October 28, 2005

Dear Friends,

This week, much of the Senate focus was on Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers.  I met with her on Tuesday, and I believe she is an extremely competent attorney and individual.  I’m disappointed that Ms. Miers has chosen to withdraw her nomination for the U.S. Supreme Court. I have a great respect and admiration for her, and I know she believes she did the right thing in withdrawing.

Good news for Georgia and our nation came in this week when the Senate soundly defeated an amendment that would have cut $60 million in funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.  Senator Chambliss and I successfully fought against this amendment, which was defeated by a vote of 85-14, because this is no time to be cutting funding to an agency that plays such a critical role in the welfare and safety of our nation.

During the weekend of Nov. 5, my office will be conducting interviews of Georgia students who are applying to our nation’s Military Service Academies.  I received hundreds of applications for only a few slots, and my Military Academy Board will be interviewing more than 100 of our top applicants.  Selecting from among so many qualified young Georgians to nominate for our nation’s academies is not an easy job, and I thank the members of my board for their valuable service.The board will nominate 10 students per open academy slot.The annual selection of young people to our nation’s military academies is the responsibility of each Member of Congress. Every appointee is awarded a full four-year scholarship valued at approximately $350,000, which includes tuition, books, board, medical and dental care. 

What’s on Tap for Next Week?

Next week, the Senate will debate the Deficit Reduction Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 2005, which will result in savings of $39.1 billion over five years and $109 billion over ten years.  We need to treat the federal budget like a family budget and live within our means.  The budget reconciliation process allows for Congress to slow the growth of mandatory spending programs, which account for 56 percent of all government spending. Furthermore, the deficit reduction bill will not change the baseline level of funding for Medicare or Medicaid. Left unchecked, that will grow to more than 62 percent in 10 years and will threaten those we work hard for and want to protect – our children and grandchildren.

Sincerely,
Johnny Isakson