{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-center?ContentRecord_id=d8a16ece-e31f-4c42-925f-ec4f2878cd8e", "e-Newsletter for the week ending December 12, 2014", "2014-12-18", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "GA", "Johnny Isakson", "I000055", "www.isakson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Dear Friends,\r\nAs of this writing, the Senate was preparing to vote later tonight or tomorrow on a nine-month omnibus appropriations bill to fund the federal government for fiscal year 2015. I intend to support this legislation for a number of reasons, with Georgia\u2019s priorities at the forefront of my mind. First, the bill includes funding to ensure the federal share of funding for Georgia\u2019s number one economic development project -- the expansion and deepening of the Port of Savannah.\r\nThe bill also includes a provision to rein in the EPA\u2019s overreach with respect to the \u2018waters of the United States\u2019 proposal, which would subject Georgia\u2019s farmers to costly and intrusive federal regulation and would harm Georgia\u2019s biggest industry.\r\nWithin Congress lies the power of the purse, and House and Senate Republicans intend to act to prevent the president from implementing his proposed executive action on immigration by stemming funding in the Department of Homeland Security\u2019s fiscal year 2015 budget. The omnibus legislation includes a two-month extension of DHS funding. By providing only short-term funding for the Department of Homeland Security through February, the bill gives Republicans in the House and Senate an opportunity to have full control over the process of advancing legislation to defund the President\u2019s amnesty order early next year.\r\nAs the 113th Congress draws to a close, Senate Republicans are gearing up for their new majority in January. Omnibus appropriations bills are never a good way to do business, and come January 6, 2015, the new Republican Senate majority will return to doing individual and transparent appropriations bills throughout the year in a timely fashion. The American people deserve no less.\r\nI will continue my fight next year to reform America\u2019s budget and spending process from an annual to a biennial budget, which would reserve every other year for mandatory oversight to ensure that we demand accountability from existing programs before we spend money on new ones.\r\nDefense Authorization\r\nThis week the Senate passed the Fiscal Year 2015 National Defense Authorization Act that establishes funding levels for the U.S. Department of Defense and sets the policies under which money will be spent. I voted for this bill because it included many provisions vitally important to Georgia, our national defense and our military service members.\r\nSenate Democrats\u2019 CIA Detention and Interrogation Report\r\nOn Tuesday, Senate Democrats released to the public their Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and Majority\u2019s study of the CIA\u2019s Detention and Interrogation Program.\r\nOversight of the federal government, including the intelligence community, is an important and necessary responsibility of Congress. However, this report presents a politically motivated and one-sided account of the CIA\u2019s Detention and Interrogations program\u2014a program that, despite what this report alleges, helped develop intelligence that led to action against threats to our national security. I believe this report unfairly impugns U.S. intelligence professionals and endangers Americans fighting terror as well as those being held captive by our enemies.\r\nEPA\u2019s Power Plan Rule\r\nOn Wednesday, Senator Saxby Chambliss and I, along with 21 of our Senate Republican colleagues, sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy to express our deep concern about the impact the EPA\u2019s proposed \u201cexisting source performance standards\u201d would have on electricity prices and power grid reliability.\r\nIn the letter, we called for the proposed rule\u2019s withdrawal, citing unrealistic interim targets, a severely constrained timeline for implementation and complications related to multistate resources among the many concerns raised by stakeholders. For example, the proposed rule does not account for the reduction of carbon dioxide into the environment that will result in the expansion of clean nuclear energy at Plant Vogtle in Augusta, Ga.\r\nOur nation\u2019s families and businesses depend upon affordable, reliable electricity. Unfortunately, EPA\u2019s \u201cexisting source performance standards\u201d proposal would constrain Americans\u2019 energy choices and inflict significant economic harm without producing any tangible environmental benefits. Click here to read the letter in its entirety.\r\nSenator Chambliss\u2019 Farewell Floor Speech\r\nIt is a tradition for senators to deliver farewell speeches before leaving the U.S. Senate. Senators that are retiring at the end of the 113th Congress have been giving their speeches for the last couple of weeks. My longtime Georgia colleague with whom I share an even longer friendship, Senator Saxby Chambliss, delivered his speech on Wednesday.\r\nIt was an emotional speech for both him and me. I appreciate his words but more importantly, the legacy he and his fine staff leave for Georgia from their work in agriculture, armed services and intelligence, as well as their work helping Georgia constituents needing assistance with government agencies. He has served with distinction and with class.\r\nThe country will miss Senator Chambliss, and my grandchildren are safer and our state is better because of his work. Georgia\u2019s going to love having Senator Chambliss back home more often. To watch my full tribute to Senator Chambliss, click here.\r\nIn Other News\r\nOn Monday I enjoyed Skyping with 8th grade classes from Cliff Valley School in Atlanta and Westside Middle School in Winder, Ga. I was also delighted to receive a framed photograph from the University of Georgia from the keynote address I delivered during the 2014 Spring Commencement at Sanford Stadium in May. [PHOTO]\u00a0\r\nI was also interviewed this week on John Druckenmiller\u2019s \u201cHometown Headlines\u201d segment on WRGA in Rome, Ga.\r\nWhat\u2019s on Tap?\r\nThe Senate is not in session next week in observance of Christmas. During these past several weeks we have addressed a variety of critically important issues, and now we welcome this holiday season and the spirit of Christmas.\u00a0 As we reflect on the things we have weathered through this past year, it is equally important to recognize our many blessings as a nation. In the spirit of this wonderful time of year, Dianne and I wish you a holiday filled with joy, happiness and cheer. Merry Christmas!\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=d8a16ece-e31f-4c42-925f-ec4f2878cd8e"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 3.9226128719747066, "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"}