Chambliss, Isakson Blast Administration's Failure to Include SHEP in the President's Budget

Press Release

Today, U.S. Sens. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., released the following statement after the administration failed to include construction money for the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP), despite producing a budget that requests more than $600 billion in new spending.

"We are deeply disappointed and frustrated to see the promises to help advance the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project made by President Obama and Vice President Biden were not fulfilled in today's budget release. It is baffling to see this administration choose to ignore a statute passed just six weeks ago that cleared all remaining obstructions to moving forward with the project. The administration has once again chosen to ignore existing law, and in this case needlessly hamstring the advancement of SHEP.

"This administration has promised to deliver economic development and economic opportunity to the state of Georgia through the authorization and funding of SHEP. During a visit to the port last year, Vice President Biden promised that "We are going to get this done, come hell or high water," and the president himself included SHEP in his 2012 "We Can't Wait" initiative. It is now clear they would rather pay lip-service to Georgians than deliver on their promises. With clear opportunity in front of them and congressional direction to guide them, the decision to delay SHEP's construction was solely the administration's. This project would support hundreds of thousands of jobs each year while generating billions in revenue. The Obama administration had the opportunity to fulfill their campaign promises of economic and job growth, and chose not to.

"Having wasted this opportunity and broken their promises to the state, we call on the administration to allow this project to move forward and to get out of the way of the people of Georgia. We are tired of waiting."

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014 (Omnibus spending bill), gave clear direction to the administration to begin construction on SHEP and to request the necessary funding. The administration's position, as evidenced by the Office of Management and Budget, is that they will ignore the clear guidance from Congress and will instead request more funding for studies this year. The president had included SHEP in his 2012 "We Can't Wait" initiative in which he specifically pledged to expedite SHEP and four other port projects. Just seven months ago, Vice President Biden visited the port in Savannah and said the project would be expedited and built "come hell or high water."

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