Kingston responds to Stimulus package – WALB-TV
The $146 billion Economic Stimulus package is headed for the Senate floor, but Congressman Jack Kingston isn't sure it will help get the economy back on track. The bill calls for one-time tax rebates to go primarily to individuals making less than $75,000 and to married couples making less than $150,000. But Kingston believes tax credits to small businesses is the best way to boost the economy and create jobs.
For Democrats, a Gleeful State of the Union – New York Times
Democrats never seemed so elated about the prospect of a major speech by President Bush. Or of having it finished. “I think everybody is ready to turn the page,” said Representative Mark Udall, Democratic of Colorado, as he and his colleagues poured out of Mr. Bush’s last State of the Union address. “Next year we’ll have a different president, which I look forward to,” said Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, Democrat, majority leader and frequent nemesis of the president…
…Representative Jack Kingston, a Georgia Republican, said there was definitely a different feel in the House. “I think there was a certain relaxation and calmness to the president knowing it was his last speech,” he said. “And I think there was a certain relaxation and calmness to the Democrats knowing it was his last speech.”
Georgia lawmakers react to State of the Union – The Examiner
What Georgia lawmakers said about President Bush's final State of the Union address:
"With the economy slipping, the State of the Union was the best platform to build the case for making the 2003 tax cuts permanent but the president only mentioned them in passing. It was those tax cuts, not the 2001 rebate checks, which created nearly 6 million new jobs ... the president missed his chance to explain why taxes shouldn't increase." - Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Savannah.
Georgia Cotton Conference is in Tifton – WALB-TV
Cotton farmers will hear about the latest trends at the first Georgia Cotton Conference Wednesday. Farmers and others in the cotton industry registered Tuesday at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center…
…Guest speaker Congressman Jack Kingston will speak to the group during lunch Wednesday…
President Calls for Quick Action on Stimulus Package in State of the Union Address – Tax News
President Bush, in his final State of the Union address on January 28, urged Congress to quickly pass a $150 billion economic stimulus package containing temporary tax incentives to increase consumer spending and business investment. The short-term growth package was agreed to by the administration and House leaders but faces opposition from Senate Democrats who want to extend the proposed tax rebates to senior citizens and extend unemployment insurance an additional 13 weeks…
…Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., said the 2003 tax cuts created three million jobs and boosted the stock market, but Bush did not spend enough time talking about that success. He said the stimulus bill will not create long term jobs like the 2003 tax bill did in the last economic slowdown. Kingston also said he liked hearing Bush promise to veto any tax increase bill that comes to his desk….
Training center expands, plans future – Savannah Morning News
Black protective plastic boxes packed with high-tech communications equipment are stacked two deep inside a renovated building at the Georgia Air National Guard's Combat Readiness Training Center. Across the white-washed room, a gigantic, tan-colored satellite dish towers in the corner.
Nearby, a dozen modern school desks with folding tablet arms are poised and ready for students…
…He credited U.S. Reps. John Barrow, D-Ga., and Jack Kingston, R-Ga., as well as Republican U.S. Sens. Saxby Chamblis and Johnny Isakson for helping find defense budget dollars…
Ga. delegation cautious on Bush speech – Brunswick News
Members of Georgia's Congressional delegation have no problem with giving taxpayers rebates, but both feel more will need to be done to fire up the economy. U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston, R-1, was disappointed in what the president did not say Monday in his address to the nation. "With the economy slipping, the state of the union was the best platform to build the case for making the 2003 tax cuts permanent, but the president only mentioned them in passing," Kingston said. "It was those tax cuts, not the 2001 rebate checks, which created nearly six million new jobs and raised the stock market 32 points. "With 20 million people viewing, the president missed his chance to explain why taxes shouldn't increase."
Real clout will reside in eschewing those earmarks – AJC
In his final year in office, George W. Bush could become the president fiscal conservatives wanted. On Tuesday, he’ll sign an executive order directing the executive branch to ignore “earmarks” that are not actually written into law. Those are the pork barrel projects that individual members of Congress slip into committee reports or “manager’s statements” that accompany the language voted on by both houses. Earmarks gave us Alaska’s Bridge to Nowhere and, in Georgia, the Train to Lovejoy…
…U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston of Savannah, a “repentant sinner” on earmarks, is among the leaders of an effort to declare a moratorium on earmarks until Congress can set rules for greater disclosure, advance notice and open debate…
Heading Right Radio with Ed Morrisey (Audio Clip)
My interview with Mitt Romney on the Florida campaign and his efforts to woo the traditional conservatives nationwide! Also, Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA) joins us to talk about earmark reforms and the controversial direction taken by the House GOP caucus.
Reaction to Bush Address Follows Partisan Lines – Voice of America
Reaction to President Bush's State of the Union address is predictably along partisan lines. Members of his Republican Party praised his leadership and the goals he proposed on domestic and foreign issues, while majority Democrats criticized him on the same issues. VOA's Dan Robinson reports from Capitol Hill…
… "What he has done is a smart thing," said Jack Kingston, a Georgia Republican. "He stuck with his relevant issues and he is going to keep pushing them through, rather than come out here with 11 months to go in his presidency and introduce a whole bunch of new things."…
Local Congressional delegation reacts to President's speech - WSAV-TV
District 1 Congressman Jack Kingston (Georgia) made comments tonight ahead of the President’s speech: "Tonight the President highlighted several areas that deserve the attention of Congress and I think many of his ideas are good ones. But what I’m disappointed about is that with the economy slipping, the State of the Union was the best platform to build a case for extending the 2003 tax cuts. But the President only seemed to mention them in passing. But it was these tax cuts that created the $6 million new jobs. It wasn’t the rebates, it was the tax cuts and I think he should have driven that point better than he did."
In Annual Meeting, Republicans Clash Over Earmarks – New York Times
House Republicans called on Friday for “an immediate moratorium” on earmarking money for pet projects. They urged Democrats to join them in establishing a bipartisan panel to set strict new standards for such spending…
…The proposal for a Congressional committee to study the use of earmarks was offered by Representatives Jack Kingston of Georgia and Frank R. Wolf of …
Georgia's Intercoastal highway slowly fills in – Savannah Morning News
Mary Landers reports, cruising the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway is akin to flying a plane: hours of boredom interspersed with moments of sheer terror. W. Tom Sawyer Jr., who sails from Maine southward each year, has seen the latter, right here on the Intracoastal in Georgia. But unlike the 58-year-old native Mainer who's been boating for more than four decades, they don't all have the skills to maneuver their boats through passages made difficult by years of neglect in Georgia. So, to the chagrin of marina operators and others who earn their living from boaters, these wealthy wayfarers avoid the state altogether…
…"The Office of Management and Budget funds it on commercial tonnage," said Merritt Myers, legislative director for U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston, who pushed for the current earmark. "They never take into consideration recreational usage."…
GOP Seeks Consensus on Earmarks at Retreat – CQ
House Republicans are diving into what’s likely to be a tumultuous conversation about the future of earmarks. As they began their three-day retreat at the Greenbrier resort, senior Republicans and their aides said support was rapidly growing for taking a step away from earmarking as usual.
Minority Leader John A. Boehner , R-Ohio, said he was determined to leave West Virginia with a caucuswide position…
…Rep. Jack Kingston , R-Ga., who is an appropriator, said he wanted a temporary moratorium on requests for earmarks combined with action on his proposal (H Con Res 263) to create a 16-member joint select committee to study earmarks and make recommendations on how to limit them. The moratorium would be in effect until the panel makes its recommendations. “Constitutionally, we have a right to earmarks. But they are a PR disaster,” Kingston said. “It’s like the annual pay raise vote. It is a modern-day political football. If we don’t deal with it we will handle it recklessly.” Senior Republicans have expressed strong support for Kingston’s approach…
Are rebates the way to go? – WSAV-TV
President Bush and members of Congress met Wednesday to talk about a stimulus package for the economy, which includes rebate checks. Democrats in Congress promised cooperation. In Savannah, many like Ben Cole think the rebates are probably a good idea. "The president is trying to stimulate the economy and if this will, I'm for it 100 percent," he told me…
…Congressman Jack Kingston (republican from the 1st district) says he's not yet convinced rebates are the best way to go. "What we really need is something that creates jobs and sometimes that's not as glamorous as sending out checks," Kingston says. "Sometimes in Washington you get a political fix instead of an economic fix."…
GOP split on kicking its spending habit – The Politico
House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) delivered a stern warning to GOP leaders at their last closed-door meeting: They will never win back the majority until they end their addiction to pet spending projects. “If we don’t get serious about it, and get serious soon, we’re going nowhere,” he told the GOP lawmakers, according to notes taken by one attendee. Unfortunately for Boehner, not every Republican wants to get serious about it, and even those who do are deeply divided over the best way to force Congress to quit cold turkey. Options on the table include a six-month moratorium, a one-year moratorium or putting earmark-hater Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) on the Appropriations Committee…
…We need to come up with something,” said Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), a member of the Appropriations Committee. And there are a few “something” options under discussion. Kingston and two other Republicans on Appropriations — Tennessee Rep. Zach Wamp and Virginia Rep. Frank R. Wolf — have proposed a plan to impose a six-month moratorium on all earmarks, which includes spending, tax and authorizing committees, while a bipartisan, bicameral select committee completes a comprehensive study of the practice…
Lott successor Wicker has big britches to fill – The Poltico (DC)
Roger Wicker, the nation’s newest senator, bears little resemblance to his predecessor, recently departed Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott. Lott’s political dexterity and verbal flourish made him an outsized figure during his 25 years in Congress.
By contrast, the understated Wicker is almost bland. Lott may have given Wicker his first job on Capitol Hill — in 1980, as an aide on the House Rules Committee — but the new senator is more in the mold of his senior colleague, Republican Thad Cochran, an understated force who wields quiet clout as the top Republican on the Appropriations Committee. In appointing Wicker as Lott’s interim replacement, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour “chose well,” said Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.). “He’s a workhorse guy who will get it done, but he’s not a grandstander.”
Economic Stimulus Proposals Divide Democrats – CQ
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid face a split in their party’s ranks over the best medicine for a tired economy: tax cuts or more spending. Liberal Democrats, committee chairmen and appropriators want to boost spending on traditional Democratic priorities such as infrastructure and heating oil subsidies. Moderate Democrats would prefer to spur consumer spending and job creation with new tax breaks for middle-class families and businesses.
Pelosi and Reid want to offer an economic package to compete with the tax cuts expected to be the centerpiece of President Bush’s fiscal 2009 budget proposal. Senate Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin , D-Ill., said party leaders in both chambers will soon sift proposals by committee chairmen…
…But some senior Republicans, including Rep. Jack Kingston of Georgia, say they are against any costly stimulus deal unless there is more evidence of a coming economic slowdown. “I don’t think the economic case is there,” he said…
Make It Flake! – National Review Online
When Jeff Flake was elected to Congress in 2000 from Arizona’s Sixth Congressional District with the hope of “effectively advanc[ing] the principles of limited government, economic freedom, and individual responsibility,” he was a relatively unknown entity outside Arizona. Some may have dismissed the Arizona newbie as just another congressman out of a 435-member body, but that would have been a big mistake…
…The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board has also voiced its support for “the anti-appropriator.” Even long-time appropriator and supporter of earmarks Rep. Jack Kingston (R., Ga.) is supporting Flake, arguing that Flake’s selection would constitute an important step towards returning the Republican Party to its fiscal conservative roots. “Are we ready for change?” Rep. Kingston told The Hill. “If we are not up to the challenge to step up to this challenge then we are not ready to assume the majority again.”…
Bill includes almost $250000 for Massie Heritage Center – SMN
The historic Massie Heritage Center was awarded $238,748 as part of the appropriations bill signed late last year by President Bush. On Dec. 26, Bush signed into law the 2008 Omnibus Appropriations Bill, a $555 billion federal spending bill. U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston secured about $17 million from the bill for projects in Chatham County. Funds for Massie Heritage Center go toward preserving documents and displays outlining the history of Savannah.
USS Sea Dragon set to sail – Georgia Times Union
The USS Sea Dragon is one of 67 built in the Coast Guard's current class of cutters.
Although it may look the same as 66 others, the vessel's mission is unique, at least for the time being. Commissioned Monday in a ceremony at Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base, its new home port, the cutter will have one responsibility: to provide protection for seven submarines as they depart or arrive at Kings Bay.
…U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., said the newest cutter will enhance security for boats ported at Kings Bay. "We are proud of the Coast Guard in coastal Georgia," Kingston said. "The Sea Dragon has a long history in the Coast Guard and the Navy."…
The legislature is in session: Why you should care – SMN
A few years back, a reporter asked a dozen people or so in Johnson Square to name their state representative or senator. Only three could name either.
Some named Jack Kingston, a Savannah-area Republican congressman. That's in the ballpark: Kingston was a state representative a decade and a half ago. "Who cares?" someone responded. "They're all the same. What difference does it make?" Quite a bit, as it turns out. Yes, there are other players - the governor, the courts, the state bureaucracy and local government. But it's only a slight exaggeration to say the General Assembly - as the state legislature is called - decides who gets to do what, when, where and how in Georgia and who has to pay for it.
Approps seat tests the GOP on spending – The Hill
House Republicans this month will face a defining moment when they fill an opening on the Appropriations Committee: Either appoint an anti-earmark lawmaker or risk further alienating conservatives at the grassroots level. The intensifying effort to persuade Republican leaders to select Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) to fill ex-Rep. Roger Wicker’s (R-Miss.) Appropriations seat grew stronger Monday as FreedomWorks endorsed the maverick lawmaker.
…Last week, Flake found an unlikely ally in appropriator Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) who, while a strong believer in the right to earmark, believes Flake’s addition would be a strong message of a party’s ability to reform itself. “Jeff has a lot of respect and would be a very good and very viable member,” Kingston said. “This would be a very serious step to get back to where we need to be. “This is a big cultural challenge on our part: Are we ready for change?” Kingston said. “If we are not up to the challenge to step up to this challenge then we are not ready to assume the majority again.”…
Kingston's barbecue a hit – Brunswick News
Congressman Jack Kingston, R-1, must have shaken a thousand hands during his 16th annual barbecue rally in Brunswick on Saturday. "This is great," said Kingston while being surrounded by members of his campaign. "It is like having a conversation with the people." From babies to beauty pageant winners, Kingston spent much of the morning taking pictures and talking with old friends. With more than 400 enthusiastic supporters gathered for a barbecue in his honor at the Fairgrounds Exchange Club, Kingston expressed his appreciation for all his followers in his bid for this year's re-election as the U.S. Congressman from Georgia's 1st District against retired Lt. Colonel Bill Gillespie (D) from Chatham County.
Presidential nomination races still up for grabs - SMN
Not so fast. So we learned from Tuesday's New Hampshire primary elections, which left the door to both parties' nominations wide open. Wins by Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican John McCain also mean they'll stay ajar at least until Georgia's Feb. 5 primary. "The fun part," said Atlanta political consultant Beth Schapiro, "is that Georgia is now important. We'll see lots of candidates." But first come primaries in Michigan and Nevada, two South Carolina contests, and a do-or-die stand for one-time GOP frontrunner Rudy Giuliani in Florida…
…U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston of Savannah, a leading Romney supporter, says his candidate "is very strong" in Michigan but doesn't need to win there; a "solid second place" will keep him in the hunt…
Kingston opponent picks up union endorsement – GA Politics Unfiltered
Retired Army Lt. Colonel Bill Gillespie, who is attempting to unseat Rep. Jack Kingston (R - Georgia) in the General Election, picked up the endorsement of the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 177 (UA). The UA boasts a North American membership of over 300,000. In a statement announcing this endorsement, E.D. Gornto, Business Manager for the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 177, said, "From military and veteran issues to environmental and working family issues, Bill Gillespie shows the new leadership we desperately need in South Georgia." Bill Gillespie is currently unopposed in the Democratic primary for the 1st Congressional District.
Library gets lasting donation – Georgia Times Union
U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston cleaned off his bookshelves and perhaps his closet last week and gave hundreds of books to the Three Rivers Regional Library in Brunswick.
The library was as glad to get them as Kingston was to be rid of some of them.
There were some great reads such as A Separate Peace by John Knowles, Toni Morrison's Beloved and Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton. "There's definitely some keepers in here," said Joe Shinnick, director of the library. The books are very likely to find a new home somewhere. The picks of the literary litter will go on the shelves of the Brunswick library and the branches in Nahunta, Jesup and elsewhere. The Friends of the Brunswick Library will get what's left for their book store and perhaps a few for their annual book sale. All the proceeds go into buying more books and other materials for the library.
Charlton finally gets its jail – Georgia Times Union
For the first time since 1995, the Folkston police and Charlton County Sheriff's Office can jail suspects in Folkston. The county has formed a partnership with Cornell Corrections Inc., a private company managing the D. Ray James Prison, and built a $20 million, 318-bed facility to hold inmates, including those facing federal charges…
…U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., described the new facility as a great example of how private companies can partner with local and state governments to save taxpayers money. "This is $20 million that did not come out of the pockets of local taxpayers," he said. "They can do it faster and cheaper. I think this is good."…
House appropriator wants Flake on spending panel – The Hill
Earmark foe Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) has found an unlikely ally in his bid to nab a seat on the House Appropriations Committee: panel member Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.). The key House appropriator has been quietly calling members of the conservative Republican Study Committee (RSC), advocating for his unusual pick for the open slot on the powerful panel left vacant by ex-Rep. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), according to several sources familiar with the calls. Wicker was recently selected to replace the now-retired Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.). Members contacted include RSC Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas), the sources said. Hensarling could not be reached for comment. Spokesmen for Flake and Kingston also declined to comment.
A job well done. – WTOC
In an emergency situation you can count on help from Chatham County Firefighters.
We saw some of the best fire protection during those massive wildfires in South Georgia last April. Congressman Jack Kingston just honored firefighters in Chatham County who battled the wildfires that torched Ware County. 33-hundred Firefighters from 44 states including these men and women helped bring relief to people who really needed it. Kingston presented the wildfire responders with a U.S. flag that was flown over the U.S. Capitol and a plaque for their dedication to fighting the largest fire in Georgia's history.