10/10

Miller Praises Final Defense Authorization Bill for FY 2005
Miller Provision to Strengthen Montgomery GI Bill for Reservists Included

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Zell Miller (D-GA) today praised the final passage of the FY 2005 Defense Authorization bill as an important victory for America’s military. The $447.2 billion bill authorizes significant funds for key Georgia defense-related projects, military installations and military men and women.

The bill also includes elements of the “Combat for College” legislation introduced earlier this year by Miller and Senator Mike DeWine (R-OH) that will make it easier for mobilized Reservists to receive tuition assistance through the Montgomery GI Bill.

“I know first-hand how the Montgomery GI Bill can change lives. It changed mine, and it gave me and countless others access to the college education we otherwise would not have been able to afford,” said Miller, co-chair of the Senate Reserve Caucus. “As our military continues to deploy more Reservists for longer periods, it’s important that Congress recognize their sacrifice and commitment. I am extremely pleased this provision was included in the Defense Authorization bill. It is a great first step in the effort to eliminate the current inequities that exist between Active Duty and mobilized Reservists.”

10/6

Georgia Lawmakers Announce Conference Agreement on Tobacco Buyout Legislation
Language Does Not Include FDA Regulation of Tobacco Products

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and Zell Miller, D-Ga., both members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, along with U.S. Reps. Max Burns, R-Ga., and Jack Kingston, R-Ga., today praised Conferees for approving the Jumpstart Our Business Strength (JOBS) Act conference report that includes a tobacco buyout without regulations by the Food and Drug Administration. The tobacco buyout legislation was included in the JOBS bill passed by the House and Senate in early September.

“This buyout is a huge victory for our tobacco farmers,” said Chambliss. “It provides compensation to the tobacco grower, compensation to the quota holder, and the funding of that compensation to be paid for by those individuals who use tobacco products. That is fair and reasonable, and I support this provision wholeheartedly. My friends over on the House side, Congressmen Max Burns and Jack Kingston from my state of Georgia, Richard Burr from North Carolina, and Bill Jenkins from Tennessee have been real stalwarts in making sure the buyout provision was included in the JOBS bill, and I thank you for your hard work.”

“Georgia tobacco growers have been hit extremely hard during the last few years due to drastic reductions in tobacco quotas. Our farmers are facing enormous debts with little hope of decent income,” said Miller. “This agreement will allow our farmers to compete more effectively in the global marketplace.”