Collins Bill to Honor Fallen Marine Sent to President’s Desk

Press Release, State & National

COLLINS BILL TO HONOR FALLEN CLERMONT MARINE SENT TO PRESIDENT’S DESK

WASHINGTON—The Senate last night voted unanimously to pass H.R. 3821, legislation to rename Georgia’s Clermont Post Office in honor of Zack T. Addington. Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) introduced the bill this September, and it passed the House in November.

“Lance Corporal Zack Addington represents the selfless courage that’s cultivated in northeast Georgia, and I’m excited to see this bill leave Congress and head to the president’s desk for his signature,” said Collins.

Collins also honored Addington when he spoke about the bill on the House floor.

Background:

Known to his neighbors as Zack, Addington joined the United States Marine Corps in 1967. A native of Clermont, he became a rifleman in the 3rd Marine Division of the Fleet Marine Force and deployed to Vietnam that year. Addington was promoted to Lance Corporal and served his country honorably until he was killed in action in May 1968.

That June, Addington received the Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal and Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbon in recognition of his service there.

Senator David Perdue Discusses Immigration Latest On Fox News & ABC

State & National

Senator David Perdue Discusses Immigration Latest On Fox News & ABC

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) spoke with Trish Regan on Fox News Channel’s Sunday Morning Futures and George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s This Week about recent meetings at the White House to fix the legal immigration system.

Highlights from Sunday Morning Futures

Negotiating A Deal: “The President has been very clear that any solution to DACA must include border security, including the wall, an end to chain migration, and an end to the visa lottery. Last week, we had two meetings at the White House. President Trump is very engaged on this issue, just like he was on tax. I’m hopeful we can get symmetry in this negotiation. In my business experience, that’s how you get to a deal and I still think there is a possibility to do that.”

Double Talk From Democrats: “It’s a gross distraction from the issue. Senators Schumer and Durbin both talked about ending parts of chain migration on the Senate floor. We’re doing things that the Democrats have voted for and have supported in the past. Under Bill Clinton in the 90s, we had a Presidential Commission actually recommend limiting chain migration and recommend moving to a merit-based immigration system based on who you are and not where you are from. The problem now is politics. That’s what’s so frustrating to all of us.”

Focusing The Scope: “Congress has failed three times in the last 11 years to fix the immigration system because they’ve been too comprehensive and tried to solve the legal problem, the temporary work visa problem, and the illegal immigration problem at the same time. What we’re doing now is limiting this debate to just the legal immigration system and I believe we can get to a solution.”

President’s Agenda Is Working: “If this were any other president getting the results that we’re getting right now in the economy, we would be crowing about the results. Two million new jobs created last year, 860 rules and regulations pulled back, 500 bureaucrats fired at the VA for non-performance, 300 fired in the Department of Education, consumer confidence is at a 17-year high, CEO confidence is at a 20-year high, 123 companies decided to give year-end bonuses because of our action on tax. This economy is beginning to move and what we have to do now is focus on immigration, infrastructure, and trade to keep moving the economy forward.”

Responding To Hawaii: “I don’t know the details of that yet, but it just heightens the fact that somebody made a mistake somewhere. As a member of the Armed Services Committee, I can assure you that we’ll get to the bottom of that.”

Highlights from This Week

Solving DACA: “The problem is Washington career politicians who just want to pander to their base. What we have right now is a gross misrepresentation of a meeting from Thursday. Two days earlier, the President held an hour-long open meeting with the media where Democrats and Republicans from both the House and Senate debated the issue. We want to solve the DACA problem. We want border security with a wall. We want to end chain migration and the visa lottery. That’s the scope we all agreed on Tuesday.”

Record Of Misrepresenting: “In 2013, Senator Durbin made the same allegation against a Republican leader in a meeting with President Obama, saying he chewed out the president and that this Republican leader was so disrespectful to President Obama they couldn’t even have the meeting. That’s what he said that in 2013. Later that day, President Obama’s own press secretary came out and said, ‘it did not happen.’ This is about a gross misrepresentation, and it’s not the first time.”

Current Negotiation Parameters: “We’re focusing on four things. The President has been consistent all along about what he wants in an immigration deal. I have been consistent. Senator Cotton has been consistent. Any deal on DACA has to include border security, including a wall, and the end to chain migration. That’s been consistent for the past year.”

Senator David Perdue Discusses Fixing Legal Immigration System On Fox News

State & National

Senator David Perdue Discusses Fixing Legal Immigration System On Fox News

“The January 19 deadline to fund the government and the March 5 DACA deadline are two totally separate issues”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) spoke with Brian Kilmeade on Fox News’ Fox & Friends about yesterday’s bipartisan meeting at the White House to fix the legal immigration system.

Goals Established: “This President is an outsider. He is a business guy. He wants to get results on this issue just like he did on tax. What we did yesterday is agree on two things. One, we agreed on the scope of this current negotiation. We are not trying to solve all of our immigration problems here. What we want to do is solve the DACA issue, address border security, eliminate chain migration, and end the archaic visa lottery program. The second thing the President did yesterday was establish a sense of urgency. That is something rare in Washington.”

Differentiating Deadlines: “The January 19 deadline to fund the government, and the March 5 DACA deadline are two totally separate issues. I heard members on the other side talk about that after the meeting. January 19 is about funding the government, and that is another conversation entirely.”

Broad Support: “72% of Americans believe immigration should be focused on the worker and the immediate family. Name another idea or another issue here in Washington that 70% of Americans agree on. This is one issue where the American people are going to hold us accountable.”

Sense Of Urgency: “We are still working against a hard deadline of March 5. That’s how you bring a sense of urgency and get things done in Congress. President Trump said yesterday that he expects results on this issue. He is willing to work with us day and night. I think that was evident yesterday from the conversation we had in the White House.”

Focused Negotiations: “I give the President high marks for bringing a focus to this issue and not trying to solve every problem related to immigration but instead, focus right now on the legal immigration system.”

Georgia Trend Names Sen. Steve Gooch One of Georgia’s Most Influential People

State & National

Georgia Trend Names Sen. Steve Gooch One of Georgia’s Most Influential People

ATLANTA (January 8, 2018) | Senator Steve Gooch (R – Dahlonega) was recognized as one of Georgia’s most influential people by Georgia Trend magazine. The magazine’s annual list recognizes the 100 Most Influential Georgians.

“It is an honor to be recognized among this distinguished list of leaders in our great state,” said Sen. Gooch. “I look forward to working with my colleagues and local community leaders to keep Georgia moving in the right direction. Over the past several years, we have seen numerous businesses moving to Georgia leading to additional economic growth and job creation. We will work hard during this upcoming session to continue this progress for our state.”

Georgia Trend recognized Sen. Gooch’s work in the Georgia Senate and his consistent efforts to improve education and public schools for children in his district and around the state. They also acknowledged his work on job creation, immigration, tax reform and the right to bear arms. Sen. Gooch has also been a leader for transportation in Georgia.

Georgia Trend releases their 100 Most Influential Georgians list annually. The list includes individuals who make a positive impact on the lives of Georgians and make decisions that affect the wellbeing of the state. Naming the top 100 is a year-round process and the final list includes those who “have exhibited the character necessary to inspire, challenge, lead – and influence us.”

Additional information can be found on the Georgia Trend magazine website link below:

http://www.georgiatrend.com/January-2018/2018-100-Most-Influential-Georgians/

Senator David Perdue: This Is About Tax Relief For The American Worker

State & National

Senator David Perdue: This Is About Tax Relief For The American Worker

“A family of four, making the median income of $71,000 a year, is going to get a 60% tax cut with this plan”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators David Perdue (R-GA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Dean Heller (R-NV) and grassroots leaders held an event today to highlight the positive impact changing the tax code will have on American families, businesses, and the economy.

 

Relief For Working Americans: “On the individual side, there’s been a lot of talk that the rich are getting all the benefits. This couldn’t be further from the truth. A family of four, making the median income of $71,000 a year, is going to get a 60% tax cut with this plan. A single parent with one child, making $41,000 a year, is going to get a 75% tax cut.”

Solving The Debt Crisis: “Long-term we have to solve this debt crisis. Cutting taxes and changing the tax code will not solve the debt crisis, but the debt crisis will not be solved unless and until we fix our archaic tax policy.”

Getting A Deal Done: “I’m one of those business guys who needed that certainty to make capital investment decisions over a longer period of time. I would prefer not to have a trigger, but this is about getting a deal done and getting a tax package for the American people, which they expect. I come from a world where you really don’t ever get 100% of what you want. I don’t want to see this bill destroyed because of pursuit for perfection. We’ve seen that before in Washington.”

Senator David Perdue Holds Farm Bill Round Table Discussion

State & National

Senator David Perdue Holds Farm Bill Round Table Discussion

ATLANTA, GA – U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) last week held a round table discussion about the upcoming farm bill with Georgia farmers and industry leaders.

“Agriculture is one of Georgia’s largest economic drivers and a way of life for many people in our state. I saw this firsthand while working on my family’s farm as a teenager,” said Senator Perdue. “It was great to hear from Georgia farmers and industry leaders about their priorities for the upcoming farm bill since this legislation impacts them directly. Their input is critical as we work toward developing a farm bill that will contribute to a safer, stronger, and more abundant agricultural industry.”

Senator David Perdue Discusses President Trump’s Asia Trip On CNN

State & National

Senator David Perdue Discusses President Trump’s Asia Trip On CNN

“President Trump has developed a consensus of support on North Korea and opening doors for a non-kinetic solution. We have to find a way to get through here.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, spoke with Alisyn Camerota on CNN’s New Day about the recent tragedy in Sutherland Springs, Texas, and President Trump’s trip to Asia aimed at strengthening partnerships with these countries to denuclearize North Korea.

 

Answers From Air Force: “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families in Texas, like they did in Nevada and earlier events. We want some answers. I agree with Senator McCain. We ought to find out what happened in the Air Force and why this information was not fed into the database. There are things we need to know and learn from.”

Non-Kinetic Solutions: “First of all this is a President engaging with the rest of the world after eight years of disengagement. He has developed a consensus of support on North Korea and opening doors for a non-kinetic solution. We have to find a way to get through here.”

Direct Talks With North Korea: “President Trump has intimated both publicly and privately that this would be in the cards. I’m convinced, though, that this is in the best interest of China and the United States to get together and find a common solution. I’m also excited that President Trump is intimating that he wants to talk to President Putin about this as well. Russia plays a major part in this.”

Senator David Perdue: RAISE Act Eliminates Outdated Diversity Visa Lottery

Politics, State & National

Senator David Perdue: RAISE Act Eliminates Outdated Diversity Visa Lottery

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) comments on how the Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy (RAISE) Act, would eliminate the outdated Diversity Visa Lottery:

“President Trump is right, the Diversity Visa Lottery Program is a problem and is plagued by fraud. Given these serious concerns, Senator Cotton and I have proposed eliminating this outdated program as part of the RAISE Act. While Senate Democrats originally created the Diversity Visa Lottery in 1990, many have supported legislation that would have eliminated it in the years since. I hope we can include this area of common ground as we work to fix our broken immigration system and strengthen our national security.”

 

Background:

  • The Immigration Act of 1990, established the current Diversity Visa Lottery Program which was spearheaded by Senator Chuck Schumer.
  • The Diversity Lottery is plagued with fraud, advances no economic or humanitarian interest, and does not even promote diversity.
  • The Diversity Lottery is an arbitrary way to distribute the privilege of U.S. citizenship based on nothing more than the luck of the draw.
  • The RAISE Act would eliminate the 50,000 visas arbitrarily allocated to this lottery.

Senator David Perdue Meets Georgia Principal Of The Year

State & National

Senator David Perdue Meets Georgia Principal Of The Year

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) met with 2018 Georgia Principal of the Year, Dr. Tommy Welch of Meadowcreek High School in Norcross, Georgia. Dr. Welch is one of three finalists for 2018 National Principal of the Year.

“Both of my parents were school teachers and education is something very dear to me,” said Senator Perdue.“Under Dr. Welch’s leadership, Meadowcreek High School’s graduation rates have skyrocketed and SAT scores are up over 40 percent. Most importantly, students are receiving the skills they need to succeed in the future through on-campus internships with local business partners, college and career academies, and more STEM courses. I’m extremely impressed by the great work Dr. Welch is doing for Meadowcreek High School and wish him all the best as he competes for National Principal of the Year.”

Getting Started in 2018

State & National

Getting Started in 2018

By: Sen. Steve Gooch (R – Dahlonega)

On Monday, January 8, 2018, we reconvened for the second session of the 154th Georgia General Assembly, which many anticipate will be very fast-paced. The Georgia Senate began our business with leadership changes and three new members. We will also welcome another new member next week who won a special election on Tuesday, January 9, 2018.

In addition to welcoming three new members, Sen. David Shafer, who served as the Senate President Pro Tempore since 2013, resigned his position and the Georgia Senate nominated and elected Sen. Butch Miller to serve in this role. Sen. Miller is a fellow North Georgian and we are honored to have him as our next Pro Temp. The Senate Committee on Assignments also announced chairmen and committee assignments for the upcoming year.

In addition to my duties as Senate Majority Whip, I will continue to serve as the Vice-Chair of the Transportation Committee, the Secretary of the Appropriations Committee, as a member of the Finance, MARTOC, Regulated Industries and Utilities committees and as ex-officio on the Senate Assignments and Rules committees.

As we draw near to the second week of session, we will begin budget hearings as we craft the Amended FY18 and General FY19 budgets. During these meetings and agency presentations, I will keep the prosperity of all Georgians in mind as we finely comb through proposals. Our focus will be on saving tax payers’ dollars while ensuring economic growth and job creation continues to grow in our great state.

Something new here at the Georgia Senate is livestreaming of standing committees that meet in one of the five rooms wired during the Senate Transparency Project. This is in addition to the Senate Chamber being livestreamed during session days. The goal of this project is to bring transparency to standing committee meetings, where legislation is discussed and vetted before moving forward in the legislative process. Another objective is to provide access to our process for those who do not live in the metro area and cannot get to Senate committee meetings quickly. I truly encourage you all to take the time to watch these livestreams. But, if you can’t get to a computer during the meeting time, each and every meeting video is archived to be watched during any time—day or night.

On day four of the session, Gov. Deal gave his last State of the State address. Within his address, Gov. Deal focused on the growth across the board within the state of Georgia. For the past five years, Georgia has been named the number one place to do business. Overall, we have a very busy session calendar ahead of us as we work on the Governor’s budget proposals, legislation pending from last year and other issues that may arise.

I would like to say thank you to all of my constituents for your encouragement and care for the 51st District of Georgia. Please call or email me with any questions, comments or concerns you have and I look forward to hearing from you.

Senator David Perdue Discusses RAISE Act At Center For Immigration Studies Event

Politics

Senator David Perdue Discusses RAISE Act At Center For Immigration Studies Event

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) joined Dr. Michael Teitelbaum, former Vice Chair of the Jordan Commission, at a Center for Immigration Studies event to discuss the Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy (RAISE) Act and why it should be included in any solution to fix our country’s immigration problems.

Different World: “Congress hasn’t done anything to our immigration system since 1990. That’s almost thirty years ago. In 1990, the Internet really wasn’t used for the most part. What we have is an entirely different world now with an immigration system in the United States that does not meet the needs of our country.”

Three Prong Issue: “Immigration has serval dimensions to it. First, it is a national security issue. Secondly, it is an economic issue, as we have proven over the last 230 years of our history as America. Third, it has humanitarian dimensions to it as well. There are some 65 million refugees around the world today.”

Targeted Approach: “We tried to put the RAISE Act into context as it relates to national security, economic needs, and humanitarian needs. What we didn’t do, is what Congress often tries to do, and that’s try and solve the comprehensive problem all at once.”

Majority Of Americans Agree: “This bill is pro-worker, pro-growth and it has been proven to work. Seventy-two percent of Americans support an immigration system that is limited to the worker and to the workers’ immediate family. 72%! I challenge you to find another topic where you can get 70% of Americans to agree.”

Solution For Legal Immigration: “We’re trying to engage the Senate to make something happen to where we can get a solution on the legal immigration side. In my opinion, any solution to the immigration problem must include the RAISE Act and the end of chain migration in America.”

Drawing From Best Practices: “The RAISE Act is very simple. This is just one piece of what I think is the ultimate solution to our immigration problem. You have to start with a high ground and that’s what we have tried to do. We looked at other countries to find best practices, and we really like what was recommended by the Jordon Commission back in the nineties.”

Merit-Based System: “We looked at the things that make people contributory to our economy, as well as maintained a refugee category and eliminated what is called the visa lottery. There are merit-based skills that we looked at—basically education, job, age, investment, accomplishment, and English—and compiled a 100-point scale system.”

Ending Chain Migration: “We are letting current immigrants determine who future immigrants are going to be under this current immigration system. I would argue that is not contributory to an economy in the situation we are in today. This is a system that is absolutely screaming to be reformed.”

Calling Out A Crisis: “Congress typically functions very well in a crisis. Tom Cotton and I are calling this out as a crisis. If you want to grow the economy, you have to fix your immigration system. If you want to fix your national security system, you have to fix your immigration system. You certainly can’t ignore it.”

Senator David Perdue Announces Bipartisan Agreement To Reduce Dodd-Frank Regulations

State & National

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) and 17 members on the Senate Banking Committee have drafted a bipartisan proposal to roll back significant portions of the Dodd-Frank Act, providing regulatory relief for Georgia’s community banks, credit unions, mid-sized banks, regional banks, and custody banks, none of whom contributed to the financial crisis of 2008. The proposal also improves important consumer protections, particularly for veterans, senior citizens, and victims of fraud.

“This is a huge win for our rural communities, small businesses, and the banks supporting them,” said Senator David Perdue. “This proposal will improve access to capital for small businesses, particularly in Georgia’s rural communities who have struggled with overregulation. In addition to this proposal, there is still work to be done. We will continue working with Secretary Mnuchin and the Trump Administration to eliminate even more regulations for consumers and business.”

“We appreciate the hard work of Senator David Perdue on behalf of the bankers and consumers in Georgia,” said Joe Brannen, President & CEO of the Georgia Bankers Association. “We are more hopeful that true relief can be accomplished in the near future so that Georgia bankers can continue to serve their communities in even more meaningful ways.”

Last spring, the Senate Banking Committee issued a request for legislative proposals from stakeholders, companies, and consumers aimed at creating economic growth. The committee then held a series of hearings exploring these ideas and has been drafting this proposal since that time. Democrats agreed that significant regulations of Dodd-Frank were negatively impacting local economics across the nation and joined Republicans in drafting this proposal.

Three key bills sponsored by Senator Perdue are included in this agreement: the Reciprocal Deposits Bill, the Portfolio Lending and Mortgage Access Act, and the PROTECT Act, which simplifies the credit freezing process. View the proposal’s text here and a summary here.

Highlights of the bipartisan package include:

  • Improves consumer access to mortgage credit;
  • Provides regulatory relief for small financial institutions and protects consumer access to credit;
  • Provides specific protections for veterans, consumers and homeowners; and
  • Tailors regulations for banks to better reflect their business models.

Senator David Perdue Comments On President Trump’s United Nations Address

Politics, State & National

Senator David Perdue Comments On President Trump’s United Nations Address

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, comments on President Trump’s address at the United Nation’s General Assembly meeting:

“American leadership is needed now, more than ever. The world is more dangerous than any time in my lifetime, and I am glad to see President Trump and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley aggressively taking on these challenges at the United Nations to get better results. President Trump was very clear that improving accountability and effectiveness at the United Nations is a top priority. For too long, the UN’s budget process has lacked transparency, and the organization has relied too heavily on U.S. contributions. President Trump sent the message that all sovereign nations must come together in a united effort to counter North Korea’s reckless behavior and the growing threats from Iran’s continued support of terrorist groups and human rights abuses.”

Senator David Perdue Addresses Georgia Sheriffs’ Association

Politics, State & National

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACTS:
January 24, 2019 Casey Black, 202-224-1324

Jenni Sweat, 202-224-0614

Senator David Perdue Addresses Georgia Sheriffs’ Association

“I want all law enforcement officers to know I’m proud of them, I appreciate what they do, and I’ve got their backs.” 

ATLANTA, GA – U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) joins the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association’s Winter Conference in Atlanta, Georgia:

“Georgia is home to some of the most impressive law enforcement officers in the nation,” said Senator Perdue. “Our sheriffs are pillars of the community and work every day to preserve peace, prevent crime, and protect all Georgians. It was great to hear directly from many of our state’s sheriffs. Their input is critical as we work to increase public safety and improve school security. I want all law enforcement officers to know I’m proud of them, I appreciate what they do, and I’ve got their backs.”

“Senator Perdue has a sincere commitment to ensuring the safety of all Georgians,” said Terry Norris, Executive Director of the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association. “We greatly appreciate his presence at the Sheriffs’ Winter Training Conference and his long-standing support of the Constitutional Office of Sheriff and the many dedicated women and men who perform the duties of deputy sheriffs and jailers.”

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Senator Perdue is the only Fortune 500 CEO in Congress and is serving his first term in the United States Senate, where he represents Georgia on the Armed Services, Banking, Budget, and Agriculture Committees.

Dalton GOP Sen. Payne Faces Primary Challenger From His Right

Opinion

FYN Interviews Rebbeca Yardley on Georgia’s 2018 Sine Die – Last Day of Legislative Session

Politics, State & National

It’s Sine Die day, that means it’s the last day of the 2018 Legislative Session! Interviews First Vice Chairman of Georgia Congress 9th District GOP Rebecca Yardley on the experience and what to expect from the Georgia Capitol today!

 

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