Dahlonega-Lumpkin County Chamber of Commerce

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

December 23, 2009

Dear Friends,

This week, the Senate continued its debate on the Democrats’ $2.5 trillion health care legislation. At 1 a.m. on Monday, I voted against ending debate on Democratic Leader Harry Reid’s “manager’s amendment” to the health care legislation. Unfortunately, the Senate voted to cut off debate on a party-line vote of 60-40 and is expected to approve the overall legislation on Christmas Eve.

The unintended consequences of this legislation are disastrous. This bill will only drive up the cost of health care and put a government bureaucrat between a patient and his doctor. This bill is bad for Georgia, bad for families, bad for our seniors and bad for the American economy.

I am dismayed by the lack of transparency as this bill was drafted and the backroom deals that Senator Reid made with a small group of senators in order to secure their votes.

For example, Georgia and most states will face billions of dollars in massive unfunded mandates to cover the cost of the proposed expansion of Medicaid contained in the bill. However, in order to win the vote of Senator Ben Nelson, D-Neb., Senator Reid inserted a provision in the bill that says the federal government would cover the cost of all new Medicaid beneficiaries in Nebraska, saving that state tens of millions of dollars.

In addition, to appease Senator Bill Nelson, D-Fla., Senator Reid agreed to insert a provision that says Medicare Advantage plans in Florida would receive an additional payment in order to preserve current levels of benefits. As a result, seniors in Florida would not be subject to the significant cuts facing Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in Georgia and other states.

The American people deserve much more than a game of “Let’s Make a Deal.”  Ramming through a bill drafted behind closed doors and stuffed with special deals to ensure the votes of certain senators was the wrong way to go about this debate. The health care of the America people is too important for us to exploit it so politically in this manner. This has not been a thoughtful process, it has not been a transparent process and it is an unfortunate way to do business.

At a time when Georgia and most states are already under tremendous budgetary stress due to the economy, the proposed expansion of Medicaid contained in this bill is a recipe for disaster. It’s not fair to say we’re covering more people if we are bankrupting our states through this massive unfunded mandate.

Despite the $2.5 trillion cost, an estimated 23 million Americans would still be left without health insurance.  To view the remarks I made on the Senate floor during the debate on Sunday, click here.

In addition, I have heard from many Georgians who have concerns about the constitutionality of certain provisions within the Democrats’ health care reform legislation. I feel these concerns are legitimate, and I believe this legislation would certainly face challenges in our courts if it becomes law.

Tomorrow, I will vote against final passage of this terribly flawed health care bill, because I believe it will raise taxes, raise premium, cut benefits for seniors and place a massive unfunded mandate on the states.

Defense Appropriations Bill Approved by Senate
On Saturday, I voted to approve the 2010 Defense Appropriations Bill, which provides funding for a number of important provisions for our military men and women and their families, the operations they are conducting overseas, as well as Georgia’s military installations and Georgia-made weapon systems.

The bill provides $636.3 billion for the military, including $128.2 billion to support the military efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, this does not include funding to support President Obama’s recently announced troop increase in Afghanistan. Senator Chambliss and I look forward to working with our colleagues and the administration in the New Year to move as quickly as possible to provide General Stanley McChrystal and U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry and their teams the resources they need to succeed as quickly as possible.

Additionally, the bill also makes funding available for communities that have been adversely impacted by the Department of Defense’s decision to not grow the Army by an additional three brigades as previously announced. Communities and local businesses in Liberty County and Southeast Georgia invested over $75 million in response to appeals by the Department of Defense to prepare for an additional brigade at Ft Stewart. However, the Department of Defense later said that the brigade would not be coming.

Whenever we call upon local communities to provide the money, the infrastructure and the manpower to support an expansion of troops, it is important for us to live up to the responsibilities we have and see to it that to the maximum extent possible those communities are made whole.  Georgia’s military bases and defense systems manufacturers are critical to our national security and have played a key role in the global war on terrorism.  While I do not agree with everything in this bill, this funding is critical to ensuring that our men and women in uniform have the resources they need to protect our homeland and continue the fight for freedom around the world.

To view additional information about what is included in this bill, along with Georgia-related projects, click here.

What’s on Tap?

The Senate is expected to pass Senator Reid’s health care bill tomorrow despite my opposition. In addition, the Senate is expected to vote this week on a temporary increase in the debt ceiling. A full debate on this issue is scheduled to begin on January 20. 

My wife, Dianne, and I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  I hope that you will join us in saying a special prayer of thanks and safe-keeping for our men and women who protect and defend the United States in our armed forces.

Sincerely,
Johnny Isakson