Hometown Cherokee

Dear Friends: 

This week the U.S. Senate passed the Consumer Product Safety bill.  Next week we will be considering the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Resolution.

This is a busy time of year when many Georgians travel to Washington. Among the many groups from home who visited my office recently, I was pleased to meet with Chambers of Commerce from Rome and Albany, county commissioners from Chatham County and DeKalb County, the National Guard Association of Georgia, the Georgia Chapter of Disabled Veterans and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of Georgia, as well as leaders from Banks, Decatur, Paulding, and Rockdale Counties, and many others. I was also pleased to address the School Nutrition Association Conference.
 

2007 Accomplishments

I am pleased to provide for you my 2007 Accomplishments document. Last year was one of many challenges and successes, and there is a great deal of information I would like to share with you. I hope you will take a moment to review the highlights by clicking here. This document is located on the front page of my Senate website and can be downloaded and printed as well.

Conservative Immigration Reform Package Introduced

One of the lessons we learned last year during the immigration debate is that the American people do not have confidence in the federal government when it comes to securing the borders. This past week, a coalition of Republican Senators came forward with a package of 15 common sense pieces of legislation each designed to secure the borders, increase enforcement at the workplace and restore law and order to our nation’s immigration system.  

As part of this package, Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and I introduced “The Effective Immigration Enforcement Partnerships Act of 2008,” legislation to provide state and local law enforcement officials on the ground with the necessary tools to be effective partners in the enforcement of our immigration laws. A similar bill, the “Charlie Norwood CLEAR Act” (H.R. 3494), has been introduced by U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-TN, in the U.S. House of Representatives. The late U.S. Rep. Charlie Norwood, R-Ga., first introduced the CLEAR Act in 2003.

To watch my comments at a news conference I participated in on Capitol Hill about this new immigration proposal, click here.

To read the press release about our legislation, click here.

This week we also formed the Border Security and Enforcement First Caucus. The Caucus will be a platform to let Americans know that some in the U.S. Senate are continuing to make sure that the laws already on the books will be enforced, act as the voice of those concerned citizens who have expressed their opinions time and time again for interior enforcement and border security, push for stronger border security and interior enforcement legislation and work together in the U.S. Senate to defeat future legislation that offers amnesty.

To read the press release about the Caucus, click here.

To listen to my floor speech, please click here. 

Support for Law Enforcement Grant Funding

On Wednesday, February 27, I was invited to testify before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs to underscore the importance of funding for the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program. I have heard firsthand from Georgia’s law enforcement community about the importance of the Byrne/JAG program. It provides funding for numerous efforts such as drug task forces, courts and treatment programs, police salaries, innovative technologies and gang prevention strategies. I have been proud to lead the bipartisan effort in the Senate to restore funding for this program, and as we move forward this coming week in considering the fiscal year 2009 budget, I will be pushing for robust funding for this program.

To read a story in The Macon Telegraph [a non-Senate website], about my support of this program, click here. 

To watch a video of my remarks during the subcommittee hearing, click here. 

Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)

Last weekend I wrote an opinion piece urging the U.S. House to pass a bill to ensure that our intelligence community has the necessary resources to collect vital information to keep our nation safe. To read my column about the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) in the Augusta Chronicle [a non-Senate website] please click here. 

The column is also on my website and can be read by clicking here.

Wounded Warrior Care

The Senate Armed Services Committee continues to focus on care for wounded warriors. During a hearing last Tuesday, February 26, I continued to highlight the important role Georgia plays in this effort. To watch a video of my remarks during the committee hearing, click here.

2008 Congressional Partnership Award for Economic Development Efforts

Last Tuesday, February 26, members of the Chattahoochee-Flint, Georgia Mountains, South Georgia and Southwest Georgia Regional Development Centers visited my office where we discussed issues important to rural areas throughout Georgia. Members of the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO), which serves as the national voice of regional development organizations, also attended the meeting. It was an honor to be presented with a 2008 Congressional Partnership Award from NADO for my work in promoting federal community, economic and infrastructure development programs.

The federal government must continue to invest in our local communities so we can create jobs and improve quality of life in areas of need. Georgia is one of the fastest growing states in the country, and I am proud to advocate for our state at the federal level. 

Chambliss receives 2008 Congressional Partnership Award

Georgia Students Visit Washington

During this time of year when spring break gets underway, many students, teachers and parents travel to Washington to see firsthand how the legislative process works. I always enjoy speaking with these groups and hearing what issues are on their minds.   

Students of Abstinence Day on Capitol Hill. 

If your school or organization would like a tour of the U.S. Capitol building, or needs assistance scheduling a tour of the White House, please do not hesitate to contact my office toll free at 1-800-234-4208. Tours are reaching capacity quickly due to the volume of students visiting DC in the next couple of months, so please call in advance of travel.  

Georgia to Receive $4.3 Million for Emergency Food and Shelter Program

Last week Senator Isakson and I were pleased to announce that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded $4,335,431 to Georgia as part of the Emergency Food and Shelter Program, which provides supplemental funding to shelters, soup kitchens and food banks. One-month awards for rent, mortgage and utility assistance are also available through the program to help individuals and families with non-disaster, temporary emergency needs.

Countless Georgians in communities across our state work each day to help our fellow citizens have access to food, shelter, and other critical services during times of need, and it is important that we continue to support these local organizations.  

To find out more about the funding, please click here.

EPA’s “One Millionth Switch”

Last Friday, I joined U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Stephen Johnson in Conley, Georgia, to recognize the Pull-a-Part auto parts store for removing the one millionth mercury light switch out of a car before it was recycled. The EPA has a program in place that encourages auto makers, auto recyclers, and steelmakers to reduce the amount of toxic mercury released into the environment. I was honored to join the EPA in recognizing the Pull-a-Part for their efforts to reduce toxic emissions before recycling vehicles for steel.

To read the story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution [a non-Senate website], click here.

Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Leadership Summit

On Monday, March 3, 2008, I attended the Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Leadership Summit in Atlanta, where I was humbled to receive an award for my support of the enlisted men and women of the United States Air Force Reserve Command.   Attendees included Lt. General John Bradley, Chief of Air Force Reserve and Commander of Air Force Reserve Command, as well as Chief Master Sgt. Troy J. McIntosh, Command Chief Master Sergeant of Air Force Reserve Command, headquartered at Robins Air Force Base.

How Can I Help You?

It is an honor to represent you in the U.S. Senate, and I look forward to a continued dialogue with you. If you are planning a visit to Washington and would like information on the various tours and attractions, or should you ever need assistance in contacting a federal agency, please do not hesitate to call my office toll free at 1-800-234-4208.

Also, you can email me with your thoughts on legislative issues at Saxby_Chambliss@chambliss.senate.gov.