releases: https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-center?ContentRecord_id=d8a16ece-e31f-4c42-925f-ec4f2878cd8e
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-center?ContentRecord_id=d8a16ece-e31f-4c42-925f-ec4f2878cd8e | e-Newsletter for the week ending December 12, 2014 | 2014-12-18 | 2014 | 2014-12 | Republican | House | GA | Johnny Isakson | I000055 | www.isakson.senate.gov | legacy | Dear Friends, As of this writing, the Senate was preparing to vote later tonight or tomorrow on a nine-month omnibus appropriations bill to fund the federal government for fiscal year 2015. I intend to support this legislation for a number of reasons, with Georgia’s priorities at the forefront of my mind. First, the bill includes funding to ensure the federal share of funding for Georgia’s number one economic development project -- the expansion and deepening of the Port of Savannah. The bill also includes a provision to rein in the EPA’s overreach with respect to the ‘waters of the United States’ proposal, which would subject Georgia’s farmers to costly and intrusive federal regulation and would harm Georgia’s biggest industry. Within Congress lies the power of the purse, and House and Senate Republicans intend to act to prevent the president from implementing his proposed executive action on immigration by stemming funding in the Department of Homeland Security’s fiscal year 2015 budget. The omnibus legislation includes a two-month extension of DHS funding. By providing only short-term funding for the Department of Homeland Security through February, the bill gives Republicans in the House and Senate an opportunity to have full control over the process of advancing legislation to defund the President’s amnesty order early next year. As the 113th Congress draws to a close, Senate Republicans are gearing up for their new majority in January. Omnibus appropriations bills are never a good way to do business, and come January 6, 2015, the new Republican Senate majority will return to doing individual and transparent appropriations bills throughout the year in a timely fashion. The American people deserve no less. I will continue my fight next year to reform America’s budget and spending process from an annual to a biennial budget, which would reserve every other year for mandatory oversight to ensure that we demand accountability from existing programs before we spend money on new ones. Defense Authorization This week the Senate passed the Fiscal Year 2015 National Defense Authorization Act that establishes funding levels for the U.S. Department of Defense and sets the policies under which money will be spent. I voted for this bill because it included many provisions vitally important to Georgia, our national defense and our military service members. Senate Democrats’ CIA Detention and Interrogation Report On Tuesday, Senate Democrats released to the public their Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and Majority’s study of the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation Program. Oversight of the federal government, including the intelligence community, is an important and necessary responsibility of Congress. However, this report presents a politically motivated and one-sided account of the CIA’s Detention and Interrogations program—a program that, despite what this report alleges, helped develop intelligence that led to action against threats to our national security. I believe this report unfairly impugns U.S. intelligence professionals and endangers Americans fighting terror as well as those being held captive by our enemies. EPA’s Power Plan Rule On Wednesday, Senator Saxby Chambliss and I, along with 21 of our Senate Republican colleagues, sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy to express our deep concern about the impact the EPA’s proposed “existing source performance standards” would have on electricity prices and power grid reliability. In the letter, we called for the proposed rule’s withdrawal, citing unrealistic interim targets, a severely constrained timeline for implementation and complications related to multistate resources among the many concerns raised by stakeholders. For example, the proposed rule does not account for the reduction of carbon dioxide into the environment that will result in the expansion of clean nuclear energy at Plant Vogtle in Augusta, Ga. Our nation’s families and businesses depend upon affordable, reliable electricity. Unfortunately, EPA’s “existing source performance standards” proposal would constrain Americans’ energy choices and inflict significant economic harm without producing any tangible environmental benefits. Click here to read the letter in its entirety. Senator Chambliss’ Farewell Floor Speech It is a tradition for senators to deliver farewell speeches before leaving the U.S. Senate. Senators that are retiring at the end of the 113th Congress have been giving their speeches for the last couple of weeks. My longtime Georgia colleague with whom I share an even longer friendship, Senator Saxby Chambliss, delivered his speech on Wednesday. It was an emotional speech for both him and me. I appreciate his words but more importantly, the legacy he and his fine staff leave for Georgia from their work in agriculture, armed services and intelligence, as well as their work helping Georgia constituents needing assistance with government agencies. He has served with distinction and with class. The country will miss Senator Chambliss, and my grandchildren are safer and our state is better because of his work. Georgia’s going to love having Senator Chambliss back home more often. To watch my full tribute to Senator Chambliss, click here. In Other News On Monday I enjoyed Skyping with 8th grade classes from Cliff Valley School in Atlanta and Westside Middle School in Winder, Ga. I was also delighted to receive a framed photograph from the University of Georgia from the keynote address I delivered during the 2014 Spring Commencement at Sanford Stadium in May. [PHOTO] I was also interviewed this week on John Druckenmiller’s “Hometown Headlines” segment on WRGA in Rome, Ga. What’s on Tap? The Senate is not in session next week in observance of Christmas. During these past several weeks we have addressed a variety of critically important issues, and now we welcome this holiday season and the spirit of Christmas. As we reflect on the things we have weathered through this past year, it is equally important to recognize our many blessings as a nation. In the spirit of this wonderful time of year, Dianne and I wish you a holiday filled with joy, happiness and cheer. Merry Christmas! Sincerely, Johnny Isakson | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |