POLITICAL ROUNDUP: Lawmakers react to President Trump’s budget proposal

Lawmakers react to Trump’s budget

WASHINGTON — Members of Southwest Georgia’s congressional delegation followed party lines on Thursday in reacting to President Trump’s proposed federal budget. The budget adds $54 billion to defense spending that is offset by spending cuts in other areas.

U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Albany, called it a “recipe for disaster for our country.”

U.S. Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., said the spending blueprint showed Trump was “keeping his promises” while applying “an outsider’s outsider approach to our government’s overrun budget” and reallocating money “to meet our country’s most pressing needs.” U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., said he looked forward “to working with my colleagues to build on the many positive aspects of this proposal and refocus our budget on true national priorities.”

“Although I support a robust national defense and addressing our readiness needs, we must not do so at the expense of our non-defense programs and agencies,” Bishop said. Cuts to agriculture, student aid, job training, economic development and housing assistance, he said, would “directly harm rural America and the farmers that cultivate our food.”

Isakson said the plan reinforced Trump’s promise to rebuild the U.S. military, but noted the proposal was the start of a process. “Ultimately,” he said, “it will be up to Congress to decide how to allocate limited federal dollars among many different agencies and programs, including effective, well-targeted diplomatic and international initiatives that are critical to our national security.”

Perdue said the federal government, which is approaching a debt of $20 trillion, has only fully funded the government four times since 1974 and that the use of continuing resolutions to get by with that needed to stop.

“Something must be done to stop this nonsense going forward,” he said. “With President Trump in office, we can start to make some real changes that will take us in the right direction.”

Cyber education has bipartisan backing

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., has joined with with Sens. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Mike Rounds, R-S.D., to introduce the DOD Cyber Scholarship Program Act of 2017. The senators say they are seeking to reinvigorate an existing Department of Defense scholarship program for students pursuing degrees in cybersecurity fields and commit to working in a cybersecurity position at DOD upon graduation.

“In the face of ever-evolving attacks from our adversaries, we must strengthen our cyber defense capabilities and support cybersecurity education efforts,” said Perdue, a member of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Cybersecurity. “Georgia is on the front lines of training the next generation of cybersecurity experts, and I will continue working to expand on cybersecurity innovation.”

The legislation would expand scholarships to students pursuing associate’s degrees at several community colleges and two-year programs and students who attend institutions designated by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security as Centers of Academic Excellence. That CAE list includes Armstrong State University, Augusta University, Columbus State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Kennesaw State University, Middle Georgia State University and the University of North Georgia.

Isakson recovering from second surgery

ATLANTA — U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., is recovering in his home state after undergoing a second back surgery at Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital to address a sacral hairline stress fracture that recently developed.

The fracture developed as Isakson was recovering from his initial back surgery on Feb. 20 to address deterioration in his spine caused by severe arthritis. Dr. Keith D. Osborn of Resurgens Orthopaedics performed both surgeries.

“This second procedure will help shore up the reconstruction of my lower spine and will help prevent a minor fracture from becoming a bigger problem,” Isakson said. “I am working closely with my doctors and physical therapists to ensure that my recovery ultimately leads to a long road of wellness. I look forward to returning to Washington as soon as possible with a new and improved back to continue working on behalf of Georgians.”

Osborn said the operation was successful and Isakson was expected to be able to resume his Senate schedule once he’s recovered. Isakson was expected to be released from the hospital in a couple of days and will continue working with physical therapists in his hometown of Marietta until he’s cleared by his doctor to return to Washington.