A Weekly e-Newsletter from
Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA)

December 14, 2007

Dear Friends,

As 2007 winds down, the Senate has much of the people’s business left to do before adjourning for the year.  This week, we debated several pieces of key legislation for our country, including the Farm Bill and the Energy Bill.  But we are almost three months into the new fiscal year and we have yet to complete the appropriations bills for this year. In addition, we must approve additional funding for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan before we adjourn for the year.

On Wednesday, I spoke on the floor of the Senate to express my disapproval of the way this session of Congress has been managed and the way certain pieces of legislation have been managed.  It is time we looked at ideas such as Senator Domenici’s biennial budgeting process, where you appropriate in odd-numbered years and you do oversight in even-numbered years. Wouldn’t it be refreshing to see an even-numbered election year for Congress or President where the debate wasn’t on what I was going to appropriate to make you happy but instead was on the savings I was going to find to make our country run better? 

The real effect on real Georgians with the process now is that in December of 2007, in the first quarter of the fiscal year 2008, we have government appropriations policy based on an appropriations bill passed in 2006.  We are still two years behind on our appropriations process. Why? Because of the dilatory tactics, because of thematic debates, and because one side wants to leverage against another to the detriment of real people.

The broken Congress of 2008 has real consequences, not for me but for the people of my state. I will stay until Christmas or New Year’s and repeat what I have said until somebody throws the light switch and understands that the games we are playing don’t affect us – they affect the people who sent us. I submit that a broken Congress has real consequences. This Congress is broken, and the consequences are negative on the people of my State of Georgia and the people of the United States. 

Farm Bill
The Farm Bill has been on the agenda for several months and debated over several weeks.  A new five-year Farm Bill passed today that continues to provide a safety net for farmers, increases conservation programs, provides incentives for renewable energy production and establishes a permanent disaster program.  The Farm, Nutrition and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (H.R.2419) passed the Senate by a vote of 79-14. The House has passed its own version of a Farm Bill and the two chambers must now seek to reconcile the differences between their two bills. 

On Wednesday I joined with Senator Chambliss and other Southeastern senators by speaking on the Senate floor to criticize an amendment that would lower federal crop payments and bankrupt many farms in Georgia and the South because Southern farmers tend to have larger, more costly farming operations than farmers in other parts of the country.  I strenuously objected to this amendment on behalf of Georgia farmers and I am glad it was defeated. 

The Farm Bill that passed is a win for rural America and for farmers in Georgia, where agriculture remains the number one industry in the state.  I commend Senator Saxby Chambliss for his strong work in crafting this legislation and for making sure that we continue to meet the needs of farmers in Georgia and the Southeast. 

Energy Bill
On Thursday, I voted in favor of the Energy Bill after the Democrats agreed to remove the tax increases in the bill as well as the requirement that utilities produce 15 percent of their electricity from alternative sources by 2020. The bill passed by of a vote of 86-8.  While this bill is a positive step, I will continue to push for comprehensive energy legislation that encourages all forms of alternative energy, including nuclear. We have a diverse country with many assets that regionally are very different. If we’re going to have standards that call on us to find renewable energy to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, we must promote all those sources and not narrow those sources. 

Production of F-22A Raptor
Also this week, Senator Chambliss and I sent a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates urging the Department of Defense to continue procurement of the F-22A Raptor following completion of the multi-year procurement contract.  A bipartisan group of 28 senators signed the letter.  The F-22A is the most sophisticated fighter jet in the world with the latest stealth technology to reduce detection by radar.  The Raptor provides a priceless service to our Armed Services and its continued production is essential to our national security. Meanwhile, it has recently been reported that three near-peer potential adversaries are busy co-developing two different stealth, twin-engine, high-altitude, Raptor-like fighters.  Terminating the Raptor program at such a crucial and uncertain time only further encourages our potential adversaries to continue down this path.  It also risks abandoning our Air Force’s unique ability to deter aggressive actions and when called upon, dominate the airspace over our global allies, interests and deployed troops.  To read the full text of the letter, click here.

FHA Legislation Passes Senate
Today, the Senate passed legislation to modernize the Federal Housing Administration’s mortgage insurance program by making FHA-insured loans more competitive and by giving struggling home buyers a sound alternative to subprime loans.  The FHA Modernization Act of 2007 (S.2338) passed the Senate by a vote of 93-1. The House has passed its own version of an FHA reform bill and the two chambers must now seek to reconcile the differences between the two bills.   As a Realtor who spent more than three decades in the business, I am very pleased this legislation passed with such strong support.  In the wake of the subprime mortgage crisis, many home buyers are going to look to the FHA to refinance.  We are fortunate that in this time of crisis, our government-insured mortgages are sound and can hope fill an important need. 

The legislation would increase the dollar limit on FHA mortgages, giving buyers in states with more costly real estate a competitive alternative to risky subprime loans. In addition, the bill lowers the required minimum downpayment for an FHA-insured loan, and requires borrowers who put down less than 3 percent of the appraised value to undergo counseling.

Legislation Passed to Modernize Wards at Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Atlanta
On Thursday, the Senate unanimously passed legislation to modernize the inpatient wards at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Atlanta.  The legislation authorizes $20.5 million to complete the upgrades.  I introduced this legislation because I feel the most important responsibility we have as a Congress is to see to it that the treatment and services we give our veterans are the very best our country can offer.  This legislation will ensure that our veterans who receive treatment at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Atlanta are provided with high-quality healthcare services.  I will be working closely with the Georgia delegation to ensure the legislation is passed in the House of Representatives.

Legislation Passed to Keep Experienced Pilots in the Air
On Thursday, the Senate unanimously approved legislation to increase the mandatory retirement age for U.S. airline pilots from age 60 to 65.  The Federal Aviation Administration’s Age 60 Rule came under scrutiny after the International Civil Aviation Organization implemented a new international retirement standard of age 65 on November 23, 2006.  This new standard allowed foreign pilots over the age of 60 to fly within U.S. airspace while American pilots of the same age were denied the same right.

The Fair Treatment for Experienced Pilots Act requires the FAA to sunset the current age 60 rule and raises airline pilot retirement age to 65 immediately upon the President’s signature. It was unanimously passed in the Senate and the House of Representatives on Wednesday and now goes to President Bush for his signature.  I am extremely pleased that the Senate has passed this bill, which will ensure that thousands of our nation’s most experienced airline pilots – many of whom live in Georgia – will not be forced out of their jobs unnecessarily.

What’s on Tap for Next Week?

Next week, the Senate will debate legislation to extend the provisions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act as well as debating fiscal year 2008 federal appropriations.

Sincerely,
Johnny Isakson