{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=78562917-afce-48c1-a76f-a770879e275c", "Isakson Touts Significant Wins for Georgians in Bipartisan Funding, Tax-Relief Measure", "2015-12-18", "2015", "2015-12", "Republican", "House", "GA", "Johnny Isakson", "I000055", "www.isakson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today voted today for legislation that funds the federal government through fiscal year 2017 and includes several key priorities for Georgia. The legislation also includes significant tax relief that will provide certainty for American families and job creators, suspend one of Obamacares most harmful taxes, provide permanent, fiscally-responsible tax relief to promote economic growth and pave the way for a comprehensive reform of the broken U.S. tax code.\r\nIsakson also applauded the united efforts of the Georgia Congressional delegation to protect Georgias water rights by successfully removing harmful language from the end-of-the-year spending measure that would have tipped the scales in favor of Alabama and Florida in the decades-old tri-state water wars.\r\nAs Ive said many times, omnibus appropriations bills are not the right way to do business, and I am disappointed that Senate Democrats have repeatedly blocked Congress from taking up individual appropriations bills in a transparent and timely fashion. The American people are not well served by this obstruction, which resulted in the failure of this legislation to address important issues such as the Obama administrations immigration and refugee resettlement policies, as well as regulations that threaten to raise energy costs and cut off taxpayers access to retirement savings advice.\r\nDespite these disappointments, I am pleased that the omnibus appropriations measure did contain several key provisions that are critically important to Georgians and the economic future of our state. In particular, thanks to the efforts of a united Georgia Congressional delegation, I am pleased we were able to thwart efforts by one member of Congress to insert language in the omnibus that was designed solely to harm the state of Georgia while helping the states of Alabama and Florida in the tri-state water dispute.\r\nIn addition, this package includes language that will continue to fund Georgias number one economic development project  the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project. It also increases resources for our military and includes funding for several of Georgias critical defense programs including much-needed infrastructure upgrades at the Armys Cyber Center of Excellence located at Ft. Gordon, Ga., and funding for the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System or JSTARS for short based out of Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins, Ga.\r\nFinally, I strongly supported the inclusion of a landmark tax-relief package that will permanently prevent major tax increases on American taxpayers and employers. These tax-relief measures will help create jobs and give businesses the certainty they need to plan for the future.\r\nWhile this bill is not perfect, it is a step in the right direction toward getting Congress back in the business of budgeting and appropriating. I will continue to fight for Congress to address the important issues that were left out of this legislation and to improve the transparency of government funding by moving to a biennial budget and appropriations process.\r\nIsakson also praised the inclusion of a provision in the appropriations package that he has personally fought to include to provide compensation to the American victims of the 1981 Iran hostage crisis using fees collected from violations of Iran sanctions. The 52 Americans  including three who are Georgia residents  were held captive in Iran for 444 terrifying days in 1979-81.\r\nThe 52 Americans victimized by the Iran hostage crisis experienced unimaginable fear, despair and torture while being held captive for 444 days, Isakson continued. The Iran hostages sacrificed mightily for our country, and Im delighted that these brave men and women are finally getting some semblance of justice and closure for what they went through.\r\nThe funding measure includes $21 million in federal funding for the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project. It also includes $95 million for a new federal courthouse in Savannah, Ga., to replace the aging Tomochichi Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse that was originally built in 1894. The bill includes critical funding in support of Georgias agri-business, including $114 million in funding for a new poultry lab at the University of Georgia and relief funds for owners of poultry and growers that have been impacted by a recent outbreak of avian influenza.\r\nThe Senate passed the both bipartisan funding and tax relief measures in one package by a vote of 65-33. The legislation will now go to the president for his signature.\r\n###", 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-releases?ContentRecord_id=78562917-afce-48c1-a76f-a770879e275c"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4477409422397614, "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"}