The Jolt: Georgia lawmakers get mixed marks on Ukraine by GOP group

As Georgia Republicans argue over whether to finance a new round of military aid to help Ukraine fend off Russia’s invasion, a conservative group is providing the European nation some new backup.

The Republicans for Ukraine organization launched an ad blitz in Georgia that includes a “report card” assigning a letter grade to every GOP member of the state’s House delegation.

Members got mixed reviews. Grades ranged from top scores for U.S. Reps. Barry Loudermilk of Cassville and Rich McCormick of Suwanee to an “F” for U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. The Rome resident has called for a government shutdown if aid to Ukraine isn’t scaled back.

The group is an offshoot of Defending Democracy Together, an organization helmed by GOP strategist Sarah Longwell and conservative commentator Bill Kristol.

Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC

Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC

The ad blitz is part of a $1 million initiative meant to pressure Republicans to step up their support for Ukraine. A 30-second ad featuring GOP voters who back the military is airing on Fox News in Georgia all week.

U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, the recipient of a “B” from the group, this week told WDUN radio’s Martha Zoller that President Joe Biden’s administration should adopt a more aggressive approach when it comes to Ukraine aid.

“We need this administration to send more lethal weapons to Ukraine to end this once and for all,” said Carter, who didn’t elaborate on what that meant.

The U.S. and its NATO allies have been cautious about supplying arms to Ukraine. The Pentagon has sent sophisticated rocket-launch systems and armored vehicles but has rejected distributing more advanced equipment, such as fighter jets, to avoid inciting Russia.

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Credit: Kenny Holston/The New York Times

CONFERENCE COMMITTEE. As promised, U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy appointed Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, to the joint committee tasked with ironing out a final agreement on a sweeping military policy package, the National Defense Authorization Act.

Joining Greene on the committee is a fellow Georgian, U.S. Rep. Austin Scott. The Tifton Republican is a top member of the House Armed Services Committee and was appointed to serve as a “core conferee.” Three other Republicans in the Georgia delegation, Reps. Buddy Carter of Pooler, Rich McCormick of Suwanee and Mike Collins of Jackson, are “outside conferees,” meaning they may not be in meetings with Senate counterparts but could help guide discussions among House members.

The National Defense Authorization Act has been passed and signed into law on a bipartisan basis every year since its inception. This year will be a challenge with House conservatives pushing McCarthy, R-Calif., for spending cuts and reduced funding to Ukraine. Senate Democrats will challenge those demands.

Greene’s focus as a conference committee member will be on stripping Ukraine aid. She voted in favor of the NDAA on the House floor after striking an agreement with McCarthy.

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Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

ABORTION ATTACK. Long gone are the days when Gov. Brian Kemp wouldn’t utter a “bad word” about former President Donald Trump, his one-time tormenter.

Kemp issued his latest broadside of Trump late Tuesday when he joined other Republicans criticizing the former president for calling a six-week abortion ban signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis a “terrible thing.”

Trump criticized the Florida law in an interview Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” and his remarks struck a nerve with conservatives who have long championed new abortion limits.

Although Trump appointed three U.S. Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, he has also avoided recent questions about whether he backs a strict federal abortion ban.

Kemp, in contrast, made abortion restrictions a top priority early in his first term. After a hard-fought 2019 legislative battle, the governor signed into law a measure that limits most abortions as early as six weeks.

“There’s nothing ‘terrible’ about standing up for life,” Kemp posted on social media, adding that “Georgia has proudly protected and valued life” through various other legislative initiatives.

There’s nothing “terrible” about standing up for life.

In addition to passing the heartbeat bill, Georgia has proudly protected and valued life through implementing adoption and foster care reforms, and combatting human trafficking - and will continue to do so as long as I’m…
— Brian Kemp (@BrianKempGA) September 19, 2023

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SHUTDOWN COUNTDOWN. Congress has 11 days to pass either annual appropriations bills or temporary stop-gap funding to keep the government open past Sept. 30.

House efforts suffered another setback on Tuesday when a small group of conservatives blocked a spending bill from advancing to the floor for debate. The vote was just the latest indicator to Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., that he doesn’t have enough Republican votes to pass funding legislation without help from Democrats. Yet were McCarthy to strike a deal with Democrats he would likely face a vote from his own caucus to remove him as speaker.

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

Georgia’s delegation split strictly along party lines in Tuesday’s failed procedural vote with all nine Republicans in favor and all five Democrats opposed. Walking off the floor afterward, GOP members were visibly angry at the five conservatives who voted with Democrats to kill the measure.

U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson, R-The Rock, struggled to find the words to express what he felt: “I’m still collecting my thoughts.”

U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick, the freshman from Suwanee, said he and others are scratching their heads in trying to determine the five dissenters’ motivations.

“I just want to know what the heck they want,” he said.

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Credit: Nicole Craine/The New York Times

CBC WEEK. The Congressional Black Caucus’ Annual Legislative Conference kicks off today in Washington, bringing with it dozens of panels accompanied by invitation-only receptions and swanky parties. Most are sponsored by familiar brands or advocacy organizations ranging from Coca-Cola to Planned Parenthood.

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia is one of two honorary co-chairs of this year’s conference, along with Virgin Islands Delegate Stacey Plaskett. The Black Caucus’ roughly 60 members will attend events through Sunday.

Today’s schedule includes:

Warnock, a Democrat, and other CBC members will participate in official grand opening events.
Rep. Nikema Williams, D-Atlanta, hosts a panel on building Black wealth.
Warnock hosts a panel with U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Marietta, and rapper Quavo on gun violence prevention in the Black community.
Black Voters Matter co-founder LaTosha Brown and Helen Butler, executive director of the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, will participate in a roundtable highlighting Black female political leaders.

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Credit: Stephen B. Morton for the AJC

SPEED UP. Hyundai executives have long said the South Korean firm was speeding up construction on its $7.6 billion electric vehicle and battery plant near Savannah to tap new federal electric vehicle incentives.

But José Muñoz, Hyundai’s North American chief executive, put a finer point on that strategy on Tuesday as he announced a new collaboration with Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

“We felt that it was unfair that our company was not able to qualify since we had this contract signed,” Muñoz said, adding: “However, the law is the law, and what we decided is to double down and try to accelerate as much as possible.”

Muñoz is referring to a provision in President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act that provides a tax credit to buyers of electric vehicles, but only on cars manufactured in North America powered by domestic batteries.

The Hyundai Metaplant in Ellabell is slated to open in January 2025, but Munoz said the facility could begin operations three months early based on its current construction timeline, our AJC colleague Zach Hansen reports. The factory, championed by Gov. Brian Kemp, is the largest economic development project in state history and will employ 8,500 workers once fully operational.

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Credit: Doug Mills/The New York Times

TODAY IN WASHINGTON:

President Joe Biden meets with more heads of state at the United Nations in New York City. He closes the day with campaign events before returning to Washington.
The U.S. House has votes on noncontroversial legislation as Republicans attempt to regroup from disagreements over government funding.
The Senate has a procedural vote scheduled on an appropriations “minibus.” Members will also attend a closed-door briefing on Ukraine.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland will face questions from Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee about what they perceive as politicization of the Justice Department.

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PERSONNEL MOVES. Spiro Amburn, the longtime top aide to the late House Speaker David Ralston, has joined McGuireWoods Consulting as a senior vice president of government relations.

Amburn left state government earlier this year after 25 years as a top legislative staffer at the Capitol. He worked for Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones and Jon Burns, the chamber’s current leader, as well as Ralston.

Amburn was succeeded as Burns’ chief by Terry England, the former House appropriations chair.

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Credit: Courtesy photo

THE BEST. Congratulations to Martha Zoller and Caleb Hutchins, the duo behind The Martha Zoller Show, for winning a Gabby Award over the weekend. The Gainesville-based radio show was named best small market radio program by the Georgia Association of Broadcasters.

The show is a must-do for GOP bigwigs and others who hope to become GOP bigwigs someday — and even features a few Democrats from time to time.

Thank you Thank you @GABroadcasters for this honor. #keepchoppin #gapol #calebhutchins @MurphyAJC @bluestein ⁦@access_wdun⁩ ⁦@WDUNTheMZS⁩ ⁦@WDUNRadio⁩ pic.twitter.com/e0dZ5lQFfr
— MarthaZoller (@MarthaZoller) September 17, 2023

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DOG OF THE DAY. It’s time to meet Levon, Tommy, and Cash, the three golden retrievers who call Jolt reader Donna Scowden their person.

A reliable source tells us that Tommy (below, left) is a therapy dog with the Happy Tails Pet Therapy program. Cash (right), was recently adopted from the Gwinnett Jail Dogs Program. Levon (center) is just cute.