Our Communities
AGRICULTURE: Georgia’s farmers, ranchers, and producers are the backbone of our state’s most important industry: agriculture. As a Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, the Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Chicken Caucus, and Co-Chair of the Congressional Peanut Caucus, I am a staunch supporter of the agricultural community in Georgia's Second Congressional District and the entire nation. I support assistance to farmers affected by drought, wildfires, and other natural disasters that occur each year. In addition, I have worked to ensure that the peanut support program remained strong in the 2014 Farm Bill; strengthen our nation's nutrition programs; reform the H2-A program for non-immigrant agricultural workers; bolster child nutrition programs in our nation’s schools; prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from imposing burdensome regulations on agriculture; ensure that Mexican tomatoes and chicken do not drive down the prices of U.S.-produced tomatoes and chicken due to illegal dumping; and advance agricultural research, food safety initiatives, and broadband services to rural communities.
EDUCATION: As Benjamin Franklin said, “An investment in education always pays the best dividends.” I have worked tirelessly to make our nation’s schools and universities accessible and affordable. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I have secured millions of dollars for education programs, including new schools and libraries, after-school programs, math and science initiatives, school nutrition and physical education programs, as well as family counseling and youth mentoring. I strongly support legislation to make vital investments to modernize, upgrade, and repair school facilities across the country and to encourage service and volunteer opportunities for all Americans. I believe we must make education a top priority by bridging the digital divide, promoting healthier school lunches, enhancing educational opportunities for veterans, encouraging colleges to rein in tuition increases, boosting college aid, strengthening programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and reinvigorating the Head Start program to help more children arrive at kindergarten ready to succeed.
HOUSING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: It is vital that individuals and families have access to the American Dream – namely, homeownership. I support legislation to help homeowners avoid foreclosure, stop predatory and irresponsible mortgage loan practices, increase the supply of affordable housing, expand veteran and rural housing opportunities, promote fair housing education and enforcement activities, and finance community development initiatives.
TRANSPORTATION: Investing in our nation’s transportation infrastructure will create millions of jobs and boost economic activity. I will continue to fight for Georgia’s Second Congressional District to receive its fair share of funding to improve its highways, roads, and bridges. I support more highway-related construction jobs, reduced gasoline prices, and the increased use of biofuels. I also support efforts to make our roads safer, increase fuel efficiency, and create an Infrastructure Bank to finance much needed investments in our nation’s roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, airports, railways, ports, broadband, and power grids.
IMMIGRATION: It is vital that immigration reform is addressed to secure our borders, protect our workers, and grow the nation’s economy. Immigration reform must include provisions that strengthen border security by increasing manpower, utilizing new technology and fencing, and providing the tools, resources, and infrastructure necessary to enforce existing immigration laws and punish offenders. In addition, it is vital that immigration reform ensures the needs of various economic sectors such as agriculture that depend on guest workers to fill labor shortages are significant. I have supported the DREAM Act, which would permit certain immigrant students who grow up in the United States to apply for temporary legal status and to eventually obtain permanent legal status and become eligible for U.S. citizenship, if they go to college or serve in the U.S. military.
More on Our Communities
ALBANY, GA – Today, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) welcomed the news that the United States Postal Service (USPS) recently signed a one-year lease through September 30, 2014 to keep the Albany Post Office on Broad Avenue open. The USPS has for some time been facing severe financial challenges resulting in proposals for post office closures around the nation, one of which was shutting down the Broad Avenue Post Office in Albany.
COLUMBUS, GA – Today, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02); Dale Earnhardt, Jr., NASCAR driver of the No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet; and General Jim Butterworth, the Adjutant General of the Georgia National Guard visited and spoke with students, faculty, and staff of Shaw High School. Speaking at a student assembly, Congressman Bishop, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and General Butterworth encouraged students to do well in school and graduate.
ALBANY, GA — Yesterday, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop Jr. (GA-02) and 204 of his Democrat House colleagues called on the House Republican Leadership to refrain from pushing more Americans into hunger. In a letter to Speaker Boehner, they implored him to include funding for nutrition programs in any future Farm Bill that comes before the House of Representatives.
Columbus, GA – Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) released the following statement today announcing the award of a continuing grant from the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to assist Enrichment Services Program, Inc. (ESP) programs in Georgia. Head Start grants are used to promote quality school readiness for children from birth to five years old who come from low income families.
PERRY, GA – Yesterday, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) joined Tom McCall, Georgia House Agriculture Committee Chairman; John Wilkinson, Georgia Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman; Gary Black, Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture; Bo Warren, Director at the Georgia Department of Agriculture; Amy Oneacre, Policy Manager with the Georgia Department of Revenue; Jud Turner, Director at the Georgia Environmental Protection Division; Lt.
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) released the following statement today after the House, in a 392 to 31 bipartisan vote, passed the bipartisan Senate-passed legislation addressing student loan rates, which doubled on July 1st, sending the bill to the President’s desk for his signature.
Washington, D.C. – On Friday, July 26, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, JR (GA-02) and more than 153 members of the House Democratic Caucus sent the following letter to President Barack Obama, calling on the President to work with Congress to examine the operations of the National Security Agency (NSA) and consider amendments to existing law that strengthen the balance between our national security and Americans’ civil liberties.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) was honored by the United States Marine Corps at an evening Sunset Parade at the Iwo Jima Memorial and preceding ceremony at Arlington Cemetery in Arlington, VA.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02), member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, offered a testimony in favor of the nomination of USDA Deputy Secretary Nominee Krysta Harden at the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. A picture of the Senate hearing and the text of Congressman Bishop’s testimony are below:
“Good morning Madame Chairwoman Stabenow, Senator Cochran, and members of the Committee.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02), member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch, offered an amendment during the House Appropriations Committee’s markup of its Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 spending bill for the Legislative Branch to reverse the across-the-board budget cuts due to sequestration for FY 2013 and FY 2014. The amendment would prevent sequestration throughout the federal government.