of the subcommittee members, both Republican and Democrat. Infrastructure is my state’s single greatest need, whether it’s highways or ports. I’m glad Georgia will have a seat at the table when these critical issues come up.  I will also continue to serve on the Environment and Public Works Committee’s Clean Air and Nuclear Safety Subcommittee, and take on a new subcommittee, the Private Sector and Consumer Solutions to Global Warming and Wildlife Protection Subcommittee.  The Clean Air and Nuclear Safety Subcommittee has jurisdiction over the Clean Air Act, the Indoor Air, the Tennessee Valley Authority and nuclear plant safety and security.  The Private Sector and Consumer Solutions to Global Warming and Wildlife Protection Subcommittee has jurisdiction over global warming, including environmental technology, fisheries and wildlife, the Endangered Species Act and national wildlife refuges.  I am honored to serve on these two subcommittees that will be handling issues critical to our nation and state.  Many clean air and clean water issues have a direct impact on Georgia and I am glad I will be able to contribute.

New Interns

This week, we welcomed new interns in our Washington and Atlanta offices.  William Ezzell of Atlanta, Ga., Clyde McGrady of Americus, Ga., and Tyler Stephens of Thomasville, Ga., will intern in our Washington, D.C. office for the semester.  Janie Cox of Marietta, Ga., Joe Knight of Atlanta, Ga. and Susanna Lewis of Louisville, Ga. will intern in our Atlanta office.  I look forward to working with these talented young Georgians and getting to know them better.

What’s on Tap for Next Week?

The Senate will continue its debate on a bill to increase the federal minimum wage.                                                      

Sincerely,
Johnny Isakson