Dear friends,

One of my greatest pleasures in the U.S. Senate has been my work on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. I’ve had the opportunity to help lead the Senate subcommittee on African Affairs and serve in other capacities to advance U.S. national security interests through global leadership. I’m proud of what we have been able to achieve. 

I was recently honored by the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition with its Lifetime Achievement Award for my longstanding commitment to advocating for a strong U.S. foreign policy and strengthening America’s development and diplomacy tools worldwide. A video was released to accompany the award, and you can watch it by clicking here.

Major Win for Georgia

On Thursday, court-appointed Special Master Paul Kelly recommended that the U.S. Supreme Court dismiss Florida’s case against Georgia over water rights that has been under litigation for years. The Supreme Court must now decide whether or not to act on the case, or whether Kelly or another judge must review it again.

Georgia has consistently focused on conservation efforts to ensure that we are good stewards of our water resources. This ruling reaffirms the evidence-based argument presented to Special Master Kelly by the state’s attorneys, and we look forward to the U.S. Supreme Court issuing a decision that proves the merits of Georgia’s position in this case soon.

In the Senate

During the last three years, the Senate has confirmed 50 circuit court judges appointed by President Donald Trump, more than any president’s first full term since 1980. In Georgia, the Senate has confirmed eight judges to our nation’s federal courts during that time. 

Over-the-Counter Medication Improvements

I am so glad to share that on Tuesday, the Senate passed bipartisan legislation I introduced and have worked on for a number of years to overhaul the way over-the-counter medications are regulated and brought to market. I reintroduced this legislation earlier this year because while modern medicine is constantly improving and adapting as research offers new information, the regulatory system is outdated, putting consumer health at risk and hindering innovation that could benefit all Americans.

The Over-the-Counter Monograph Safety, Innovation, and Reform Act, S.2740, will help ensure that Americans have effective, accessible health products in their medicine cabinets and on supermarket shelves. In addition, the legislation will ensure innovations can be made well into the future and that we are promoting competition to bring down costs for consumers. I hope the House will quickly follow suit in passing this measure.

In Other News

• On Tuesday, I was glad to join Senate-designate Kelly Loeffler at the weekly Senate Republican Conference lunch as she continues planning to begin her work here fulltime in January. I have pledged to work closely with Kelly to ensure a smooth transition as I retire on Dec. 31.

• I am also glad to report that the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Reauthorization Act of 2019 passed in committee this week! I introduced this bipartisan measure last week to help protect children by providing states with the support they need to combat child abuse and neglect.

What’s On Tap?

As we approach the end of the year, I am still hard at work fighting for Georgia’s legislative priorities. Current government funding expires on Dec. 20, and it is essential that our government remains funded to avoid any interruption to critical services and benefits.

Sincerely,