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

May 4, 2007

Dear Friends,                              

On Wednesday, I spoke on the Senate floor in support of President Bush’s decision to veto a military spending bill that set timelines for U.S. troop withdrawals in Iraq and I urged swift passage of legislation to provide funds for American troops without the withdrawal mandates.

It is absolutely wrong to tie the money to support our troops to arbitrary timetables that have nothing to do with success or failure. We need a spending bill that supports our men and women, who are deployed in defense of freedom, and gives them everything they deserve and everything they need without strings attached.

National Guard Reintegration Program
On Thursday, Senator Chambliss and I int roduced legislation that would create a reintegration program for National Guard personnel returning from combat.  This program would ensure that servicemembers and their families receive the training and assi stance they need in order to successfully transition from the battlefield back to civilian life.  The legislation is modeled after the Minnesota National Guard’s “Beyond the Yellow Ribbon” program.

Specifically, the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program created by this legislation will focus on support for Reserve Component soldiers and their families during each of the four phases of their deployment cycle, including pre-deployment, deployment, demobilization and po st-deployment. The events and activities created by this legislation include family and marriage counseling, financial planning and education, small business planning, community outreach, and healthcare and veterans benefits education. The bill also would require reintegration activity seminars 30 days, 60 days, and 90 days after soldiers return home to assi st returning troops and their families with specific challenges presented by the reintegration process.

Since the tragic terrori st attacks of September 11, 2001, our nation has depended on our National Guard like never before in waging the war on terror, and this program will help see to it that the treatment and services we give these individuals are equal to the sacrifice they have made for our country.

National Charter School Week
This week I was proud once again to lend my support to the Georgia Charter Schools Association and National Charter School Week 2007. Charter schools tend to have high achievement rates because parents and the local community are so heavily involved to the very nature of the school.

Charter schools are tuition-free public schools that are open to all students. Educators, community leaders, business people and parents who start charter schools select the curriculum, philosophies and emphases of the schools, such as a back-to-basics foundation, technology focus or school-to-work approach.  The start-up nature of many charter schools means they typically operate with less funding and facility support than other public schools.

I am going to do everything I can on a national level to support charter schools, which play a significant role in quality choice in public education.

Academy Appointees

On Sunday, I have the pleasure of hosting a reception for the 39 Georgia students and their families whom I nominated to the United States military academies and have now received appointments to the prestigious schools. 

Only the best and brightest students from across the country are selected for the honor of attending one of our outstanding military academies. I am delighted to have been able to nominate these promising young leaders who will make Georgia and America proud.

The nominees who have been accepted by the Academies are: U.S. Air Force Academy: Jennifer Barbee - Woodland High School, Cartersville; David Carter - Peachtree Ridge High School, Northwestern Prep, Lawrenceville; Sarah Cassman - Columbus High School, Columbus; Benjamin Cochran - Dublin High School, Dublin; Charles Etheridge - Stratford Academy, Macon; Brennan Gallagher - Union Grove High School, Stockbridge; Jesse Galt - Kennesaw Mountain High School, Kennesaw; John Greenway - Marion Military Institute, Fayetteville; Caleb Howard - Eagles Landing High School, McDonough; Cory McCart - Central Gwinnett High School, Lawrenceville; William Page - South Forsyth High School, Suwannee; Jacob Robertson – Wheeler High School, Roswell; Ely Smith - Westminster Schools, Smyrna; Haley Staples - Starr’s Mill High School, Peachtree City; Liliana Urrego - Fayette County High School, Fayetteville. U.S. Military Academy: Jonathon Ashley - Whitewater High School, Brooks; Amy Belaus - Griffin High School, Griffin; Chris Cagle – University of Georgia, Douglasville; Rachel Goshi -Starr’s Mill High School, Peachtree City; Dustin Gross - Servite High School, Marietta; Samantha Krehel - McIntosh High School, Peachtree City; Christopher Kuang - Lakeside High School, Atlanta; Robert G. Long -Westminster Schools, Augusta; Harrison Mann - Paideia School, Decatur; Parker Propst - Union Grove High School, McDonough; Joanna Rasmussen – University of Georgia, Conyers; Nathan Shaffner - St. Pius, Atlanta; Daniel Sutton - Marist School, Tucker; Brooke Withers - Deerfield-Windsor School, Albany; Robert Zauche - Covenant Christian Academy, Cumming. U.S. Merchant Marine Academy: Bradley Evans – Lassiter High School, Kennesaw State University, Marietta. U.S. Naval Academy: Eric Arnold - East Coweta High School, Sharpsburg; Rex Atwood – Wesleyan School, Duluth; Vincent Catrini – Wesleyan School, Norcross; Robert Crane - Northview High School, Duluth; Robert L. Davis - Starr’s Mill High School, Peachtree City; Trigg Ferrano - Marist School, Marietta; Carl Helfrich - Woodberry Forest School, Atlanta; Claire Miller – Pope High School, Roswell.

What’s on Tap for Next Week?

Next week, the Senate will continue to debate S.1082, the FDA Authorization Bill.                                     
Sincerely,
Johnny Isakson