Sen. Chambliss Requests Data on the Impact of Cap and Trade on Agriculture Economy

U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today announced he sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson this week regarding the impacts the climate change bill will have on the agriculture economy. In the letter, Sen. Chambliss requested the EPA provide the Senate Agriculture Committee with all comprehensive data pertaining to the impact the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, (H.R. 2454), will have on the forest and agriculture sector. The House of Representatives narrowly passed the measure last month 219-212.

Additionally, Sen. Chambliss sent a similar letter to Dr. Joseph Glauber, U.S. Department of Agriculture Chief Economist, requesting the Department provide the Committee with an economic analysis of the legislation. Sen. Chambliss said as the debate on the bill moves to the Senate, it is important members understand the costs producers, consumers and others will bear as a result of H.R. 2454.

Copies of the letters are below:

The Honorable Lisa P. Jackson
Administrator
Environmental Protection Agency
Ariel Rios Building
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20460

Dear Administrator Jackson:

Last month the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009. Among its provisions, the bill creates a “cap and trade” regime to control greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by increasing the cost of fossil fuels and incentivizing alternative forms of energy. At the same time, the bill defines the parameters of an offset regime for the agricultural sector. As the debate on climate change legislation moves to the Senate, we require a thorough understanding regarding the impacts of H.R. 2454 on the agricultural economy.

As you know, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has done significant analysis and contracted with Professor Bruce McCarl at Texas A&M University to study the impact on the forest and agriculture sector. While the research completed until now has been useful, Dr. McCarl’s model is not publically available. In order to ensure transparency and a thorough understanding of the impacts of H.R. 2454 on the forest and agriculture sector, I respectfully request EPA provide the FASOM-GHG model along with all data and supporting information including assumptions and results to the Committee. The insight and information derived from a detailed reading of the model will allow the Committee to draft legislation that fully takes into account the costs and benefits available to the forest and agriculture sector.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this request.

Very truly yours,

Saxby Chambliss
Ranking Republican Member

--------------------------

Dr. Joseph Glauber
Chief Economist
United States Department of Agriculture
Jamie L. Whitten Building, Room 112-A
Washington, D.C. 20250-3800

Dear Dr. Glauber:

Last month the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009. Among its provisions, the bill creates a “cap and trade” regime to control greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by increasing the cost of fossil fuels and incentivizing alternative forms of energy. At the same time, the bill defines the parameters of an offset regime for the agricultural sector. As the debate on climate change legislation moves to the Senate, we require a thorough understanding regarding the impacts of H.R. 2454 on the agricultural economy.

It is important the Committee and Members of the Senate understand the costs that agricultural producers, consumers, and others will ultimately bear as a result of this legislation. Therefore, I respectfully request your office provide the Committee an economic analysis of H.R. 2454 with specific attention to the questions noted below.

Since agriculture and food production is an energy intensive industry, inputs such as transportation fuel, fertilizer, seed, processing and packaging of food products will have substantial impacts on the bottom line of farms and downstream operators. We need to understand the additive effect of increased energy costs at each stage of the food chain and the distribution of costs from “field to fork.” Since agricultural production is diverse across the United States, the study should provide a regional summary as well as a cost of production analysis by major crop (i.e. cotton, rice, corn, soybean, wheat and specialty crops). The livestock sector will face challenges as well. The study should also provide a discussion regarding the changes in the costs of production and retail prices for the cattle, swine and poultry sectors.

There is little doubt H.R. 2454 will impact the cost of food for U.S. consumers. Your analysis should calculate the change in the price of commodities and ultimately food expenditures by consumers if H.R. 2454 were enacted into law. The study should provide the annual increase in food costs as reflected in 2009 dollars by calculating increases in the consumer price index for food (CPI-Food) over the life of the bill (through 2050) and aggregate at the retail market basket level. If possible, the analysis should compare the change in average cost per American household for a fixed market basket of goods as a result of the legislation.

There is significant attention to the potential of agricultural lands to contribute to a future offset market and carbon sequestration. This is a promising opportunity for our farmers and ranchers and the study should quantify the potential for pasture, crop and private forest land to participate in an offset market. Specifically, the study should discuss the impact on cropping patterns, overall acreage, traditional crop rotations and conservation practices associated with an offset market. Since the price of carbon will drive new production decisions, the study should analyze the impacts and acreage shifts at different carbon prices (i.e. high, medium, low).

A potentially important piece of H.R. 2454 is the renewable electricity standard (RES) included in Title I. Both EPA and the Energy Information Administration (EIA) project biomass and wind to be an important new energy sources in this policy. Yet, U.S. land resources are finite. To the extent practicable, this piece should analyze the potential role of U.S. agricultural producers and foresters to satisfy the demands of the RES and the potential land-use changes associated with this standard and other new alternative energy policies including the renewable fuel standard.

Finally, often times, real life events rarely follow the assumptions and predictions utilized in various economic models. It would be useful for your analysis to include scenarios where various efficiency, alternative energy (i.e. nuclear) and emissions targets (among others set forth in the bill) are not met per H.R. 2454. An outstanding concern among the agricultural community is the international competitiveness of U.S. products in the world market if India and China do not participate in a carbon reduction program. The Committee would find it helpful if your analysis addressed this issue as well.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this request.

Very truly yours,

Saxby Chambliss
Ranking Republican Member

Chambliss Statement on Announcement of New Efforts to Stabilize the Economy

“This morning the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets announced new efforts to stabilize our economy authorized under the recently passed Emergency Economic Stabilization Act. I commend the members of this group for acting swiftly to quell the extreme volatility that has dominated our capital markets during the past weeks.

“Make no mistake about it; these efforts are measures of last resort. No one is pleased to be in this situation. I am, and always have been, a person who believes in free markets. However, these recent drastic steps are necessary to protect the framework which allows those markets to remain open and free. The current financial crisis was years in the making fueled by Wall Street greed and dishonesty, and today’s actions are another step on the long road to recovery.

“The current state of affairs in our financial markets runs deep, touching the lives of all Georgians. This crisis is crushing Main Street. Small businesses and local community banks are feeling the brunt of this economic instability. Our pensions and retirement security have been placed in jeopardy and must be made secure.

“Despite this period of economic volatility, I am confident in the long-term prosperity of our economy. The resilience of our financial system remains strong and will prevail through these troubling times. And those executives who forced us into this economic meltdown and stole from the American people will be investigated, prosecuted and punished accordingly.”

-----
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page

Isakson, Chambliss Praise Passage of Legislation Creating Commemorative Coin for National Infantry

Will Support National Infantry Museum at Fort Benning

U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., today praised passage of legislation establishing the minting of a commemorative coin honoring the U.S. Army Infantry. The legislation, which now goes to President Bush for his signature, will support the National Infantry Museum at Fort Benning, Ga.

“I’m pleased the Senate has passed this legislation supporting the new National Infantry Museum,” Isakson said. “The infantry deserves an appropriate place to showcase its rich history and to make people aware of the immense sacrifices its soldiers have made for our nation.”

“The National Infantry Museum will provide a vivid reminder of the sense of duty, bravery, and honor our service members and Infantrymen have demonstrated throughout military history,” said Chambliss. “It is important to capture and preserve this history to teach future generations about the sacrifices required to defend our values and freedoms.”

The legislation would mint 350,000 silver coins, which would be issued in 2012, honoring soldiers and commemorating the construction of the National Infantry Museum. Money raised through the sale of the coins will go towards establishing an endowment to support the maintenance of the new museum.

The National Infantry Foundation, in coordination with the United States Army, has broken ground on a new National Infantry Museum at Fort Benning, Ga. The 200-acre site will hold the museum, a storage and restoration facility, a parade field and a memorial walk.

The oldest and largest branch of the U.S. Army, the U.S. Army Infantry was established on June 14, 1775, when the Continental Congress ordered the formation of ten companies of riflemen. The National Infantry Museum is a permanent historical and educational public institution providing education and training to soldiers and their family members and the general public.
---
www.FayetteFrontPage.com
Fayette Front Page
Community News You Can Use
Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyrone
www.GeorgiaFrontPage.com
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
---

Isakson: Congress Must Put Aside Partisanship, Work Together to Address High Energy Prices

U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today (July 15, 2008) urged members of Congress to work together to develop a comprehensive plan to address high energy prices during a speech on the Senate floor. Isakson said solutions that embrace all ideas – from conservation to increased domestic exploration – are at our fingertips if only members of Congress would put aside their partisan differences.

“The Congress of the United States is sitting on a ham sandwich starving to death,” Isakson said. “America has within its reach every resource necessary to be self-sufficient when it comes to energy. All we have to do is have the political will and the common sense to make it happen.”

In his remarks, Isakson outlined a number of initiatives he believes will provide a balanced approach to America’s long-term energy needs, including oil and natural gas exploration on the Outer Continental Shelf, nuclear energy, conservation and renewable resources such as solar and wind energy.

“I call on my colleagues, Republican and Democrat alike, to put their elephants and donkeys in the barn and look at the needs of the American people,” Isakson said. “If we leave this year without a comprehensive policy for energy independence, we have done a disservice to the people of the United States and we will not have fulfilled our Constitutional responsibility.”

Isakson praised the administration for its announcement on Monday that it is lifting the ban on offshore exploration, saying that we cannot decrease our dependence on foreign oil if we fail to explore our potential domestic supply.

“That is absolutely something that we ought to do,” Isakson said of the offshore exploration. “We should be exploring every resource that we have.”

Isakson is a part of a bipartisan group of senators led by Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga. and Kent Conrad, D-N.D., that are committed to working together on legislation to address the nation’s energy crisis.

Chambliss Pleased With Senate Passage of Balanced, Bipartisan Intelligence Legislation

U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss, R-Georgia, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, today (July 9, 2008) made the following statement following Senate passage of legislation to update the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Chambliss also said he was pleased the Senate rejected amendments to punish American companies who assist the federal government in monitoring terrorist activity. Chambliss said the amendments would have derailed the compromise bill and further delayed U.S. intelligence gathering capabilities.

“This critical legislation has been the subject of many negotiations, and although the legislation is not perfect, I am pleased with the bipartisan nature of this compromise bill. I am satisfied that this legislation will provide our intelligence agencies with the legal tools necessary to perform their jobs, the flexibility they require, and the capability to protect Americans’ civil liberties. However, I am perplexed that it has taken Congress this long to adopt meaningful legislation necessary to protect our country; legislation which Congress knew, at least since last August, needed to be enacted expeditiously. Normally, Congress is accused of being guided by expediency rather than principle, but not usually in national security matters. Intelligence is bipartisan. Securing our nation is bipartisan. It is in every American’s interest that Congress act quickly to protect our nation from terrorist attack, espionage, or any other harm.

“Our intelligence collection relies on the assistance of U.S. telecommunication carriers. These communication providers are facing multi-million dollar lawsuits for their alleged assistance to the government after September 11, 2001. After the expiration of the Protect America Act, many providers began to delay or refuse assistance. Losing the cooperation of just one provider could mean losing thousands of pieces of intelligence on a daily basis. In just one week after its expiration, we lost significant amounts of intelligence forever. We will never be able to recover those lost communications, nor will we ever know what we missed. It is crucial that any FISA legislation include retrospective, as well as prospective, immunity for telecommunication providers who assist the government in securing our national security. To that end, I am pleased the Senate rejected amendments that would have undermined the months of hard work by the Senate Intelligence Committee and the House to reach an agreement on this bill.”

Chambliss Highlight Georgians’ Concerns about Rising Gas Prices

U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., took to the Senate floor today in his continued effort to highlight Georgians’ concerns over rising gas prices and to urge Congress to take steps to increase oil supply by allowing for domestic exploration. Chambliss has been urging Georgians to contact his office and share stories about how rising energy costs are affecting their daily lives. Chambliss said he believes drilling off the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), as well as accessing shale in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States should be pursued in an environmentally safe manner to increase domestic production. Excerpts of Chambliss’ floor speech are below:

Mr. President, my constituents continue to suffer due to the ever-increasing price of fuel. They are facing very difficult choices, between food and gasoline, between driving to work to earn money for their families and driving to the grocery store to feed their families.

I was pleased to hear yesterday both President Bush and Senator McCain highlight their support to lease off the Outer Continental Shelf so we can increase our supply of oil to help lower energy prices for all Americans. Is drilling domestically the only answer to high gas prices? Absolutely not. There are other parts to the equation, but this is the right way to go.

In 2005, we suffered the most significant damage in the Gulf Coast region of our country as a result of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. We saw not one drop of oil spilled even though there are hundreds and hundreds of oil-producing platforms in that area. I come from a coastal state. There is nothing that I want that would in any way endanger the pristine beaches in my state or the costal regions of any other state. But we now have the technology in place to ensure that never happens. Secondly, we can do this in a way that ultimately lets the individual coastal states decide whether or not to opt out of this moratorium.

I'm hopeful that the Senate will come together to take this first step to increase our supply. Would I like to see more development? Sure. I support the development not just off the Outer Continental Shelf, but in other regions of our country where we know we have vast resources of energy, whether it's on the Outer Continental Shelf, whether it's in the shale of the Rocky Mountains, or whether it is in ANWR of Alaska or other areas of the country where geologists are fairly certain we do have additional resources. We need to explore so we can add to the supply that we have so in the long-term and shore-term, we can see gas prices in this country stabilize and begin to come back down to something more reasonable than what we're looking at today.

Chambliss is a co-sponsor of S.2973, the American Energy Production Act, which aims to lower the cost of energy by increasing domestic production of oil and gas in America. Specifically, the bill would authorize oil and gas leasing in the Atlantic and Pacific Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), if states chose to do so. It will also authorize oil and gas leasing in ANWR, and suspends filling of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) through the end of calendar year 2008.

Senator Chambliss’ floor remarks can be viewed in their entirety on his website later today at www.chambliss.senate.gov.

Chambliss Urges Bipartisan Medicare Solution for Doctors and Seniors

U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., today (June 12, 2008) took to the Senate floor to urge a bipartisan Medicare solution for doctors and seniors and expressed his opposition to S. 3101, a Medicare bill introduced by Sen. Max Baucus, D- Montana, he says would negatively impact Georgia seniors. A procedural vote to begin debate on the bill received 54 votes, short of the necessary 60 votes required under Senate rules. Chambliss is supporting an alternative measure, the “Preserving Access to Medicare Act of 2008,” introduced by Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, that would replace the scheduled physicians fee cut with a 1.1 percent increase but does not make drastic cuts to the Medicare Advantage program. Senate Democrats would not allow the Grassley legislation to be considered.

“While I am supportive of ensuring doctors receive adequate Medicare reimbursements so they can cover costs, I cannot support Senator Baucus’ legislation, which will expand entitlement programs and ultimately take money away from reimbursing doctors as we move on down the road. Now is not the time to expand entitlement spending when it is already out of control and unsustainable. This Medicare bill would drastically cut Medicare Advantage plans. Medicare Advantage saves beneficiaries an average of $86 per month compared to premiums in traditional fee-for-service Medicare, and 138,000 Georgians benefit from this program. Additionally, the president has threatened to veto the legislation and realistically we do not have enough time before the July1 deadline—even if this legislation had overwhelming support, which it does not—for this legislation to pass both houses, receive a veto from the president, and return for a veto override.

“While we need a more permanent solution so doctors don’t have to worry about having to lay off employees or denying Medicare patients altogether, it is important that we work in a bipartisan manner to reach a temporary solution for doctors’ reimbursements in the meantime. Doctors and seniors deserve a serious and responsible effort that addresses the impending fee cut without playing politics and creating a major expansion of entitlement spending. It is my hope that Congress will work toward a bipartisan agreement that will provide doctors with the relief they need before July 1.”

On December 18, 2007, Chambliss voted in favor of the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-183). This legislation replaced the scheduled 10 percent fee cut with a 0.5 percent increase through June 30, 2008.

Chambliss: Americans Cannot Afford to Wait While Congress Plays Partisan Politics over Energy Crisis

U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., took to the Senate floor today to underscore the need to provide immediate relief to American families who are trying to cope with skyrocketing fuel prices and to address long-term solutions to our nation’s energy crisis. Excerpts of Chambliss’ floor speech are below:

“Skyrocketing gas prices is the most important issue on the minds of my constituents in Georgia and all over the country. I hear from hundreds each day who struggle to fill up the gas tank to get to work or to take the kids to school or run necessary errands. They want to know what Congress is doing about the out-of-control gas prices.

“There are several issues that need to be addressed with respect to the issue of skyrocketing gas prices. We simply need to take advantage of additional resources that we have inside the United States. Less than a month ago, my Republican colleagues in the Senate proposed legislation that would authorize drilling in offshore coastal waters currently subject to a federal moratorium. This amendment was defeated. Everywhere I go in Georgia, people ask me why we aren’t drilling domestically for oil. We have consistently tried to pass legislation that would also allow drilling in ANWR, but every attempt has been defeated.

“Supply and demand dictates the price of everything in our economy. We've got to have the capability of providing the kind of supply that is demanded by Americans.

“We’ve got to continue down the road of researching and developing more alternative fuels. We have seen the development of ethanol primarily in one region of our country -- the Midwest. The unintended consequence that we've seen is that food prices have increased due to the demand for corn. That’s why we have to move to develop the means to produce ethanol from cellulosic-based products.

“We’ve also got to implement conservation practices from an individual and household standpoint. We have put some measures in place that will direct the automobile manufacturing industry to develop automobiles that get higher miles per gallon. We also need to encourage some personal measures to make sure that we truly do have conservation practices in place.

“Another common sense solution Republicans have offered and I’ve supported, is an immediate federal gas tax holiday. Here we are going into the summer when travel increases. If this bill passed and is signed by the president, every American would be paying 18.4 cents per gallon less for gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon less for diesel fuel.

“If we can do something about the pain at the pump, the obvious question is, why aren't we?”

Chambliss is a co-sponsor of the American Energy Production Act, which aims to lower the cost of energy by increasing domestic production of oil and gas in America. He is also a co-sponsor of S. 2890, which would temporarily suspend the federal tax on gasoline and diesel fuel through September 1, 2008. The legislation would keep the Highway Trust Fund whole by transferring funds from the General Treasury.

Senator Chambliss’ floor remarks can be viewed in their entirety on his website at www.chambliss.senate.gov.

Chambliss Applauds Decision to Postpone Changes to Peanut Loans

U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), Ranking Republican Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today applauded the decision made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to not make any changes to the manner in which they establish marketing loan differentials for peanuts for the 2008 crop year. Maintaining the current practice for determining differentials for 2008 benefits Georgia peanut producers as the recent USDA proposal would have resulted in a significantly lower marketing loan rate for the Runner variety, which makes up almost 100 percent of Georgia production. Georgia produces nearly 45 percent of all the peanuts produced in the United States, making it the number one peanut producing state.

“This is good news for peanut producers in Georgia,” said Sen. Chambliss. “This year’s crop of peanuts has been in the ground for weeks and 2008 production contracts were signed months ago. Changing the loan differential formula after the peanut crop has been planted would have been detrimental for our growers. Domestic demand for peanuts and peanut products has increased and the federal government should allow growers to respond to this demand without interrupting current systems in place. I applaud USDA for recognizing the importance of maintaining the historically recognized practice of establishing loan differentials for the 2008 crop year.”

The farm bill recently approved by Congress contains several provisions that benefit peanut producers such as: maintaining a separate subtitle for peanuts; preserving the target price, direct payment rate and marketing loan rate established in the 2002 farm bill; providing for a mechanism to ensure handling and associated costs are not deducted from a producer’s loan rate; maintaining separate payment limits for peanuts; and including Conservation Security Program incentives for producers moving towards an optimal crop rotation.

Isakson, Chambliss Praise Senate’s Rejection of Amnesty Provision in Emergency War Supplemental Bill

U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., today praised the Senate’s refusal to include an amnesty provision in the emergency war supplemental bill. Language that would have granted legal status to over 1 million illegal agriculture workers and their families was stripped Tuesday night from the spending bill for troops.

Isakson and Chambliss earlier this week had urged the Democratic leader to remove the amnesty provision from the bill.

“There’s no greater domestic issue in this country than illegal immigration, and I am pleased the Senate rejected this attempt to grant amnesty on a bill designed to give our soldiers the resources they need in the War on Terror,” Isakson said. “The war supplemental was the wrong vehicle to deal with this issue and this was the absolutely wrong approach to handling illegal agricultural workers. Congress can make immigration reform a reality by first delivering common-sense solutions to secure our porous borders and stop the flow of illegal immigrants.”

“I’m pleased the Senate recognized that removing this bad provision was the right thing to do,” said Chambliss. “We need to ensure that funding for our troops is approved and delivered as quickly as possible without getting bogged down in an unrelated immigration debate.”

On May 15, the Senate Appropriations Committee adopted an amendment to the emergency war supplemental spending bill that would give a five-year visa to 1.35 million workers plus their spouses and dependent children to live and work in the United States. For almost all legal purposes, the amendment requires that the illegal aliens who qualify for the proposed visa be treated as lawful permanent residents.

Adding the amendment to the appropriations bill violated Senate rules because it legislates on an appropriations bill. Last night, Democrats invoked Senate Rule 16 on the floor, which requires that provisions in amendments to appropriations bills be relevant to the underlying legislation. Among the provisions dropped was the proposal to grant visas allowing illegal aliens to hold agricultural jobs for up to five years.

On May 20, Isakson and Chambliss, along with eight other Republican senators, sent a letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., urging the removal of the language. The text of the letter to Senator Reid is below. The letter was also signed by Senators Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., David Vitter, R-La., Tom Coburn, R-Okla., James Inhofe, R-Okla., John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., and Jim Bunning, R-Ky.

May 20, 2008

The Honorable Harry Reid
Majority Leader
United States Senate
Washington D.C. 20510

Dear Majority Leader Reid:

We write to express disappointment that the Senate Appropriations Committee chose to include in the War Supplemental more than 100 pages of immigration language that would grant legal status to more than one million illegal alien agriculture workers and their families. We urge you to remove these controversial provisions from the bill so we can enact essential funding for our troops without delay. If these provisions remain in the bill, you can expect a vigorous debate on immigration policy.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
News You Can Use
Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyrone

Isakson, Chambliss Praise Plan to Add Federal Prosecutors Along Southwest Border

U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., today (April 25, 2008) praised an announcement by the U.S. Department of Justice that the agency will hire 64 additional federal prosecutors and 35 additional support staff for the southwestern border.

“This addition of manpower is absolutely essential in order to handle the growing number of immigration and drug trafficking cases along the border,” Isakson said. “There’s no greater domestic issue in this country than the problems on our southern border with Mexico, and it is time that we make a commitment to make border security a reality.”

“I’m pleased to see this additional support for those who are on the front lines of combating crimes committed by illegal immigrants,” said Chambliss. “Taking immediate action to secure the borders of this country is essential, because that is where the problem of illegal immigration begins and where it must be stopped.”

In 2006, Isakson introduced legislation to provide increased manpower, equipment and technology to secure the U.S. border. The legislation called for increases in the number of U.S. Department of Homeland Security personnel, including attorneys to handle cases involving illegal aliens or immigration issues, as well as attorneys participating in the Federal Defenders Program, attorneys in U.S. Attorneys' Offices and attorneys in the Office of Immigration Litigation.

Isakson and Chambliss are members of the Senate Border Security and Enforcement First Caucus. The Caucus is a platform to let Americans know that some members of the U.S. Senate are continuing to push for enforcement of immigration laws that are already on the books, to act as the voice of those concerned citizens who have expressed their opinions time and time again for better interior enforcement and border security, to push for stronger border security and interior enforcement legislation and to work together in the U.S. Senate to defeat possible future legislation that offers amnesty.

Isakson, Chambliss Announce Over $600,000 in Funding for Georgia’s First Responders

U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) today announced $609,226.88 in Fiscal Year 2007 Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program (CEDAP) awards for Georgia.

The funding is provided through the Federal Emergency Management Agency at the Department of Homeland Security.

“This funding will go a long way to help ensure that Georgia’s first responders have the resources necessary to protect families and communities across the state,” said Isakson.

“Local firefighters and emergency workers provide our first defense to natural disasters, accidents and terrorist attacks,” Chambliss said. “It is because these brave men and women are often the first on the scene of any incident that we must continue to ensure they have the tools and training they need to do their jobs safely and efficiently. I look forward to continuing to work with local fire departments and emergency responders across the state to ensure they have the resources they need.”

CEDAP provides smaller communities and rural areas with technology and equipment, together with training and technical assistance, to help enhance first responder capabilities throughout the nation. CEDAP provides resources such as communications interoperability equipment, information sharing technology, chemical detection devices, sensors, personal protective equipment and rescue tools and training in how to use the equipment, devices and technology.

The Georgia grants are listed below:

Alto Police Department – Alto, Ga. - $11,794 for Law Enforcement
Athens-Clarke County Police Department – Athens, Ga. - $11,500 for Law Enforcement
Bartow County Emergency Management Agency – Cartersville, Ga. - $30,935.80 for Emergency Management
Berlin Police Department – Berlin, Ga. - $38,764.62 for Law Enforcement
Calhoun Police Department – Calhoun, Ga. - $8,499 for Law Enforcement
Canton Police Department – Canton, Ga. - $26,900 for Law Enforcement
Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services – Canton, Ga. - $15,300 for Fire Department
Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office – Canton, Ga. - $11,794 for Law Enforcement
City of Climax Police Department – Climax, Ga. - $38,764.62 for Law Enforcement
City of Hinesville Police Department – Hinesville, Ga. - $11,794 for Law Enforcement
Colquitt Police Department – Colquitt, Ga. - $11,500 for Law Enforcement
Cordele Police Department – Cordele, Ga. - $11,500 for Law Enforcement
Douglas County Emergency Management Agency – Douglasville, Ga. - $24,175 for Emergency Management
Dublin Police Department – Dublin, Ga. - $8,499 for Law Enforcement
Early County Sheriff’s Office – Blakely, Ga. - $24, 175 for Law Enforcement
Euharlee Police Department – Euharlee, Ga. - $11,794 for Law Enforcement
Georgia Ports Authority – Savannah, Ga. - $8,499 for Law Enforcement
Georgia Tech Police Department – Atlanta, Ga. - $32,274.90 for Law Enforcement
Henry County Police Department – McDonough, Ga. - $24,175 for Law Enforcement
Hickory Flat Fire Department, Inc. – Canton, Ga. - $12,936.15 for Fire Department
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office – Louisville, Ga. - $3,717 for Law Enforcement
Kingsland Police Department – Kingsland, Ga. - $11,500 for Law Enforcement
LaGrange Police Department – LaGrange, Ga. - $11,794 for Law Enforcement
Laurens County Fire Department – Dublin, Ga. - $30,935.80 for Fire Department
Laurens County Sheriff’s Office – Dublin, Ga. - $8,499 for Law Enforcement
Leesburg Police Department – Leesburg, Ga. - $11,794 for Law Enforcement
Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office – Lincolnton, Ga. - $12,936.15 for Law Enforcement
Morgan County Sheriff’s Office – Madison, Ga. - $11,500 for Law Enforcement
Norcross Police Department – Norcross, Ga. - $12,000 for Law Enforcement
Perry Police Department – Perry, Ga. - $11,794 for Law Enforcement
St. Marys Fire Department – St. Marys, Ga. - $12,919.94 for Fire Department
St. Marys Police Department – St. Marys, Ga. - $11,794 for Law Enforcement
Summerville Fire Department – Summerville, Ga. - $32,274.90 for Fire Department
Taylor County Sheriff’s Office – Butler, Ga. - $11,500 for Law Enforcement
Union County Emergency Management Agency - Blairsville, Ga. - $11,794 for Emergency Management
Woodstock Police Department – Woodstock, Ga. - $26,900 for Law Enforcement