Congressman Sanford Bishop

Representing the 2nd District of Georgia

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

RANKING MEMBER BISHOP LAUDS PASSAGE OF FARM BILL

Dec 12, 2018 Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02), Ranking Member of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, released the following statement on today’s passage of the Farm Bill by the House of Representatives in a vote of 369 to 47. Congressman Bishop supported the legislation. The Senate passed the legislation yesterday by a vote of 87-13, and it now heads to the President’s desk for signature.
 

CONGRESSMAN BISHOP ANNOUNCES $7.14 MILLION HEAD START GRANT FOR MACON-BIBB COUNTY ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY COUNCIL INC

Dec 11, 2018 Press Release
MACON, GA – Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) is pleased to announce that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded a $7.14 million grant to the Macon-Bibb County Economic Opportunity Council, Inc. to support Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Georgia. Head Start programs promote quality school readiness for children from birth to five years old who come from low income families through education, health, social and other services.
 

CONGRESSMAN BISHOP ANNOUNCES NEARLY $2.8 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING FOR VALLEY HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IN COLUMBUS GEORGIA

Nov 28, 2018 Press Release
COLUMBUS, GA – Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) is pleased to announce that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded a $2,788,570 grant under the Health Center Cluster Grant Program to Valley Healthcare System in Columbus, Georgia.
 

CONGRESSMAN BISHOP ANNOUNCES $226,000 RURAL DEVELOPMENT GRANT AND LOAN PACKAGE FOR HEALTH CARE IMPROVEMENTS IN TALBOTTON

Nov 21, 2018 Press Release
TALBOTTON, GA – Today, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) is pleased to announce that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development agencies have awarded $176,000 in loans and $50,000 in grants for two projects in the 2nd Congressional District of Georgia. This award is part of a package of $503 million in USDA Community Facilities Health Care investments for 61 projects nationwide to help improve health care infrastructure and services in rural communities.
 

CONGRESSMAN BISHOP STATEMENT ON ARMY CORPS EXPEDITING DEBRIS REMOVAL IN MIDDLE AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA

Nov 1, 2018 Press Release
ALBANY, GA – Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) released the following statement thanking the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for taking action to expedite debris removal activities in Middle and Southwest Georgia. The region suffered a direct hit last month by Hurricane Michael and there are substantial cleanup and recovery needs still remaining.
 

RANKING MEMBER BISHOP AND CHAIRMAN ADERHOLT SEND LETTER TO HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS LEADERSHIP URGING SUPPLEMENTAL DISASTER APPROPRIATIONS BILL TO HELP FARMERS AND RURAL COMMUNITIES RECOVER

Oct 30, 2018 Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Ranking Member Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) and Chairman Robert Aderholt (AL-04), the leading members of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, sent a letter to Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ-11) and Ranking Member Nita Lowey (NY-17), the leading members of the full U.S.

FEMA EXPANDS ELIGIBILITY FOR INDIVIDUAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE TO INCLUDE CALHOUN, CLAY, LAURENS, RANDOLPH, SUMTER, TIFT, AND TURNER COUNTIES

Oct 25, 2018 Press Release
ALBANY, GA – Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) welcomed today’s amendment to the major disaster declaration for Georgia that expands coverage for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Individual Assistance program to also include Calhoun, Clay, Laurens, Randolph, Sumter, Tift, and Turner counties. This is the second amendment to FEMA’s major disaster declaration for the State of Georgia. Calhoun, Clay, Sumter, and Randolph counties are located in the 2nd Congressional District of Georgia, which is represented by Congressman Bishop.
 

FEMA EXPANDS ELIGIBILITY FOR INDIVIDUAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE TO INCLUDE CRISP, GRADY, LEE, MITCHELL, TERRELL, AND WORTH COUNTIES

Oct 17, 2018 Press Release
ALBANY, GA – Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) welcomed last night’s amendment to the major disaster declaration for Georgia that expands coverage for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Individual Assistance program to also include Crisp, Grady, Lee, Mitchell, Terrell, Thomas, and Worth counties.
 

CONGRESSMAN BISHOP ATTENDS HURRICANE RECOVERY BRIEFING WITH PRESIDENT, GA GOVERNOR, U.S. AGRICULTURE SECRETARY, U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY, AND GA AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER

Oct 15, 2018 Press Release
MACON, GA – Today, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) joined Congressman Austin Scott (GA-08), President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Governor Nathan Deal, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black, and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen for a briefing on Hurricane Michael recovery efforts held at the Red Cross’s temporary disaster operations center in Macon, Georgia.

FEDERAL MAJOR DISASTER DECLARATION ISSUED FOR MIDDLE AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA

Oct 15, 2018 Press Release
ALBANY, GA – Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) welcomed the major disaster declaration issued by the President late yesterday for counties in Middle and Southwest Georgia struck by Hurricane Michael on October 10, 2018. The declaration opens up potential eligibility for additional federal individual disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
 

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