url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/what-others-are-saying?ContentRecord_id=a02a9ecf-771c-4dae-8e16-314a00ed8d7b,Marietta Daily Journal: Isakson's Year in Review: What the Republican Congress did,2015-12-31,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Johnny Isakson,I000055,www.isakson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"By Don McKee Georgias senior U.S. senator, Johnny Isakson, says the biggest accomplishment of the Republican-majority Congress in 2015 was the approval of an omnibus appropriations bill for the first time in seven years. Congress actually went through the process of appropriating rather than doing continuing resolutions and rather than having a government thats on cruise control and continues to spend money like it always did, the senator said in a post-session telephone interview. Probably that accomplishment more than anything else is something that gives us hope, because we had a lot of things that needed to be addressed both from an enhancement standpoint as well as a reduction standpoint, Isakson said. As for measures sponsored by Republicans, Isakson cited first the Clay Hunt suicide prevention act named for a young Texas Marine veteran who took his own life in 2011. The law provides better access to mental health resources aimed at preventing suicides which average about 22 a day among veterans. Its already being implemented around the country and were beginning to get some meaningful reductions in suicide incidents in our veterans population, said the senator. This is an issue close to Isaksons heart, and he has wielded his influence as chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee to bring about reforms in the VA and increased funding for veterans health care. He also has a lot of other irons in the fire as chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics. Isakson ticked off other accomplishments of congressional Republicans. We passed a Keystone Pipeline bill to get Canadian crude down to Texas for refining but the president vetoed it but we put it on his desk, which was important, the senator said. We did a defense authorization bill for the first time in a couple of years. We did the trade promotion authority to give the president authority for fast track negotiations on trade. We passed repeal of Obamacare on the reconciliation bill, which the president will veto, but we passed it and put it on his desk. This has been a promise of the Republican caucus for the last two election cycles. We passed a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act which repealed the Common Core provisions of the federal law and left those decisions up to the states and reinforced parental decision making and parental opt-out provisions on testing. We also passed the highway bill for reauthorization of the highway trust fund for the next five years. So for the first time in 17 years, you have a predictable flow of highway money for five years for federal interstates and federal projects in the states, he said. Isakson and his Republican colleagues brought home the bacon for Georgia. The omnibus appropriations act includes $21 million for expansion of the Savannah Harbor. It will be deepened to 47 feet to increase the amount of cargo moved through the port by more than 50 percent. From an economic standpoint, theres nothing more important as far as Georgia is concerned, the senator said. Add the spending from the highway bill, and the economic impact is huge, he said. Summing up, Isakson said: From a standpoint of business, of education and of the best interests of the people in terms of transportation, its been one of the best years weve had in a long time. Asked if it was his busiest year ever, he replied: Chairing two committees and having as much as I have had to do as the senior senator now, theres no question its been my busiest and probably my most productive year. Indeed, senator, you make the Energizer Bunny look a little slow in comparison. So just keep going and going.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/what-others-are-saying?ContentRecord_id=fa9c2418-4f72-4533-8665-c889edec6e3a,"Coastal Courier: Carter, Isakson look forward to new year in DC",2015-12-30,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Johnny Isakson,I000055,www.isakson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"By Brent Zell It was a year of learning and experiencing a lot, U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., said. In his first year as representative from the 1st Congressional District, the Pooler native got to experience Pope Francis address to Congress up close and went with a group of legislators to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Each event, Carter said, was an honor. Then, there was dealing with a new schedule. In his days as a state legislator, Carter was used to 40-day sessions in Atlanta and getting to go home around the end of March or beginning of April. Being a U.S. congressman, however, is year-round and 24/7, he said. Even being back home, he said he was busy getting around and seeing people in a district that has 17 counties, including Liberty and Long. Its very time consuming, but its very, very exciting, Carter said. One of Carters major goals when going to Congress was to tackle the national debt, which was at nearly $19 trillion Dec. 24, according to TreasuryDirect.gov. This year, for the first time since 2009, Congress passed a budget, which cuts the debt by $5.5 trillion over the next10 years, Carter said. A budget that, granted, its not a balanced budget, but it does give us a roadmap to a balanced budget, he said. Also, Congress passed a highway bill that covers five years worth of spending, marking the first time in decades that a highway bill longer than two years was approved. That was key to helping relieve the debt, Carter said. That is because in order to economically grow out of debt, sound infrastructure has to be in place, which means transportation has be taken care of, he said. The federal bill will work in harmony with Georgias highway bill that was passed this year in Atlanta by making sure projects keep going, Carter added. The federal governments got to be a reliable partner to the states in order for the states to get projects underway and completed, he said. Other key legislation from this year included ensuring doctors will accept Medicare from seniors, entitlement reform for the first time in two decades, and the passage of an omnibus bill that included $21 million for the Savannah Harbor deepening. Also, the defense budget was increased, which he said was vital to the 1st District and its four military bases. For 2016 the House reconvenes on Tuesday Carter said the No. 1 item as far as hes concerned is national security. Carter, a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, said the top responsibility of the government is to protect its citizens from terrorist groups like the highly publicized Islamic State, also known by the acronym ISIS. Weve got to make sure this is done. Weve got to destroy this threat known as ISIS, Carter said. The congressman said the House has addressed some concerns connected with that. In November, the House passed legislation that puts a hold on allowing Syrian and Iraqi refugees into the country until they are deemed safe to enter, according to CNN.com. Also, earlier this month, the House passed an overhaul of the federal visa-waiver program, which would restrict anyone traveling to or from Iraq, Syria, Iran and the Sudan without a visa, also according to CNN.com. Both pieces of legislation are currently in the Senate. Other aspects for the House to consider in 2016 include having regular order on voting for appropriations basically, being able to focus on 12 appropriations bills instead of passing one omnibus package as was done this year. Also, with U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., recently installed as speaker, Carter said comprehensive tax reform one of Ryans main projects should get looked at in the coming year. Of course, with an even-numbered year looming, elections are imminent. Carter is used to that, as he has run for office 12 of the last 20 years, and has his re-election campaign underway. We always like to get out, he said. This is my home and has been my home my whole life, and I just love the 1st District. Senate On Monday his 71st birthday U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., said he got good news on his health. The senator, who announced earlier this year he had been diagnosed with Parkinsons disease, had a checkup and got a 100 percent sign-off, no problems whatsoever, he said. That means a good start for the impending new year, one that will see Isakson run for re-election and a third term as senator. The 2015 legislative year, meanwhile, featured one of the biggest projects for Georgia that Isakson has seen in his public life: the Savannah Harbor deepening. The senator said getting President Barack Obama to include funds for that project in the recently passed budget secures its future. Thats huge for Georgia and huge for southeast Georgia, Isakson said. The past year also saw Isakson accomplish his legislation calling for significant compensation for the Americans held hostage in Iran from 1979-81. Three of the hostages were from Georgia. Compensation had been held up by the Algiers Accords, which forbade America from suing Iran for the money. Its long overdue, but well-deserved, Isakson said. That legislation was part of the budget bill passed earlier this month, which also included $665 billion in tax cuts in next five years. Isakson said he was pleased with the budget in terms of tax policy, stating that in terms of relief and incentives, its probably the biggest spending package he has been a part of. While the Senate did more this year than in the other six years of the Obama administration, Isakson said, there were some goals that fell short. Expansion of the Keystone Pipeline was vetoed by the president, as was a repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Isakson said the efforts will continue to repeal the ACA, also known as Obamacare, which Isakson said is imploding on its own with rate hikes and the closing of insurance cooperatives. One thing that also did not get repealed was the Waters of the United States rule, which says that the federal government has jurisdiction over pretty much any water on any property even a puddle left over because of a rainstorm, Isakson said. He said that rule hurts agriculture and construction, and its an issue that should be left up to local control. Also in terms of the environment, Isakson said that he is all for a clean environment and carbon reduction, but he felt the president overreached with new regulations for the coal industry, saying it has been bad for prosperity and the electrical grid, and would like to see that rolled back. Echoing Carter, Isakson cited national security as a major priority for 2016. The senator said he would like to see a stronger policy with regard to the Middle East in order to root out terrorists. The more committed we are to eradication of ISIL, the safer our children and grandchildren and our country will be, the senator said, referring to another acronym for Islamic State. Isakson said he would like to see a change in the direction of the National Labor Relations Board in the wake of its ruling that, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, established any company that reserves the right to influence employment conditions over workers hired by a contractor is a joint employer, even if it never exercises that right or only does so indirectly. Isakson said the ruling tries to suppress small businesses. With the election year coming up and already wild presidential campaigning on both sides Isakson said it promises to be one heck of a presidential race. Isakson already has his re-election bid in full swing, saying his campaign has raised $5 million in the last year and the campaign staff has been hired. A representative for U.S. Sen. David Purdue, R-Ga., did not respond to an interview request by the Coastal Courier before press time Tuesday.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.perdue.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-david-perdue-2015-a-year-in-photos,Senator David Perdue: 2015 A Year in Photos,2015-12-29,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,David Perdue,P000612,www.perdue.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Skip to primary navigation Skip to content Meet David Connect Helping You News",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/opinions-and-speeches?ContentRecord_id=aa2f9920-76e0-4096-8448-125658ccdc3b,"VA improved, but has long way to go",2015-12-25,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Johnny Isakson,I000055,www.isakson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"By U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson As published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Last year, we all watched with horror as a devastating scandal unfolded at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans around the country were dying as they waited for care. The resulting investigation revealed more tragedies, seemingly every day. As a Senate, we came together to pass the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014 to give veterans the access they needed to quality health care and to begin to clean up an agency in total disarray. When I took over as chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs at the beginning of this year, almost a year after the scandal broke, I dedicated my service as chairman to 1st Lt. Noah Harris of Georgia, who died in Iraq in 2005. His motto was, I do what I can. I promised to do everything I could to help the brave men and women who served our country like Noah. Im proud to report the committee and Senate have been working together to do what we can to serve our veterans and were seeing results. At the beginning of this year, I laid out five broad goals for the committee to pursue during my time as chairman: Overseeing the implementation of the Veterans Choice Program, improving the experience of service members transitioning from active duty to veteran status, protecting victims of military sexual trauma, combating veteran homelessness, and ensuring the VA provides access to mental health care for veterans. The largest undertaking we have had as a committee has been holding the scandal-plagued VA accountable through our critical oversight. So far, we have held committee oversight hearings to address all five of these goals. This year, we left the comfort of the U.S. Capitol and brought our committees oversight directly to the VA to hear firsthand from the leadership and rank-and-file employees what actions theyre taking on behalf of our veterans. We have traveled to Denver to address the rampant mismanagement of the construction of the VA medical center there. We went to Gainesville, Ga., and Eagle River, Alaska, to look at the implementation of the Veterans Choice Program. Recently, we went to Phoenix to assess the aftermath of the wait time scandal. We take our responsibility to hold the VA accountable very seriously, and I look forward to more committee oversight hearings and visits next year, particularly to address the VAs information and technology strategy and to examine the departments backlog of disability appeals. As the most bipartisan committee in the Senate, our members have worked together to craft meaningful legislation that will have a huge impact on the lives of veterans across the country. The first thing the Senate did this year was pass the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act, a bill Im particularly proud of because it addresses the terrible problem of suicide among veterans. Weve passed numerous provisions to improve the Veterans Choice Program so that qualified veterans have more access to care outside the VA. To cut down on the bureaucracy that has plagued the department, we required the VA to develop a plan to consolidate all non-VA health care options into one Choice Program. Implementing this plan will be one of my top priorities next year. Following the mismanagement and billion-dollar cost overruns at the Denver VA hospital, we also took action to reform the VAs construction programs so that magnitude of waste of taxpayer dollars does not happen again. All of these important provisions have been signed into law and are already having a positive impact on the lives of our veterans. And at the committee level, we have passed legislation that goes even further to hold bad actors at the VA appropriately accountable, as well as to improve veterans health care and benefits, which I strongly encourage the Senate to pass when we return next year. While negative headlines about the Department of Veterans Affairs have continued through the year, theres another side to the story, and that is what our committee and Congress has been doing to help veterans. Im the first to admit there is still much more work to be done, but weve been working hard to begin making the necessary changes to ensure veterans will be well-served moving forward. Im proud of the work the Senate has done, and Im committed to keep working hard next year so veterans get the care and services they deserve. U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., is chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://bishop.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-bishop-statement-on-passage-of-fy-2016-omnibus,CONGRESSMAN BISHOP STATEMENT ON PASSAGE OF FY 2016 OMNIBUS APPROPRIATIONS BILL,2015-12-22,2015,2015-12,Democrat,House,GA,Sanford Bishop,B000490,bishop.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02), Ranking Member of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, released the following statement regarding his support of the bipartisan Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Omnibus Appropriations government spending bill. The bill was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 316 to 113, was approved by the U.S. Senate, and has been signed into law by the President. The House of Representatives came together with a balanced compromise to provide the resources needed to create jobs, boost our economic growth, bolster education, invest in our infrastructure, and support our working families. Overall, the bill achieves a number of victories for Georgia and the American people, especially in providing foreducation, job training, medical research, worker safety, child care, and food security. Regarding the MilCon/VA section of the bill, anumber of the bills highlights will have a profound impact on the lives of our nations veterans. For example, the amount of funding for Hepatitis C treatment to was raised to $1.5 billion in an effort to eliminate the disease among the veteran population. Additionally, in order to combat veterans homelessness, suicide, and PTSD, we have also included $7.5 billion for mental health care services. Additionally, I am confident that the FY2016 bill provides our military the resources it needs to defend our country and fund the services our veterans may need to carry out successful, productive lives. ""Within the Agriculture section of the Omnibus, we worked to prioritize support for American farmers and ranchers, approving $21.75 billion in discretionary funding and $925 million above last year's enacted level. The strong funding for agriculture production, safe food and medicines research, and rural development will go far to promote U.S. agriculture, create jobs, and strengthen our economy. That being said, it is high time Congress returns to regular working ordera process that starts with a realistic allocation, rejects the omnibus model, returns to passing individually tailored spending bills, and utilizing the entire legislative process to determine how our government responsibly invests in the American people. Truly, regular order is better for the governmental process, the Members, and this august institution in which we serve. BACKGROUND: GEORGIAPROJECTS: $113.7 million to complete the remaining design and construction of the Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory in Athens, Georgia. This is in addition to the FY2015 appropriation which provided $45 million to begin a phased design and construction project for the facility, which is the highest priority facility recommended for modernization. It will be the primary research laboratory studying the avian flu, which has devastated the US poultry industry, particularly in the west and Midwest regions of the country $90 million for a command and control facility at Fort Gordon $7.851 million for ground source heat pumps for the Navy in Albany $8.099 million for industrial control system infrastructure for the Navy at Kings Bay $48.279 million for a bombing range expansion (Phase 2) for the Navy at Townsend $10.9 million to replace a pump-house and truck fill stands at Moody Air Force Base $9 million for a C-130 squadron operations facility at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport for the Air National Guard $770 thousand for the Army Corps of Engineers construction on Richard B. Russell Dam and Lake $8.663 million for the Army Corps of Engineers construction on Savannah Harbor disposal areas $21.050 million for the Army Corps of Engineers construction on Savannah Harbor Expansion For more information regarding the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs section of the FY2016 Omnibus,please click here. For more information regarding the agriculture section of theFY2016 Omnibus,please click here.For more information about the wholeFY2016 Omnibusappropriations bill,please clickhereandhere. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://bishop.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-bishop-welcomes-fort-valley-state-university-president-dr,CONGRESSMAN BISHOP WELCOMES FORT VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT DR. PAUL JONES,2015-12-22,2015,2015-12,Democrat,House,GA,Sanford Bishop,B000490,bishop.house.gov,,,legacy,"Fort Valley, GA Today, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) welcomes Dr. Paul Jones as the new President of Fort Valley State University (FVSU). The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia named Dr. Jones as FVSUs president after the strong recommendation by the Chancellor of the University System of Georgia, Hank Huckaby. Giving our students the ability to receive a quality education is vital in todays competitive society, said Congressman Bishop. I have faith Dr. Jones will build upon the 1890 Land Grant institutions exceptional legacy at Fort Valley State University by continuing his proven track record of supporting meaningful opportunities for learning, growth, and service through the higher education system of Georgia. Dr. Jones has served in numerous senior roles at Georgia College & State University, including vice president and interim president. Additionally, he has held positions on the Board of Directors for Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and of the Central Savannah River Area as well as on the Executive Committee of Washington County Archway. Dr. Jones has been serving as the interim president of Darton State College (DSC) since 2013. During his presidency, Dr. Jones focused on improving DSCs administrative functions, legal affairs, and internal audit departments. Furthermore, he successfully increased the number of online degrees offered at DSC and worked to improve the transfer process between Darton and Albany State University for students to earn their degree. An 1890 Land Grant institution with strength in the STEM fields, agriculture research, and extension services, Dr. Jones new challenge will be building upon FVSUs rich history of agriculture research and community development. For more information about on FVSU, please click here. For more information about Dr. Paul Jones, please click here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://allen.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=250,House Funding Bill Protects Americans and Brings Needed Resources to Georgia,2015-12-21,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Rick Allen,A000372,allen.house.gov,,,legacy,"House Funding Bill Protects Americans and Brings Needed Resources to Georgia f t # e Washington, December 21, 2015 WASHINGTON, DC--U.S. Congressman Rick Allen (R-Ga.-12) released the following statement on H.R. 2029, the Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2016, commonly known as the Omnibus. Last week, the House passed H.R. 2029, the Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2016, or as it's more commonly knownthe Omnibus. While this legislation was far from perfect, it provided critical funding for the expansion of Ft. Gordon, allocated funds to deepen the Port of Savannah, lifted the ban on U.S. oil exports, worked to protect our state and industries from harmful water regulations and provided critical funding for our nation's military. Especially now, national security must be atop priority. If the House did not pass the Omnibus, the next option would have been a Continuing Resolution, which would not have funded any of the previously mentioned programs and would have gutted military funding. H.R. 2029, the Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2016: For Georgia: Includes critical funding for defense and nondefense programs, such as the Cyber Command, and Fort Gordon will receive $90 million for military construction Reauthorizes the Augusta Canal for two years Includes $21 million in federal funding for the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project Provides needed funding for a new poultry lab at the University of Georgia Made harmful language null and void that would have cost the state of Georgia millions of dollars and involved the federal government in the use of Georgia's waters For the Country: Ends the 1975 ban on the export of American oil, which in turn will grow our economy and create jobs Strengthens the Visa Waiver Program to protect the safety of our country and citizens by denying visa waiver status to any individual who has traveled to certain terrorist hotspots, including Syria and Iraq in the last five years Prohibits new funding for Obamacare Repeals mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) requirements on American meats, ensuring our country is not burdened with more than $1 billion in trade penalties Prevents the transfer of Guantanamo detainees to American soil f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://buddycarter.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=750,"House Approves Conservative Victories, Critical Funding for the First District in Funding Bill",2015-12-18,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Buddy Carter,C001103,buddycarter.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Earl L. Buddy Carter (Ga-01) voted in support of the fiscal year 2016 Omnibus Appropriations bill today to provide funding for the federal government for the current fiscal year.This legislation provides critical funding for the First District and the entire state of Georgia, Carter said. I voted for this bill because the largest economic drivers in our district cannot operate without this legislation. It supports our ports in Savannah and Brunswick and ensures construction continues in the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project. The bill also provides important construction funds to our military bases, ensures Kings Bay has the resources needed for future missions and, despite shortsighted attempts by the Air Force, fully funds the A-10 Warthog at Moody Air Force Base to keep it flying. Carter has been a leader in securing funding for the military interests in the First District in this bill. He testified in front of the House Appropriations Committee earlier this year. The bill includes $73.7 billion to provide needed resources and training for our troops in the field and to combat the threat of ISIS and other enemies around the world. The legislation also strengthens the security of the Visa Waiver Program to ensure individuals entering the United States with the program are not security risks. Our nation and world are under attack by radical Islamic terrorists, Carter said. The threats against Americans at home and abroad are too great to ignore. Now more than ever we must strengthen our national defense and support our military to destroy ISIS. The legislation also reflects conservative priorities in both funding and policy. While I wish this legislation would have gone further to end Washingtons spending addiction and promote conservative principles, it does provide many victories for conservatives and the American people, Carter said. The legislation ends the antiquated ban on crude oil exports, supports Second Amendment and pro-life measures, and continues the fight to end Obamacare. The vote today is yet another stepping stone in a far from over fight to rein in spending and push forward conservative values. The fiscal year 2016 Omnibus Appropriations bill was passed in the House today with Carters support. The legislation provides a total of $1.149 trillion to fund the federal government through September 30, 2016. This includes $548 billion in defense spending, $73.7 billion in Overseas Contingency Operations Fund, and $518 billion in non-defense spending. The legislation complies with the budget caps established in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 enacted in November.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://loudermilk.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=477,Rep. Loudermilk Fights to Protect Georgias Water Supply,2015-12-18,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Barry Loudermilk,L000583,loudermilk.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Loudermilk Fights to Protect Georgias Water Supply f t # e Washington, December 18, 2015 Rep. Loudermilk (R-GA) issued the following statement today after voting to protect Georgias Water Supply as part of H.R. 2029, the Omnibus appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2016. Specifically, the Congressional Delegation, along with the Governor, fought for the removal of offensive language from the end-of-the-year appropriations bill attacking the state of Georgia in the longstanding legal dispute with the state of Alabama over water usage. The offending language that was inserted into the appropriations bill would have forced the unnecessary involvement of the Department of Justice in states water disputes.The provision that was slipped into the end of year funding bill would have been disastrous to Georgia and especially devastating to the 11th Congressional District. Access to our water resources is critical to sustaining our quality of life and our economic growth. In a case like this, where the questionable provision was inserted in a must-pass piece of legislation, a simple no vote would have been insufficient. We had to act; and, thanks to the immediate action of a unified Georgia delegation and Governor Deal, we were able to protect our states water resources. The new leadership in the House has committed to change the culture in Washington DC, and their quick and helpful response to this last minute attempt to circumvent access to Georgias water is evidence that backroom deals are no longer accepted as the way we do business."" The water rights issue has been a litigated dispute between Georgia and Alabama since 1990, when Alabama first sued to prevent Georgia from reallocating water within the basin. That lawsuit was dismissed as baseless in 2012 after 22 years of litigation. Currently, Georgia has a case pending before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia that would require the Army Corps of Engineers to reallocate water based on Georgias water supply needs. f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://tomgraves.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398558,"House Secures Conservative Victories in Funding Bill, Protects Americans from Tax Hikes",2015-12-18,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Tom Graves,G000560,tomgraves.house.gov,,,legacy,"House Secures Conservative Victories in Funding Bill, Protects Americans from Tax Hikes Bill Protects Georgias Water Rights Washington, December 18, 2015- U.S. Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA-14) this week voted for and the House passed legislation to keep the government open and protect hard-working Americans from tax hikes. The legislation protects Georgias water rights, contains major conservative policy victories and addresses controversial actions by the Obama administration. The number one issue for Georgia in this legislation was stopping an assault by other states on our water rights, said Rep. Graves. These other states were trying to use a government funding bill to circumvent the legal process and restrict Georgias access to its own water. Im grateful to every member of the Georgia congressional delegation, Republicans and Democrats, for working around the clock to secure this major victory for our state. This legislation delivers more hard fought victories for conservatives as we go into the final year of the Obama administration. The bill lifts the 40-year-old ban on U.S. crude oil exports, which will help lock in lower gas prices, create an estimated one million American jobs and grow our economy by $170 billion annually. It tightens security of the Visa Waiver Program so terrorists cannot use our nations generosity to sneak in and attack our communities. This legislation also protects hard-working Georgians from tax increases sought by liberal Democrats and the Obama administration. Importantly, we didnt lose any ground on the major victories we won last year, such as holding EPA funding to its lowest levels since 2008, freezing the budget for most IRS operations and continuing to prohibit new funding for Obamacare, including its program for taxpayer funded bailouts of insurance companies. Finally, this legislation provides our military with the critical resources it needs to defend our nation and destroy terrorist groups like the Islamic State, Rep. Graves continued. It ensures our soldiers are properly equipped and trained today, while investing in new and better technologies to stay ahead of our enemies. Highlights in the Fiscal Year 2016 funding bill are detailed below.*** Repeals the antiquated oil export ban. This provision would end the 1975 ban on the export of American oil. Domestic energy production is booming in the United States, and lifting the ban will help create jobs, grow our economy, and promote greater exploration of our natural resources. Increases resources for our military.The arbitrary spending cuts in the sequester have depleted the resources our armed forces need to carry out their mission. This bill restores funding for our military to ensure our troops can confront todays challenges and defeat the Islamic State. Strengthens the Visa Waiver Program to protect the homeland.The Visa Waiver Program presents one of the most urgent threats to our homeland from radical Islamic terrorism. This agreement includes the House-passed bill to tighten the security requirements under the program. It would also deny visa waiver status to any individual who has traveled to certain terrorist hotspots, including Syria and Iraq, in the last five years. Prohibits new funding forObamacare.The bill contains no new funding for Obamacare and continues to prevent a taxpayer bailout of Obamacares risk corridor program. Prevents the transfer of Guantanamo detainees to American soil.The bill prohibits funds from being used to transferterrorist detainees from Guantanamo Bay to the United States, and prohibits the construction or acquisition of a facility in the U.S. to house detainees. Blocks EPA overreach.The bill contains no funding for new or expanded EPA programs, holding the agency to its lowest funding levels since 2008 and its lowest staffing levels since 1989. Reins in the IRS.The IRS continues to act with impunity against the interests of hardworking taxpayers. This bill freezes most IRS operations and maintains budget cuts necessary to ensure this agency roots out wasteful spending and redirects resources to serving the American people. In addition, the tax extenders package also includes a measure to prohibit the IRS from unfairly imposing the gift tax on contributions to non-profit groups, which have historically been exempt, to encourage donations to these important organizations. Increases protections for life.The bill includes a new prohibition on genetic modification of human embryos, and cuts funding for a program involved in abortion-related activities, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), by 7 percent. This bill maintains important pro-life provisions, including the Hyde Amendment, and prohibits taxpayer funding for abortion. Honors our commitment to our veterans.This bill ensures our veterans receive their much-deserved health benefits, speeds up VA claims processing, prioritizes modernizing the VAs electronic health care record system, and tightens oversight of construction projects. Provides critical healthcare benefits for 9/11 first responders.More than 30,000 first responders continue to suffer from injuries or illnesses sustained during the 9/11 attacks. The bill contains a bipartisan measure to permanently reauthorize critical health care benefits for these brave men and womenand it does so in a fiscally responsible way. Repeals harmful labeling requirements on American meat.The bill repeals mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) requirements, ensuring that our economy does not suffer more than $1 billion in trade penalties. ***As prepared by Speaker Ryans office. Enhances privacy protections. The bill addressed privacy concerns about the Cyber Information Sharing Act by removing Section 407, which would have increased the federal governments role in creating cybersecurity strategies for the private sector. Includes conservative victories from last years funding bill. The Fiscal Year 2016 appropriations bill also includes the following conservative wins from last years funding bill: The EPA funding cut of $60 million was continued, making it a 21% budget cut since Fiscal Year 2010. The EPAs staffing level is at its lowest level since 1989. The EPA is prohibited from regulating the lead content in ammunition or fishing tackle. Livestock producers are exempt from EPA greenhouse gas regulations, thwarting the agencys effort to regulate livestock flatulence. The Army Corps of Engineers is prohibited from regulating farm ponds and irrigation ditches. Aid to Libya is prohibited until the U.S. Secretary of State confirms that the Libyans are cooperating in the Benghazi investigation. Funding for any future ""Fast and Furious"" type activity is prohibited. The UN Arms Trade Treaty cannot be funded or implemented. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://hice.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=223,Hice Statement on Passage of H.R. 2029,2015-12-18,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Jody Hice,H001071,hice.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON D.C. Today, the United States House of Representatives passed H.R. 2029, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016. Congressman Jody Hice issued the following statement after the measure passed: I am pleased that the House has accomplished so much this year, both for the taxpayers and for the American business community. Yesterday, I was proud to support the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015 to protect our citizens and businesses from $622 billion in tax increases. I am also very happy with many of the provisions in the Consolidated Appropriations Act that the House voted on today, most especially the $21 million to deepen the Savannah Harbor, $90 million for military construction at Fort Gordon, the funding for 68 F-35 Joint-Strike-Fighters, full funding for the poultry lab at the University of Georgia, and the removal of water language detrimental to Georgia. In short, this bill will do a lot of good for our State. I am further pleased to see the ban on exporting crude oil finally lifted, which will create jobs and boost our nation's economy. While I believe this measure includes a lot that is good and good for Georgia I have several concerns about this legislation, chief among them the funding for the Syrian refugee program, overall funding levels that exceed the House passed budget , and continued funding for Planned Parenthood. In September, after the horrific actions of Planned Parenthood came to light, I joined a number of my colleagues in signing a letter stating I would not support any funding resolution or omnibus package that funds Planned Parenthood, which unfortunately this measure does. It is for these reasons that I fully support the spirit of the bill but was unable to support the legislation on the floor. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-center?ContentRecord_id=50a07f71-f2e0-4398-9d04-fe92115010f7,"e-Newsletter for the week ending December 18, 2015",2015-12-18,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Johnny Isakson,I000055,www.isakson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Dear Friend, Over the past year, Republicans have been working hard to fulfill our campaign promises. By returning educational decisions back to local hands, voting to repeal Obamacare, producing the first balanced budget in 14 years, and passing meaningful legislation to help our nations aging transportation networks, Congress is working again for American families. Here is a list of how Congress has been working for you: Passed legislation to repeal the presidents disastrous health care law known as Obamacare; Passed the Every Child Succeeds Act, returning the decisions affecting our childrens education to parents and local school boards; Passed legislation to approve the KeystoneXL Pipeline. The president unfortunately vetoed the legislation; Delivered a balanced budget from the Senate for the first time in over a decade; Passed legislation to fund the interstate highway system for five years; Passed the National Defense Authorization Act and the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriation Act to help ensure that our veterans, troops and critical military needs are funded in the coming fiscal year; Passed the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act, that ensures our veterans receive access to adequate care and services, especially in mental health; The Senate returned to regular order, by passing 12 individual appropriations bills out of committee to fund the federal government through fiscal year 2016; The Senate passed reforms to Medicare and finally fixed the reimbursement rate for physicians, known as the Sustainable Growth Rate, that had plagued physicians for years; The Senate passed multiple measures to overturn Obamas overreaches through the EPA; and Passed a trade bill that will support the creation of more American jobs. To learn more about how Congress is working for you, click here, and to hear a word from your U.S. Senators, click here. Landmark Tax Relief Bill Passed On Friday, the Senate passed the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015, legislation that provides certainty for American families and job creators, suspends several of Obamacares most harmful taxes, provides permanent, fiscally-responsible tax relief to promote economic growth, and paves the way for a comprehensive reform of the broken U.S. tax code. These tax relief measures will help create jobs and give businesses the certainty they need to plan for the future, while also ending the annual practice of temporary tax policy extensions that has distracted Congress from the critical need for fundamental tax reform. As a member of the Senate Finance Committee, I am especially pleased that this legislation represents the most substantial rollback of Obamacare in six years. To learn more about this tax relief, click here. In Case You Missed It Whats on Tap? The Senate is not in session next week in observance of Christmas or the following week in observance of New Years Day. The Senate will reconvene on January 11, 2016. As we enjoy this holiday season, Dianne and I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Also, I recorded a holiday greeting to send to our men and women serving in the military oversees. If you wish to view this message, click here. Sincerely, Johnny Isakson",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=2a4ee227-ed31-4fab-abe9-83204ed0125c,Isakson Applauds Passage of Landmark Tax-Relief Package,2015-12-18,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Johnny Isakson,I000055,www.isakson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., a member of Senate Committee on Finance, today released the following statement on the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015, legislation that provides certainty for American families and job creators, suspends several of Obamacares most harmful taxes, promotes economic growth by providing permanent tax relief and paves the way for a comprehensive reform of the broken U.S. tax code: I strongly supported the inclusion of this 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, while also ending the annual practice of temporary tax policy extensions that has distracted Congress from the critical need for fundamental tax reform. As a member of the Senate Finance Committee, I am especially pleased that this legislation represents the most substantial rollback of Obamacare in six years by suspending Obamacares harmful taxes on medical innovation and health insurance premiums, and that it includes several provisions to rein in the culture of lawlessness and targeting of taxpayers and conservative groups by the Internal Revenue Service. The Senate today approved the tax relief measure along with a bipartisan spending bill in one package by a vote of 65-33. The legislation will now go to the president for his signature. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 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,,,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. Isakson 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. As 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. Despite 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. In 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. Finally, 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. While 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. Isakson 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. The 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. The 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. The 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. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=979f475d-c1fc-4e72-91a9-c95b81b7a520,"Isakson Highlights 2015 Accomplishments for Veterans, Looks Ahead to Next Year",2015-12-18,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Johnny Isakson,I000055,www.isakson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, spoke on the Senate floor last week to highlight the Senates many accomplishments to help veterans get the care and benefits they deserve: I think it is important that we pause for a moment at the end of the 2015 [and] look back upon the last 12 months. Particularly, we look back at the Department of Veterans (VA) and the veterans that have served our country and reflect on the problems that we have solved and the things we want done to better improve those services. When the year dawned, we had a scandal in Arizona at the Phoenix VA hospital. We had bonuses being paid to employees who had not performed, we had medical services that werent available to the veterans who had earned them and deserved them. And we as a Senate came together in the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, which I chair, [and] had a bipartisan effort to see to it we addressed those problems. So for just a second I want take a moment to highlight what we have done collectively and in a bipartisan way for those who have served our country and our veterans today. Number one, by the end of January we had passed the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act to deal with the growing problem of suicide of our veterans. This law is already working with more psychiatric help available to our veterans, quicker responses for those who seek mental health, better diagnosis of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury and a reduction in the rate of suicide that takes place in our veteran community. That was affirmative action, passed 99-0, Republicans and Democrats, in the Senate of the United States. We took the Veterans Choice Act, which had just passed in August of 2014, and made it work better for the veterans of our country. In the first nine months of this year, the VA fulfilled 7.5 million more individual appointments for veterans and benefits than they had in the preceding year, all because we made the private sector a part of the VA and allowed veterans to go to the doctor of their choice under certain qualified situations. We made access easier, we made access better, and because of that, we made health care better. Then we addressed the Denver crisis. In January we got a note from the VA that they had a $1.3 billion cost overrun on a $1.7 billion hospital. A 328 percent increase in cost with no promise that it would go down. [Senate VA Committee] Ranking Member Blumenthal and myself and the Colorado delegation flew to Denver, brought in the contractors in the VA [and] we made significant changes. First of all, we took the VA out of the construction business. They had proven they didn't deserve the ability to manage that much money or to build things. Their job was to deliver health care. We took the construction and put it in the hands of the Army Corps of Engineers where construction and engineering is responsible. We told the VA you may have a $1.385 billion cost overrun, but if you're going to pay for it, were not going to borrow it from China. Youre going to find it internally in the $71 billion budget of the VA. And they did. By unanimous consent, this Senate and the House of Representatives approved the completion of that hospital, the funding of the shortfall, the management takeover to the Corps of Engineers, and today it's on schedule to be completed for the veterans of the Midwest and the West in Denver, Colorado. Then we dealt with many other programs like homelessness and caregiver benefits to our veterans caregivers to see to it we had the very best care possibly available. Then we changed the paradigm in terms of the VA. The VA had so many acting appointees and so many unfilled leadership positions that they couldn't function as well as they should. So we went in and we approved Dr. David Shulkin to be Under Secretary for Health. We took LaVerne Council and approved her to be Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology. We took former Congressman Michael Michaud and made him the Assistant Secretary of the Department of Labor for Veterans Employment and Training. We put highly qualified people who knew what they were doing in positions where we had vacancies. Were already seeing a benefit in health delivery services and planning for information and technology coordination and hopefully inter-operability between the VA and Department of Defense in terms of transition of medical records, which is so important. But we also did another thing. We said we're no longer going to tolerate scandals in the VA or look the other way, and we're not going to pay rewards and bonuses to people who arent doing the job. Were going to pass legislation thats going to hold the VA accountable, have an [employee] record if they're not performing, and in the future prevent any VA employee who is not doing their job from getting a bonus for a job that's not well-done. That's the way it works in the private sector. It ought to be the way it works in the government. Then we took another problem. We took the problem of the scandal in the VA relocation benefits which cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost revenue to the VA, funds that were used for transferring some employees within the same geographic area where they were originally working and we told Secretary McDonald to get in there and clean this [scandal] up. As a result, the former Brigadier General, retired, who was the head of that department, resigned from the VA rather than face the music in terms of the investigation. We took affirmative action to see to it that wed have no more scandals. We have zero tolerance for poor performers and we want to reward good performance. That's the way it needs to be. It's very important to also understand that we have goals for the future. We're going to continue to meet as a committee with the VA leadership on a quarterly basis. Senator Blumenthal and I go and meet with the leadership to see what they're doing and share with them the frustration we have in the House and Senate about things that aren't going right, but share with them the joy we are hearing with the things they're doing to improve. And then weve set goals for next year. A full implementation of Veterans Choice Program that includes the consolidation of all veterans non-VA health care to see to it the veterans get timely appointments and good quality services from the physicians in the VA or physicians in their community. We're going to improve the experience of our service members in transitioning from active duty to veteran status. Quite frankly today thats the biggest problem we have in the country. Active duty service members who leave service and go to veteran status fall in a black hole. There is no inter-operability of VA and DoD health care records and electronic records. Theres no transition and handoff. Were going to see to it that that changes. Were going to improve the experience of women veterans including protecting victims of military sexual trauma. We're going to combat veteran homelessness and go from the goal of the president to get it to zero. We've already reduced it by a third. We're going to ensure access to mental health so no veteran that finds himself in trouble is unable to have immediate access to counseling. And on that point, I want to commend the VA for the suicide prevention hotline which has helped to save lives in this country this year. We're going to continue to see to it that we have more and more access for our veterans. Simply put, were going to make the VA work for the veterans and work for the American people. We're going to have accountability of the employees. We're going to reward good behavior and were not going to accept bad behavior. And in the end we're going to take the veterans of America who serve their country and make sure they get every benefit that's promised to them and delivered in a high quality fashion. And we're going to do it working together as Republicans and Democrats and as members of the Senate. As we close this year, I just want to pause and thank the members of the Senate for their unanimous bipartisan support for the significant changes we have made to address the problems of the Department of Veterans Affairs and to remember this holiday season the great gift we have all received which are our veterans who have served us, many of whom have sacrificed, and some of whom have died to see to it that America remains the strongest, most peaceful and freest country on the face of this earth. Watch Isaksons full floor speech online here. Last month, Isakson sent a letter in honor of Veterans Day to members of the Senate thanking them for their work to help veterans. ### The Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs is chaired by U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., in the 114th Congress. Isakson is a veteran himself having served in the Georgia Air National Guard from 1966-1972 and has been a member of the Senate VA Committee since he joined the Senate in 2005. Isaksons home state of Georgia is home to more than a dozen military installations representing each branch of the military as well as more than 750,000 veterans.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.perdue.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-david-perdue-fights-for-georgia-priorities,Senator David Perdue Fights For Georgia Priorities,2015-12-18,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,David Perdue,P000612,www.perdue.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Skip to primary navigation Skip to content Meet David Connect Helping You News",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://buddycarter.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=748,Carter Votes to Provide Tax Relief,2015-12-17,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Buddy Carter,C001103,buddycarter.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Earl L. Buddy Carter (Ga-01) voted today to create a simpler, fairer tax code. The House passed H.R. 2029, the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act, with Carters support. Since I arrived in Congress, I have been fighting to simplify Americas antiquated and overly burdensome tax code that is the greatest threat to economic opportunity in our nation, Carter said. With the highest corporate tax rate in the world and an overly complex tax code, creating a fairer tax code and reining in the bureaucrats at the IRS are the best moves we can make to empower all Americans to achieve the American Dream. The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act works to accomplish this by reining in the out-of-control IRS and making 40 percent of the tax extenders permanent laying the groundwork for the comprehensive tax reform our nation deserves. H.R. 2029 makes permanent over 20 tax relief provisions, extends for 5 years or 2 years a number of other tax relief provisions that expired at the end of 2014, places a moratorium on the medical device tax, and addresses a number of additional tax policy changes. This legislation continues efforts to dismantle the train wreck of Obamacare by delaying the tax on medical devices for two years, Carter said. Hardworking Americans and job creators deserve stability and they will only be provided this if Obamacare is eliminated and we finally put an end to the endless cycle of expiring tax policies. I am proud to support this legislation today to provide a strong path to both and I will continue my fight to completely abolish the IRS and scrap our current tax code. Carters first act as a Member of Congress was to co-sponsor the Fair Tax, which would create a simpler, fairer and flatter tax code to build a stronger economy.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://hice.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=222,Hice Applauds Passage of PATH Act of 2015,2015-12-17,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Jody Hice,H001071,hice.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON D.C. Today, the United States House of Representatives passed H.R. 2029, the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015. This includes a package of tax extensions and provisions that prevent $622 billion in tax increases, fosters small business investment, and benefits consumers and the American business community. Congressman Jody Hice issued the following statement after the measure passed: With the passage of the PATH Act of 2015, I am confident that American entrepreneurs and manufacturers will be empowered to get back to what they do best, and that's getting down to business. The PATH Act permanently guarantees tax extensions for research and development, which will foster long-term innovation and economic growth for American entrepreneurs and the business community. Additionally, with the extension of Section 179, small business owners are afforded more predictability, and this will provide certainty in challenging economic times to America's job creators. Lastly, I am very encouraged that this commonsense legislation prevents the medical community from suffering from the disastrous effects of the Obamacare Medical Device tax for an additional two years. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/floor-and-committee-statements?ContentRecord_id=367623bf-7a77-42d7-b3f5-ebb36e5c1409,Floor Speech on Accomplishments for Veterans,2015-12-17,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Johnny Isakson,I000055,www.isakson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I think it is important that we pause for a moment at the end of 2015, look back upon the past 12 months and, in particular, look at the Veterans Administration and the veterans who have served our country. We can look at the problems that we have solved and the things we have done to better improve those services. When the year dawned, we had a scandal in Arizona at the Phoenix hospital. We had bonuses being paid to employees who had not performed. We had medical services that weren't available to veterans who had earned them and deserved them. As a Senate, we came together in the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, which I chair. We made a bipartisan effort to see to it we addressed those problems. So for just a second I want everyone to pause and realize what we have done bipartisanly and collectively for those veterans who have served our country today. Number One: by the end of January, we had passed the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act to deal with the growing problem of suicide with our veterans. It is already working with more psychiatric help available to our veterans, quicker responses for those who seek mental help, and better diagnosis of PTSD and TBI. That was affirmative action. It passed 99 to 0--Republicans and Democrats--in the Senate of the United States. Number Two: we took the Veterans Choice Bill, which had passed in August of last year, and made it work better for the veterans of our country. In the first nine months of this year, the Veterans Administration fulfilled 7.5 million more individual appointments for veterans and benefits than they had in the preceding year, all because we made the private sector a part of the VA and allowed veterans to go to the doctor of their choice under certain qualified situations. We made access easier, we made access better, and because of that, we made health care better Third, we addressed the Denver crisis, and this is the most important thing of all. In January we got this little note from the VA that they had a $1.3 billion cost overrun on a $1.7 billion hospital, a 328-percent increase in cost with no promise that it would go down. Ranking Member Blumenthal, myself, and the Colorado delegation flew to Denver and brought in the contractors and the VA. We made significant changes. First, we took the VA out of the construction business. They had proven they didn't deserve the ability to manage that much money or to build things. Their job was to deliver health care. We took the construction and put it in the hands of the Army Corps of Engineers, where construction and engineering was responsible. We told the VA: You may have a $1.385 billion cost overrun, but if you are going to pay for it, we are not going to borrow from China. You are going to find it internally in the $71 billion budget of the Veterans Administration. And they did. By unanimous consent this Senate and the House of Representatives approved the completion of that hospital, the funding of the shortfall, and the management takeover by the Army Corps of Engineers. Today it is on progress to be there for the veterans in Denver, Colo. Number Four: we dealt with many other programs, such as homelessness and benefits to our veterans' caregivers, to see to it we have the very best care possible available. Number Five: we changed the paradigm. The VA had so many acting appointees and so many unfilled positions that they couldn't function as well as they should. So we went in, and we approved Dr. David Shulkin to be the undersecretary for medicine. We took LaVerne Council and approved her to be the head of information technology. We took former Congressman Michael Michaud and made him the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans' Employment and Training. We put highly qualified people who knew what they were doing in positions where we had vacancies. We are already seeing a benefit in health delivery services, planning for IT coordination, and, hopefully, interoperability between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense in terms of electronic medical records, which is so important. But we also did something else. We said we are no longer going to tolerate scandals in the VA or look the other way, and we are not going to pay rewards and bonuses to people who aren't doing the job. As you heard earlier today with Senator Cassidy from Louisiana and Senator Ayotte from New Hampshire, with the help of Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio, we are going to pass legislation that is going to hold VA employees accountable, have a record if they are not performing, and in the future prevent any Veterans Administration employee who is not doing his or her job from getting a bonus for a job that is not well done. That is the way it works in the private sector. It ought to be the way it works in the government. We took yet another problem. We took the problem of the scandal in the VA relocation benefits, which cost hundreds of thousands of lost revenue to the VA--funds that were given to VA people for transferring, some of them within the same geographic area where they originally were working. We told Secretary McDonald: You need to go in there, and you need to clean this thing up. To his credit, the Secretary did, and to his credit, the former brigadier general who was the head of that department retired. He resigned from the VA rather than face the music in terms of the investigation. But we took affirmative action to see to it we would have no more scandals. We want zero tolerance for poor performance, and we want to reward good performance. That is the way it needs to be. Finally, it is very important also to understand that we have goals for the future. We are going to continue as a committee with the VA leadership on a quarterly basis. Senator Blumenthal and I go to meet with the leadership of the VA to see what they are doing. We want not only to share with them the frustration we have in the House and the Senate about things that aren't going right, but also to share with them the joy we have with the things that they are doing to improve. We have set goals for next year: a full implementation of the Veterans Choice Program and a consolidation of all non-VA health care programs to see to it that veterans get timely appointments and good-quality services from VA physicians or physicians in their communities. We are going to improve the experience of our servicememembers in transitioning from Active Duty to Veteran Status. Quite frankly, today that is the biggest problem we have in the country. Active Duty servicemembers who leave service and go to veteran status fall into a black hole. There is no interoperability of VA and DOD health care records and electronic records. There is no transition in the handoff. We are going to see that change. We are going to improve the experience of women veterans, including protecting victims of military sexual trauma. We are going to combat veteran homelessness and meet the goal of the President to get it to zero. We have already reduced it by a third. We are going to ensure access to mental health so no veteran who finds himself in trouble doesn't have immediate access to counsel. On that point, I commend the Veterans Administration for the hotline. The suicide prevention hotline that they established has helped to save lives in this country this year, and we are going to continue to see to it that we have more and more access for our veterans. Simply put, we are going to make the Veterans Administration work for veterans and work for the American people. We are going to have accountability of the VAs employees. We are going to reward good behavior, and we are not going to accept bad behavior. In the end, we are going to take the veteran of America, who served his or her country, and make sure that they get every benefit that is promised to them and that it is delivered in a high-quality fashion. We are going to do it working together as Republicans and Democrats and as members of the Senate to do so. As we close this year, I wish to pause and thank the members of the Senate for their bipartisan support for the significant changes we have made to address the problems of the Veterans Administration and to remember this season of the year, at Christmas, the great gift we have had to all of us of our veterans who have served us, many of whom have sacrificed and some of whom have died to see that America remains the strongest, most peaceful, and freest country on the face of this Earth. With that, I pause and yield back the remainder of my time.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=068a4e66-26fe-4ab3-8080-6066a663cb52,Isakson Grills Administration Officials on Implementation of Iran Nuclear Deal,2015-12-17,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Johnny Isakson,I000055,www.isakson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today grilled key members of the Obama administration regarding its implementation of the nuclear agreement with Iran and the consequences being considered to hold Iran accountable for its ballistic missile tests in October and November of this year. Isakson, who strongly opposed the nuclear agreement, argued that Irans ballistic missile tests on October 10 and November 21, 2015, already violate the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the official name of President Obamas agreement with Iran. Isakson stated that the concerns he shared after details of the agreement first became public that the United States had negotiated away all of its leverage to enforce accountability of Iran by releasing existing sanctions and removing the ability to impose sanctions in the future have already come to pass following the ballistic missile tests, despite President Obamas many promises that so-called snap back sanctions remain an option. I worry that if were very passive about the enforcement of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and just look the other way, the Iranians will just look the other way and do whatever they want, said Isakson during todays hearing. By way of example, and Im quoting here, the Iranian regime has declared that it would consider any type of sanction at any level or under any pretext a breach of the deal that would release Iran from any obligations it has under the agreement. So in other words, if we reach Implementation Day, and, as I understand it, the president says the sanctions are then waived, and then we take any action to snap back sanctions which is the enforcement mechanism we were all told by Secretary Kerry we would have the Iranians will call the snap back a violation of the agreement and theyll be free to do whatever they want to. Following the hearing, Isakson vowed to continue his fight against the presidents disastrous agreement with Iran. I have said this administrations policy of trust, and dont verify with Iran could end in tragedy. Iran has shown their hand and the U.S. Security Council has verified. Peace at any cost comes at too high a cost, said Isakson. This week, Isakson along with 34 other senators sent a letter to President Obama expressing their concerns over the administrations lack of response to Irans blatant disregard for its international obligations and Irans willingness to advance its intercontinental ballistic missile program that could enable delivery of a nuclear weapon. The senators called on the administration to not lift sanctions on Iran due to the countrys recent ballistic missile tests, which United Nations Ambassador Samantha Power determined violate United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1929. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.perdue.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-isakson-perdue-president-obama-should-not-reward-irans-bad-behavior,"Senators Isakson, Perdue: President Obama Should Not Reward Irans Bad Behavior",2015-12-17,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,David Perdue,P000612,www.perdue.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Skip to primary navigation Skip to content Meet David Connect Helping You News",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://allen.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=246,Rep. Rick Allen Introduces Legislation to Protect Americans from Failed State Exchanges,2015-12-16,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Rick Allen,A000372,allen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Rick Allen Introduces Legislation to Protect Americans from Failed State Exchanges f t # e Washington, December 16, 2015 WASHINGTON, DC--Today, U.S. Congressman Rick Allen (R-Ga.-12) today introduced H.R. 4262, the Transparency and Accountability of Failed Exchanges Act. This legislation ensures that American taxpayers are not left paying for the failures of Obamacare by holding states that have set up state exchanges accountable and providing clear steps to recoup federal funds when they ultimately fail. After five years of failed policies and higher cost of care, it has become crystal clear that Obamacare was not well thought out. When this legislation was signed into law, the President freely gave money away to states to establish the state exchanges however they forgot one piece of the puzzle. They provided no solution for recovering these funds when the state exchanges failed. Billions of taxpayer dollars have been spent sinceand the taxpayers should not be on the hook for subsidizing these failed exchanges. My legislation fixes the problems by providing a plan to recover federal funds when the state exchanges fail and requires unused funds to be returned back to the federal government to pay down the national debt. The shortcomings of Obamacare should not be placed on the backs of American taxpayers. The Transparency and Accountability of Failed Exchanges Act provides two important steps in recovering taxpayer assets and ensuring transparency: Ensures states have kept records and properly reported how federal funds were spent by requiring states to submit records of expenses to Congress as well as the Department of Health and Human Services Requires all unused funds to be returned to the Treasury Department for deficit reduction and any real property purchased be returned to the General Services Administration Congressman Allen recently spoke on his legislation, to watch his speech click HERE. This legislation has been endorsed by Americans for Tax Reform, National Taxpayers Union, Council for Affordable Health Coverageand Citizens Against Government Waste. ### f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://davidscott.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397624,Rep. Scott Supports Terrorism Finance Restrictions,2015-12-16,2015,2015-12,Democrat,House,GA,David Scott,S001157,davidscott.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today, Congressman David Scott supported the bipartisan passage of the Hizballah International Financial Prevention Act of 2015 (H.R. 2297). The legislation passed by a vote of 425 to 0 and now is awaiting the president's signature to become law. I have investigated terrorism financing for years, as a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Rep. Scott said. With significant funding from Iran and Syria, Hizballah continues to pose a threat to the United States and our allies. I am concerned that the Iranian nuclear agreement could open billions of dollars that could flow to Hizballah and other terrorists to fight in Syria or against Israel. This legislation is a major step to curtailing their operations. H.R. 2297 imposes additional sanctions on Hizballahs fundraising channels and restricts the organizations ability to use its funds to support global terrorist activities. The legislation also targets Hizballahs media arm, al-Manar, and forces other critical reports to highlight the terrorist organizations illicit activities. A section-by-section summary of the legislation is available at on the Foreign Affairs Committee website. During the debate on H.R. 2297, Congressman Scott was recognized as a leader on terrorist financing by the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. Congressman Scott also spoke at length about his concerns with terrorism in the Middle East and the Iranian influence in the region. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=b455a2a6-d09c-4264-b755-4025f6400b29,"Isakson: We Must Ensure Veterans Have Roadmap, Support System for Transition from Military",2015-12-16,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Johnny Isakson,I000055,www.isakson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, reaffirmed his commitment to improving the experience of veterans transitioning out of the military. As one who has a state full of veterans and is grateful for what they do for our country, I am committed to making sure that we are a catalyst for a successful transition for all the veterans from active duty to veteran status, Isakson said at a committee hearing held yesterday to assess the various resources available to aid in the service members transition to veteran status. At the hearing, Isakson highlighted the importance of making sure that service members are not falling through the cracks after they leave the military. Whenever a veteran is able to leave active duty with a plan or a roadmap and a mentor or a support system, the better off that veteran is, said Isakson. Every time someone leaves active duty status at the Department of Defense and becomes a veteran without the helping hand of a mentor and doesnt have the right platform of information thats when people [who] made a great contribution to our country are not able to make the contribution that they would like to in their own private life. Currently, active duty service members are required to go through the Transition Assistance Program, a five-day program facilitated by the Departments of Veterans Affairs (VA), Defense and Labor to help service members navigate the transition from the military to veteran status. Isakson questioned VA and Labor agency representatives on what they are doing to ensure that service members participating in the Transition Assistance Program are connected to resources and jobs at private sector companies, noting the importance of the many corporations in America that are going out of their way to provide access to quality jobs for our veterans. In addition, Isakson thanked representatives from Coca-Cola, a Georgia company, and Starbucks Coffee Company for the work they are doing to bridge the cultural divide between military and civilian life for veterans. Part of that bridging of that cultural divide is for us to promote within our own country as members of the Congress the value of those veterans and the support they need from the community, said Isakson Earlier this year, Isakson listed helping service members transition from the military as one of his top priorities as chairman. ### The Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs is chaired by U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., in the 114th Congress. Isakson is a veteran himself having served in the Georgia Air National Guard from 1966-1972 and has been a member of the Senate VA Committee since he joined the Senate in 2005. Isaksons home state of Georgia is home to more than a dozen military installations representing each branch of the military as well as more than 750,000 veterans.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-center?ContentRecord_id=29e972c3-64f4-4043-b4d1-2567cf1341ab,"e-Newsletter for December 14, 2015",2015-12-15,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Johnny Isakson,I000055,www.isakson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Dear Friend, I am excited that last week, Congress took a responsible step forward on education reform and passed the final conference report on theEvery Student Succeeds Act by a vote of 85-12. This legislation includes long overdue reforms and puts the decisions affecting our childrens education back in the hands of those who know best parents, teachers, school boards and governors. The Every Student Succeeds Act was signed into law on December 10, 2015. This bill contains significant education reforms including: Removing Washington mandates from education; Ending federal overreliance on standardized tests; Stopping the Department of Education from imposing Common Core or any other academic standards on states; Ensuring that parents have the necessary information to make decisions on their childs education; Allowing parents the rights to opt their children out of mandated testing. During debate on the bill, I called the Every Student Succeeds Act a new chapter in education. To watch my full remarks, click here or to learn more about this legislation, click here. America Must Show Resolve in Fight Against Terror Last Monday was the 74th anniversary of the attacks on Pearl Harbor. Today, we once again find our nation under attack. While the enemy today is different from that of World War II, the motives remain the same: to oppress free people and impose their tyranny upon the world. Like those men and women of our greatest generation who answered the call during WWII to protect freedom around the globe, I strongly urge our president to embody the same resolve and fortitude necessary to protect us against the terror that threatens our security today. In Case You Missed It Whats on Tap? This week the Senate will vote on several nominations, as well as continue work on funding for the federal government in fiscal year 2016 and extending tax relief provisions important to Georgia families and employers. Sincerely, Johnny Isakson",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=64f31b08-3232-47a3-84ca-61ab293a4ac6,"Isakson Calls for Answers on Presence of Known, Suspected Terrorists",2015-12-14,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Johnny Isakson,I000055,www.isakson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., joined his Senate colleagues in calling for answers from top U.S. security officials on how the administration is ensuring that there are no former or current known terrorists presently residing in the United States. In a letter sent last week to the heads of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State, Isakson and his colleagues pointed to past instances where terrorists were admitted into the U.S. through the refugee program. Given these instances, the senators have requested information on what recommendations or adjustments have been made to the refugee program as a result of them. They also requested the findings of past FBI probes on dozens of other suspected terrorists and whether the administration has any reason to believe known terrorists are in the U.S. as part of the refugee program. In the aftermath of the November 13th terrorist attacks in Paris that killed at least 129 people and injured hundreds more, Isakson also wrote to President Obama urging the administration to ensure that no members, supporters or sympathizers of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL, are infiltrating Syrian refugee movements to enter the United States. The full text of the letter signed by Isakson along with U.S. Senators Mark Kirk, R-Ill., John Cornyn, R-Texas, David Vitter, R-La., Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.V., John Boozman, R-Ark., Mike Lee, R-Utah, Jerry Moran, R-Kan., Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Cory Gardner, R-Colo., is included below: December 11, 2015 Dear Director Comey, Secretary Johnson, and Secretary Kerry: In 2013, a failure to screen Iraqi refugees allowed two al Qaeda-linked terrorists to settle in Bowling Green, KY. ABC News reported that these arrests led to a 6-month suspension of the refugee program and an FBI investigation of dozens of suspected terrorists.[1] An ABC News investigation in 2013 reported that a flawed system of U.S. background checks allowed Waad Ramadan Alwan and Mohanad Shareef Hammadi, two al Qaeda in Iraq (now called ISIS) terrorists who were part of a bomb-making group responsible for dozens of roadside bombs, one of which killed four members of the Pennsylvania National Guard. After a tip led the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to begin investigating Alwan and Hammadi, the FBIs Terrorist Explosive Device Analytical Center (TEDAC) managed to match Alwans fingerprints to those found on an unexploded roadside bomb discovered by U.S. troops in Iraq years earlier. Alwan and Hammadi were arrested two years later in an FBI sting operation attempting to send arms and explosives, including Stinger missiles, to insurgents in Iraq. Our law enforcement and intelligence communities deserve great praise for stopping these terrorists from killing more Americans. Yet the terrorists should have never been given the chance. Were there recommendations made to the refugee program as a result of this incident? What are the findings from the FBI investigation on the other dozens of suspected terrorists? Are there former or current known terrorists in the U.S. as part of the refugee program? We look forward to a timely response that we can share with the American people. Sincerely, Mark Kirk, R-Ill. John Cornyn, R-Texas David Vitter, R-La. Thom Tillis, R-N.C. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.V. John Boozman, R-Ark. Mike Lee, R-Utah Jerry Moran, R-Kan. Tim Scott, R-S.C. Cory Gardner, R-Colo. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.perdue.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-david-perdue-urges-change-of-pace-in-fight-against-isis,Senator David Perdue Urges Change of Pace in Fight Against ISIS,2015-12-14,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,David Perdue,P000612,www.perdue.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Skip to primary navigation Skip to content Meet David Connect Helping You News",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://austinscott.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-austin-scott-reacts-dod-decision-support-jstars,Congressman Austin Scott Reacts to DOD Decision To Support JSTARS Recapitalization,2015-12-11,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Austin Scott,S001189,austinscott.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC U.S. Congressman Austin Scott (GA-08) today reacted to news out of the Pentagon that the Office of the Secretary of Defense has formally approved Milestone-A for the Air Force's plan to recapitalize the JSTARS fleet. I am pleased that the Department of Defense agreed to approve the milestone acquisition decision to permit the next step in recapitalization of the JSTARS fleet, said Congressman Austin Scott. This is an important development for Robins Air Force Base and a crucial step to ensure our nation's warfighters have the capabilities they need. Going forward, I will continue to highlight how indispensable this mission is for our national security and will urge the Department of Defense to keep the acquisition timeline on schedule. Robins Air Force Base is home to both the 461st Air Control Wing (ACW) and 116th Air Control Wing (ACW), both of which share responsibility for the operations, maintenance and support of the E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS). Last month, Congressman Austin Scott, who is a member of the House Armed Services Committee,led a letter to Secretary of Defense Ash Carterto urge for approval of JSTARS recapitalization. The letter was supported by sixty members of Congress. In addition, he wrote anarticle for Breaking Defensewhich highlights the importance of JSTARS and the future of the mission. Congressman Austin Scott represents Georgia's Eighth Congressional District in Congress, home to Robins and Moody Air Force Bases. JSTARS Letter to Sec Carter",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=8e9427ba-0b68-4bcd-b482-5db0dceb13ff,Isakson to Defense Secretary: JSTARS Funding Critical to Defense,2015-12-11,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Johnny Isakson,I000055,www.isakson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., led a bipartisan group of 13 senators in a letter to U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter requesting that funding for the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) be protected in the fiscal year 2017 defense budget request. The senators note that the JSTARS fleet, a surveillance aircraft that is based at Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins, Ga., has provided unparalleled Battle Management, Command and Control and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance capability and its endurance continues to prevail in todays Global War on Terrorism. The letter continues, The service life of the legacy fleet, however, is now coming to an end while the demand from Combatant Commanders has only grown.Due to high demand over the years and increasing maintenance requirements, it is becoming increasingly difficult and costly to keep aircraft available to meet operational and training requirements.This leaves a growing capabilities gap that is unacceptable. Isaksons budget request comes the same week that the Undersecretary for Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics signaled approval to start Milestone A, the first phase of the process to replace the aging fleet of JSTARS surveillance aircrafts. Isakson requested funding in in his 2016 appropriations requests as well. He visited Robins Air Force Base and received a briefing from the JSTARS unit in September 2015. Led by Isakson, the letter was also signed by U.S. Senators David Perdue, R-Ga., Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., Richard Burr, R-N.C., Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., Susan Collins, R-Maine, Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, Patty Murray, D-Wash., Bill Nelson, D-Fla., Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Jon Tester, D-Mont. The full text of the letter is below. December 11, 2015 The Honorable Ashton B. Carter Secretary of Defense 1000 Defense Pentagon Washington, DC 20301-1000 Dear Secretary Carter: We write as members of the Senate who strongly support our national security, the Department of Defense, and its warfighters to urge that you rapidly recapitalize the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) and protect funding for this program in the Fiscal Year 2017 Defense Budget request. The combat proven current JSTARS platform, the E-8C, has provided unparalleled Battle Management, Command and Control and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (BMC2/ISR) capability since it was rushed into service in the early 1990s during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm and its endurance continues to prevail in todays Global War on Terrorism. The service life of the legacy fleet, however, is now coming to an end while the demand from Combatant Commanders has only grown. Due to high demand over the years and increasing maintenance requirements, it is becoming increasingly difficult and costly to keep aircraft available to meet operational and training requirements. This leaves a growing capabilities gap that is unacceptable. Based on an Air Force Analysis of Alternatives completed in 2011 that supports a rapid recapitalization of the legacy fleet with a low-risk business jet-type platform, Congress has consistently supported moving aggressively to replace the E-8C and its crucial warfighting capability with a modern, more cost-efficient and operationally-ready platform. We expect that you will seek full funding for this recapitalization effort in the FY2017 Defense Budget and pursue an acquisition plan and schedule that will increase the operational availability of this capability to support our warfighters. Sincerely, ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=c25af195-bd6a-4e50-af6d-c953c0e3849e,Isakson Applauds Committee Passage of Legislation to Improve VA Accountability,2015-12-11,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Johnny Isakson,I000055,www.isakson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, today applauded the committee passage of legislation aimed at increasing accountability at the Department of Veterans Affairs and improving veterans benefits and health care. I want to thank the committee members for their hard work in coming together to create bipartisan, commonsense legislation to help our veterans, said Isakson. The omnibus bill passed by the committee today will go a long way to help ensure that our veterans receive the health care and services they deserve in a fiscally-responsible way. We also passed a crucial bill that will help force the VA to finally start holding its employees accountable, something the VA has so far been unwilling to do. I look forward to seeing these bills passed by the full Senate. At a markup held today, the committee approved the Increasing the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability to Veterans Act of 2015 (S.290), which prospectively reduces the pensions for VA executives convicted of felonies. Introduced by Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., the bill also reforms the VAs administrative leave policies and establishes new performance standards for employees placed on probation. In addition, the committee approved the Veterans Homeless Programs, Caregiver Services and Other Improvements Act of 2015 (S.425), an omnibus bill originally introduced by Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., and Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont. It includes numerous provisions to improve veterans health care and benefits, including measures to: Expand the VA definition of homeless to include those fleeing domestic violence. Increase the pension received by Medal of Honor recipients. Provide legal services for homeless veterans and expand the VAs program to provide dental services to homeless veterans. Expand eligibility for the Department of Labors Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program. Improve opioid safety measures at the VA and establish a working group on pain management at the VA and the Department of Defense. Expand eligibility for the VAs family caregiver program and ensure the VA implements improvements to the program identified by the Government Accountability Office Restore GI Bill benefits to veterans affected by the closures of educational institutions. Increase eligibility for certain veterans education benefits and improve how those benefits are administered by the VA. Expedite the payment of various survivor benefits to family members of deceased veterans. Earlier this year, Isakson listed combating veteran homelessness as one of his top priorities as chairman. The two bills approved by the committee today now go to the full Senate. ### The Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs is chaired by U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., in the 114th Congress.Isakson is a veteran himself having served in the Georgia Air National Guard from 1966-1972 and has been a member of the Senate VA Committee since he joined the Senate in 2005. Isaksons home state of Georgia is home to more than a dozen military installations representing each branch of the military as well as more than 750,000 veterans.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.perdue.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-david-perdue-applauds-approval-of-upgrades-for-jstars-fleet,Senator David Perdue Applauds Approval of Upgrades for JSTARS Fleet,2015-12-11,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,David Perdue,P000612,www.perdue.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Skip to primary navigation Skip to content Meet David Connect Helping You News",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://bishop.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-bishop-welcomes-albany-state-university-president-arthur,CONGRESSMAN BISHOP WELCOMES ALBANY STATE UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT ARTHUR DUNNING,2015-12-10,2015,2015-12,Democrat,House,GA,Sanford Bishop,B000490,bishop.house.gov,,,legacy,"ALBANY, GA Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) welcomes the University System of Georgia appointment of Dr. Arthur Dunning as the President of Albany State University (ASU). Dr. Dunning has served ASU as interim president since November of 2013. With such an increased importance on higher learning in todays competitive world, it is critical that our universities continue to improve the education of our young adults, said Congressman Bishop. Dr. Dunning displayed excellent leadership and dedication to the student body during his time as interim president, and so I have every confidence in Dr. Dunning to lead ASU into the future. Dr. Dunning has consistently demonstrated his abilities to improve the educational system in Georgia. Previously a full tenured professor in the University of Georgias Institute of Higher Education, Dr. Dunning has held a number of executive roles at the University System of Georgia and the University of Alabama system, and served as chief executive officer of Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, Inc. During his time as interim president, Dr. Dunning worked to improve administrative efficiency, educational outreach, and enacted articulation agreements enabling students from Darton State College and Albany Technical College to seamlessly transition to ASUs variety of degree programs. For more information about on ASUs new permanent president, please click here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://austinscott.house.gov/press-releases?ID=198E7DB2-47F1-4511-ADD8-BA22382D7CCA,Congressman Austin Scott Reacts to DOD Decision To Support JSTARS Recapitalization,2015-12-10,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Austin Scott,S001189,austinscott.house.gov,austinscott,https://austinscott.house.gov/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC –U.S. Congressman Austin Scott (GA-08) today reacted to news out of the Pentagon that the Office of the Secretary of Defense has formally approved Milestone-A for the Air Force’s plan to recapitalize the JSTARS fleet. “I am pleased that the Department of Defense agreed to approve the milestone acquisition decision to permit the next step in recapitalization of the JSTARS fleet,” said Congressman Austin Scott. “This is an important development for Robins Air Force Base and a crucial step to ensure our nation’s warfighters have the capabilities they need. Going forward, I will continue to highlight how indispensable this mission is for our national security and will urge the Department of Defense to keep the acquisition timeline on schedule.” Robins Air Force Base is home to both the 461st Air Control Wing (ACW) and 116th Air Control Wing (ACW), both of which share responsibility for the operations, maintenance and support of the E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS). Last month, Congressman Austin Scott, who is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, led a letter to Secretary of Defense Ash Carter to urge for approval of JSTARS recapitalization. The letter was supported by sixty members of Congress. In addition, he wrote an article for Breaking Defensewhich highlights the importance of JSTARS and the future of the mission. Congressman Austin Scott represents Georgia’s Eighth Congressional District in Congress, home to Robins and Moody Air Force Bases.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T20:33:33Z https://www.perdue.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-david-perdue-jstars-critical-to-countering-global-threats,Senator David Perdue: JSTARS Critical To Countering Global Threats,2015-12-10,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,David Perdue,P000612,www.perdue.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Skip to primary navigation Skip to content Meet David Connect Helping You News",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=547815ee-adde-47b5-ab2b-3c6e3670220c,Isakson Calls Every Student Succeeds Act 'New Chapter in Education',2015-12-09,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Johnny Isakson,I000055,www.isakson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today applauded the Senate passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act, legislation that puts decisions affecting our childrens education back in the hands of those who know best their parents, teachers, school boards and governors. During debate this week on the bill, Isakson called the reforms a new chapter in education that focuses on student improvement, student achievement and sees to it that every child can succeed. Isakson is a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and served as one of the Republican Senate negotiators on a joint House-Senate conference committee tasked with reconciling the differences between the House- and Senate-passed reauthorizations of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The conference report on the Every Student Succeeds Act was adopted today by the Senate by a vote of 85-12 and now heads to the presidents desk. With the passage of this bill, we end one chapter in education and open a new chapter, said Isakson. A chapter that focuses on student improvement, student achievement and sees to it that every child can succeed. This bill will make sure we disaggregate so we can focus on every child as they perform within their own groups in every school in America. I'm honored to have been a member of the committee that worked hard on this bill for every student, every superintendent, every teacher and every parent in America. During debate before a procedural vote on the bill, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, thanked Isakson, who was chairman of the Georgia Board of Education from 1997-99, for his work on the education reform bill. The senator from Georgia is a former chairman of the Georgia state board of education so his experience there, his work with Senator Murray on early childhood education and his insistence on an amendment that gives states a right to allow parents to opt-out of federally-required tests all were major contributions to this legislation, said Alexander. I think it's fair to say that we could not have fixed No Child Left Behind without Johnny Isakson's experience and leadership. I'm deeply grateful to him for that. Isakson has long made education reform a priority. The bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act is a long-overdue replacement for No Child Left Behind, which expired in 2007. This legislation will help remove Washington mandates from education, and instead allow those closest to students to set the agenda. Notably, the measure will end the previous federal overreliance on standardized tests that has led to complaints of over-testing, and the federal governments Department of Education will no longer be able to impose Common Core or any other academic standards on states. The Every Student Succeeds Act also includes language that was offered by Isakson in the Senate-passed version of the bill to ensure that parents have the information needed to make decisions on their childs education by requiring schools that receive federal funding to notify parents of their rights to opt their children out of mandated testing. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.perdue.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-david-perdue-questions-fbi-director-about-isis-link-in-san-bernardino-terrorist-attack-,Senator David Perdue Questions FBI Director About ISIS Link in San Bernardino Terrorist Attack,2015-12-09,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,David Perdue,P000612,www.perdue.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Skip to primary navigation Skip to content Meet David Connect Helping You News",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.perdue.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-david-perdue-we-dont-need-washington-micromanaging-education-decisions,SHRINKING WASHINGTON: Voting For Reduction Of Federal Control In Our Classrooms,2015-12-09,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,David Perdue,P000612,www.perdue.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Skip to primary navigation Skip to content Meet David Connect Helping You News",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://bishop.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-bishop-strengthens-border-security-visa-process,"CONGRESSMAN BISHOP STRENGTHENS BORDER SECURITY, VISA PROCESS",2015-12-08,2015,2015-12,Democrat,House,GA,Sanford Bishop,B000490,bishop.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON D.C.Today, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) strengthened border security and addressed vulnerabilities in the current Department of Homeland Securitys (DHS) Visa Waiver Program (VWP) by co-sponsoring and voting to pass bipartisan H.R. 158, the Visa Waiver Program Improvement Act of 2015. This bipartisan legislation prohibits individuals who have been to Syria and Iraq from entering the United States unless they are interviewed by U.S. officials and get a regular visa, even if they are from countries that participate in the Visa Waiver Program. H.R. 158 also updates the requirements for countries to participate in the program, including requiring fraud resistant electronic passports containing certain biographic and biometric information. In todays dangerous world, vigilance is essential to our national security, said Congressman Bishop. H.R. 158 bolsters the screening process for foreign nationals and addresses security vulnerabilities found within the Visa Waiver Program, making our nation more safe and secure. The Visa Waiver Program allows nationals from 38 countries, 30 of which are in Europe, to enter the United States as visitors for business or pleasure for up to 90 days without first obtaining a visa from a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. Nationals from participating Visa Waiver Program countries are required to complete a U.S. government online security screening form, referred to as the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), prior to departure for the United States and at the port of entry by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection official. Generally, travelers from non-VWP countries who want to enter the United States as visitors must obtain a visa from the State Department, which involves undergoing more extensive security screening, including biometric (i.e. fingerprint) security screening, and an in-person interview with a Department of State Consular Officer at a consular post abroad prior to travel. H.R. 158 bill makes nationals of VWP countries who have traveled to Iraq, Syria, designated state sponsors of terrorism (Iran and Sudan), and other countries or areas of concern since March 1, 2011, as well as anyone who is a dual national of one of those countries and a VWP country, ineligible to travel to the U.S. under the VWP. Instead, they are required to obtain a visa, as visitors from non-VWP countries have to do. They now also have to have an in-person interview with a U.S. Department of State Consular official and undergo more extensive security screening, including biometric (i.e. fingerprint) security screening. H.R. 158 was approved by the House of Representatives in a vote of 407 to 19. For more information regarding the Visa Waiver Program Improvement Act of 2015, please click here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://buddycarter.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=725,Carter Votes to Strengthen Visa Waiver Program,2015-12-08,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Buddy Carter,C001103,buddycarter.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Earl L. Buddy Carter (Ga-01) voted in support of H.R. 158, the Visa Waiver Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act, today to close security gaps in the Visa Waiver Program to combat terrorist travel. ISIS and other terrorist organizations are looking for any opportunity to exploit the hospitality of a nation to cause devastating harm and the security gaps in the Visa Waiver Program are yet another opportunity for them to infiltrate our homeland, Carter said. The largest convergence of jihadists in world history is happening right now in Syria and Iraq and many hold Western passports allowing them to get into the United States without a visa. We must act immediately to close this dangerous loophole to ensure terrorists are not able to hop on a plane and cross our borders. This legislation should be signed into law as soon as possible for the safety of the American people. The Visa Waiver Improvement and Terrorist Travel Protection Act: Gives the Secretary of Homeland Security the authority to suspend a countrys participation in the program if they fail to share counterterrorism information with the U.S; Denies Visa Waiver Program status to those citizens from participating countries that have traveled to certain terrorist hotspots since 2011; Requires all Visa Waiver Program countries use fraud resistant e-passports and; Allows for the suspension of high-risk countries. Carter is a cosponsor of the Visa Waiver Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act passed in the House today. As a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, Carter has been working with colleagues on the committee to address the situation and will continue to focus on protecting our homeland from potential threats. Carter cosponsored H.R. 2899, the Countering Violent Extremism Act of 2015, and assisted in passing this legislation through the House Committee on Homeland Security. This legislation establishes within the Department of Homeland Security the Office for Countering Violent Extremism to support efforts to counter violent extremism. He also sent a letter to both President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry urging the administration to immediately halt admissions of refugees from the conflict areas into the United States. Clickhereto view or download a copy of the letter.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://buddycarter.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=726,Carter Hammers State Department on Cost Overruns,2015-12-08,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Buddy Carter,C001103,buddycarter.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Earl L. ""Buddy"" Carter (Ga-01) hammered State Department officials about the continued cost overruns of State Department construction projects. In a hearing of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Carter questioned Gregory B. Starr, Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security. During questioning of Mr. Starr, Carter raised serious concerns about State's wasteful spending, ""you appeared here before this full committee in July to review the cost overruns of the U.S. embassy in Kabul, and again in September to discuss both security concerns and cost overruns with the two U.S. Consulates in Mexico...and thats just two examples. Two examples that youve had to answer for this year. Other examples would include the State Department paying a construction company $18.5 million for renovations to a prison in Afghanistan originally slated to cost $16 million. And then the firm completed only half of the work over five years. Now the State Department calculates its going to cost another $16 million to finish the project. The State Department has spent $5 million on fancy glassware. Five million dollars on fancy glassware at U.S. embassies. The new embassy in Papua New Guinea had to be entirely scrapped. Entirely scrapped and started over. That resulted in almost quadrupling the cost of the project."" Carter also raised concerns about cost overruns of future construction projects, including the State Department's attempts to build a new, duplicative Foreign Affairs Security Training Center (FASTC) in Virginia instead of utilizing the already functional Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. During questioning, Carter said ""you could have renovated and you could have redone the current London embassy for less than a billion dollars if you would have only slowed down and made sure it was done correctly. Weve established that here today. Weve established that. You know what bothers me so much about this? Is that we are making the same mistake all over again. All you have to do is look at what youre trying to do with the Foreign Affairs Security Training Center. Its all weve got to do. You look at what was done. You compared FLETC, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, down in Glynco, Georgia. They submitted a bid of $243 million. You went to Fort Pickett. They submitted a bid of $950 million. You went back to Fort Pickett and said aw come on, cant you do better than that? They said, ok, well come down to $450 million. Well just eliminate the dormitories and cafeteria. All the things that already exist at FLETC. Well eliminate all those and well get the price down. You know why dont we do this, Ill tell you what well do Mr. Starr. Lets just go ahead and schedule the next hearing on the cost overruns at FLETC. You wanna go ahead and do that? It would save us a lot of time because we know youre gonna be right back here. Weve seen it already. Let me tell ya, when you get back here on the cost overruns on that, if Im still on that committee, dont count on my support."" Click here to view or download Carter's questioning.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://buddycarter.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=727,House Passes Carter Legislation to Reauthorize the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center,2015-12-08,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Buddy Carter,C001103,buddycarter.house.gov,,,legacy,"The United States House of Representatives today passed Congressman Earl L. Buddy Carters (Ga-01) Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers Reform and Improvement Act. The legislation would reauthorize the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) located in Brunswick, Georgia and codify essential directives into law. FLETC is the preeminent facility for law enforcement training in the United States, Carter said. While FLETC has provided topnotch training since its creation in the 1970s, Congress has failed to provide FLETC with a reauthorization. There are several authorities within the Office of the Director that were instituted over the last forty years after the original authorization that need to be codified into law so FLETC can continue to provide the highest quality and most cost effective training possible. H.R. 3842, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers Reform and Improvement Act, will now be considered by the United States Senate. Full text of the legislation as introduced can be found here. The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, located in Brunswick, Georgia, provides security training for the Department of Homeland Security and 91 federal partner organizations, as well as state and local law enforcement agencies. Last year, FLETC trained 58,666 students and is projected to train more than 70,000 students this year. FLETC is responsible for an economic impact in the surrounding five counties of more than $313 million. Statewide, that number jumps to more than $975 million. At any given time, FLETC provides training to 3,000 students and employs more than 3,000 Georgians. Since the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center was created in the 1970s, Congress has never reauthorized the center. Carter represents Brunswick, Georgia, and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in the United States House of Representatives.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://tomgraves.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398555,"Rep. Tom Graves Votes to Tighten Security of Visa Waiver Program, Prevent Terrorist Attacks",2015-12-08,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Tom Graves,G000560,tomgraves.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Tom Graves Votes to Tighten Security of Visa Waiver Program, Prevent Terrorist Attacks Washington, December 8, 2015- Today, Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA-14) voted for and the House passed the Visa Waiver Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act (H.R. 158), legislation to tighten security of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). VWP allows nationals of 38 participating countries, such as the United Kingdom and France, to travel to the U.S. for up to 90 days without obtaining a visa. Militant Islamic terrorism is threatening the homeland in new ways, and the Visa Waiver Program is now a gaping hole in our national security that must be addressed, said Rep. Graves. The way the program currently works, a radicalized citizen of a participating country who is not otherwise detected could travel to Iraq or Syria to join the Islamic State, return to their home country, and then travel to the United States without applying for a visa and undergoing the additional screening process a visa application entails. The legislation the House passed today, with overwhelming bipartisan support, will tighten security of the Visa Waiver Program so terrorists cannot use our nations generosity to sneak in and attack our communities. I will continue to do everything in my power to put in place safeguards that protect the homeland from terrorist attacks. Specifically, H.R. 158 denies VWP status to individuals who have connections to terrorist hotbeds like Syria and Iraq, forces the Secretary of Homeland Security to terminate the VWP status of any participating country that does not uphold their obligation to share counterterrorism intelligence and requires participating countries to check travelers against INTERPOL databases. H.R. 158 also requires VWP countries to use fraud-resistant e-passports, U.S. intelligence agencies to conduct more frequent threat assessments of VWP countries and the Department of Homeland Security to take additional steps to identify fraud. Previously, Rep. Graves voted for and the House passed the American SAFE Act (H.R. 4038), legislation requiring the FBI director certify the background investigation of every refugee from Syria and Iraq and requiring that the secretary of Homeland Security, the FBI director, and the director of National Intelligence all certify to Congress that each refugee is not a security threat. These security features would effectively pause the presidents plan to resettle thousands of Syrian refugees in the United States. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://allen.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=232,Rep. Rick Allen Applauds Passage of Key Homeland Security Measure,2015-12-08,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Rick Allen,A000372,allen.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC--U.S. Congressman Rick Allen (R-Ga.-12) voted in favor of H.R. 158, the Visa Waiver Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015. This bill works to strengthen the security of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), a program that allows citizens from 38 participating countries to travel to the U.S for up to 90 days without a visa. This bill passed by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 407-19. Terrorists rely heavily on their travel documents. These papers are a critical piece in their evil plight, just as important as weapons. This legislation comes at a crucial time when terrorists seek to destroy us and our way of life. I was proud that the House supported this legislation with an overwhelming majority earlier today. As we have seen in France, terrorists will take advantage of any policy or program that allows them to mobilize and spread radical terrorism. Bottom line, this legislation works to prohibit individuals seeking to inflict harm upon Americans and America from gaining access into our country. By requiring oversight from the Department of Homeland Security to hold the participating countries accountable, this legislation bolsters the defense of the United States. The House will continue to pass legislation that increases our national security and I will continue to act with the safety of the American people in mind. Background on the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) Created in 1986 and allows nationals from 38 participating countries to travel to the U.S. for up to 90 days for business or tourism without obtaining a U.S. visa, by presenting a valid passport, and by meeting certain other requirements To be designated as a VWP country, the country must meet certain requirements and participate in security reviews every other year Background on H.R. 158, the Visa Waiver Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015 Requires countries participating in our VWP to continuously share terrorism and foreign traveler data with the United States and requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to suspend their participation if they do not meet this requirement Removes the ability for people to use VWP who hold multiple passports from countries like Syria, Iran, Iraq and Sudan or those who have been to those countries within the last 5 years, who could have radicalized Requires people who fall under the previously mentioned categories to apply for a visa just like citizens of most nations already have to do in order to come to the United States Prevents the VWP from being used as a fast-track for terrorists to enter the United States ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=a9b49ced-7d4e-4842-acaf-8c3073d76b89,"Isakson: On 74th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor, America Must Show Same Resolve Against Today's Enemy",2015-12-07,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Johnny Isakson,I000055,www.isakson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON On the 74th anniversary of the attacks on Pearl Harbor, U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today released the following statement regarding the threat of terrorism and the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in response to President Obamas Oval Office address Sunday night: Today, 74 years after the attack on Pearl Harbor, we once again find our nation under attack. While the enemy today is different from that of WWII, the motives remain the same: To oppress free people and impose their tyranny upon the world. Like those men and women of our greatest generation who answered the call during WWII to protect freedom around the globe, I strongly urge our president to embody the same resolve and fortitude necessary to protect us against the terror that threatens our security today. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.perdue.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-david-perdue-statement-on-president-obamas-address-on-terrorism,Senator David Perdue Statement on President Obamas Address on Terrorism,2015-12-07,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,David Perdue,P000612,www.perdue.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Skip to primary navigation Skip to content Meet David Connect Helping You News",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://buddycarter.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=718,Carter Statement on the Presidents Address,2015-12-06,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Buddy Carter,C001103,buddycarter.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Earl L. Buddy Carter (Ga-01) released the following statement in response to President Obamas address this evening. Words must be backed by decisive action and an unyielding resolve to rid the earth of this scourge. I remain unconvinced that this Administration has either. The President is wasting time when trying to reason with the irrational or fighting for moral high ground with people who lack morals. We can either fight ISIS and groups over there or we can fight them here. I know where I want the fight to take place and I call on the President to allow our military leaders to create a strategy to accomplish the task. Congress stands ready to provide them with the resources they need. The attack in San Bernardino makes clear that terrorist networks will exploit our immigration system to plant extremists. I will continue fighting to shut off refugee resettlement for those from the conflict areas and tighten immigration screening until the Administration puts in place better screening measures to ensure we are not risking the safety and security of the American people. Those trying to exploit this tragedy to advance their anti-gun agenda under the guise of protecting the American people are misguided. France has some of the most stringent gun laws in the world yet Paris happened. California has some of the most stringent gun laws in our country yet San Bernardino happened. Disarming law abiding American citizens will have the same benefit to our homeland security as the Paris climate talks. As a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, Carter has been working with colleagues on the committee to address the situation and will continue to focus on protecting our homeland from potential threats. Carter cosponsored H.R. 2899, the Countering Violent Extremism Act of 2015, and assisted in passing this legislation through the House Committee on Homeland Security. This legislation establishes within the Department of Homeland Security the Office for Countering Violent Extremism to support efforts to counter violent extremism. He also sent a letter to both President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry urging the administration to immediately halt admissions of refugees from the conflict areas into the United States. Clickhereto view or download a copy of the letter.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://bishop.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-bishop-hails-passage-of-highway-funding-ex-im-bank,CONGRESSMAN BISHOP HAILS PASSAGE OF HIGHWAY FUNDING & EX-IM BANK REAUTHORIZATION,2015-12-04,2015,2015-12,Democrat,House,GA,Sanford Bishop,B000490,bishop.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON D.C. Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) joined with 359 Democratic and Republican colleagues in the House of Representatives to adopt the conference agreement on H.R. 22, Fixing Americas Surface Transportation Act -- a measure that reauthorizes $281 billion in guaranteed funding for highway, bridge, transportation safety, and public transit projects for the next five years. While the bill significantly increases funding needed to repair and rebuild our aging system of roads and bridges, it only puts the effort in gear and on the road, said Congressman Bishop. Future transportation legislation must take our crumbling infrastructure seriously and find a long-term, sustainable source of funding for highways, bridges, and transit to fully address this challenge while strengthening our economy in the process. The measure also reauthorizes the critically important Export-Import Bank for four years, which helps American workers and businesses compete in the global economy. In the Second Congressional District from 2014 to 2015, the Export-Import Bank reported an authorization of $51 million to provide insurance policies, loan guarantees, or direct loans to facilitate exports. It further reported that $98 million has been disbursed in total insured shipments, guaranteed credit, or disbursed loan amounts supported by Ex-Im Bank. The total dollar value of exports related to Ex-Im Bank's authorized financing was $382 million. Ex-Im financing went to four exporters in the Second Congressional District, all of which are small businesses. Recipients include; Swift Spinning in Columbus, Thrush Aircraft in Albany; Grid Power Products in Macon; and Easterlin Pecan Company in Montezuma. Here in the Second District alone, some 4,000 jobs are directly related to the financing provided by the Ex-Im Bank, said Congressman Bishop. It is vital that the U.S. companies and workers are competitive in a global economy, so todays win is a boon for all American jobs, small businesses, and our rural communities. Since 2009, Ex-Im programs have supported about $217 billion in U.S. exports and 1.3 million private-sector jobs. Last fiscal year, Ex-Im supported an estimated $27.5 billion in exports and 164,000 jobs nationwide. Nearly 90 percent of Ex-Ims FY 2014 transactions were for the direct benefit of small businesses. Ex-Ims loan and loan guarantee programs help to fill gaps in private-sector financing, which is particularly important during financial crises, when credit can dry up. Ex-Ims authorizations tripled between 2007 and 2012, as the bank stepped in to support U.S. exports during the recession and in its immediate aftermath. Ex-Im does not cost taxpayers a dime. In fact, since 1992, investments made by Ex-Im have brought a profit of $7 billion to the Treasury, including $675 million last year. Offsets within H.R. 22 cover the cost of reversing a $3 billion cut to crop insurance made as part of November's two-year budget deal placing a cap on the overall rate of return for private insurers of crop insurance. Groups supporting H.R. 22 include the American Farm Bureau Federation, Georgia Agribusiness Council, Georgia Transportation Alliance, National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association, National Cotton Council, Business Roundtable, National Association of Manufacturers, AFL-CIO, International Union of Operating Engineers, North Americas Building Trades Unions, American Public Transportation Association, American Society of Civil Engineers, National Governors Association, National Conference of State Legislatures, and others. The conference agreement H.R. 22 was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 359 to 65 and now goes to the President for signature. For more information on the Export-Import Bank activity in Middle and Southwest Georgia, please click here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-center?ContentRecord_id=cd9ef082-d32f-49a6-8e11-6c7d700725e4,"e-Newsletter for the week ending December 4, 2015",2015-12-04,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Johnny Isakson,I000055,www.isakson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Dear Friend, Last night, the Senate took action and passed legislation to repeal the presidents disastrous health care law, known as Obamacare, which continues to remain unaffordable and devastating for millions of hardworking American families. The House is expected to pass the Restoring Americans Health Care Freedom Reconciliation Act next week, after which it will head to the presidents desk, meaning that the president himself will have to answer for Obamacares failures for the first time since this law was passed nearly six years ago. Obamacare came with a promise of lower-cost health care and better benefits. What the American people were promised versus what they received are two completely different realities. Earlier in the week, I spoke on the Senate floor to highlight the plight of Georgia families facing higher taxes, higher premiums, higher deductibles and reduced health care coverage because of Obamacare. It is time the American people got real health care reform -- better coverage, but lower cost -- the good old-fashioned way, through choice and competition in a private system where your health providers work for you, not for Washington bureaucrats. In addition to repealing Obamacare, the Restoring Americans Health Care Freedom Reconciliation Act upholds the dignity of human life by taking away federal government funding for Planned Parenthood and redirecting these funds to health clinics that provide women with primary care and preventive health services. I continue to believe that taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize an organization that engages in the abhorrent practices that have been exposed at Planned Parenthood. My full remarks are available to read here, and or watch here. Paving the Road Ahead Yesterday, the Senate passed The Fixing Americas Surface Transportation Act, a long-term highway bill that funds Georgias critical highway and infrastructure projects. This legislation is a victory for commuters, businesses and road builders because it finally provides much-needed certainty for state and local transportation projects. This legislation: Provides a fiscally responsible solution that puts into place sensible, long-term plans to give federal infrastructure projects stability without adding to our debt; Includes $8 billion in federal funds for Georgia over the next five years; and Allows Georgia to plan its construction projects for the next five years with a focus on innovation to improve the state transportation network. To read more about this vital legislation, click here. In Case You Missed It Whats on Tap? Next week, the Senate is expected to take up the Elementary and Secondary Education Act as well as funding for the federal government in fiscal year 2016. The Senate may also consider legislation to extend tax relief provisions that expired at the end of last year. Sincerely, Johnny Isakson",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=12875b91-df0e-4c67-be76-f8bb03f94a65,Isakson to President Obama: Time to Answer to American People 'Begging for Relief' from Obamacare,2015-12-04,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Johnny Isakson,I000055,www.isakson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., applauded the Senates vote Thursday night to repeal the presidents disastrous health care law known as Obamacare. The Restoring Americans' Health Care Freedom Reconciliation Act passed the Senate by a vote of 52-47 and now heads to the presidents desk. This law continues to remain unaffordable and problematic for millions of hardworking, middle class families, said Isakson. I have heard from countless families and individuals in Georgia who are struggling to get insurance coverage due to the burden of increasing deductibles and monthly premiums. Hardworking families deserve better from their medical coverage and their elected officials. Despite reassurances from President Obama that this law would reduce the cost of health insurance for individuals, businesses, and our state, it has actually increased costs for families and created barriers to access. With the passage of this repeal by Congress, the president must now answer to the American people who are begging for relief from this disastrous health care law. Earlier in the week, Isakson highlighted the plight of Georgia families facing higher premiums, higher deductibles and reduced health care coverage because of Obamacare during remarks on the Senate floor. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that premiums on the exchange will increase by six percent every year between now and 2024. Georgia taxpayers will be forced to pay more than $2.7 billion in new taxes over the next 10 years, an average increase of $734 per year for every Georgia household. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=d0759891-fdec-4054-a30b-0ad211473c1a,Isakson: Long-term Transportation Bill Moves Country Forward,2015-12-04,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Johnny Isakson,I000055,www.isakson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., voted Thursday night to approve a long-term highway bill that will help Georgias highways. The Fixing Americas Surface Transportation Act passed the Senate by a vote of 83-16. The bill now goes to the presidents desk for his signature. I am so pleased that Congress has passed this key piece of legislation to move our country forward, said Isakson. After far too many short-term patches, this long-term, bipartisan legislation is a victory for commuters, businesses, and road builders because it finally provides much-needed certainty for state and local transportation projects. I have worked for many years to ensure that we dont continue to kick the can down the road in small funding bursts, but instead put into place sensible, long-term plans to give federal infrastructure projects stability without adding to our debt. This legislation will achieve just that. In Georgia, 17 percent of major roads are considered to be in poor condition, and the American Society of Civil Engineers grades the overall roads at a C-. A non-profit national transportation research group estimates that it costs each Georgia motorist $371 a year in extra maintenance. While the states population grew by 53 percent from 1990 until 2013, vehicle travel also increased 50 percent. Annually, 84 percent of the $378 billion in goods shipped within Georgia traveled by truck across our highway network. Georgias total share over the five years of this critical legislation will total close to $8 billion in federal funds. Additionally, the legislation gives Georgia the ability to prepare for the next five years, and with a focus on innovation, Georgia can better position technology to improve the state transportation network. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.perdue.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-perdue-statement-on-crop-insurance,Senator Perdue Statement on Crop Insurance,2015-12-04,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,David Perdue,P000612,www.perdue.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Skip to primary navigation Skip to content Meet David Connect Helping You News",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://davidscott.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397622,Rep. Scott Votes for Major Transportation Improvements,2015-12-03,2015,2015-12,Democrat,House,GA,David Scott,S001157,davidscott.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today, Rep. David Scott voted to approve a major bi-partisan transportation bill. The Fixing Americas Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) reauthorizes highway, bridge, transportation safety, and public transit projects for the next five years. The FAST Act (H.R. 22) passed by a vote of 359-65. I have a message to fed-up commuters in metro Atlanta help is on the way, Congressman Scott said. Metro Atlanta has some of the most dangerous intersections and some of the worst traffic congestion in America. After years of inaction on long-term transportation funding, Congress has finally agreed to a plan that will fund transportation work for five years. The FAST Act will create jobs for engineers and contractors and help get Georgia moving ahead. The FAST Act (H.R. 22) includes a number of key provisions: Dedicated funding specifically for freight projects, including freight rail, for the first time Authorizing $10.2 billion for intercity passenger rail investment, including Amtrak Increasing American manufacturing jobs by strengthening Buy America requirements Expands funding available for bridges off the National Highway System Streamlines the environmental review and permitting process without sacrificing environmental protections Eliminates or consolidates at least six separate offices within the Department of Transportation Promotes private investment in our surface transportation system Promotes congestion management technology Increases bus funding Encourages states to increase safety awareness of commercial motor vehicles Improves the auto safety recall process to better inform and protect consumers Prevents the rental of cars with safety defects Strengthens passenger and commuter rail safety, and track and bridge safety For a detailed summary of the FAST Act, click here for a summary from the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. A final version is expected to soon be approved by the Senate and signed into law by the President. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://tomgraves.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398553,"Rep. Tom Graves Votes to Modernize Energy Infrastructure, Create Jobs",2015-12-03,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Tom Graves,G000560,tomgraves.house.gov,,,legacy,"Contact: Garrett Hawkins 202.225.5211 Rep. Tom Graves Votes to Modernize Energy Infrastructure, Create Jobs Washington, December 3, 2015- Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA-14) issued the following statement after voting in favor of the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act (H.R. 8), which would modernize energy infrastructure and update obsolete energy policies: America needs a 21st Century energy plan. By creating modern electric grids and pipelines and repealing outdated regulations, this bill will help create good-paying jobs, drive down utility bills and cut the cost of filling the gas tank.H.R. 8 passed the House by a bipartisan vote of 249 to 174. ### Print version of this document",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://hice.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=211,Hice Applauds Passage of North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act,2015-12-03,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Jody Hice,H001071,hice.house.gov,,,legacy,"Hice Applauds Passage of North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act f t # e Washington, December 3, 2015 WASHINGTON D.C. Today, the United States House of Representatives passed H.R. 8, the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2015. Congressman Jody Hice issued the following statement after the measure passed: In the interest of both our energy security and national security, it is imperative that we are utilizing all of our energy resources in an efficient manner. Through exploration of our copious natural gas supply, the United States has become the world's largest natural gas producer. Our federal policies must keep up with this 21st century energy renaissance. That is why I was pleased to support the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act which will make our energy infrastructure more secure and will create up to 1.3 million job opportunities by 2030. ### f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=ac3692d7-567c-4dff-aa45-32d6a32f0288,"Isakson: Obamacare's ""Promise of Lower Cost Health Care and Better Benefits was Exactly Wrong""",2015-12-03,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Johnny Isakson,I000055,www.isakson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., called on the Senate to pass the Restoring Americans' Health Care Freedom Reconciliation Act, which would repeal the presidents disastrous health care law known informally as Obamacare. During remarks on the Senate floor, Isakson highlighted the plight of Georgia families facing higher premiums, higher deductibles and reduced health care coverage because of Obamacare. Isaksons remarks are included below and video is available online here. Six years ago, the administration was promising lower premiums, better benefits and that Obamacare was going to be a solution for the problems of American families. I have gotten letters from people who are having higher premiums, bigger deductibles and less benefits. Let me give you an example: A family in Roswell, Georgia, wrote me, a family of five. They were notified their premium is going from $849 a month to $1,075 a month, with a deductible of $11,900, and an increase of $6,900 in their deductible. The mother, who had a family history of breast cancer, was denied coverage for her regular mammograms, and the young daughter, who had a precancerous mole removed, was refused reimbursement for that removal. This family experienced increase in premium, reduction in benefits and an increase in deductible. It just doesn't make any sense, but it's all because of the mandates of the Obamacare law. Secondly, I had a young couple in Smyrna, Georgia, who wanted to plan for their retirement, start saving in their early years of productivity. They recently received notice from their insurance company their premium is going from $670 a month to $1,379 a month, over a 100 percent increase. Where is that money coming from? They are having to reduce their savings for retirement just to pay the Obamacare premium and get less of a benefit because their deductible is going from $2,000 to $4,000. The promise of lower cost health care and better benefits was exactly wrong. What the American people were promised was wrong. I'm proud that Senator Enzi, Senator Alexander and others have led this reconciliation vote to repeal Obamacare. It's time the American people got the truth -- better coverage, but lower cost -- the good old-fashioned way with a private competitive system. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=c9446568-84ab-4f5c-b24a-8a7e1a783801,Isakson to VA: Improve Access to Health Care by Giving Veterans Options,2015-12-03,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Johnny Isakson,I000055,www.isakson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, called on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to streamline its process for veterans to receive health care outside of the VA system. At a committee hearing held yesterday to assess the VAs plan to consolidate its non-VA health care programs into the Veterans Choice Program, Isakson highlighted the need for an approach to address a number of previous shortcomings of the VA health care system to improve it for the veteran in terms of their access and the coordination of their care. One of the things we want to see is easy access to the care wherever it comes from, whether its [the VA] or its a private provider, said Isakson. Currently, the VA has seven disjointed programs for veterans to receive care in the community. In response to the VAs budget shortage in July, Congress passed the VA Budget and Choice Improvement Act, which required the VA to develop a plan to consolidate those non-VA care programs into one, the Veterans Choice Program. The intent of Choice was [that] if a veteran could not get service from a VA facility, they got to go to a Choice [provider] in their area closest to them to get the service, said Isakson. If were talking about consolidation to provide choice and make it meaningful for our veterans, that ought to be the ultimate goal. Originally developed in response to the wait-time scandal that erupted at the Phoenix VA Medical Center last year, the Veterans Choice Program currently allows eligible veterans to seek health care from private providers in their own communities through third-party administrators. The VAs new plan creates a tiered system for veterans to receive care outside the VA, forcing veterans to first seek care from one of the VAs federal partners before choosing to use a private provider the opposite of the original goal of the Veterans Choice Program. If the veteran cant get the service from the VA, and Choice is available they ought to be able to choose a physician that can deliver the service to them in their state, said Isakson. Isakson also raised concerns about the VAs ability to develop the massive Information Technology portal needed to implement its new consolidation plan and its ability to build a network of providers. As someone who ran a company, I know every time you start talking about Information Technology, or you start talking about building networks, you talk about infrastructure and cost [and] you talk about raising the number of employees and managing people, said Isakson. You take an agency that already has 314,000 [employees], and if you grow that some more youre probably making a big mistake. Earlier this year, Isakson named overseeing the successful implementation of the Veterans Choice Program as his top priority as chairman. ### The Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs is chaired by U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., in the 114th Congress. Isakson is a veteran himself having served in the Georgia Air National Guard from 1966-1972 and has been a member of the Senate VA Committee since he joined the Senate in 2005. Isaksons home state of Georgia is home to more than a dozen military installations representing each branch of the military as well as more than 750,000 veterans.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=ecee910d-a9d4-4157-b581-dc3a9b90e9d4,"Isakson, Blumenthal Announce Toys for Tots Drive",2015-12-03,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Johnny Isakson,I000055,www.isakson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., chairman and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, respectively, today announced that the committee will be sponsoring a Toys for Tots drive in honor of the upcoming holidays. Earlier this week, the Senate unanimously passed S.Res.325, introduced by Isakson and Blumenthal, to permit the collection of charitable donations in Senate buildings during the holiday season. Our hope is to put a smile on the faces of as many children in Georgia, Connecticut and around the country as possible during the holidays this year, said Isakson and Blumenthal. Were proud to announce that our committee will be joining with the United States Marine Corps Reserve to do just that. We encourage all who are able to join us and donate toys to this worthy cause. Toys for Tots is an annual program conducted by the United States Marine Corps Reserve to collect toys for needy children. The committee will be accepting donations of new, unwrapped toys in drop-off boxes until December 10, 2015, when Marines will collect the donations. Donation boxes are located in participating Senate offices and outside the committees hearing room, 418 Russell Senate Office Building. ### The Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs is chaired by U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., in the 114th Congress. Isakson is a veteran himself having served in the Georgia Air National Guard from 1966-1972 and has been a member of the Senate VA Committee since he joined the Senate in 2005. Isaksons home state of Georgia is home to more than a dozen military installations representing each branch of the military as well as more than 750,000 veterans.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=ee5de541-d8dd-498f-b09e-b1a95305c7b6,Isakson: VA Proves Again It is Incapable of Holding Employees Accountable,2015-12-03,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Johnny Isakson,I000055,www.isakson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, today released the following statement regarding the recent announcement from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that its own paperwork error forced it to rescind the demotions of two employees who were accused of stealing more than $400,000 from the VA. I find it completely unacceptable and unbelievable that employees who abused their authority and robbed money from the VA were allowed to keep their jobs. And now, the VA is allowing those same employees to further delay demotion because of an administrative error. Not only is it impossible to fire employees at the VA, but they cannot even effectively demote employees for just cause. This highlights yet again the desperate need for accountability reform at the VA. Unfortunately, the administration has rejected every proposal Congress has presented to improve accountability at the VA, and despite being given every opportunity and countless reasons to do so, has yet to produce a plan of its own to combat the widespread corruption at the VA. Instead, our efforts have been met with veto threats, inaction and talking points aimed at defending the status quo. I will continue working as chairman to advance several accountability reform measures that have been passed by our committee so that we can finally see improvement at the VA, which has so far either been incapable of or unwilling to adequately hold bad actors appropriately accountable. Earlier this year, an Office of Inspector General report revealed that VA executives were involved in a scheme at the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) to increase pay for senior executives by transferring them to other positions within the administration. The VA paid more than $400,000 in relocation benefits to transfer two executives to different positions. ### The Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs is chaired by U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., in the 114th Congress. Isakson is a veteran himself having served in the Georgia Air National Guard from 1966-1972 and has been a member of the Senate VA Committee since he joined the Senate in 2005. Isaksons home state of Georgia is home to more than a dozen military installations representing each branch of the military as well as more than 750,000 veterans.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.perdue.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-david-perdue-highway-bill-relies-on-washington-budget-gimmicks,Senator David Perdue: Highway Bill Relies On Washington Budget Gimmicks,2015-12-03,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,David Perdue,P000612,www.perdue.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Skip to primary navigation Skip to content Meet David Connect Helping You News",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.perdue.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-david-perdue-votes-to-send-flawed-obamacare-law-back-to-presidents-desk,Senator David Perdue Votes To Send Flawed Obamacare Law Back To Presidents Desk,2015-12-03,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,David Perdue,P000612,www.perdue.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Skip to primary navigation Skip to content Meet David Connect Helping You News",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://tomgraves.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398552,"Rep. Graves Votes to Return Control of Education to States, Local Communities and Parents",2015-12-02,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Tom Graves,G000560,tomgraves.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Graves Votes to Return Control of Education to States, Local Communities and Parents Bill Ends No Child Left Behind, Stops Common Core Washington, December 2, 2015- Today, Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA-14) voted for and the House passed the Conference Report to Accompany S. 1177 Every Student Succeeds Act, bipartisan legislation that fixed differences between education bills that passed the House and Senate earlier this year. The bill replaces No Child Left Behind (NCLB) while prohibiting any federal involvement in Common Core. As the husband of a teacher and the father of three middle and high school students, I know that a one-size-fits-all education doesnt work, said Rep. Graves. And after hearing from 14th District educators and administrators for years, I know we have far too much federal involvement in education, from high-stakes testing to Common Core. Rep. Graves continued: Its time to return power to our local communities, which is exactly what this legislation does. It prohibits the federal government from coercing states into adopting Common Core, and allows states to develop testing curricula that best fits their needs with no strings attached. Importantly, the bill protects religious freedoms, and ensures private schools and those who are homeschooled are free from federal control. It also completely eliminates dozens of ineffective or duplicative federal programs. This bill takes power away from the Obama administration and gives it back to Georgia and 14th District parents and teachers who really know what is best for their kids, Rep. Graves concluded. Media outlets around the country are taking note of the bills aim of restoring state and local control of education, and strictly limiting federal involvement.*** The bill marks a roll back of federal power (National Journal) Will free students and schools from the grip of crude directives (American Enterprise Institute) The largest devolution of federal control to the states in a quarter-century (The Wall Street Journal) Removes the one size fits all federal system (KEYC-TV) Cuts down on the number of education programs (POLITICO) Education secretary could no longer push for academic standards like the Common Core (NPR) A dismantling of the federal accountability system (The Washington Post) States will now get to design their own systems to measure how schools perform (BuzzFeed) End waivers the Obama administration has granted to more than 40 states (Associated Press) Will go to great lengths to tie the hands of the secretary of the Department of Education (Deseret News) At its core is designed to rein in federal control and again provide states with more freedom (Asbury Park Press) ***List prepared by Speaker Ryans office. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://allen.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=223,Rep. Allen Votes to Restore Authority Back To State and Local Educators,2015-12-02,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Rick Allen,A000372,allen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Allen Votes to Restore Authority Back To State and Local Educators f t # e Washington, December 2, 2015 WASHINGTON, DC--U.S. Congressman Rick Allen (R-Ga.-12) today voted to support the bipartisan, bicameral Every Student Succeeds Act. This legislation was approved first by a House and Senate conference committee to replace No Child Left Behind. This legislation passed the House by a vote of 359-64. Today the House voted to scale back the presence of Washington in our classrooms by restoring authority to those who know our students best. As we have seen, the current top down and one size fits all' approach to education is not working. The Every Student Succeeds Act stops federal micromanagement and places new restrictions on the Secretary of Education, but most importantly it allows states and local school districts to address the needs of their students. Teachers, school officials and parents have an ear to the ground each day; they are the ones who know what our schoolchildren need to succeednot Washington. This legislation is a great step forward from the current, unworkable and ineffective policies of No Child Left Behind, and although this legislation may not be perfect, it is a vast improvement to our current education system. I am honored to serve on the House Education and Workforce Committee, where I worked with my colleagues to pass the Student Success Act (H.R. 5), which laid the framework for conservative principles in the Every Student Succeeds Act . Key points from the Committee on Education and Workforce for S. 1177 include: This legislation reduces the federal role in K-12 education by: Repealing the one-size-fits-all federal accountability system; Ending the era of federally-mandated high-stakes testing; Prohibiting the secretary of education from dictating national education policy or requiring states to adopt Common Core; and Repealing 49 ineffective and duplicative programs, as well as reducing the size of the federal bureaucracy. This legislation restores local control by: Returning responsibility for accountability and school improvement to state and local leaders; Providing school districts more funding flexibility to help school leaders better target federal resources on local needs and priorities; Protecting the right of state and local leaders to determine what standards, assessments, and curriculum are best for their students; and Preserving the right of states to opt-out of federal education programs. The legislation empowers parents by: Providing parents information about local school performance so they can hold their schools accountable; Strengthening the charter schools program and the magnet schools program to offer parents greater school choice; Preventing any federal interference in private schools and home schools; Prohibiting for the first time in the history of federal K-12 education policy the use of federal education funds for abortions; and Establishing an equitable per-pupil funding program to provide eligible school districts the ability to allocate federal, state, and local education funds to follow students to the school they attend. Congressman Allen recently spoke in support of this legislation, to watch his speech click HERE. f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://buddycarter.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=684,"Carter Votes to Reduce Federal Role in Education, Restore Local Control",2015-12-02,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Buddy Carter,C001103,buddycarter.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Earl L. Buddy Carter (Ga-01) voted in support of the Every Student Succeeds Act today to reduce the federal role in K-12 education, restore local control, and empower parents.Our education system is failing our children and it's not going to be fixed with the Washington-knows-best mentality,' Carter said. As a father and grandfather, I know firsthand this is a gravely flawed mentality. Our children deserve the best education possible and the system can only be fixed by those who know students best parents, teachers, and communities. The Every Student Succeeds Act is a proposal approved by a House and Senate conference committee to replaceNo Child Left Behind. The legislation described by theWall Street Journalas the largest devolution of federal control to the states in a quarter century, puts unprecedented restraints on Washington intrusion into classrooms, reins in the Department of Education, and puts the keys to our children's education and future back in local control. It also prevents one-size-fits-all standards like Common Core and puts an end to federally mandated high-stakes testing. ""This guts the federal government's ability to dictate how children are taught and puts families, teachers and communities in the driver's seat, Carter said. All children learn differently and at their own pace and they should not be punished for this because of one-size-fits-all standards. I am proud to support this agreement today to prohibit the Obama Administration's federally prescribed education standards and end Washington's intrusion into our nation's classrooms. The Every Student Succeeds Act would: Prevent One-Size-Fits-All Standards like Common Core Protects state and local autonomy over decisions in the classroom by preventing the Secretary of Education from coercing states into adopting Common Core or any other common standards or assessments, as well as reining in the secretary's regulatory authority. Reduce the Federal Role in Education Repeals out-of-touch teacher qualification programs and allows state and local officials to determine who is qualified to teach their children; Ends the era of federally-mandated high-stakes testing; Prohibits the Secretary of Education from dictating national education policy; Prevents the secretary from legislating through executive fiat and; Eliminates 49 ineffective and duplicative programs. Restores Local Control Returns responsibility for accountability and school improvement to state and local leaders; Provides school districts more funding flexibility; Protects the right of state and local leaders to determine what standards, assessments, and curriculum are best for their students and; Preserves the right of states to opt-out of federal education programs. Empowers Parents Ensures parents have the information they need to hold local schools accountable; Empowers parents with more school choice options by continuing support for magnet schools and expanding charter school opportunities; Prevents any federal interference in private schools and home schools and; Establishes a program to provide eligible school districts the ability to allocate federal, state, and local education funds to follow students to the school they attend. Carter is a member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee where he is working to return education to local control. As a member of the Committee, Carter worked to craft and voted in support of the original legislation passed in the House, H.R. 5, the Student Success Act.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://davidscott.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397621,Rep. David Scott Praises Passage of K-12 Education Bill,2015-12-02,2015,2015-12,Democrat,House,GA,David Scott,S001157,davidscott.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman David Scott praised the bi-partisan agreement to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and replace the No Child Left Behind law. The Every Student Succeeds Act (S. 1177) was approved by the House with a vote of 359-64. I am proud to support a new direction in K-12 education for Americas students, educators and families, Congressman Scott said. The Every Student Succeeds Act will end the era of the No Child Left Behind Act by restoring local control of education from Washington. The bill ends high-stakes testing, repeals the burdensome Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) system and helps at-risk students. The Every Student Succeeds Act (S. 1177): Aims to reduce over-testing Gives states the autonomy to set academic standards and success measures Does not require states to implement or maintain Common Core Ends federal mandates on teacher evaluations Increases state and local reporting requirements to provide families and communities with more information about student and school performance. Provides formula funding for high need districts Provides more flexible use of federal funding for rural districts Incentivizes charter school accountability Uses multiple measures, beyond testing, to measure student learning and school success to determine school rating Provides dedicated funds for early learning. Will not alter or affect collective bargaining agreements. The measure is expected to be approved by the Senate and signed into law by the President. For a detailed summary of S. 1177 from the House Committee on Education and Workforce, click here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://dougcollins.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=25&itemid=687,Congressman Collins Statement on Senate Judiciary Committee's Hearing on Protecting Trade Secrets,2015-12-02,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Doug Collins,C001093,dougcollins.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Collins Statement on Senate Judiciary Committees Hearingon Protecting Trade Secrets Todays Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the need to protect trade secrets was an overwhelmingly compelling case for Congress to pass the Defend Trade Secrets Act, and pass it now. I heard firsthand from the witness panel how trade secret theft negatively impacts every state in the nation. American innovators use trade secrets to protect 5 trillion dollars worth of intellectual property. Unfortunately, these job creators are ill-equipped under current law to protect their intellectual property assets from theft by sophisticated criminal enterprises, including hostile foreign governments. With over 90 bipartisan cosponsors in the House, 14 in the Senate, and 43 supporting organizations, its time for Congress to pass the Defend Trade Secrets Act and set the international gold standard for intellectual property protection. Our global competitiveness depends on it.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=1f4b3baf-6f49-4776-8d2e-06e25e0d29ca,Senators Fight to Hold IRS Bureaucrats Accountable with New Legislation,2015-12-02,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Johnny Isakson,I000055,www.isakson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today joined four colleagues in introducing legislation to help hold Internal Revenue Service (IRS) bureaucrats accountable to the American people by giving the IRS Commissioner new authority to fire senior executives who have failed in their performance or committed misconduct. This legislation, the Internal Revenue Service Accountability Act of 2015, which was introduced by Isakson and Sens. Richard Burr, R-N.C., Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Tim Scott, R-S.C., is designed to make it clear the IRS can fire employees who engage in the kind of political targeting by the IRS that was exposed last year. The bill mirrors reforms included in the law Congress passed last year in the wake of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Phoenix wait-time scandal that enables the secretary of the VA to fire senior executives for misconduct. Currently, the IRS commissioner has the authority to fire high-ranking employees for certain forms of misconduct, but to date has failed to use this authority against those who engaged in political targeting of taxpayers. The administration has claimed that the mismanagement occurring at the IRS was not a crime and thusly does not justify the firing of officials who targeted Americans based on their political beliefs. This bill seeks to rectify this problem by giving the commissioner clear authority to fire employees who fail to meet the standards of conduct and performance we should demand of senior managers at federal agencies. For far too long, so many of our taxpayer-funded federal agencies have operated unchecked under a culture of waste, fraud and abuse, said Senator Isakson. As chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, I have seen firsthand the bureaucratic hurdles that prevented leadership at the scandal-ridden Department of Veterans Affairs from holding bad actors appropriately accountable for their misdeeds and inappropriate conduct. Thats why Congress gave the secretary of the VA firing authority to remove employees that are found to be directly responsible for misconduct. Mirroring the reforms we enacted last Congress at the VA, I strongly support this measure to hold errant employees at the Internal Revenue Service accountable and help restore Americans trust in the IRS."" This legislation applies to the highest ranking IRS employees in the Senior Executive Service. Actionable examples of misconduct include: Threatening to audit someone for personal gain; Conducting a seizure without approval; Assaulting, harassing or violating the civil rights of a taxpayer or a coworker; Lying under oath; Falsifying or destroying records; Concealing information from Congress; Underreporting income; and Failing to file a tax return on time. Isakson, a member of the Senate Committee on Finance which oversees the IRS, decried findings in the committees bipartisan report released on August 5, 2015, that confirmed the IRS negatively targeted conservative political groups and identified serious management problems at the agency. Isakson has co-sponsored numerous pieces of legislation including the Stop Targeting of Political Beliefs by the IRS Act to stop further attempts by the IRS to restrict the free speech rights of groups of all political beliefs. Isakson is also an original co-sponsor of the Fair Tax Act of 2015, which would abolish the IRS, repeal all federal income and payroll taxes and replace them with a revenue-neutral, personal consumption tax. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.perdue.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-david-perdue-its-time-to-send-broken-obamacare-law-back-to-presidents-desk,Senator David Perdue: Its Time To Send Broken Obamacare Law Back To Presidents Desk,2015-12-02,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,David Perdue,P000612,www.perdue.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Skip to primary navigation Skip to content Meet David Connect Helping You News",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://davidscott.house.gov/blog/?postid=397620,Recognizing World AIDS Day,2015-12-01,2015,2015-12,Democrat,House,GA,David Scott,S001157,davidscott.house.gov,,,legacy,"As we recognize the 28th World AIDS Day, we have much progress to celebrate. We also have new challenges to address. Consider that the CDC ranks Atlanta as 5th in the nation with new HIV infections and the South ranks first in the nation for its rate of new HIV cases. In 2013,the South had a rate of 20.5 HIV infections per 100,000 residents. Compared with members of other races and ethnicities, African Americans account for a higher proportion of HIV infections at all stages of disease from new infections to deaths. According to the CDC, African Americans accounted for 44 percent of all new HIV infections in that year.In Georgia, African Americans represented 30 percent of the total population in 2009, but 74 percent of all diagnosed HIV cases. Congressman Scott is a strong advocate for awareness and prevention of HIV/AIDS. He was a leader as a member of the Georgia State Senate in writing the first sex education program in Georgia. Each year, hundreds of AIDS tests are provided to district residents for free at his health fair by partners like AID Atlanta and the Clayton County Community Services Board. At the 2015 event, 125 HIV tests were conducted and in 2014, 203 tests were conducted. Do you know your HIV status? If you dont, please get tested. For more information about HIV/AIDS, please visit the comprehensive website: www.aids.gov HIV/AIDS related legislation co-sponsored by Congressman Scott in 2015: HR 1706: Real Education for Healthy Youth Act of 2015 Requires the Department of Health and Human Services to award competitive grants for comprehensive sexual education for adolescents and higher education institutions as well as training for faculty and staff to teach comprehensive sexual education to elementary and secondary school students. Amends the Public Health Service Act to remove limitations on using AIDS prevention program funding for education or information that promotes sexual activity or intravenous substance abuse. Amends Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow funding to be used for Contraceptive distribution in schools. HR 6: 21st century Cures Act Reauthorizes National Institute of Health through 2018. Establishes the NIH Innovation Fund to fund the development and implementation of a strategic plan, early-stage investigators and high-risk, high-reward research. Rep. Scott Signed Letters to Appropriations Committees In Support of AIDS Research and Programs: Adolescent Sexual Education and Pregnancy Prevention - Programmatic funding for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative (TPPI), the Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH), and the elimination of funding for the ineffective abstinence-only-until-marriage (AOUM) grant program in FY2016. National Institutes of Health Funding - The National Institutes of Health are our nations preeminent medical research centers and represent our best hope for finding cures, improving treatments, and gaining a better understanding of the diseases and conditions that affect millions of Americans. NIH research is a critical part of meeting health care challenges, strengthening our economy, inspiring the next generation of scientists, and maintaining our nations leadership in innovation. Continued investment in the NIH can leverage existing resources for maximum impact and will build on current progress to further help the American public. Title X Family Planning Services - Far beyond just family planning services, Title X provides critical access to preventive health care services such as breast and cervical cancer screenings, HIV tests and immunizations. For many of the patients Title X serves, this program is the only source they can rely on for these services. HIV/AIDs Prevention - The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program works with cities, states, and local community-based organizations to provide services to an estimated 536,000 people each year who do not have sufficient health care coverage or financial resources to cope with HIV disease. The majority of Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program funds support primary medical care and essential support services. A smaller but equally critical portion is used to fund technical assistance, clinical training, and the development of innovative models of care. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://tomgraves.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398551,Rep. Tom Graves Slams Obama Climate Agenda,2015-12-01,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Tom Graves,G000560,tomgraves.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Tom Graves Slams Obama Climate Agenda Congress will not subject the American people to a job-destroying climate agenda Washington, December 1, 2015- Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA-14) issued the following statement today after the House passed S.J. Res. 23 and S.J. Res. 24, legislation expressing congressional disapproval of the Environmental Protection Agencys proposed rules to limit carbon emissions from power plants:Im a triathlete and a hunter. Whether its in the mountains, on the coast, below the falls or on a rural route, my family and I love the outdoors and aim to spend as much time as possible exploring the beauty of our state. I know firsthand that Georgians, by their nature, are good stewards of the resources we've been blessed with. Yet, instead of an approach to environmental safety that unites Americans, President Obama is trying to impose an international climate agenda by brute force. The extreme power plant regulations proposed by the presidents EPA will increase utility bills and put people out of work. The legislation the House passed today sends a powerful signal to the president and his climate conference in Paris: Congress will not subject the American people to a job-destroying climate agenda.S.J. Res. 23 and S.J. Res 24 will now be sent to the presidents desk, as the Senate passed both resolutions previously. ### Print version of this document",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://allen.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=222,Rep. Allen Hails Passage of Resolutions Disapproving EPA Regulations,2015-12-01,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Rick Allen,A000372,allen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Allen Hails Passage of Resolutions Disapproving EPA Regulations f t # e Washington, December 1, 2015 WASHINGTON, DC--U.S. Congressman Rick Allen (R-Ga.-12) today voted in favor of two resolutions disapproving of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) rules to regulate carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from new and existing plants. These resolutions are a response to harmful regulations established by the EPA under the President's Clean Power Plan. S.J. Res. 23 passed by a vote of 235-188, while S.J. Res 24 passed by a vote of 242-180 and will be sent directly to the President's desk. Today the people's House voted to keep electricity affordable and reliable for Americans. Our forefathers never intended for faceless bureaucracies to write our laws. The EPA's power grab is out of control, some experts have even said that the Clean Power Plan may be one of the most expensive regulations ever imposed on Americans. This plan will do nothing but raise the cost of energy for consumers and persuade employers to take their businesses elsewhere. I strongly support the passage of these two resolutions and will continue to defend Americans from frivolous regulations that trample the rights of our citizens, hurt our economy and hinder job growth. Currently a majority of states, including Georgia, have filed suit against the EPA for unconstitutional executive overreach. As these cases move through the courts, I am happy that Congress spoke to provide for Congressional disapproval of each rule. Congressman Allen spoke on the floor in support of S.J. Res 23 and S. J. Res 24. See video of his speech by clicking HERE. f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://buddycarter.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=679,"Carter Votes to Block EPA Attack on American Energy, Jobs",2015-12-01,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Buddy Carter,C001103,buddycarter.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Earl L. Buddy Carter (Ga-01) voted to block the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from implementing controversial new job-killing energy regulations that could significantly increase energy costs for American families with questionable environmental benefits. The first resolution passed in the House today, S.J. Res. 23, disapproves of the EPA's proposed regulations for new power plants. Under the rule, the agency would require new coal-fired power plants to install technology not yet commercially available. The second resolution passed in the House today, S.J. Res. 24, disapproves of the EPA's proposed regulations for existing power plants that would set unachievable emissions requirements. The rule would require states to submit plans to the agency to meet the new mandates. States that fail to submit a satisfactory plan would become subject to a Federal Plan under which the agency has proposed it would implement a federal regulatory cap-and-trade program. This is nothing less than a de facto ban on American energy that will raise costs, kill jobs, and reduce the reliability of electric power in America, Carter said.To make things worse, even the EPA admits neither rule will have any meaningful impact on global temperatures. As our Commander in Chief wastes time with climate talks in Paris while we face more imminent threats here at home, I hope these resolutions send a clear message that the American people do not support this radical plan to destroy jobs and take more money out of the pockets of hardworking American families. The resolutions passed in Senate last month and the House today, with Carter's support, would block the controversial regulations and ensure they have no force or effect if signed into law. According to Southern Company, the impact of these rules would include higher costs, reduced reliability, lower tax revenues for our state and communities, and the potential loss of 800 jobs within the company. Carter cosponsored identical versions of these resolutions, H. J. Res. 71 and H. J. Res. 72, which were previously introduced in the House. He is a member of the House Energy Action Team which is dedicated to promoting energy policies that prevent rising energy costs, create thousands of good jobs and enhance our national security by promoting energy independence for America.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://hice.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=210,Hice Statement on Passage of Disapproval of EPA Rules,2015-12-01,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,GA,Jody Hice,H001071,hice.house.gov,,,legacy,"Hice Statement on Passage of Disapproval of EPA Rules f t # e Washington, December 1, 2015 WASHINGTON D.C. Today, the United States House of Representatives voted to disapprove of two Environmental Protection Agency rules, the New Source Performance Standards rule and the Clean Power Plan rule. These new rules would impose additional mandates on the Nation's energy producers. Congressman Hice released the following statement in regards to the passage of the measures: I am pleased that the House voted to disapprove of the new EPA rules that would effectively impose cap and trade mandates on our Nation's energy producers. The EPA has made a habit of abusing its statutory authority through rulemaking which discourages innovation while increasing rates for consumers. Though the names of the EPA rules are seemingly innocuous, the effects of these rules are detrimental. There are twenty-seven States that have filed litigation in order to prevent the EPA from implementing these damaging rules. I am proud that my home state of Georgia is one of them. I look forward to continuing to hold the EPA accountable and preventing the agency from inflicting any additional harm on our Nation's businesses. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://buddycarter.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=678,Carter Statement on Death of Sheriff Al St Lawrence,2015-11-25,2015,2015-11,Republican,House,GA,Buddy Carter,C001103,buddycarter.house.gov,,,legacy,"SAVANNAH, GA - Congressman Earl L. ""Buddy"" Carter released the following statement upon learning of the death of Sheriff Al St Lawrence: ""Al was a model public servant, having served the people of Chatham County with distinction for 56 years and serving his country in the Air Force before that. His 23 years as Sheriff transformed the Department into a modern crime fighting force. Through it all he maintained a servant's heart, giving back to our community and to those across our state through the Georgia Sheriff'S Youth Homes which he supported vigorously. Amy and I send our thoughts and prayers to Pat and the entire St Lawrence family as well as the Chatham County Sheriff's Department as we all mourn this loss."" share: f t Congressman Earl L. ""Buddy"" Carter released the following statement upon learning of the death of Sheriff Al St Lawrence:""Al was a model public servant, having served the people of Chatham County with distinction for 56 years and serving his country in the Air Force before that. His 23 years as Sheriff transformed the Department into a modern crime fighting force. Through it all he maintained a servant's heart, giving back to our community and to those across our state through the Georgia Sheriff'S Youth Homes which he supported vigorously. Amy and I send our thoughts and prayers to Pat and the entire St Lawrence family as well as the Chatham County Sheriff's Department as we all mourn this loss.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://tomgraves.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398540,"Rep. Graves Fights for Our Warfighters, Prioritizes Critical Defense System",2015-11-24,2015,2015-11,Republican,House,GA,Tom Graves,G000560,tomgraves.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Graves Fights for Our Warfighters, Prioritizes Critical Defense System Georgias Robins Air Force Base is Home to the Mission Washington, November 24, 2015- Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA-14) is leading an effort to ensure the acquisition of the next generation Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) is not delayed. This critical radar system and aircraft significantly enhance the ability of our warplanes and other military assets to target enemy combatants and help protect our soldiers on the ground by detecting threats and allowing for better coordinated, more effective support. Sixty members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and the House Armed Services Committee, including Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA-8), signed a bipartisan letter last week to Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, requesting an update on the next generation of JSTARS. The letter reads: JSTARS has flown well over 100,000 combat hours in support of recent contingencies, reinforcing the importance of its mission for Combatant Commanders world-wide. The direct benefit and advantage this platform provides our maneuver commanders when conducting combat operations should be a clear indication of the importance of ensuring a smooth and timely recapitalization of JSTARS. Replacing the existing fleet with Next Generation aircraft is essential, which is why we want to ensure that the critical mission performed by the JSTARS Team is not jeopardized by a lengthy acquisition process. Although the aircraft fleet of 16 is primarily operated by the Air Force and Air National Guard, all branches of the military and the intelligence community rely and depend on JSTARS information to maximize mission success. JSTARS is critical to Georgia, as the JSTARS fleet is based at Robins Air Force Base outside of Macon, Georgia. Click HERE to view the signed letter. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://davidscott.house.gov/blog/?postid=397619,You Can Start Saving For Retirement With MyRA,2015-11-23,2015,2015-11,Democrat,House,GA,David Scott,S001157,davidscott.house.gov,,,legacy,"Many people have not begun saving for retirement. Maybe their employer does not offer a retirement plan or they do not know how to get started. A new government savings plan has been started that allows anyone to start saving with just a few dollars. This plan was created specifically for those people who have not started saving. It costs nothing to open a MyRA plan and there are no fees. The investments are backed by the Treasury. You can withdraw the funds at any time. However, it would be best to continue building the account so that one day it can be converted to a traditional or Roth IRA. Try several savings ideas using the online calculator. To learn more, visit https://myra.gov/Low income earners who save money in their work sponsored retirement plan or contribute to a savings plan like an IRA are eligible for a tax credit. The credit is based on your adjusted gross income for the year. To learn more, visit the IRS Savers Credit page.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://tomgraves.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398538,ICYMI: AJC: Graves tries to reinforce Georgias position in Congress on water wars,2015-11-23,2015,2015-11,Republican,House,GA,Tom Graves,G000560,tomgraves.house.gov,,,legacy,"ICYMI: AJC: Graves tries to reinforce Georgias position in Congress on water wars Washington, November 23, 2015- Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA-14) is leading an ongoing effort in Congress to protect Georgias water rights. Graves and the entire Georgia congressional delegation sent a letter to House and Senate leaders requesting that no language harmful to Georgias water rights be included in any government funding bill. Click HERE to read the letter. AJC: Graves tries to reinforce Georgias position in Congress on water wars Georgia had a deal with John Boehner. Ditto Kevin McCarthy. But there's a new speaker in town, so last week, Ranger Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Graves made his case to Paul Ryan about why a yearlong spending bill being negotiated behind closed doors should not upset the balance of the decades-long water wars. Graves helped wrangle together all 16 members of the Georgia delegation on a letter to the Republican and Democratic leaders in the House and Senate, an occurrence typically reserved for top parochial priorities such as water wars and the Port of Savannah. ""I think he's equally as supportive,"" Graves said of Ryan. ""But again, it was not an issue he had been aware of prior to the speakership."" As things stand now, the Army Corps of Engineers is putting together a new water plan for the river basins shared by Georgia, Alabama and Florida. Recent court decisions have been favorable to Georgia's desire to quench the growing thirst of metro Atlanta -- and get credit for the treated water it returns to the basin -- while its downstream neighbors complain about water flows and Florida blames Georgia for declining oyster populations in the Apalachicola Bay. Generations of politicians have puffed their chests on the issue, and generations of lawyers have racked up billable hours. Georgia and Florida have now enlisted a mediator in the legal case that sits before a special master for the U.S. Supreme Court. Georgia wants to keep all this in the courts, as the corps proceeds with a water distribution plan that allows more for Atlanta. The other two states want Congress to step in and shut down any new water plans, resulting in a tug of war in the omnibus spending bill, which has not yet been finalized and must pass by Dec. 11. U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., inserted language in the Senate's spending bill that would block the corps from reallocating water in the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa basin until the states' governors can reach a deal. Gov. Nathan Deal met with his counterparts earlier this year, but a settlement does not appear nigh. Deal updated Georgia's congressional delegation by conference call last week. All the members then signed onto a letter to Ryan, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid. ""Our delegation stands united and we ask that you support our position against the inclusion of any language pertaining to the ACT and (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint) River Basins in any appropriations legislation,"" the letter states. The House version of the bill does not have the offending language, and details for a massive omnibus bill are all being hashed out now in a dark room somewhere that is presumably less smoke-filled after Boehner's departure. Relationships matter in these circumstances. Ryan is close pals with U.S. Rep. Tom Price, a Roswell Republican, and works out from time to time with Graves. Shelby, first elected in 1986, has been making appropriations deals for decades with old bulls like McConnell. The Georgians argue that once Congress starts weighing in on interstate disputes, it opens up a Pandora's box. The Alabamans and Floridians -- including presidential hopeful Marco Rubio -- contend that the governors should work it out, and the Obama administration is not being fair. Click HERE to read the entire article. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://davidscott.house.gov/blog/?postid=397618,Rep. Scott Addresses Visa Waiver Program Security Gaps,2015-11-20,2015,2015-11,Democrat,House,GA,David Scott,S001157,davidscott.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Scott Addresses Visa Waiver Program Security Gaps Terrorists in recent attacks have travelled to Syria and Iraq with European passports. Manywestern countries participate in thevisa waiver programwith the U.S. This program allows for visa-free travel to the U.S. for up to 90 days under specific guidelines.Each year, almost a third oftemporary visitors to the UStravel under these waivers.Congresswoman Scott joined as a co-sponsor of a new bi-partisan bill (H.R. 4122), which wouldstrengthen U.S. security by addressing security gaps in the visa waiver program. H.R. 4122 wouldsuspend the visa waiver program fortravelers who havevisited a country designated as a state sponsor of terror (Iran, Sudan, Syria) in the last five years. The bill also includes visits to a countries with active global terror networks (Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, Nigeria). The Secretary of State would be able to add additional countries if there is a known threat.UPDATE: On December 8, Congressman Scott joinedthe House inoverwhelminglyapproving the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act(H.R. 158), by a vote of407-19.This legislation will help the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) identify and stop terrorists with Western passports from entering the United States. It would require countries participating inthe visa waiver program to continually share terrorism and foreign traveler data with the U.S.and screen all passengers against all INTERPOL databases and notices. The Senate is expected to approve H.R. 158. To track this legislation or other bills, visit https://www.congress.gov/",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-center?ContentRecord_id=80d5aa00-76c3-4553-91d9-636e7463e494,"e-Newsletter for the week ending November 20, 2015",2015-11-20,2015,2015-11,Republican,House,GA,Johnny Isakson,I000055,www.isakson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Dear Friend, The terrorist attacks in Paris last Friday evening were devastating and horrific. France is our oldest ally, and we stand with the French people. Since September 2014, I have been speaking out that the United States has not been strong enough or clear enough in our strategy to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL. This week, I called on the president to exercise Article 5 of the NATO accord to engage the entire free world against terror. What happened in Paris could happen anywhere and we must stop it now. You cant negotiate with somebody who will cut your head off or burn someone in the town square. Youve got to eliminate them. Until we begin to make ISIL pay the price for what theyve done, they will run rampant. President Obama and his administration continue to cling to a strategy that is viewed as weak and unclear by both our enemies and our allies. It is a strategy of containment and complacency toward the threats and horrific actions of terrorist groups. The president should change our militarys mission so that we can finally eliminate and destroy ISIL. On Monday night, I held a telephone town hall meeting where I heard directly from Georgians on this and many other issues facing our nation. If you missed it, you can listen here. Syrian Refugees This week, I sent a letter to President Obama urging the administration to ensure that no members, supporters or sympathizers of ISIL are infiltrating Syrian refugee movements to enter the United States. We must not allow for an increase to the number of refugees coming to our country until this administration puts forth a strong strategy for ensuring that radical jihadists are kept out of the United States. The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation to strengthen screening of refugees on Thursday by a veto-proof margin. I am hopeful the Senate will take up legislation soon. Click here to read the full text of my letter to the president outlining these concerns. Stopping Government Overreach I am thankful that on Tuesday the Senate passed two resolutions preventing the Environmental Protection Agency from implementing new energy regulations that would raise the cost of living for hardworking taxpayers and turn back the clock on Americas energy independence. Here are the details on both resolutions of disapproval: S.J.Res.24 Passed 52-46 Stops the EPAs newest requirement that existing coal-fired power plants must reduce their emissions by 32 percent by the year 2030. S.J.Res.23 Passed 52-46 Prevents the EPAs plan from being imposed on new power sources in the future. To read more about why I co-sponsored these resolutions, click here. In Case You Missed It Whats on Tap? Next week, the Senate is adjourned for the Thanksgiving holiday and I am looking forward to spending the week in Georgia meeting with many of you during the state work period. As we take time to celebrate, let us remember to be thankful for all of the men and women serving our nation both at home and abroad. Additionally, if you or your loved ones are traveling next week, the Sunday after Thanksgiving is the heaviest traffic day of the year. We passed a resolution in the Senate this week that I co-sponsored to bring additional awareness to this day. I hope you will slow down and take time to Drive Safer Sunday. Best wishes to you and your loved ones for a blessed and happy holiday. Sincerely, Johnny Isakson",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=78688c72-3232-4415-b4e0-ce14af1b7926,Isakson Applauds Confirmation of Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans' Employment and Training,2015-11-20,2015,2015-11,Republican,House,GA,Johnny Isakson,I000055,www.isakson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, today released the following statement after the Senate confirmed the nomination of former U.S. Rep. Michael H. Michaud to be Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans Employment and Training: Two of my top priorities as chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs are ensuring a seamless transition for active duty service members becoming veterans and combating veteran homelessness. Mr. Michauds unwavering commitment to serving veterans will help address those goals. I look forward to working with him as he brings the same level of dedication he brought to the House Committee on Veterans Affairs to the veterans programs at the Department of Labor. ### The Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs is chaired by U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., in the 114th Congress.Isakson is a veteran himself having served in the Georgia Air National Guard from 1966-1972 and has been a member of the Senate VA Committee since he joined the Senate in 2005. Isaksons home state of Georgia is home to more than a dozen military installations representing each branch of the military as well as more than 750,000 veterans.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=92b36a0d-aeaa-4935-a719-793958714565,"Isakson Encourages Road Safety on ""Drive Safer Sunday""",2015-11-20,2015,2015-11,Republican,House,GA,Johnny Isakson,I000055,www.isakson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., is encouraging motorists to Drive Safer Sunday, as his Senate resolution urging drivers to drive safely during the holiday season passed unanimously this week. The resolution designates Sunday, November 29, 2015, as Drive Safer Sunday and is designed to bring attention to the fact that the Sunday after Thanksgiving is the busiest highway traffic day of the year. Isakson has introduced and passed this resolution for several years, and he was joined this time by U.S. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del. For many years now, I have been proud to offer this important resolution, said Senator Isakson. It is my hope that as this awareness spreads that it will help drivers think twice when they are on the roads this holiday season and prevent a tragic accident from occurring. The Drive Safer Sunday resolution encourages motorists, trucking firms and law enforcement agencies to work together to make the roads safer for all travelers during the holidays and throughout the year as the high volume of vehicles on Americas highways and interstates increases the risk for dangerous or fatal accidents. In addition to the increased volume of personal vehicles on roadways, large truck volume increases during the season, as well. Isakson has urged the Obama administration to act expeditiously to adopt a long-overdue and much-needed safety measure that would require large trucks to have speed limit devices to cap maximum speeds. Isakson has introduced similar resolutions in previous years in honor of Cullum Owings, a Georgia college student who died in 2002 in a traffic accident on his way back to school after Thanksgiving. Steve and Susan Owings of Atlanta, the parents of Cullum Owings, founded an organization called Road Safe America in honor of their son to bring awareness of the hazards of highway travel and provide statistics and safety tips to drivers. Road Safe Americas goals include better driver training for all drivers and limiting the top speed for large trucks. For more information on safe driving tips and what you can do to improve the safety of Americas roadways please visit: www.roadsafeamerica.org. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://buddycarter.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=649,Carter Urges Air Force to Move Forward with Delay of A-10 Retirement,2015-11-19,2015,2015-11,Republican,House,GA,Buddy Carter,C001103,buddycarter.house.gov,,,legacy,"The Air Force has announced it is considering delaying the retirement of the A-10 Warthog aircraft for several years.Congressman Earl L. Buddy Carter (GA-01), who represents Moody Air Force Base in Congress, has been a leader in the fight to preserve the A-10. Cartertestifiedin front of the House Appropriations Committee earlier this year to highlight the importance of the A-10 to our national security and request full funding for the fleet. Carter also supported critical legislation to keep the A-10 flying. The Air Force may finally be realizing what we have known all along, Carter said. The A-10 is the only aircraft of its kind that can effectively accomplish its mission of protecting our troops while remaining close to the battlefield for any additional support that may be needed by our ground troops. Its outrageous they would even consider retiring this platform as they deploy the A-10 fleet from Moody Air Force Base to fight ISIS overseas. I strongly urge the Air Force to move forward with delaying the retirement of the Warthog for the safety of our troops and nation. The A-10 provides Close Air Support and Combat Search-And-Rescue capability unmatched by any other aircraft in the Air Forces inventory. No other fixed-wing airframes are as proficient as the A-10 in operating in rugged environments, low visibility, and very low altitudes. The A-10s, operated by the 23rd Wing, have been providing critical close air support (CAS) for our ground troops since they first entered service in the 1970s. It is this unique ability to perform effective close air support that has garnered the A-10 with high accolades in recent theatres of conflict, including Iraq and Afghanistan. Currently, A-10s are flying Close Air Support missions against ISIS advances.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://loudermilk.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=402,Rep. Loudermilk: Extensive Background Checks Should Be Mandatory for all Syrian and Iraqi Refugees,2015-11-19,2015,2015-11,Republican,House,GA,Barry Loudermilk,L000583,loudermilk.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington D.C. (November 19, 2015) | Rep. Loudermilk (R-GA) issued the following statement today after voting in favor of H.R. 4038, the American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act of 2015 (SAFE Act). This legislation would require comprehensive background checks for all Syrian and Iraqi refugees prior to entering the United States: Regardless of how desperately the President wants to bury his head in the sand and ignore the fact that the United States is the primary target of radical Islamic terrorists, his primary responsibility is to protect the American people. If he won't take action to keep Americans safe, then we will! Today Congress took the first of many steps to halt the President's reckless plan to resettle Syrian refugees in the United States, by passing the SAFE Act, which I am co-sponsoring. This bill takes a major step in preventing terrorists from exploiting the President's majorly flawed resettlement program by posing as refugees to enter the United States. We must do our best to protect our families from being open targets of ISIS operatives, who have already stated they will hide 'as wolves among the sheep' to get into the U.S. While many Syrian refugees present no imminent harm to our nation, the President's program is not for temporary refuge; it is a permanent resettlement program, which allows permanent residency in the United States. American people are wary of the possible doorway this overly generous resettlement program will open up for violent radical Islamists to integrate into communities across our nation. This bill will put a pause on the program, and keep government agencies accountable to both the American people and Congress. We shouldnt have to live in fear for our lives because of the Administrations lack of leadership and governance. At a time when terror is gripping the world, we should not give refugees a free ticket to cross our borders without an extremely thorough vetting process. Improperly vetted, Syrian and Iraqi refugees pose a real and dangerous threat to the United States. Without the ability to perform extensive background checks, especially in Syria and Iraq, it is downright reckless to allow a free flow of refugees to flood our shores. As a member of the House's special task force on foreign fighter travel, I will continue to aggressively pursue every possible measure to stop the president from putting Americans at risk, and to eliminate ISIS and other radical Islamist terrorist organizations."" Background on H.R. 4038: H.R. 4038, the American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act of 2015, passed the house by a vote of 289 to 137. This bill requires the Director of the FBI to verify background checks have been thoroughly administered for all Syrian and Iraqi refugees prior to admittance to the United States. Under this legislation, the FBI must also certify to the Department of Homeland Security and National Intelligence that foreign refugees do not pose a direct threat to national security.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://tomgraves.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398536,Rep. Tom Graves Votes to Pause Syrian Refugee Resettlement in U.S.,2015-11-19,2015,2015-11,Republican,House,GA,Tom Graves,G000560,tomgraves.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Tom Graves Votes to Pause Syrian Refugee Resettlement in U.S. Washington, November 19, 2015- Today, Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA-14) voted for and the House passed the American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act (H.R. 4038), legislation requiring the FBI director certify the background investigation of every refugee from Syria and Iraq and requiring that the secretary of Homeland Security, the FBI director and the director of National Intelligence all certify to Congress that each refugee is not a security threat. These additional security features will effectively pause the presidents plan to resettle thousands of refugees in the United States. Its obvious that the threat of militant Islamic terrorism is not, as the president claims, contained, said Rep. Graves. One critical part of preventing attacks on American soil is ensuring terrorists posing as refugees do not enter our country, as one of the Paris attackers apparently did. While we are a generous nation, our national security comes first. Heightening our scrutiny of refugees is in line with our values and helps keep us safe. Earlier this week, Rep. Graves co-sponsored the Resettlement Accountability National Security Act (H.R. 3314) and the Refugee Resettlement Oversight and Security Act (H.R. 3573), bills that also address the national security concerns surrounding the Obama administrations plan to resettle thousands of Syrian refugees in the United States. Click HERE for more information. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://allen.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=221,Allen Votes in Favor of Protecting Americans,2015-11-19,2015,2015-11,Republican,House,GA,Rick Allen,A000372,allen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Allen Votes in Favor of Protecting Americans f t # e Washington, November 19, 2015 WASHINGTON, DC--U.S. Congressman Rick Allen (R-Ga.-12) today voted in favor of H.R. 4038, the American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act of 2015. This legislation protects our national security by establishing the most robust refugee vetting process in our history. The refugee process would be put on hold until the FBI and intelligence community can develop a thorough vetting process for Syrian refugees. This legislation passed the House by a vote of 289-137. This week, the world was reminded that the threat of terror is not going away. The senseless and inhumane attacks in Paris by ISIS terrorists have stirred the world. No longer can the President continue without a plan of action. We must step up and lead the world in wiping out radical extremism. I was proud to support this bipartisan legislation that creates an extensive vetting process; this is what we need to make sure dangerous individuals do not slip through the cracks. Protecting Americans is the responsibility of the federal government. Rest assured that I will continue to make your safety my top priority. American SAFE Act of 2015 No refugee from Iraq or Syria will be admitted into the U.S. unless: The FBI Director certifies the background investigation of each refugee The Secretary of Homeland Security, FBI Director and Director of National Intelligence certify to Congress that each refugee is not a security threat to the U.S. f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://austinscott.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-austin-scott-passage-safe-act,Congressman Austin Scott on Passage of SAFE Act,2015-11-19,2015,2015-11,Republican,House,GA,Austin Scott,S001189,austinscott.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC U.S. Congressman Austin Scott (GA-08) released the following statement regarding the House passage of H.R. 4038,the American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act of 2015: My first priority as a Member of Congress is the safety of my constituents and Americans across the country,said Congressman Austin Scott. Our nation has a proud history of opening its doors to refugees, but as we deal with the current refugee crisis, especially in light of the horrific events in Paris last week, it must be determined without a doubt that those seeking to come to our country pose no danger to our citizens. The SAFE Act of 2015 is the first step towards addressing our refugee resettlement program by putting a pause on the admission of Syrian refugees to allow our government agencies to ensure that our vetting procedures are not permitting terrorists to slip through our borders. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://austinscott.house.gov/press-releases?ID=AD6CF8AB-848D-4882-9DC4-0069B7E451E5,Congressman Austin Scott on Passage of SAFE Act,2015-11-19,2015,2015-11,Republican,House,GA,Austin Scott,S001189,austinscott.house.gov,austinscott,https://austinscott.house.gov/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Congressman Austin Scott (GA-08) released the following statement regarding the House passage of H.R. 4038, the American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act of 2015: “My first priority as a Member of Congress is the safety of my constituents and Americans across the country,” said Congressman Austin Scott. “Our nation has a proud history of opening its doors to refugees, but as we deal with the current refugee crisis, especially in light of the horrific events in Paris last week, it must be determined without a doubt that those seeking to come to our country pose no danger to our citizens. The SAFE Act of 2015 is the first step towards addressing our refugee resettlement program by putting a pause on the admission of Syrian refugees to allow our government agencies to ensure that our vetting procedures are not permitting terrorists to slip through our borders.” ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T20:30:58Z https://buddycarter.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=668,Carter Votes to Halt Refugee Resettlement in the United States,2015-11-19,2015,2015-11,Republican,House,GA,Buddy Carter,C001103,buddycarter.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Earl L. Buddy Carter (Ga-01) voted today to halt refugee resettlement in the United States from Syria and Iraq until additional security measures are put in place.The House passed the American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act today, with Carter's support, to put in place the most robust national-security vetting process in history for refugee resettlement. The legislation requires the nation's top security officials to certify before admitting any Syrian or Iraqi refugee into the United States that the individual does not represent a security threat. ""The attacks in Paris confirmed our worst fears: ISIS can and will use refugee movement to infiltrate countries they wish to do harm,"" said Carter. I refuse to sit idly by and expose the American people to what amounts to no less than a Trojan horse. While we are a nation of immigrants and we lead the world in humanitarian assistance, the Obama Administration's own officials have confirmed that the federal government does not have the ability to conduct thorough background checks on all of the refugees that the Administration plans to allow into our nation."" FBI Director James Comey stated, ""we can only query against that which we have collected. And so if someone has not made a ripple in the pond in Syria in a way that would get their identity or their interests reflected in our databases, we can query our databases until the cows come home but nothing will show up because we have no record of that person."" ""The number one responsibility of the federal government is to provide for the common defense, Carter said. ""It is clear allowing refugees into our nation right now is playing a dangerous game with the safety of the American people. As our Commander in Chief continues to flounder on a strategy to destroy ISIS, this legislation is critical to ensure threats are kept out of our homeland. Carter is a cosponsor of H.R. 4038, the SAFE Act. Additionally, Carter sent a letter to both President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry this week urging the administration to immediately halt admissions of refugees from the conflict areas into the United States. Click here to view or download a copy of the letter. Since March 2011 when the crisis in Syria began, some 2,228 Syrian refugees have been admitted to the United States including 66 who were resettled in Georgia.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://dougcollins.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=25&itemid=684,"IN CASE YOU MISSED IT Congressman Collins: ""Let's take a proactive approach to what's going on in the world""",2015-11-19,2015,2015-11,Republican,House,GA,Doug Collins,C001093,dougcollins.house.gov,,,legacy,"IN CASE YOU MISSED IT Congressman Collins: Let's take a proactive approachto what's going on in the world"" WASHINGTONToday, Congressman Collins (R-Ga.) managed the rule for debate on HR 4038, the American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act. The bill puts a rigorous screening process in place for refugees seeking entrance into the U.S., and holds the Director of the FBI, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and Director of National Intelligence accountable for the screening process. Vote with the side of those who are protecting America, to make sure that were protected, thats a simple choice. Click here to watch the video",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://hice.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=209,Hice Statement on passage of SAFE Act of 2015,2015-11-19,2015,2015-11,Republican,House,GA,Jody Hice,H001071,hice.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON D.C. Today, the United States House of Representatives passed H.R. 4038, the American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act of 2015. This measure would require the FBI Director to verify the background of each refugee. Additionally, this measure would require the FBI Director, National Intelligence Director, and the Secretary of Homeland Security to certify that Syrian and Iraqi refugees are not a security threat. Congressman Jody Hice issued the following statement in regards to the passage of the measure: Once again, Congress has acted to ensure the safety of Americans. Not surprisingly, the President has issued a preemptive veto threat against bipartisan legislation that would safeguard American interests. The attacks in Paris were not a setback' as the President claims; the attacks were the enemy demonstrating their desire to wreak havoc in the West. As a Nation that has historically welcomed immigrants, we cannot let our reputation for kindness serve as a weakness. Today's bill would ensure that no current or former fighters in Iraq or Syria would be able to gain admittance to the United States until such a time when new vetting processes are in place. The most important job of the American government is to protect the American people. It is my hope the President will step up to the plate and act in the interest of our citizens' safety. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://loudermilk.house.gov/news/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=399,"Rep. Loudermilk Announces ""Congressional App Challenge"" for High School Students in Georgias 11th District",2015-11-19,2015,2015-11,Republican,House,GA,Barry Loudermilk,L000583,loudermilk.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington D.C. (November 19, 2015) | Today, the office of Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) announced the participation of Georgia's 11th Congressional District in the 2nd Annual ""Congressional App Challenge"" an opportunity for U.S. high school students to design creative apps that promote and encourage STEM-based (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) skills. ""One of my favorite stories of America's rich history is that of the Wright brothers. Still today, the story of these two young men demonstrates the true spirit of American ingenuity, as owners of a bicycle sales and repair shop, who dreamt of flight. Merely sixty-six years passed from that incredible day on a beach in North Carolina, to the day Astronaut Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. That is American ingenuity, and the spirit that can be found in our students today. The ""Congressional App Challenge"" is one of those opportunities to give the new generation a chance to unleash their innate American creativity. It is the type of program that will allow our students to showcase their skills and explore the exciting STEM-related fields, which will propel them into positions of global leadership. I encourage every high school in the 11th District to participate, said Rep. Loudermilk. Sponsored by the Internet Education Foundation, the Congressional App Challenge recognizes the talent of U.S. high school students in the areas of computer programming, design, and digital technology. As part of the competition, students will compete against their district peers by creating and exhibiting a software application, or app, for mobile, tablet, or computer device, on a platform of their choice. Between November 9, 2015 and January 15, 2016, students may create an original app and submit it through Rep. Loudermilk's Congressional App Challenge page. Apps will be judged based on the following criteria: Quality of the idea, including creativity and originality Implementation of the idea, including user experience and design Demonstrated excellence of coding and programming skills A winning individual or team from Georgia's 11th District will be selected by a local panel of judges and honored by Congressman Loudermilk. The winning app from each congressional district will also be featured as part of a special exhibit at the U.S. Capitol, and recognized on StudentAppChallenge.us. For more information on the competition or how to enter, contact Claire Bartlett at Claire.bartlett@mail.house.gov, or visit the Congressional app challenge section on Rep. Loudermilk's website.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://bishop.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-bishop-fights-to-bringbackourgirls,CONGRESSMAN BISHOP FIGHTS TO #BRINGBACKOURGIRLS,2015-11-18,2015,2015-11,Democrat,House,GA,Sanford Bishop,B000490,bishop.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) fights to bring back the 219 Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram by co-sponsoring H.R. 3833, a bill requiring the United States to develop a strategy to defeat Boko Haram. Introduced by Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (FL-24), the bill directs the Secretaries of State and Defense to develop a 5-year strategy to assist the multinational task force in defeating Boko Haram and to rebuild the regions infrastructure to prevent the rise of another terrorist organization. It is an atrocity that the 219 Chibok schoolgirls have still not been returned home safely a year and a half after their abduction by Boko Haram, said Congressman Bishop. The United States must fight Boko Haram not only for their egregious violations of human rights, but for the security of the region and the world as a whole. Boko Haram, an ISIS-linked group, is responsible for using kidnapped girls as young as 10 as suicide bombers, the displacement of 2.2 million Nigerians, and the deaths of 15,000 people in the region since 2009. H.R. 3833 directs the Secretaries of State and Defense to develop a joint 5-year strategy that would assist the Nigerian government, Members of the Multinational Joint Task Force to Combat Boko Haram, and other international partners in countering the regional threat of Boko Haram. The strategy should also help the Nigerian and neighboring governments with their efforts to address the complaints of vulnerable populations in areas affected by Boko Haram. To read a summary of the bill, click here. To read the text of the bill, click here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://bishop.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-bishop-statement-regarding-syrian-refugee-situation,CONGRESSMAN BISHOP STATEMENT REGARDING SYRIAN REFUGEE SITUATION,2015-11-18,2015,2015-11,Democrat,House,GA,Sanford Bishop,B000490,bishop.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) released the following statement regarding the issue of Syrian refugees: First and foremost, our most pressing responsibility is to protect the American people. The brutality shown by ISIS during the recent attacks in Paris and Beirut exemplifies the necessity for vigilance across the Homeland as well as the urgency to proactively counter future terrorist threats to the United States. Ensuring all refugees seeking asylum on our shores continue to be subjected to the highest level of intensive screening in order to weed out those who would do us harm from those tired, poor, huddled masses yearning to be free, our nation must remain a beacon of hope for those fleeing persecution, for future Americans, and for the rest of humanity. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=f87b1381-e407-4dea-8d79-24681a042c5c,Isakson Named Senate Negotiator on 'Elementary and Secondary Education Act' Reauthorization,2015-11-18,2015,2015-11,Republican,House,GA,Johnny Isakson,I000055,www.isakson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, today released the following statement on being named one of the Republican Senate negotiators to serve on a joint House-Senate conference committee tasked with reconciling the differences between the House- and Senate-passed reauthorizations of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act: I am pleased to see Congress moving toward an agreement on the Every Child Achieves Act, a bill that restores local control over decisions affecting our childrens education. I look forward to working as a member of the conference committee to put education progress and decisions back in the hands of parents, teachers, and state and local governments. I also look forward to working to make sure this agreement includes an amendment that I sponsored in the Senate-passed measure that ensures parents have the information needed to make decisions on their childrens education, including their rights to opt their children out of mandated testing. The Senate voted 91-6 to move to conference on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The conference committee will hold its first meeting today, November 18, 2015, at 2:30 p.m., where Isakson and others will deliver opening remarks. The conference committee meeting will be streamed online here. In addition to Isakson, Republican Senate negotiators include Sens. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., Richard Burr, R-N.C., Rand Paul, R-Ky., Susan Collins, R-Maine, Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Mark Kirk, R-Ill., Tim Scott, R-S.C., Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Bill Cassidy, R-La. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.perdue.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-david-perdue-calls-on-washington-to-address-crises-immediately,Senator David Perdue Calls on Washington to Address Crises Immediately,2015-11-18,2015,2015-11,Republican,House,GA,David Perdue,P000612,www.perdue.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Skip to primary navigation Skip to content Meet David Connect Helping You News",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://davidscott.house.gov/blog/?postid=397617,USDA Announces $18 million grants for 1890 schools,2015-11-17,2015,2015-11,Democrat,House,GA,David Scott,S001157,davidscott.house.gov,,,legacy,"Earlier this year, Congressman Scott lead an effort to bring the 1890 Land Grant institutions to Washington to testify before the House Agriculture Committee. This was the first time that 1890 schools were asked to testify before the committee.The Second Morrill Act of 1890 was enacted by Congress to support states in establishing the 1890 Land-Grant Universities. These Historically Black Colleges and Universities are committed to providing educational opportunity through scientific research and extension programs.There are nineteen 1890 schools whichcultivate leadership in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics and agriculture. On Novever 16,USDA announced 53 grants totaling more than $18 million to support research, teaching, and extension activities at 1890 historically black land-grant colleges and universities. To see the full list of grants,click this link.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://tomgraves.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398535,Rep. Tom Graves Co-Sponsors Legislation to Halt Syrian Refugee Resettlement in U.S.,2015-11-17,2015,2015-11,Republican,House,GA,Tom Graves,G000560,tomgraves.house.gov,,,legacy,"Contact: Garrett Hawkins 202.225.5211 Rep. Tom Graves Co-Sponsors Legislation to Halt Syrian Refugee Resettlement in U.S. Voices Support for Gov. Deals Action Washington, November 17, 2015- Today, Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA-14) co-sponsored the Resettlement Accountability National Security Act (H.R. 3314) and the Refugee Resettlement Oversight and Security Act (H.R. 3573), bills that address the national security concerns surrounding the Obama administrations plan to resettle thousands of Syrian refugees in the United States. The horrific attacks in Paris show that Islamic terrorists are undeterred from their goal of destroying our way of life and murdering the innocent, said Rep. Graves. We cannot allow terrorists posing as refugees to enter our country, as one of the Paris attackers apparently did. I want to freeze the presidents refugee resettlement program until we better understand its national security risks. I also strongly support the action taken by Governor Deal to protect Georgians. A congressional task force has been established on the refugee program and I look forward to reviewing additional ideas to protect our communities and prevent terrorists from entering the homeland.Specifically, H.R. 3314 puts a moratorium on the presidents refugee resettlement program until the Government Accountability Office determines its national security risk and its cost to American taxpayers. H.R. 3573 requires congressional approval before the president can implement his resettlement plan and enhances the Department of Homeland Securitys refugee vetting process. ### Print version of this document",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://allen.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=208,House Passes Legislation including Rep. Rick Allens Language to Increase Government Transparency and Accountability in Rulemaking,2015-11-17,2015,2015-11,Republican,House,GA,Rick Allen,A000372,allen.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC Last night, the U.S. House of Representatives passed by voice-vote H.R. 2583, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Process Reform Act - legislation authored by Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) and Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-IL). H.R. 2583 includes additional legislation introduced earlier this year by Kinzinger and Congressman Rick Allen (R-GA). That legislation, the FCC Transparency Act, would require the FCC to publish the draft of any item that is circulating on a vote onto the internet before the Commission is able to vote on its final passage. The House passed important bipartisan legislation today to ensure transparency of the FCC, said Congressman Allen. Too often we see bureaucratic agencies making secretive decisions that affect Americans. This is just not right. All Americans should be able to review and voice their concerns on FCC rules. After all, these rules impact everyday Americans and their voice should be heard. I am glad that the House of Representatives has come together to pass this legislation that will increase transparency, efficiency, and accountability at the FCC, said Congressman Kinzinger. We can all support the notion that all American people, and not just the lobbyists and corporations, should have access and input on the FCC rules that impact our daily life. I appreciate Congressman Allen's work on this effort to ensure the American public has a voice in their own government. Background Information: On June 1, 2015, Congressmen Kinzinger and Allen introduced H.R. 2592, the FCC Transparency Act, to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require the Federal Communications Commission to publish on the website of the Commission documents to be voted on by the Commission. On June 3, 2015, H.R. 2583, the FCC Process Reform Act, was passed out of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce by a bipartisan vote of 30-18. More information about thelegislation, authored by Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) and Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL),can be foundhere.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=171e46cc-1a7a-4c2b-a8cd-9577837535b5,"Isakson Presses President Obama to Increase Security for Refugee Resettlement Plan, Refuse Admittance to ISIL Members, Supporters",2015-11-17,2015,2015-11,Republican,House,GA,Johnny Isakson,I000055,www.isakson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON In the aftermath of the November 13th terrorist attacks in Paris that killed at least 129 people and injured hundreds more, U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., joined his Senate colleagues in sending a letter to President Barack Obama urging the administration to ensure that no members, supporters or sympathizers of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL, are infiltrating Syrian refugee movements to enter the United States. ISIL claimed responsibility for the coordinated terror attacks in Paris, and French and other European officials have said that at least one of the attackers entered the European Union by blending into the flow of refugees coming in from Syria. In September 2015, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper warned of the U.S. intelligence communitys huge concern that ISIL might attempt to infiltrate Syrian refugee movements to enter Europe and possibly the United States. In October 2015, FBI Director James Comey cautioned about the U.S. governments limited ability to thoroughly vet all Syrian refugees for national security risk. Since 2012, the United States has reportedly admitted 1,854 Syrian refugees into the country. Our screening process should be rigorous, and we must not allow for an increase to the number of refugees coming to our country until this administration puts forth a strong strategy for ensuring that radical jihadists are kept out of the United States, said Isakson. That is why I am joining my Senate colleagues in calling on the administration to provide to Congress with the specific measures that will be added to the screening process for Syrian refugees in the wake of the Paris attacks. We must immediately address these concerns publicly raised by the director of the FBI and the director of National Intelligence. While our country has a long history of welcoming refugees and has an important role to play in the heartbreaking Syrian refugee crisis, our first and most important priority must be to ensure that any refugee who comes to the United States does not present a threat to the American people, the senators wrote in their letter to President Obama. We believe that an essential component of that effort is ensuring that no refugee related to the Syrian crisis is admitted to the United States unless the U.S. government can guarantee, with 100 percent assurance, that they are not members, supporters, or sympathizers of the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), also known as Daesh or ISIL. In addition to Isakson, the letter to President Obama was signed by Sens. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, Daniel Coats, R-Ind., Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.V., Joe Manchin, D-W.V., Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Richard Shelby, R-Ala., Roger F. Wicker, R-Miss., Richard Burr, R-N.C., and Mike Rounds, R-S.D. A copy of the letter is below. November 16, 2015 President Barack Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear Mr. President: We stand in solidarity with the people of France and against the terrorists who carried out the horrific attacks of November 13th that clearly were designed deliberately to kill as many innocent people as possible. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. As we mourn the loss of life and provide France all the support and assistance it needs, the U.S. government must redouble its efforts to keep the American people safe. We believe that an essential component of that effort is ensuring that no refugee related to the Syrian crisis is admitted to the United States unless the U.S. government can guarantee, with 100 percent assurance, that they are not members, supporters, or sympathizers of the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), also known as Daesh or ISIL. It is already clear that ISIS is responsible for the barbaric attacks. Reports indicate that at least one of the attackers apparently utilized the flow of refugees to infiltrate into Europe. These facts require a serious and objective reexamination of the Administrations policy toward Syrian refugees to avoid unnecessary risks. While our country has a long history of welcoming refugees and has an important role to play in the heartbreaking Syrian refugee crisis, our first and most important priority must be to ensure that any refugee who comes to the United States does not present a threat to the American people. Compassion for Syrian refugees is important, but a fierce determination to protect the American people is also important. The fact that ISIS may have utilized the flow of refugees to infiltrate Europe and potentially the United States is not a surprise. In September, the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), James Clapper, publicly warned the U.S. intelligence community has a huge concern that ISIS may seek to infiltrate Syrian refugees who are flowing into Europe and potentially the United States. As they [refugees] descend on Europe, one of the obvious issues that we worry about, and in turn as we bring refugees into this country, is exactly whats their background? DNI Clapper added: We dont obviously put it past the likes of ISIL to infiltrate operatives among these refugees. On October 21, 2015, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey told the House Committee on Homeland Security that the U.S. government may not have the ability to vet thoroughly all Syrian refugees coming into the United States. He explained that if a Syrian person is not already in the FBIs database, that person is unknown to the agency, leaving an inadequate basis for the persons background to be screened for terrorism risk. We can only query against that which we have collected, Director Comey cautioned. He also said, So if someone has never made a ripple in the pond in Syria in a way that would get their identity or their interest reflected in our database, we can query our database until the cows come home but we are not going tothere will be nothing because we have no record on that person. Given DNI Clappers stated concern that ISIS may try to infiltrate Syrian refugee movements as well as FBI Director Comeys public acknowledgment of the U.S. governments limitations in thoroughly vetting all Syrian refugees, we respectfully request your Administration: List comprehensively the challenges, prior to the November 13th terrorist attacks, in the process for checking the background of Syrian refugees and checking potential risks to national security, including potential terrorism risks; Detail what special or enhanced measures will be added to the screening process for Syrian refugees in the aftermath of the November 13th terrorist attacks; and Describe how it plans to address the vetting challenges that Director Comey describes. We ask that your Administration immediately share this information with the American people. We look forward to a timely response. We cannot imagine a more urgent or higher priority. Sincerely, ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=2d5a07ba-ea46-4b3e-a7f2-48a3a716c9b5,"Senators Isakson, Perdue Vote to Stop EPA's Energy Tax",2015-11-17,2015,2015-11,Republican,House,GA,Johnny Isakson,I000055,www.isakson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and David Perdue, R-Ga., today applauded the passage of two resolutions that will prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from implementing new energy regulations that couldraise the cost of living for hardworking taxpayers and turn back the clock on Americas energy independence. The first resolution of disapproval, S.J.Res.24, passed by a vote of 52-46 and stops the EPA from implementing its newest requirement that existing coal-fired power plants reduce their emissions by 32 percent by the year 2030. The second resolution of disapproval, S.J.Res.23, also passed by a vote of 52-46, and prevents the EPAs plan from being imposed on new power sources in the future. Isakson and Perdue were co-sponsors of both resolutions of disapproval. I am thankful for the Congressional Review Act that has given Congress the power to stop this unwarranted overreach by an administration that is set on pursing policies that kill jobs and raise the cost of living for hardworking Georgians, said Senator Isakson. I will continue to use all means necessary to fight these attempted power grabs. Once again, President Obama has acted unilaterally to impose his job-killing climate change agenda, said Senator Perdue. President Obamas newest tax on coal would drive up energy prices and reduce the reliability of our electric grid. Affordable energy is key to attracting manufacturing jobs to our shores and outlawing coal would only make our nation less competitive with the rest of the world. For these reasons, a majority of states and a majority of Congress have told the President they are opposed to his liberal energy tax. It is time to put this onerous regulation back on the Presidents desk and have him explain to the American people why he wants to unilaterally remove the backbone of American energy. Background: The Obama administrations Clean Power Plan released on Aug. 3, 2015, requires an even greater reduction in emissions than the rule that had originally proposed in June 2014, and demands that states submit a plan to implement the rules by 2016. The new regulations are expected to impact hundreds of fossil-fuel plants, including 600 coal-powered plants, and cause double-digit electricity price increases in 40 states, including Georgia. Isakson and Perdue blasted the plan at the time, citing massive costs and no measurable reduction in emissions worldwide. They signed on as original co-sponsors of S.1324, the Affordable Reliable Electricity Now Act of 2015, which would delay the rule until legal proceedings from 26 states, including Georgia, have concluded, as well as give states the ability to opt out of the rule. Additionally, S.1324 would prevent the EPA from withholding federal highway funds if a state doesnt submit a plan. Isakson and Perdue also sent letters to President Obama and EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy during the proposal phase in opposition to the Obama administrations proposed Clean Power Plan and calling for the rules withdrawal. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.perdue.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-isakson-perdue-vote-to-stop-epas-energy-tax,"Senators Isakson, Perdue Vote to Stop EPAs Energy Tax",2015-11-17,2015,2015-11,Republican,House,GA,David Perdue,P000612,www.perdue.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Skip to primary navigation Skip to content Meet David Connect Helping You News",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z