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

June 15, 2007

Dear Friends,                              

Senator Chambliss and I continued to fight this week to secure our borders. When the President came to the Capitol this week, Senator Chambliss and I urged him to send to Congress an emergency supplemental bill to fund border security.  Such a proposal would clear the Senate and House and would be signed quickly by the President so that we could provide immediate funding to secure our border. Senator Chambliss and I believe that this must be the first thing we do in order to restore the confidence of the American people in the federal government’s commitment to border security.  We also put this request in a letter to the President urging his cooperation in this matter.  To read the text of the letter, click here.

In response, President Bush threw his support behind an amendment to the pending immigration bill that would devote an estimated $4.4 billion in fees that will be raised by the legislation to securing the border.  This is a step in the right direction, but it is not enough. Senator Chambliss and I will continue to push for an emergency supplemental spending bill to immediately secure the border. 

Energy Bill

The Senate began debate this week on energy legislation.  On Thursday, I urged my colleagues in the Senate to pass comprehensive energy legislation that encourages all forms of energy alternatives instead of a limited number of renewable energy sources. I also called for the expansion of nuclear energy, which I believe is a clean, efficient and economical alternative fuel.  We have a diverse country with many assets that regionally are very different.  If we’re going to have standards that call on us to find renewable energy to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, we must promote all those sources and not limit our choices. 

On Thursday, the Senate debated an amendment to the energy legislation on the Senate floor that would require utilities to produce 15 percent of electricity from renewable energy sources, such as wind power, by 2020. I argued that the amendment would have a devastating effect on Georgia’s energy producers and consumers, because the state does not have the natural resources to meet the standards proposed in the amendment and would have to purchase the percentage of electricity from renewable sources. As a result, Georgia would face an increase of $12.4 billion in costs to consumers by 2030. That is unacceptable.

Senate Ethics Committee

On Wednesday, I was honored that U.S. Senate Republican Leaders Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) appointed me to replace the late Craig Thomas (R-Wyo.) on the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, which investigates allegations of misconduct by members and recommends disciplinary action to the full Senate.  We were all very saddened by the death of our friend and colleague Craig Thomas, and I am deeply honored the Republican Leader would ask me to fill his shoes on this critically important committee.  Ethical wrongdoing by members of Congress should not be tolerated, and I promise to bring the same integrity and principles that Craig Thomas brought to the Senate Ethics Committee.

Kennesaw Company CEOs Testify at Senate Hearing

Shaun Bradley and Sandra Morris, co-Chief Executive Officers of Bradley-Morris, Inc., headquartered in Kennesaw, Ga., testified at an oversight hearing of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on the transition process for service members as they move from the military to civilian employment. Since 1991, Bradley-Morris, which is the largest military job placement firm in the U.S., has placed more than 15,000 veterans into jobs in corporate America. Its services are free for military individuals seeking civilian employment. It is absolutely critical that the treatment and services we give our soldiers when they leave the military are equal to the sacrifices they have made for our country. Bradley-Morris, Inc. is a fantastic company that provides a vital service to transitioning members of the military by placing these highly qualified and motivated individuals into jobs in corporate America.  During their testimony, Bradley and Morris also stated their support for S.1272, which 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 assistance they need in order to successfully transition from the battlefield back to civilian life.  The legislation, which I cosponsored, is modeled after the Minnesota National Guard’s “Beyond the Yellow Ribbon” program.

What’s on Tap for Next Week?

Next week, the Senate will continue debating energy legislation. 

Sincerely,
Johnny Isakson