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Georgia’s GOP Congressmen Shocked Over President’s Savannah Port Omission

March 5th, 2014

Some Republican members of Georgia’s congressional delegation say they are shocked President Barack Obama did not include in his budget proposal money to deepen the Port of Savannah, despite past support from the administration.As heard on the radio

During a visit to Savannah last year, Vice President Joe Biden, appearing with Georgia’s Republican Sens. Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss, said the Savannah Port deepening would happen “come hell or high water.” And last week Isakson told the state Senate approval was nearly complete.

But in his budget proposal released Tuesday, Obama included only about $1 million for further study of the project.

Isakson called the president’s decision “mystifying,” partly because he says Georgia consulted with the administration’s Office of Management and Budget on the issue.

“Every I’s been dotted, every T’s been crossed. We even worked with OMB to get the right language in the appropriations bill that we passed so they’d have the authorization to move the money to construction,” Isakson said. “I just don’t have an answer. We’re trying to get to the bottom of it now.”

The project’ estimated cost is $652 million dollars, and the state hopes the federal government will cover about $480 million of that price tag.

Though GOP leadership has already declared the president’s budget proposal dead on arrival, Republican U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston of Savannah said Congress can’t add port funding to the proposal because the House has banned legislative earmarks.

“This was the vehicle to get it in Congress,” Kingston said.

Kingston, who’s vying for the state’s open Senate seat, said there’s a small chance the president could amend his budget to include more port funding.

There’s also hope among some of the state’s democrats that funding could be included in the Water Resources Development Act, which is currently in a Congressional Conference Committee.

Even with that option, Kingston still wonders why funding wasn’t in the president’s budget proposal, despite his administration’s prior support.

“The idea behind this is the president is playing politics,” Kingston said. “He has not supported the other bill. This was his opportunity to make good on a campaign promise.”

Kingston said the Water Resources Development Act could remedy the funding issue and keep the project mostly on track, but is a month or two away from potential passage.

The port deepening is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2015.