A Weekly e-Newsletter From Senator Johnny Isakson

Statement

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

Dear Friends,

Over the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to travel around Georgia and hear from the people of our great state. From Dalton and Summerville to Rome and Carrollton, I have heard your views and am proud to be serving you in Washington. This week, health care reform dominated discussions in Congress.

On Monday, President Obama unveiled another new health care bill that served as the basis for discussion at a televised health care summit at the Blair House on Thursday with Democratic and Republican leaders from both chambers, as well as a handful of other lawmakers who have been involved in drafting health care plans.

In order to move forward on health care, I believe the White House must ensure that the Democratic health care bills currently in the House and Senate will not be the basis for moving forward. However, that's clearly not the case. The president's proposal largely reflects deals struck between Democrats in the House and Senate in January before the Democrats lost their filibuster-proof, 60-vote majority in the Senate.

As a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, I recognize the frustrations many Americans have with the current cost and delivery of health care. I agree we must look for solutions to find ways to provide access to affordable health care to individuals who lack access to health insurance through an employer. There are ways to find common ground, but recycling legislation the American people have already rejected is not the way to go about it.

Congress should start over with a step-by-step process that includes increasing coverage of preventative and wellness care, which will help control the cost of managing chronic diseases and drive down the cost of treating largely preventable conditions. We can all agree on the need to eliminate insurance coverage rejection due to pre-existing conditions and cancellation due to developing a condition. It is also vital that we enroll all of those already eligible for Medicare, Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) in those programs.

Finally, we should repeal the prohibition of insurance sales across state lines to increase portability and competition as well as allow small businesses to pool together to form association health plans. These are the keys to expanding access to health insurance.

Jobs Bill
This week, the Senate approved Democratic Leader Harry Reid's legislation to provide economic relief by a vote of 70-28. I was one of the 28 members of the Senate who voted no. I voted against this legislation for three reasons.

First, I had concerns over the centerpiece of the bill, which exempts employers from paying the 6.2 percent Social Security payroll tax this year on newly hired workers who have been unemployed for 60 days or more. The bill also provides an additional $1,000 tax credit for workers retained for at least a year. The cost of these provisions is $13 billion.

Since 1984, Social Security has collected more in payroll taxes than it has paid out in benefits, accumulating a $2.5 trillion trust fund. However, Social Security's annual surplus nearly evaporated in 2009 as the recession led hundreds of thousands of workers to retire or claim disability. As a result, the Social Security Administration believes tax increases, spending cuts or new borrowing will be required to make up the difference between taxes collected and benefits owed in the coming years.

I do not believe now is the time to pass legislation that would further reduce Social Security.

I also have concerns that the legislation contained no requirement for employers to verify the legal status of these new hires.

Second, the legislation reauthorizes the highway trust fund to use gasoline taxes to help state and local governments pay for highway and transit projects through the end of 2010. The bill deposits an additional $20 billion into the trust fund. I believe we must address the fundamental flaws in the Highway Trust Fund funding mechanism.

Finally, the legislation expands the Build America Bonds program to subsidize the interest costs of bonds to include certain school and energy projects. The cost of this provision is $2.3 billion.

I believe it is irresponsible for the federal government to be subsidizing the interest on bonds for city and state projects when the federal government cannot afford its own debt, which is currently $12.4 trillion.

"Taxpayers' Friend Award"
This week, I was honored toreceive the "Taxpayers' Friend Award" from the National Taxpayers Union for my voting record in 2009. The award is given to members of Congress who consistently vote to control federal spending and reduce the burden on American taxpayers.

As a businessman, I more than recognize that the way the government is operating is not only unsustainable, it is a recipe for disaster and failure. We must take large and immediate steps to stop out-of-control federal spending.

I believe members of Congress must lead by example and be good steward of taxpayer dollars. Since I was elected to Congress in 1999, I have returned over $2.2 million of my annual Congressional office budget allotment to the Treasury. Additionally, I will return an estimated $460,000 of my Senate office budget allotment for fiscal year 2009 once final expenses have been completed.

Additionally, the current tax code is overly burdensome, inefficient and ineffective. I believe that the only way for all types of reform to receive a fair hearing is to lay all options on the table. As a result, I have re-introduced legislation that terminates the current tax code and forces Congress to come up with a simpler, fairer tax code.

Our economy is fueled by the hard work and creativity of the American people. There is no doubt that the current tax code serves as a barrier to the long-term growth and health of our economy. Whether it is simplified or replaced, Congress must do something to bring tax relief to America's families and businesses.

New Interns
Recently, my offices in Georgia and Washington, D.C. welcomed a new group of interns for the upcoming months. Our interns get a firsthand look at how a Congressional office is run as well as providing valuable services to our staff and constituents. It is our goal that by the end of the internship, students selected for the program will have developed a broader understanding of the role of the federal government both locally and nationally and will have worked with the state and Washington staff members to address a variety of issues that concern the residents of Georgia.

In Washington, our interns are Drew Aldridge, James Dantzler, Elizabeth Dent, Leslie Coots and Natalie Gross. In Atlanta, our interns are Janay Austin, Valencia Clements-Bush, Victoria Vaught, and Maureen Rhodes. If you visit one of my offices or call about an issue in the next few weeks, please help us welcome our new interns. They are off to a great start!

What's on Tap?

Next Week, the Senate is expected to debate legislation to extend unemployment benefits and COBRA benefits as well as a tax extenders bill.

Sincerely,
Johnny Isakson

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