U.S. Senators Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today voted in favor of an amendment they co-sponsored to the Fiscal Year 2009 Senate Budget Resolution that would create a deficit-neutral reserve fund for border security, immigration enforcement and criminal alien removal programs.
“Taking immediate action towards securing our borders and stopping illegal immigration is the best way to restore credibility with the American people,” said Chambliss. “We said last year that we are going to keep pounding this issue and this amendment will set aside room in the budget to fully fund existing border security and immigration enforcement programs. It is an opportunity for the Senate to show we are prepared to move forward and do what is necessary to follow through on our promise of securing our borders first.”
“There’s no greater domestic issue in this country than the problems on our southern border with Mexico, and it is time that Congress makes a commitment to make border security a reality,” Isakson said. “The Senate’s passage of this critical amendment is a step in the right direction. Border security must be a priority in the Congressional budget. America is too important, and this issue is too critical to the American people.”
The amendment would cover all border security, immigration enforcement, and criminal alien removal programs, but specifically highlights six programs that will need attention in this year’s budget cycle. Those programs include:
(1) expanding the zero tolerance prosecution policy for illegal entry ("Operation Streamline") to all 20 border sectors;
(2) completing the 700 miles of pedestrian fencing required by the Secure Fence Act of 2006;
(3) deploying up to 6,000 National Guard members to the southern border; or
(4) evaluating the 27% of the federal, state, and local prison populations that are non-citizens in order to identify removable criminal aliens;
(5) training and reimbursing state and local law enforcement officers under Memorandums of Understanding entered into under Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act;
(6) implementing the exit data portion of the U.S. VISIT entry and exit data system at airports, seaports, and land ports of entry (the exit portion of U.S. VISIT is already past the December 31, 2003, deadline for airports and seaports, the December 31, 2004, deadline for 50 high-traffic land border ports of entry, and the December 31, 2005, deadline for full implementation at all ports of entry, required under 8 U.S.C.A. §1365a).
The amendment passed by a vote of 61 to 37.
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Thursday, March 13, 2008
Chambliss, Isakson Vote to Expand Immigration Enforcement
Isakson Votes to Expand Estate Tax Relief
U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today voted for an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Resolution that would increase the exemption for the estate tax, also known as the "death tax," from $2 million to $5 million.
“When the tragedy of death comes, family members are immediately confronted with one of the most punitive and confiscatory taxes that has ever been devised in the history of taxation – the death tax,” Isakson said. “This amendment would have been a huge step in the righting that wrong and would have avoided subjecting an estimated 119,200 families, small businesses and family farms to the estate tax each and every year.”
The amendment would also have established the top death tax rate at no more than 35 percent beginning in 2010. The amendment failed by a 50 to 50 vote.
The President’s 2001 tax package phased out the estate tax over 10 years. Unfortunately, the legislation contained a sunset provision that reinstated the tax at the end of that period. This makes long-term estate planning and retirement planning virtually impossible, since the tax code changes so radically at the end of the 10-year period. Isakson supports permanently repealing the estate tax.
“A full repeal of the estate tax will let our hard-working taxpayers pass along their savings to their children and grandchildren tax-free,” Isakson said. “That’s good for families and small businesses, and it’s good for our economy. I will continue to do everything I can to see that we take action to repeal the death tax permanently.”
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David Mamet, No Longer a Brain Dead Liberal...
David Mamet: Why I Am No Longer a 'Brain-Dead Liberal'
An election-season essay
by David Mamet
March 11th, 2008 12:00 AM
John Maynard Keynes was twitted with changing his mind. He replied, "When the facts change, I change my opinion. What do you do, sir?"
My favorite example of a change of mind was Norman Mailer at The Village Voice.
http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0811,374064,374064,1.html
Mamet's new work: Why I am no longer a brain-dead liberal
By David Usborne in New YorkThursday, 13 March 2008
The left-wing literati of London and New York were surely in a stew last night after one of their leading and most loyally liberal lights, David Mamet, confessed that advancing years have given him a greater appreciation for things conservative.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/mamets-new-work-why-i-am-no-longer-a-braindead-liberal-794993.html
Playwright and Film Director: "Why I Am No Longer a 'Brain-Dead Liberal'"
By Noel Sheppard March 12, 2008 - 11:40 ET
The name David Mamet may not be known to the majority of Americans. However, theater and movie works that he's been involved in over the past four decades certainly are, such as "The Postman Always Rings Twice," "The Verdict," "Glengarry Glen Ross," "Wag the Dog," and "The Untouchables."
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2008/03/12/playwright-film-director-why-i-am-no-longer-brain-dead-liberal
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Deputy Secretary of State Testifies on Photo Identification Requirement at U.S. Senate Committee Hearing
Deputy Secretary of State Rob Simms today testified on Georgia’s photo identification requirement for in-person voting before the U.S. Senate Rules and Administration Committee. Deputy Secretary Simms appeared before the Committee at the request of Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).
“In-person voter fraud has in fact occurred in Georgia, and our state’s photo identification law has been successfully implemented and enforced without incident, controversy and, most importantly, without a negative impact on Georgia’s voters,” said Simms. He cited a 2000 Atlanta Journal-Constitution report which found that more than 5,000 votes had been cast in the names of deceased voters over the prior 20 years.
Simms also cited the September 2007 ruling by United States District Court Judge Harold T. Murphy, a President Jimmy Carter appointee to the bench, which upheld Georgia’s photo identification law. Judge Murphy’s ruling recognized the state’s interest in passing a photo identification law to prevent fraud.
Chairwoman Feinstein later asked the panel for comments on steps taken to prevent absentee voting fraud.
Simms detailed two proactive measures taken by Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel. This year, Secretary Handel is working with the General Assembly to pass legislation that will require signature verifications of both the absentee ballot application and the absentee ballot against the voter’s registration card. In 2007, Secretary Handel worked with the Georgia General Assembly and Governor Perdue to increase the maximum penalty for absentee voting fraud, making all types of voting fraud a felony.
Simms added, “If you’re going to commit voter fraud in the State of Georgia, you’re going to pay serious consequences.”
The hearing video can be found on the U.S. Senate Rules and Administration Committee’s website: http://rules.senate.gov/hearings/.
Deputy Secretary of State Simms’ testimony can be found on the Secretary of State’s Election Division page: http://www.sos.ga.gov/elections/.
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Governor Perdue Signs Bills Into Law
ATLANTA – Today Governor Sonny Perdue announced that the following local legislation has been signed into law. For more information on this legislation, please visit www.legis.state.ga.us.
HB 995
HB 1033
HB 1164
