releases: https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-center?ContentRecord_id=68c5417a-05b6-4a63-b288-255c2598ad6d
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-center?ContentRecord_id=68c5417a-05b6-4a63-b288-255c2598ad6d | e-Newsletter for the week ending November 14, 2014 | 2014-11-14 | 2014 | 2014-11 | Republican | House | GA | Johnny Isakson | I000055 | www.isakson.senate.gov | legacy | Dear Friends, The Senate returned this week following the November 4, 2014, elections to begin work in what is often called the “lame-duck” session of Congress. On Election Day, we chose a new senator here in Georgia and I look forward to working with another businessman from the private sector, Senator-elect David Perdue, in the United States Senate. We have already begun working together, and he will be sworn in as our new senator on January 6, 2015. On Thursday, the Senate voted 98-0 to confirm Leigh Martin May as a U.S. District Court judge for the Northern District in Atlanta. View my remarks in support of her nomination on the floor of the Senate HERE. Next week, the Senate is finally planning to debate and vote on legislation to allow construction to begin on the KeystoneXL Pipeline– the number one issue I said I would send to the president with a GOP majority. If this bipartisan, job-creating legislation is passed in both the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate, it will go to President Obama’s desk for his signature. President Obama would be forced to finally take a position on this issue. If it has passed the House and Senate with bipartisan support, as I suspect it will, he will have a hard time finding any justifiable reason not to sign it. There are five major issues that we need to deal with in the Senate before May 31, 2015: the debt ceiling, the reimbursement rate for doctors who treat Medicare patients, the budget, appropriations bills, and the highway trust fund for transportation infrastructure. Click here to read more of my thoughts on, and plans for tackling, these critical issues. Savannah Harbor Expansion Project The final agreement to allow construction to begin on the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project was signed on October 8, 2014. As one of the largest infrastructure projects in the history of the Southeast, this is of great importance to Georgia and to our economy. It will bring more jobs to our state. I’ve been very proud to be a part of the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project, and I commend the hard work and partnership of Gov. Nathan Deal, Sen. Saxby Chambliss and U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga.-01, to make sure this project became a reality. A-10 Weapon System On Thursday, I joined a number of fellow Congressmen, including Sen. Saxby Chambliss and U.S. Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga.-08, to voice our opposition to premature divestment of the A-10 Thunderbolt II by the U.S. Air Force that could jeopardize the United States’ close air support capabilities and the safety of American service members. The A-10 is an important mission at Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta, Ga., and plays a crucial role in support of our national defense. It’s almost as important to Moody as it is to our troops on the ground. The close air support provided by the A-10 is unmatched and unequal to anywhere else in the world, and to divest of this aircraft without an alternative ready and in place would put U.S. troops at increased risk in future conflicts. Action is expected in the coming weeks by the Senate and House on an annual defense bill determining policy and funding priorities for the U.S. military. October While the Senate has not been in session for the last several weeks, October was a busy month! The United States won a major victory in a trade dispute with India that will allow American farmers to resume the export of poultry to India. On October 14, 2014, the World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled in favor of the United States in a dispute challenging India’s ban on various U.S. agricultural products – such as poultry meat, eggs and live pigs – allegedly to protect against avian influenza. The panel agreed with the United States that India’s ban breached numerous international trade rules, including because it was imposed without sufficient scientific evidence. As the leading Republican on the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, I have been working to open up India to U.S. poultry since this issue was brought to my attention. The WTO panel affirmed that measures to ensure food safety must be based on science and not a desire to restrict market access. Georgia is the fourth largest poultry-producing region in the world, with the industry contributing more than $15.1 billion to the Georgia economy, so this means a great deal to our state. As a current member of the Senate health committee and former Republican leader on the subcommittee on Africa, I have become well-versed on the Ebola virus in recent years. Given the transmission of Ebola in Dallas, Texas, that originated from a passenger flying from West Africa, I believe we must continue to temporarily restrict nonessential travel to the United States from Ebola-affected countries. I take this situation very seriously and believe it is an urgent priority for the United States to contain this outbreak at its source, as well as to ensure that any additional cases that arise in the United States are quickly isolated. I also commend Emory for stepping up in this crisis and being a model for the nation. Federal regulators in October finalized a rule that will require banks that sell loans to retain some risk on their books. The new rule also includes an important exception that I worked on to ensure that highly qualified homebuyers have access to affordable home loans. I worked to enact the Qualified Residential Mortgage provision to ensure that highly qualified homebuyers have access to affordable home loans. The agreed upon standards strike the right balance and compromise, as they ensure that qualified borrowers have access to safe mortgages, while protecting the marketplace and significantly lowering delinquencies and defaults. The final rule will go a long way to bring certainty and to strengthen the U.S. housing market, and in turn, the broader U.S. economy. Preserving low down payment loans as part of the revised rule will also allow the market to continue on its path to recovery. We have learned that it was poor underwriting—not low down payments—that led us into the housing crisis. What’s on Tap? Next week, the Senate will begin with a vote on legislation would reauthorize federal Child Care and Development Block Grants. Votes on three judicial nominees from Georgia – Leslie Joyce Abrams, Mark Cohen and Eleanor Ross – are scheduled for early in the week. And as previously mentioned, the Senate is planning for a vote on construction of the KeystoneXL Pipeline. Sincerely, Johnny Isakson | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |