U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., today joined with 37 of their Senate Republican colleagues in a letter to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner calling for an end to the Troubled Asset Relief Program, known as TARP, which has been used to assist troubled banks, financial institutions and automakers.

The authority for the TARP is scheduled to expire on Dec. 31, 2009.

On Jan. 15, 2009, Isakson and Chambliss voted to oppose the Bush administration’s request to access the remaining $350 billion in TARP funds, citing their disappointment and frustration over how the administration spent the first $350 billion. Isakson and Chambliss also strongly opposed the Bush administration’s decision to use TARP funds to bail out U.S. automakers.

The full text of the letter is below:

Dear Secretary Geithner:

As we approach the termination date for authority to spend federal funds allocated to the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) through the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA) (PL 110-343), we ask you to allow the authority to expire on December 31, 2009. As you know, the latest TARP report shows a significant amount of unobligated funds. Ending the authority for TARP would help improve the Federal debt going forward and reduce the need to increase the debt limit, which Congress has raised three times in the last 14 months.

When Congress passed EESA last October, the financial markets were in a downward spiral, and our country was facing an unprecedented credit crisis. Then Treasury Secretary Paulson requested $700 billion in federal funds to purchase toxic assets, which were at the heart of the financial crisis. Congress was told it was imperative to act quickly before the financial markets crashed, taking with it the pensions, savings and investments of hardworking, American taxpayers. As you know, the Senate passed EESA on a bipartisan basis, including the support of then-Senator Obama. Subsequent to the enactment of this legislation, however, TARP has been used by the federal government to acquire ownership stakes in banks, financial institutions, and automakers. This direct investment certainly was not the intention of Congress in passing this legislation. In fact, Congress explicitly rejected legislation to provide federal funds to bail out car manufacturers.

Based on your comments to the TARP Congressional Oversight Panel on September 10, 2009, it appears that you believe that our financial markets are recovering. In addition, borrowing costs are down for both business and consumer lending and banks are reporting stronger balance sheets. While we understand that our economy is still recovering, we believe it can function without added TARP funding. Additionally, the cost to the taxpayer if TARP authority was extended could be substantial. Already the taxpayer is expected to lose tens of billions of dollars on funding that was provided to GM, Chrysler and AIG.

As elected officials with the responsibility to the American public when it comes to overseeing taxpayer interests, we urge you not to extend TARP. To the extent you have concerns that allowing TARP to expire after this year would jeopardize the progress made in the recovery of our financial markets, we would remind you that Congress stands ready to work alongside the Administration if future action is required. This program should expire on December 31, 2009, and all TARP repayments should be returned to the Treasury for debt reduction.

U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today applauded the first meeting of the newly created, 10-member Financial Crisis Commission that he helped create and urged its members to focus on investigating the causes of the current economic crisis rather than on Congressional efforts to overhaul financial regulations.

Isakson also urged Congress and the Administration to avoid a rush to judgment on pushing for new financial regulation to fix the mistakes that led to our economic collapse. Instead, Isakson said the Financial Crisis Commission should be allowed to complete its year-long audit and investigation of all the factors leading up to the collapse and then to make recommendations on how to prevent it from happening again.

“I hope members of Congress and the President will give this Commission time to act. It does not make any sense to pass new laws before we get an objective evaluation to find out what went right, what went wrong and what we must do to prevent it from happening again,” Isakson said. “I trust members of the commission understand the importance of making sure we don’t miss the mark, that we stay focused and we get the answers to what caused this financial collapse. It’s what the American people deserve.”

The panel held its first meeting on Sept. 17, 2009. Phil Angelides, who served as the elected California State Treasurer from 1999 to 2007, is chairman of the Commission. Former House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas is vice chairman.

Isakson originally introduced legislation to examine the causes of the current economic crisis in January 2009. On April 22, the Senate overwhelmingly passed an amendment by Isakson to the Senate’s version of the financial fraud bill to create the Financial Crisis Commission. President Obama signed the legislation into law on May 20.

U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., today announced that the Department of Veterans Affairs plans to open two new “Vet Centers” in Muscogee and Richmond counties. Vet Centers provide readjustment counseling and outreach services to all veterans who served in any combat zone.

“This is outstanding news for Georgia. These new facilities will help ensure that we deliver to our veterans the level of VA care they deserve,” Isakson said. “As a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, one of my top priorities is to make sure America takes care of the veterans who have dedicated their lives to serving our country.”

“Our veterans deserve access to the very best care and services,” said Chambliss, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “The announcement of these new facilities is great news for veterans in our state who have served our nation with honor.”

The VA said it expects the facilities will be fully operational by the end of 2010.

These new facilities will be in addition to the five VA Vet Centers that already operate in Georgia.

Bill Named for Georgia Child Who Remains Semi-Comatose After Day Care Accident Eight Years Ago

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Chris Dodd, D-Conn., both members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, today introduced legislation that would require child care providers to disclose whether they have liability insurance.


The legislation was prompted by the story of Anthony DeJuan Boatwright, also known as Juan. In 2001, when he was 14 months old, Juan fell into an unattended bucket of mop water at his child care center in Augusta, Ga. As a result of the accident, Juan has remained semi-comatose and dependent on a ventilator for the past eight years. The center where Juan was injured was licensed, but not insured. At the time, there was no provision in place to let parents know the insurance status of child care providers.


“I hope the Senate will quickly pass this straight-forward, bipartisan legislation to simultaneously honor young Juan and provide parents with much-needed information about child care facilities,” Isakson said. “Juan’s mother Jackie deserves considerable credit for her efforts to ensure all parents know whether or not their child care provider is insured.”


“As the father of two young daughters, I understand the need for parents to be well informed when making decisions about child care,” said Dodd. “This bill will help to protect children and give parents peace of mind. I’m proud to support this important legislation, and look forward to future opportunities to improve the quality of and access to child care in this country for children, families, and providers.”

Specfically, the Anthony DeJuan Boatwright Act would require child care providers that receive Child Care and Development Block Grant funds to disclose whether or not they carry liability insurance for the operation of their facility. The bill also would require that states recommend such coverage in their licensure process.

Senators Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and Roland Burris, D-Ill., also are co-sponsors of the bill. A companion bill passed in the House of Representatives on June 2, 2009.

U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today voted against a flawed health care reform plan that will cost more than $1 trillion, will put the federal government in an unfair competition with private health insurers and managed care providers and will place a massive financial burden on Georgia and other states to pay for a proposed expansion of Medicaid.


The health care reform legislation, which was crafted by Senate Democrats, was approved in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee by a 13 to 10 vote.


“I agree we must look for solutions to alleviate the financial burden of health care and find ways to provide affordable health care to individuals who lack access to insurance,” Isakson said. “However, this bill will not do any of those things. It will only drive up the cost of health care and decrease patient choice. I cannot support legislation that will put a government bureaucrat between a patient and his doctor.”

Isakson believes that a government-run plan included in the bill will decrease choice and quality, because it would be difficult for private entities to compete with the government that regulates them and taxes them and that is exempt from having to pay taxes. Isakson also opposes a mandate in the legislation that would require employers with more than 25 workers provide insurance or pay a penalty, because he believes it will force many small businesses to eliminate jobs.

With a likely cost of more than $1 trillion, Isakson voiced disappointment that the Committee rejected several amendments designed to reduce frivolous medical lawsuits, which drive up costs and force doctors to order wasteful tests and treatments to cover liabilities.

Isakson also criticized the proposed expansion of Medicaid, which would allow individuals who earn up to 150 percent of the federal poverty level to be eligible for full Medicaid benefits. Currently, Medicaid is available only to those who earn up to 100 percent of the poverty level, meaning that the Democrats’ plan represents a 50 percent increase in Medicaid. When Medicaid was originally created in 1968, Georgia’s total Medicaid spending was nearly $7.7 million, or 1 percent of all state spending. In 2008, Georgia’s total Medicaid spending was over $2.4 billion, or 12 percent of all state spending. This proposal would cost Georgia and other states billions of additional dollars to meet the 50 percent increase for their required share of Medicaid costs.


Isakson is a co-sponsor of S.1099, Patients’ Choice Act of 2009, which seeks to strengthen the relationship between the patient and the doctor by using choice and competition, rather than rationing and restrictions, to contain costs and ensure affordable health care for all Americans.

U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., has been appointed to the Board of Visitors of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y.

“It is an honor and a privilege to be appointed to the Board of Visitors of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy,” Isakson. “The academy prepares promising young men and women to serve as leaders in the maritime industry and the armed services.”

As a member of the Board of Visitors, Isakson will visit the academy annually and make recommendations on the operation of the academy. The academy, which is operated by the Maritime Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation, was dedicated by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1943. Its college level, four-year program is fully accredited. More than 21,700 academy graduates have served the maritime industry and the Armed Forces both at sea and ashore.

The board consists of one senator appointed by the Vice President; two senators appointed by the chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation; one member of the House of Representatives appointed by the speaker of the House; three members of the House of Representatives appointed jointly by the chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and by the chairman of the House Committee on National Security.

As a U.S. senator, Isakson also has a role in nominating students to the Merchant Marine Academy. The annual nomination of young people to all of our nation’s military academies is the responsibility of each Member of Congress. Those nominees who are accepted into the academies are awarded full four-year scholarships, which are valued around $400,000 each on average and include tuition, books, board, medical and dental care. Since his election to the Senate in 2004, some 120 Isakson nominees have been accepted into U.S. military academies.

U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Acting TSA Administrator Gail Rossides regarding the status of personal and biornetric information submitted by customers of Clear, a registered traveler program that allowed travelers access to special TSA lines at participating airports. On June 22, Clear ceased operations after its parent company, Verified Identity Pass, Inc., was unable to negotiate an agreement with its senior creditor to continue operations.

“As Clear winds down its operation, I need to know that the deletion of this credentialing and biometric data remains a top priority,” Isakson wrote in the letter. “I am also concerned that the personal and biometric information of my constituents could be compromised.”

Clear operated security lanes at 20 airports nationwide, including Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Clear customers paid $199 per year and were prescreened before receiving a special identification card that allowed them access to designated security lanes.

As part of this prescreening process, Clear collected personal credentialing information from its customers such as name, Social Security number, passport information, date of birth, address and other personal identifying information. Clear also collected biometric information in the form of facial photographs, iris scans and fingerprint scans.

Clear signed up and collected personal and biometric data for over 20,000 Georgians and an additional 240,000 customers nationwide.

In the letter, Isakson requested a meeting with TSA officials to be briefed on the steps TSA is taking to ensure the protection and deletion of this personal and biornetric information

U.S. senators Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today attended the opening of the National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center in Columbus, Ga.

“Today is a proud day for the men and women of the infantry and our nation,” said Chambliss, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “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. I am pleased to have the opportunity to take part in the opening of this museum, which will give our infantrymen and women their due.”

“It is a privilege to attend today’s grand opening of the National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center,” said Isakson, a member of the Senate Veterans’’ Affairs Committee. “The infantry deserves an appropriate place to showcase its rich history, and I’m pleased we now have this remarkable facility to make people aware of the immense sacrifices its soldiers have made for our nation.”

Last fall, Chambliss and Isakson were instrumental in passing legislation, the National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center Commemorative Coin Act, which authorized 350,000 silver coins to be issued in 2012 to honor soldiers and commemorate the construction of the National Infantry Museum. Money raised through the sale of the coins will go toward establishing an endowment to support the maintenance of the new museum.

The new National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center at Patriot Park is a state-of-the-art facility constructed to tell the story of America’s infantry. For more information, please visit www.nationalinfantrymuseum.com.

U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga. today announced he will host a statewide First-Time Homebuyer’s Forum on Saturday, June 27, 2009. The workshop will be held at the Busbee Center at Gwinnett Technical College in Lawrenceville, Ga., from 10 a.m. until noon.

The forum is an opportunity for first-time homebuyers to hear from professionals on best practices for first-time homebuyers, federal and state tax incentives, how to choose a Realtor, and general information on the home purchasing process. Presenting organizations will include the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, the Georgia Association of Realtors and the Mortgage Bankers Association of Georgia. Representatives from the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, the Atlanta Board of Realtors and Gwinnett County also will be available to speak with attendees.

“I am honored to be able to offer this excellent opportunity to first-time homebuyers from across Georgia,” said Isakson. “As a Realtor myself for many years, I’m well aware of the value of a knowledgeable buyer. Information is power in home buying and negotiating. I encourage anyone interested in meeting with professionals in the field to participate.”

All persons who are interested in attending must make a reservation online at rsvp@isakson.senate.gov, or by contacting Isakson’s office at (770) 661-0999. All persons who wish to attend must do so by the registration deadline on Thursday, June 25, 2009, at 5 p.m.

U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today urged caution in rushing to pass a flawed health care reform plan that will cost more than $1 trillion, will put the federal government in an unfair competition with private health insurers and managed care providers, and will place a massive financial burden on Georgia and other states to pay for a proposed expansion of Medicaid.

The health care legislation, which was crafted by Senate Democrats, is being considered by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Isakson is a member of the committee.

“I recognize the frustrations many Americans have with the current cost and delivery of health care. We do want to reduce cost, we do want to improve quality and we do want to improve accessibility. I am as committed to that as anyone,” Isakson said. “However, I am not going to stand for a simple solution to a very difficult problem. This country cannot afford to get this wrong, because if we do, we won’t have another big issue to debate because we won’t have a country.”

The HELP Committee is currently considering health care reform legislation that includes a government-run plan that would compete with private insurers. During an executive session of the committee to debate the legislation, Isakson argued that a government-run plan will decrease choice and quality, because it would be difficult for private entities to compete with the government that regulates them and taxes them and that is exempt from having to pay taxes.

A preliminary report from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimated the legislation currently being considered by the committee would cost at least $1 trillion. However, many sections of the bill, including a proposed expansion of Medicaid, are missing and therefore could not be included in the cost estimate. The CBO report also estimated the legislation would cause 23 million Americans to lose their current health care coverage, including 15 million individuals who are currently covered by employer-sponsored plans.

Isakson also criticized the proposed expansion of Medicaid, which would allow individuals who earn up to 150 percent of the federal poverty level to be eligible for full Medicaid benefits. Currently, Medicaid is available only to those who earn up to 100 percent of the poverty level, so the Democrats’ plan represents a 50 percent increase. When Medicaid was originally created in 1968, Georgia’s total Medicaid spending was nearly $7.7 million, or 1 percent of all state spending. In 2008, Georgia’s total Medicaid spending was over $2.4 billion, or 12 percent of all state spending. This proposal would cost Georgia and other states billions of additional dollars to meet the 50 percent increase to their required share of Medicaid costs.

Isakson believes the key to health care reform is stimulating competition in a market-based system that will encourage private health insurers and managed care providers to compete for business and make health insurance more affordable for consumers. Isakson also believes Congress should look carefully into proposals that will increase coverage of preventative and wellness care, which will help control the cost of managing chronic disease and drive down the cost of treating largely preventable conditions.

Isakson is a co-sponsor of S.1099, Patients’ Choice Act of 2009, which seeks to strengthen the relationship between the patient and the doctor by using choice and competition rather than rationing and restrictions to contain costs and ensure affordable health care for all Americans.