Boehner Welcomes Rep. Parker Griffith to the House Republican Conference

House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement after Rep. Parker Griffith (D-AL) announced his intent to leave the House Democratic Caucus and join the House Republican Conference:

“Parker Griffith is a dedicated public servant who has consistently put the best interests of his constituents first, and it is in that spirit that Republicans welcome him.

“All year long, Alabamians have been well-served by Congressman Griffith’s support for conservative principles and his rejection of Washington Democrats’ wrong-headed, liberal policies. Whether it was the trillion-dollar ‘stimulus,’ the national energy tax, or a government takeover of health care, Congressman Griffith has consistently sided with Republicans and the American people to call for better solutions rooted in common sense. He has also stood up to Speaker Pelosi by joining efforts to advance ‘read the bill’ reform and to ensure that not a single taxpayer dollar is used to fund abortions.

“With today’s decision, Congressman Griffith has added his voice to the growing chorus of Americans who have had it with Democrats’ wrong-headed policies and lack of leadership. Families continue to ask ‘where are the jobs?’ and all they are getting from out-of-touch Washington Democrats is more spending, more taxes, and more debt.

“Democratic leaders should seize this opportunity to reevaluate their entire job-killing agenda, starting with Senator Reid’s 2,733-page government takeover of health care. House Republicans will continue to offer the American people better solutions to address their everyday challenges, an effort that will surely benefit from Congressman Griffith’s leadership.”

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Fulton GOP TailGate Football Party

Sunday, December 20 at 12:00pm.

Joy says, "There's a Tailgate Party at Fulton GOP HQ...Come join us...$5.00 Donation Asked for and lots of Food and Drink. Wear your favorite teams Colors...".

Event: Fulton GOP TailGate Football Party
Start Time: Sunday, December 20 at 12:00pm
End Time: Sunday, December 20 at 4:00pm
Where: Fulton GOP HQ
Street: 5920 Roswell Rd
City/Town: Sandy Springs, GA

To see more details and RSVP, follow the link below:http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=202903833089&mid=1958c9aG5d770abcG83f7a6G7

Congressman Lynn Westmoreland: Stimulus II – It’s holiday spending, minus the presents

With House Democrats trying to load their sleigh with billions of dollars in goodies before wrapping up for the year today, U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland opposed the holiday spending binge that raised the nation’s debt ceiling and tacked on another $150 billion in spending – the “Son of Stimulus.”

“On Thursday, Vice President Biden is coming to Georgia to talk about how the $787 billion stimulus bill passed in February is creating and saving all these jobs in Georgia – where the unemployment rate remains above 10 percent,” Westmoreland said. “Well, if the first stimulus is such a raging success, why are we spending another $150 billion?”

The “Son of Stimulus” pours billions of dollars into the very same programs included in the original stimulus. In some cases, such as infrastructure, very little of the money from the first stimulus has even been spent. In other cases, where the money from the first stimulus has been spent, it has failed to create jobs or has been wasted.

Westmoreland, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, cites spending on highways as an example.

“The first stimulus doled out $27.5 billion to highways, and the Son of Stimulus provides another $27.5 billion – even though the government has only spent 18 percent of the original outlay,” Westmoreland said. “The list goes on and on: Amtrak, housing, unemployment benefits, airports, parks, AmeriCorps. All these are getting billions more in spending in a jobs plan that won’t create any jobs.

“Adding insult to injury, Democrats pretend they’re spending ‘free money’ because they’re using unused or repaid money from the TARP program. This flies in the face of the TARP law passed last year which clearly stated that any unused TARP funds go toward paying down the deficit. Instead, we’re sending more money we don’t have out the door and, on the exact same day, raising our nation’s debt limit by another $290 billion, which shockingly will only last for two months.”

Westmoreland notes that in three years of Democratic control in the House, the national debt has increased by 39 percent.
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Isakson Votes to Preserve Medicare Home Health Services for Millions of Seniors

U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today voted for an amendment that would have prevented the Democrats’ health care plan from cutting $42.1 billion from Medicare home health services.

Senate Democrats defeated the motion by Senator Mike Johanns, R-Neb., to send the bill back to the Senate Finance Committee with instructions to remove all home health cuts by a vote of 41-53.

“We are talking about cutting services that greatly reduce the cost of health care and improve the quality of life of America’s seniors. We are taking away an affordable, effective way to deliver health care to millions of Americans,” Isakson said. “The Democrats want to slash this vital program that keeps seniors out of the hospital and in their own homes to help fund their terribly flawed, outrageously expensive, government-run health care system. I will continue to vote to protect our seniors.”

On the Senate floor, Isakson referenced a letter he received from the Georgia Association for Home Health Agencies in support of the Johanns amendment. If the Senate bill becomes law, Adams stated 68 percent of the Medicare certified home health agencies in Georgia would go out of business, forcing the patients they serve to be re-hospitalized or seek alternative, more costly care.

According to the National Association for Homecare and Hospice, Georgia home health providers would lose over $967 million under the Senate health care proposal.

Home health services include skilled nursing care, home health aide services and medical social services as well as physical therapy, speech-language therapy and occupational therapy.
Nurses, therapists, home care aides and others who serve elderly and disabled patients in their own homes care for nearly 12 million patients annually with 428 million visits.

Chambliss: Cuts to Home Health Care Takes Away Affordable Option

U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., on the Senate floor today, spoke in favor of an amendment that would have removed the nearly $42 billion in cuts to Medicare’s home health care program included in the health care bill. Senators voted along party lines and the amendment failed by a 41-53 vote.

“Seniors are very concerned about the impact this bill will have on their Medicare benefits, and they ought to be,” said Chambliss.“I don’t know about the folks on the other side of the aisle, but I want our Medicare patients in Georgia to continue to have the option to receive the good home health care that they are getting today, which allows them to have a better quality of life. This bill will take away an important affordable option. This is just another example of how this bill threatens access to care for Medicare beneficiaries.”

On the Senate floor, Chambliss highlighted a letter from the Georgia Association for Home Health Agencies, which is opposed to the home health care cuts included the health care bill. Chambliss quoted part of the letter during his floor speech, which states:

“Under Senator Reid’s bill, 72.15 percent of home health agencies in Georgia will have negative margins by 2016 in the Senate bill, and approximately 68 percent of the 100 Medicare Certified home health agencies in Georgia will go out of business and the patients they serve will be rehospitalized or forced to seek alternative, more costly care."

Statement of Governor Sonny Perdue Regarding the Resignation of Speaker Glenn Richardson

Governor Sonny Perdue issued the following statement today regarding the resignation announcement of Speaker of the House of Representatives Glenn Richardson.

“Today’s decision by my friend Glenn Richardson to step down as Speaker of the House of Representatives was the right one for him personally and for his family. Coping and recovering from depression is difficult enough, even in a private family setting. While I know his personal attributes of resolve, tenacity and perseverance made this act even more difficult, I believe the privacy that he should now enjoy, without the burden of public responsibility, will enable him to recover fully and completely. I look forward to the day very soon when I will once again see the competent, capable and confident Glenn Richardson that I know.”

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