{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-center?ContentRecord_id=d7163b2e-7b9a-4d7a-baf5-4bdf0f826318", "e-Newsletter for the week ending October 18, 2013", "2013-11-12", "2013", "2013-11", "Republican", "House", "GA", "Johnny Isakson", "I000055", "www.isakson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Dear Friends,\r\nOn Wednesday night, the Senate passed bipartisan legislation to reopen the government and prevent a default by a vote of 81 to 18. Shortly after, the House passed the bill by a vote of 285 to 144 and the president signed the legislation into law.\r\nI voted for this bipartisan agreement because it reopened the federal government through January 15 and sets up budget negotiations between the House and Senate for a long-term spending plan.\r\nThough this bill was not perfect, I was pleased that the bill averted a default while preserving and protecting the historic government spending cuts from the Budget Control Act of 2011 that have resulted in the largest spending cuts in 50 years.\r\nI\u2019m also pleased that this bill will help prevent fraud and abuse by strengthening\u00a0income verification measures to determine who will be eligible for subsidies under Obamacare.\r\nBefore the vote on Wednesday, I appeared on CNBC\u2019s \u201cClosing Bell\u201d and Bloomberg\u2019s \u201cOn the Move\u201d to discuss the deal to end the government shutdown and raise the debt ceiling.\r\nBiennial Budgeting and Appropriations Act\r\nThese past few weeks should be a wake-up call. It\u2019s time that Congress gets back to doing its job of budgeting, appropriating, and conducting oversight to address our unsustainable debt and deficits.\r\nThat\u2019s why I have introduced a bipartisan bill, the Biennial Budgeting and Appropriations Act, with Sen. Shaheen, D-N.H., that would reform our nation\u2019s broken budget process and restore fiscal discipline.\r\nIn case you missed it, I appeared on CNBC\u2019s \u201cSquawk Box\u201d last Thursday with Sen. Shaheen to discuss our bill.\r\nA biennial budgeting system would help prevent the need for constant last-minute negotiations on continuing resolutions in the future by reforming the current budget and appropriations system by converting it from a chaotic annual process to a two-year cycle.\r\nThe legislation would force Congress to become better stewards of the taxpayers\u2019 money by placing Congress on a two-year budget cycle with one year devoted to appropriating federal dollars and the other year devoted to oversight of federal programs.\r\nIn March of this year, the Senate adopted our Biennial Budgeting and Appropriations Act as an amendment, S.Amdt.138, to the Senate-passed budget. It was agreed to by a vote of 68 to 31, signaling strong bipartisan support.\r\nBiennial budgeting has been endorsed by each successive administration since Ronald Reagan was president, as well as by numerous federal budget experts. I have sponsored biennial budgeting proposals every year I\u2019ve been in the Senate, while Sen. Shaheen has firsthand experience with the efficacy of biennial budgeting from her tenure as governor of New Hampshire. Currently, more than 20 states, including New Hampshire, operate on a two-year budget cycle.\r\nOur proposal has garnered the support of 20 co-sponsors: 9 Democrats, 10 Republicans and one Independent. \u00a0\r\nDisastrous Obamacare Launch\r\nAs you know, the Obamacare rollout this month has been a disaster. Please read this CBS article, Healthcare.gov\u00a0 problems reach beyond enrollment, and this USA Today article, Tech experts: Health exchange site needs total overhaul, which outline the many problems surrounding the Obamacare launch. These reports are further proof that this law is a train wreck.\r\nSince Obamacare became law, I have cast nearly 60 votes to defund, dismantle and repeal it. Moving forward, I will do everything I can to fight this terribly flawed law.\r\nWhat\u2019s on Tap?\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\r\nThe Senate is not in session next week. During this time, I will be in the state meeting with Georgians and attending events. On Oct. 28, the Senate will reconvene and hold a cloture vote on the nomination of Richard F. Griffin, Jr., to be General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board.\r\nSincerely,\r\nJohnny Isakson", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-center?ContentRecord_id=d7163b2e-7b9a-4d7a-baf5-4bdf0f826318"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.898367889225483, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}