[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 185 (Tuesday, November 19, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H9043-H9049]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF SENATOR JOHNNY ISAKSON

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2019, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Austin Scott) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.


                             General Leave

  Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and 
extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the topic of 
this Special Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Georgia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I have a lot to say. My 
colleague, Mr. Hice, has a lot to do. I am going to yield to Mr. Hice 
so that he can speak briefly and go back to his committee.
  Mr. HICE of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend for 
yielding a quick moment.
  There are few people in Washington, D.C., and in America who have had 
the impact of Senator Johnny Isakson. And when we think of Senator 
Isakson, no question, there are so many things that come to our mind.
  Senator, you are and you have been an incredible statesman, a 
phenomenal leader, in Georgia, here in the United States Senate, and in 
our country, and we just want to say thank you for all that you have 
done for us.
  I think, personally, when I first came to Congress, you were one of 
the first individuals to reach out to me and to give advice and 
encouragement. And to this day, every time I see you, you do that, and 
you will never know how much that means.
  I just want to publicly state that Johnny Isakson, Senator Isakson, 
is a hero for people all across this country. Your brilliant mind and 
your leadership will always be here, and we say thank you from the 
bottom of our heart. May God bless you and your family as you go into 
this next chapter.
  Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Madam Speaker, today, my colleagues and 
I rise to honor the legislative legacy and the life of my good friend 
and colleague and fellow Georgia Bulldog, U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson.
  For more than 20 years, Senator Isakson has served the people of 
Georgia in the United States Congress, tirelessly fighting for the 
people of Georgia.
  During his tenure, Senator Isakson has been a bellwether for many in 
our delegation, both as a Member of this body and as a United States 
Senator. If I have heard it once, I have heard it a thousand times: 
Where's Johnny on this? What does Johnny think about this? Have you 
spoken to Johnny on this?
  He has offered counsel that has been learned through his 40 years of 
public service that is invaluable to me and many of us in the Georgia 
delegation and throughout this Nation.
  I have many personal stories about Johnny, some of them appropriate 
for the floor, some of them not. But my first recollection of Senator 
Isakson was a call that I made as a young teenager when we had a mutual 
friend and I needed a little help getting him through the ballot 
process at the fraternity house. Senator Isakson picked up the phone 
and called and, a few minutes later, the president of the fraternity 
walked in and said: I am not quite sure who spoke to Senator Isakson, 
but this is the way the next vote's going to go.
  And that was all it took.
  I can't tell you, over the last 20, or, I am sorry, I should say 30-
plus years, how much you have meant to me and my family. And when I am 
back home, I constantly tell the people the respect our delegation and 
all the Members of the House and the Senate have for you. You have 
brought forward a sense of bipartisanship in working across the aisle 
for the good of all Georgians.
  He has played a key role in building and maintaining his reputation, 
and I look forward to that special tradition continuing in the coming 
legislative sessions.
  Public service is much more than just the service of the Member; it 
is also the service of the family.
  Senator Isakson, your children, your wonderful wife, Dianne, we 
extend our thanks for their commitment to serve Georgia and their 
support of our delegation and fellow delegation members. Their impact 
cannot be understated, and we look forward to you enjoying more time 
with Dianne and your entire family as you enter your next chapter.
  For decades, Senator Isakson and his family have faithfully served 
our State. His character, godliness, and

[[Page H9044]]

statesmanship will be greatly missed in Washington, D.C.
  His faithful service to the great State of Georgia is second only to 
our beloved mascot, Uga. He is a giant among men and dogs, dedicated 
and deliberate, and it has been an honor to work alongside him fighting 
for the good people of Georgia and the veterans of the United States of 
America.

  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis).
  Mr. LEWIS. Madam Speaker, I want to thank my beloved colleague and my 
friend for yielding. I would like to thank our colleague, Mr. Austin 
Scott, for organizing this Special Order tribute to a great man, to a 
wonderful human being.
  Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Senator Johnny Isakson, a son of 
Atlanta, Georgia. Senator Isakson is a special man. He is a good man. I 
want to thank him for his years of service in the Georgia State 
Legislature, in the United States House of Representatives, and, now, 
in the United States Senate.
  On February 25, 1999, I introduced Johnny as the newest member of the 
Georgia congressional delegation to the House of Representatives. He 
came to Congress as a graduate of the University of Georgia and a 
successful businessman.
  Before coming to Congress, he served as a member of the Georgia Air 
National Guard, the State house minority leader, a State senator, and 
the chair of the State board of education.
  On that day, I said he brought a wealth of knowledge with him. I 
explained to our colleagues that, in his decades of public service in 
our home State, Johnny developed a great reputation as a bridge 
builder, a man who has strong beliefs but was also willing to work with 
others to get things done.
  Very quickly, Members of the House and Senate discovered how true 
this was. The Senator does not make a lot of noise, but he has the 
ability and the capacity to speak truth to power.
  When Johnny served in the House of Representatives, we always found a 
way to come together, and we continued that tradition when he was 
elected to the Senate. Over the years, we worked together on many, many 
issues, like transportation, water, housing, and veterans affairs. We 
always found a way to get along and to do the good work the people 
deserved.
  Time and time again, he stood with us, he worked with us to uplift 
African Americans in the State of Georgia, to recognize individuals 
like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Jackie Robinson, native of 
Georgia. He did not just talk the talk, he literally walked the walk.
  Senator, you not only supported the reauthorization of the Voting 
Rights Act in 2006, but, a few years later, you even co-led the 
congressional pilgrimage to Selma, Alabama. I want to say thank you for 
all of your good and great work.
  Those of us who know you will agree that you are always thoughtful 
and mindful, a warm and welcoming gentleman in the truest sense of the 
word.
  For two decades, you, Senator, led a team that could cross the aisle 
without compromising their values. Whenever a constituent came over 
from a meeting with you and your staff, they felt heard and respected.

                              {time}  1545

  I hope you do not mind, but I would like to share a moment that 
stands out for me and will always stand out for me as long as I live, 
to this very day.
  One morning, before I was scheduled to read the 13th Amendment on the 
House floor, Senator Isakson asked me to come and speak with his staff 
about service and my own experiences. We had an honest and thoughtful 
discussion. It was one of the most meaningful, memorable experiences of 
my years in Congress. I carry it in my heart to this very day, to this 
very moment, what Senator Isakson said. I believe 20 years have passed 
since I stood on this very floor to introduce Senator Isakson to 
Congress.
  As Johnny returns to private life with his beloved wife, Dianne, of 
51 years and his wonderful, beautiful children and grandchildren, I 
would like to thank Johnny for his years of service. I would like to 
thank Johnny for his service to our State, our Nation. I wish Johnny 
health and happiness.
  I hope the Senator takes some time to enjoy a beautiful and wonderful 
life in the State of Georgia. Senator Isakson has been very good to the 
people of the State of Georgia, and I am lucky enough, and just blessed 
really, to call him a friend and a brother. I thank him so much.
  Madam Speaker, it is almost difficult to yield back the time when I 
speak of this good and great leader from the State of Georgia. I thank 
Johnny for his service. I will come over and meet you, brother.
  Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I wish all of America 
could be here to see that, two icons from Georgia embracing. What a 
wonderful sight that I think is representative of the days of the past 
and the days to come and how we should work together. Thank you both so 
much, not just for what you did, but for who you are.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Graves).
  Mr. GRAVES of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Scott 
for yielding and for coordinating this hour of tribute to a dear, dear 
friend and how humbling it is to follow my good friend, Representative 
Lewis, who swore me in just the same, Johnny, just over 9 years ago, 
right here in this same spot.
  I know this would certainly take more than an hour, and I know this 
is a Georgia delegation moment, but, Senator, I am certain that if the 
House would allow that, Member after Member from State after State 
would come down here and pay you tribute, just the same as we are 
today.
  As Members, we get up each and every day and we work hard to make 
sure our constituents have a great place to live and provide for their 
families. And it is not often that we have the opportunity to share 
about the impact that a single person might have made on our very own 
lives.
  Today is one of those rare occasions for me, and I get to do that 
today through the recognition of one of Georgia's giants. And I am 
going to do this today, Senator, take the opportunity to share of our 
first interaction, my first introduction, my introduction to Senator 
Isakson.
  It was November 6, 1990, and I was just your average 20-year-old 
college student. I was apolitical. I was just looking for a free meal 
that night. I was an idealist, very open-minded, and I was invited that 
night by my roommate to attend a political gathering. And my roommate 
just happened to be the son of Freddie Stevenson, who is a dear friend 
of ours, Senator.
  And that was my very first political event ever that I had attended, 
and it happened to be the gubernatorial election night celebration, or 
that is at least what I anticipated that night. I can remember that 
evening as if it were yesterday, and I know the Senator can, as well, 
as can so many others.
  As a north Georgia country boy, I didn't grow up in wealth or 
politics. I just worked hard every day just trying to get through each 
and every day.
  But that night I was impacted. There was a lot of energy. There was 
excitement in the room. And that is infectious, I know it is, but that 
is not what it was about that night. I was impacted more so than 
anything by a single person, a person I didn't even know yet, a person 
that I would soon get to know very well, though.
  You might suggest that I was impressed by the Senator's resume, his 
history and what he had done. I mean, after all, we glossed over what 
the Senator has accomplished, but he has served in the Georgia Air 
National Guard. The Senator has 14 years in the Georgia House as a 
minority leader. The Senator was co-chair of a Presidential campaign, 
president of one of the largest real estate companies in the country, 
and, yes, as has been mentioned, he was a Georgia Bulldog. All of that 
by 1990. That is impressive, but that is not what captured me that 
night.
  I was totally unaware of all those things. Nor could it have been his 
future, because none of us knew, none of us knew what might be yet. 
That was so many years ago.
  The fact that Johnny would one day run and be elected to the State 
Senate, that he would be a candidate for U.S. Senate in 1996, he would 
head the State School Board, be elected to the U.S. House in 1999, 
sworn in by the great John Lewis, and then 5 years later elected to the 
United States Senate as our senior Senator.

[[Page H9045]]

  There was something so much more, Johnny. There was so much more than 
that, Senator, that we had yet to know. I mean, it was more than the 
Senator's resume. It was more than the Senator's title, and it was more 
than what the Senator was going to accomplish that stirred me or that 
stirs any individual.
  It was on that night in 1990 where a man I had never met with a name 
I certainly couldn't pronounce with a history that I didn't know or a 
future yet untold, he caught my attention. My first true interaction, 
my first impact by a political figure in my life was that night in 
1990.
  The results were not what the Senator had hoped for at the time or 
what the Senator had worked for, and yet, he was in a room of friends 
and supporters and had to address them that night.
  Now, if you were an onlooker like me, a 20-year-old college student, 
what do you expect? You expect maybe there is going to be bitterness, 
there is going to be regret, there is going to be some blaming, there 
is going to be some divisiveness. That certainly sounds familiar, 
certainly today. But it was different.
  Instead, Johnny Isakson, he took the stage with grace, with respect, 
with dignity, with vision and with a confidence that I never expected 
in a person. And whether the Senator knew it that night at that time, 
he chose to impact, and he chose to inspire. He chose to inspire me.
  I know the story is not unique to me. I know it is not. There are 45 
years of stories like that. I just happened to be one. He was paying 
forward before it was even a thing to do. And now 29 years later I can 
stand before each of you, I stand before you as one who served in the 
Georgia House for 7\1/2\ years and now in my 10th year here in Congress 
and a future still yet untold. I get to stand before the Senator and 
say, ``thank you.''
  I thank Senator Isakson. I thank him for caring. I thank him for 
being an example of what is needed so much today. It is with deep 
gratitude that I get to pay tribute in his farewell. To the one who 
might have lost an election in 1990 but won the trust of a 20-year-old 
college student that night, a true fighter for Georgia, a great 
statesman, and a dear friend, thank you so much, and may God bless the 
Senator in the days ahead.
  Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. I yield to the gentleman from Georgia 
(Mr. Bishop), my friend and colleague.
  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding, and I thank my colleagues for this Special Order giving 
tribute to a good and great man.
  Winston Churchill once said, ``You make your living by what you get. 
You make your life by what you give.'' My friend, Johnny Isakson, has 
given so much to so many for so long. He has truly made a life.
  Johnny Isakson has been a true statesman in his remarkable career as 
a public servant for Georgians. I first met Johnny in 1977 where we 
served together in the Georgia General Assembly. We developed a 
friendship which has endured through our work together in the State 
House, the U.S. House of Representatives, and during his service as our 
U.S. Senator from Georgia.
  Throughout his career, he has not viewed issues from a partisan 
perspective, but for the good of all Americans. Johnny served as a 
Republican in both chambers of Georgia's State legislature, but he was 
appointed by Georgia's Democratic Governor Zell Miller to be the 
chairman of the Georgia State Board of Education. His integrity, his 
kindness are invaluable qualities in a legislator and have no doubt 
been a defining measure of his success.
  I am honored to call Johnny my friend. We will miss him in the 
delegation. His loss will be felt deeply, but we can all agree that he 
is very much deserving of a happy retirement spent with his wife, 
Dianne, their children, and grandchildren, and we wish you the best, 
Johnny.
  The poet said:

     Isn't it strange how princes and kings,
     and clowns that caper in sawdust rings,
     and common people, like you and me,
     are builders for eternity?
     Each is given a list of rules;
     a shapeless mass; a bag of tools.
     And each must make your life as flown,
     a stumbling block, or a stepping stone.

  The people of Georgia, the people of our Nation, and, indeed, people 
all across the world are so blessed that you have used your life and 
your career not as a stumbling block but as a stepping stone for a 
higher, better quality of life for human kind. Thank you, and God bless 
you.
  Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I want to thank Senator 
Isakson, as well, for his service to our Nation's veterans and his role 
as chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. He served our 
military veterans faithfully for many, many years.
  I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins), my friend and 
colleague, one of the men who serves us in multiple capacities, both in 
the Air Force and as a Member of Congress.
  Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Thank you, Mr. Scott, for yielding. To be 
here, to hear just the accomplishments of Senator Isakson. He's one of 
the people that as you go along you find in life that you have to know 
him by title or you have to know him by last name, in the State of 
Georgia when you say, ``Johnny,'' everybody knows who you are talking 
about, especially when it comes to our politics.
  And for me to rattle off everything that has already been said, it is 
breathtaking what you have done and what you have accomplished from 
business to career, and those are the things that are worthy of the 
page in your life.
  But for many of us here, just as my friends were saying earlier, the 
Senator has a personal attachment to many of us, whether he realizes it 
or not. For those of us who come forward in public service, you need 
role models and mentors, and you hear about those who succeeded and 
failed and succeeded and failed, which is something many of us have to 
get used to, whether we want to or not.
  For me it is watching the Senator in the times when probably he 
didn't know he was being watched. There were times when I watched the 
Senator, as a young person in the State House in Georgia going to a 
meeting and they would recognize him and say, you know, Johnny is here, 
would he like to say a few words?
  And for most of us, it is struggling just to come up with a couple 
words that actually sound good together, much less sentences, but 
Johnny Isakson would stand up and for the next 5 minutes rattle off a 
speech that you would have sworn had been honed for years, and it 
touched the very soul of everybody there.

                              {time}  1600

  I was in awe. And I watched him do it so many times. He listened. In 
this business, that is pretty impressive. That is why he got stuff 
done.
  I remember, every time I would come to him, there would be times when 
I would be asking a question, and I would go along, and he would listen 
and answer the question. I went away feeling better just by being with 
him.
  I remember when I talked to him right after he announced to us that 
he was going to leave a big hole in our delegation. The first thing he 
said to me when I picked up the phone, as he did almost every time, 
was, ``Doug, thank you. You are doing a great job,'' even when I knew 
that probably wasn't true.
  When you understand, though, what it takes to lift people up, you 
leave a mark. You leave a special mark.
  For those of us in politics who struggled many times over the past 
few years to go into groups that would call us names and not like us 
even when they supposedly were on our side, I watched what he did. He 
would go into those groups and sneak in the back after the meeting 
started. They would see him there. They would recognize him, and he 
stood and spoke. He never backed up. He never backed down. But he made 
a lot of converts simply by being there.
  For those of us in public service, if he showed me or showed anybody 
anything, it is that being in the room, being a participant, listening 
to people, and caring about them, even if we disagree with them, is the 
largest step we can take to make sure that we have a union that 
matters.
  From me and my house, for a profession that many have taken on that 
needs role models, we stand on his shoulders. He is the giant in the 
room, from our perspective of watching what happens and how it happens.
  When I got to Washington, DC, I knew the one thing that I wanted to 
do

[[Page H9046]]

was actually pass legislation because I had heard him say one time 
before: Why do we come up here if we don't get anything done?
  Madam Speaker, Johnny is far beyond the policy. He went to the heart 
of people, and it will be missed in this place. But it is alive now, 
and we turn to him and that vision more than anything.
  Of course, as Senator Isakson knows, I still represent part of Athens 
and Clarke County. He is a Georgia graduate, and as we say around those 
parts, ``You are a damn good Dawg.''
  Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Collins for 
his comments.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Georgia (Mrs. McBath), 
my colleague.
  Mrs. McBATH. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I am 
so glad that we are gathered here today to honor our colleague.
  It is an honor to represent Georgia's Sixth District here in 
Congress, and it is truly an honor to hold the seat that Senator 
Isakson once held.
  Senator Isakson has spent decades in service to the State of Georgia 
and to our great Nation. His legacy has left an unforgettable mark on 
Georgia and the United States Senate.
  He is known in our community for being a friendly neighbor and for 
being a truly good man, and I am honored to call him my friend. We 
share a passion, a passion to make Georgia the best place to live and 
to start a family. We share a dedication to making America a more 
perfect union.
  I know that I have not been in the Georgia delegation very long, but 
I thank the gentleman for putting people over party and for his 
commitment to the best policy, which is not always easy politics.
  We live in an age where loyalty to partisanship has too often come at 
the expense of the American people, and we live in an age where 
``compromise'' has become a dirty word. We live in an age where the 
American people have become disillusioned with the American Government.
  Senator Isakson has defied that age. Senator Isakson has always been 
open to that tough conversation, and he has always been open to finding 
commonsense solutions to forge uncommon ground.
  That is why I am so proud to follow in his footsteps as the 
Representative from Georgia's Sixth Congressional District. It is why I 
work so hard to make sure that we are passing bipartisan bills, bills 
that will help protect the communities that we truly love.
  Madam Speaker, I thank Senator Isakson. I thank him so much for his 
service to the people of Georgia and his service to the freedom of our 
country.
  Godspeed to my friend. God bless.
  Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman 
for her remarks.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Woodall), 
my friend and colleague.
  Mr. WOODALL. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  I am enjoying listening to the partnership conversation. I want to 
come from a different perspective, though. I want to talk about the 
partisanship conversation.
  When I was 6 years old and Senator Isakson was elected as a Georgia 
House member, it was 23 out of 180 members of the house, as I recall. I 
don't know how many there were before he got there, but being a 
Republican in Georgia in 1976 was not a popular thing to do.
  I think about all the things that we want to do together in this 
body. I think about folks who say, ``Oh, we can't do that. It is too 
hard. It is going to take too long. Let's do something today, but let's 
not focus on those long-term goals.''
  You might think that when Ronald Reagan was elected in 1980, that 
that was a big jump in Georgia. As I recall, there were still 23 
members in the Georgia House in 1980, 23 out of 180.
  Somebody had to be the first one to stand up.
  We talk about partisanship in this institution, Madam Speaker, like 
it is a bad thing. What I have always loved about the Senator is that 
he has never been embarrassed to be a Republican. He knew what he 
believed, and he knew why he believed it.
  Now, the Senator might not like the way someone else expresses their 
Republican values, but he led with his heart. He can sit right beside a 
Democratic hero like   John Lewis, and I can't tell the difference when 
it comes to Southern gentility, but he will never be embarrassed to 
share who he is as a Republican.
  That is what it takes to grow from 23 members in a 180-member body 
into the institution that   Tom Graves had an opportunity to serve and 
into the institution that so many of our colleagues had a chance to 
serve.
  We talk about bipartisanship as that Holy Grail. It requires 
partisanship to get there, and but for the example that Senator Isakson 
set, we wouldn't have the Republican Party in Georgia, and we wouldn't 
have Isakson values in that party.
  I talked about partisanship, Madam Speaker. I want to talk about 
people as the second part of that.
  I have always imagined the roughest part about being a United States 
Senator is that one might lose that one-on-one contact that one has 
had. In a congressional district, we can get to know people. We can be 
with them in the community.
  Senator Isakson's entire career has been about people. I watch him 
when he walks into a room. Folks that I ought to know who they are 
because I have worked with them but I just can't remember, I see him go 
up and greet them by name. Folks that have come into the room from all 
different congressional districts, he has a relationship with them, 
maybe from back in 1976 when he was trying to grow the party across the 
State, maybe from back when he was leading the State Board of 
Education, maybe from back in the Sixth District, maybe from his time 
as a United States Senator. He has always put people first.
  I see that in every speech he has given in Gwinnett and Forsyth 
Counties. He will stand up and always thank the staffers who are 
working for him.
  It is his Academy Day that I enjoy the most. That is my favorite time 
that we spend together each year.
  If people don't know, Madam Speaker, the Isakson Academy Day is a 
statewide event that brings all the young men and women who love an 
opportunity--they could do anything they want to with their life, but 
they want to serve the United States of America. They want to be the 
future generation of leaders. Even as young as seventh, eighth, and 
ninth grade, they come to this event that Senator Isakson puts 
together.
  Talk about all the lives that he has changed here in this 
institution, don't even get started on the number of lives he has 
changed as it relates to leadership and opportunity to serve through 
his Academy Day.
  I think about him being a Republican's Republican. I think about Reva 
Jennings in Forsyth County. Senator Isakson knows Reva. She is hard 
core. For folks who don't know, Madam Speaker, Forsyth County is one of 
the most conservative counties in the State of Georgia--a conservative 
State, a conservative county.
  Reva Jennings has been building that Republican Party up there for as 
long as anyone can remember. We lost her in an untimely way.
  But while everybody loves us on our way out the door, Senator Isakson 
might remember a tough primary season or two where folks might come and 
say: Johnny, why aren't you more angry about this? Why aren't you doing 
this?
  As Republican primary seasons are, we tend to eat our own. Reva 
Jennings, the first time I met her, was fielding one of those 
questions. Somebody came up and said: We have to get somebody to 
challenge that Johnny Isakson in the next primary. He is soft, for a 
Republican.
  Now, we know Reva. She doesn't have any softness in her. She went 
right to Senator Isakson's steel backbone. She went right after it. She 
took it to that whole crowd of Republicans, saying: You can poor-mouth 
anybody you want to in this town, but you cannot poor-mouth Johnny 
Isakson because he has done more for the Republican Party than anybody 
else in this State has, and let me tell you how.
  It is not hard to find detractors out there these days. It is hard to 
build those lifelong friendships that create that gift of relationship 
that Senator Isakson has offered so many.
  He has offered it to me. I am grateful to him for it. I wouldn't be 
standing

[[Page H9047]]

here today but for the work he has done over those years, and I thank 
Senator Isakson for that.
  Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Scott for yielding.
  Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman 
from Georgia (Mr. Carter), my good friend and colleague.
  Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Scott 
for putting this together. Indeed, it is something well deserved.
  I rise today to recognize a great Georgian and a great Senator.
  I have been blessed in my life. I am the grandson of a tobacco farmer 
and the son of a paper mill worker, and here I am, walking the Halls of 
Congress.
  In the short period of time that I have had to serve here, I have 
witnessed many great things. I got to listen to the Pope, something I 
never thought I would have the opportunity to do, one of the great 
religious leaders in the world, right here in this room.
  But when I think of what I saw just a few minutes ago, when I saw not 
only two great Georgians but two great Americans,   John Lewis and 
Johnny Isakson, embrace, I pinch myself sometimes. How did this happen 
to me? How did I get to witness all of these great things in my life?
  Madam Speaker, I thank both of these gentlemen.
  Madam Speaker, I thank especially Senator Isakson. I have been 
fortunate to call him a friend and a mentor for many years. I have had 
many political mentors in my life: Tom Triplett, Tom Coleman, just to 
name a few, and Johnny Isakson.
  I can remember hearing the story from the then-minority leader of the 
house of representatives in the Georgia statehouse, when Senator 
Isakson would tell the story of leading such a small group that General 
Custer had had better odds than he had at that time.

                              {time}  1615

  I will never forget that. It taught me perseverance. It taught me to 
always work hard and to continue on. I have always looked at that and 
admired that in you, and I appreciate it very much.
  Your dedication to our State and our Nation has truly been unmatched. 
It is something that I have admired throughout all my time in public 
service.
  Senator Isakson, you are one of the greatest Georgians to ever serve 
and one of the only Georgians--in fact, the only Georgian--to have ever 
served in the Georgia State House, in the Georgia State Senate, in the 
House of Representatives, and the United States Senate. I got three out 
of four. I don't know if I will ever make it across over here, but if I 
do, I am going to catch you because I have had the honor, as well.
  At each of those levels that you have served, you have been 
successful in advancing policies for the betterment of the State of 
Georgia and for the United States of America. I think that is what is 
so very important. Everywhere you have been, every step of the way, it 
has always been for the people, always been for the betterment of our 
State and of our Nation.
  During a time in our political history in which Americans seem to be 
increasingly divided, I have always looked to you. One of the most 
important achievements I think that you have made is to build 
bipartisanship, to reach across the aisle, to come together.
  I hear my staff tell the story of you don't hear about Senator 
Isakson being involved in a big fight over in the Senate, but, in the 
background, he is in a knife fight and he is winning.
  That is what we all aspire to do. We all want to be known as 
statesmen. We all want to be successful and win our matches. But you 
are, and we don't even know about it most of the time.
  For example, you have always been a staunch supporter of our Nation's 
veterans. I think that is extremely important for all of us to 
remember. You were chair of the Veterans' Affairs Committee for so many 
years.
  I have heard the stories of problems at the VA and of Senator Isakson 
picking up the phone and calling the family member and apologizing. 
Now, this is the chair of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee 
calling someone and apologizing for them having a problem at the VA 
center. Can you imagine? But that is what we admire.
  The overhaul to the VA Veterans Choice Program, modernizing VA 
hospitals in the MISSION Act, all of these signed into law as a result 
of your efforts.
  Every year for over a decade, Senator Isakson has held a barbecue in 
the Russell Building to feed his colleagues from both sides of the 
aisle.
  Now at retirement at the end of this year, the State of Georgia, the 
United States of America, loses one of its great political assets. I 
know you have made the point that you are going to sprint through the 
finish line, and that is important.
  I want to thank you, Senator, for your service to our State. I want 
to thank you for your service to our Nation. I want to thank you for 
the example that you have set for people like me. Thank you for always 
being a step above the political infighting in order to do what you 
truly felt was best for Georgians.
  As you continue to do what is best for your health, you and Dianne 
will always be in my thoughts and prayers. Thank you, Senator, for your 
service to our country. God bless you.
  Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Madam Speaker, may I inquire as to how 
much time I have remaining.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Georgia has 18 minutes 
remaining.
  Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman 
from Georgia (Mr. Loudermilk), my friend and colleague.
  Mr. LOUDERMILK. Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Scott for his 
time here, and I thank him for organizing this.
  This is a moment that I am sure all of us are having mixed feelings. 
There have been a lot of accolades given here today to Senator Isakson, 
a lot of talk about his accomplishments, which are absolutely many.
  What a lot of people don't understand about Georgia is we have 
legends. There are legends from Georgia that, if you go to any history 
book or you talk to anybody, they will recognize those names as 
Georgia.
  James Oglethorpe is one of those, the founder of Georgia. Sam Nunn, 
Zell Miller,   John Lewis, Dr. Martin Luther King. Of course, everybody 
knows Vince Dooley, the legendary coach of the University of Georgia. 
Others, like Tom Murphy, the longest serving speaker of the house in 
the Nation, who served in the Georgia State House, that I know Senator 
Isakson served with when he was in the State house.
  I believe that Johnny Isakson is one of those legends, as well. As 
was mentioned, he is the only Georgian in the history of our State, in 
the history of this Nation, to serve in both houses of the State 
legislature and both Houses of the United States legislature, an 
accomplishment no one else has ever achieved.
  Now, the one thing I know about Senator Isakson is the character of 
the man, that he didn't accomplish those things because it was a 
personal goal; it was because of his heart of service.
  One thing that I have been able to consistently and honestly say 
about Senator Isakson is that he is a statesman. That is something that 
seems to be lost in the line of politics today, those who are true 
statesmen.
  There are some things about him and things about statesmen that are 
common across the board. One is truthfulness. I can tell you that 
Johnny will tell you the truth, even if it is something you don't want 
to hear; but, yet, he will tell you in a way that you will appreciate, 
because he is doing it to uplift you and to make you better, not to 
draw you down.
  Faithfulness, he has been faithful to his faith, his God, his family, 
his political beliefs, his party, but, more importantly, this country 
and the institutions that he has represented.
  Another is trust, that is something that is lacking in modern 
politics. But I can tell you this: Johnny Isakson has never ever told 
me something that I ever questioned after that. If he told you he was 
going to do something, it was going to happen.
  Loyalty is another area. He has always been loyal to those who are 
his friends, for those he represents, for his nation, and for his 
State.
  Commitment, he is a very committed person to those things which he 
believes in.

[[Page H9048]]

  Civility is one of those that really is lost today; but, as many have 
spoken here today, he has not only reached across the aisle, but he has 
reached across the State to try to bring civility back into politics.
  And the last one, which I think is most important to me, is 
friendship. The mark of a statesman is all of those, but mostly 
friendship.
  I was in another Member of Congress' office recently, and, Senator, 
there was a poster. It made me laugh. There was a poster on their wall 
that said: ``If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.'' Well, I 
don't think that Member ever met Johnny Isakson, because he is a friend 
not only to me; he is a friend to Georgia. He is a friend to all of us. 
He is a friend to the United States.
  Senator, God bless you. Thank you for your service to our State. 
Thank you for your service to our Nation. You will be missed.
  I am so honored to be able to say I am a friend of a legend from 
Georgia.
  God bless you.
  Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I would remind my friend 
and colleague that Senator Isakson is a Dawg; he is a Georgia Bulldog.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen).
  Mr. ALLEN. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Scott for organizing this time 
to honor, as said here many times, a legend. Of course, I never thought 
I would be standing in front of two Georgia legends as I speak 
specifically about one. But I do rise today to honor my great mentor 
and friend, Senator Johnny Isakson, along with greetings to Dianne and 
your wonderful family.
  I was there last Saturday to witness your beloved Bulldogs beat my 
beloved Auburn Tigers. Congratulations on this. I just hope and pray 
that they will go all the way for you. I think that would be a great 
tribute.
  Johnny has been a champion for the State of Georgia for decades, a 
reflection of his many years of service, as has been mentioned about 
all of the accomplishments, a life of political service. And, also, a 
mention about his influence on education.
  When I was first elected, I had not been in politics before and I 
didn't really know how to get things done up here. But I, in my service 
on the Education and Labor Committee, was attracted to a bill called 
the Every Student Succeeds Act and worked feverishly to get that bill 
passed in the House by a margin of a mere five votes, 218-213.
  Well, it just so happened that sometime later, as we got together in 
Georgia for lunch, Johnny was asking me about that legislation. I told 
him, I said we are going to return control to the States; we are going 
to try to get the Federal Government out of the classroom so that our 
teachers can have more time to teach. He quickly became a champion in 
the Senate and helped garner bipartisan support.
  Now, this is the way things should work. That bill, the Every Student 
Succeeds Act, then passed the Senate 81-17 and went to a conference 
committee, all because of the influence of this incredible man. When 
that version then came back to the House, I am standing right there 
looking at our ranking member, and that bill passed in this House 359-
64.
  I had never seen anything like that, Johnny, and it is all owed to 
you, and the impact on education is going to be felt throughout this 
Nation. It is quite a difference, and it shows the depths of your 
influence in these Halls of Congress.
  And, of course, throughout your service, you have demonstrated the 
true meaning of servant leadership by always putting the needs and 
priorities of Georgia first. In fact, the greatest servant leader in 
history said: There is no greater love than to give your life for a 
friend. You have given a big part your life to this country, and we are 
thankful for it.
  As someone who came from the business world but had not served in 
public office before, I am thankful for your leadership. Georgia has 
been named the best State to do business in for the last 7 years, and 
it is no coincidence that you had a lot to do with it.
  I know that I can always call on you for sound advice and guidance. 
Even though you are retiring this year, I hope you know that we will 
still be reaching out to you for advice. We will deeply miss you and 
your impact, and it will be missed for generations to come.
  There is no doubt that Georgia has big shoes to fill, and I think our 
delegation is up to the task, which is a testimony to your leadership 
and an example to me and my colleagues.
  Johnny, please know that we will do our best to make you proud and 
honor your legacy. Robin and I wish you and Dianne all the best during 
this next chapter in your life.
  God bless you and your family.
  Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman 
from Georgia (Mr. Ferguson), my colleague, a fellow Bulldog and Georgia 
Beta alumni.
  Mr. FERGUSON. Senator Isakson--that feels a little formal saying it. 
Johnny, as a constituent, is how I know you. I want to thank you so 
much for your dedicated service to our State.
  As others have talked about their first meeting with you, I remember 
mine fondly. Not unlike my colleague, Mr. Graves, it was at the 
University of Georgia. I was a freshman, sitting on the steps of a 
fraternity house, completely clueless about the world, not having an 
understanding, self-absorbed.
  I remember sitting on the steps as you came--I had no idea who you 
were--and you talked to us about a brighter future. You talked to us 
about what it meant to be a Georgian.

                              {time}  1630

  I remember, when you left, thinking two things from that moment, the 
first is: That is maybe the nicest person that I have ever heard from 
in my entire life.
  Secondly, I was pretty touched that someone was looking out for my 
future that didn't even know me.
  Over the years as I watched you and began to follow you, I saw that 
play out firsthand. I saw how important the State of Georgia was to 
you, and what made it important was the millions of Georgians that you 
love and care about; the ones that you don't know; the ones that you do 
know; and the ones that are yet to come.
  Your unwavering commitment to make our State and this Nation a better 
place for all of us is something that can never be forgotten.
  You have set a standard for being a gentleman and a statesman that we 
should all follow. It is pretty remarkable that we, as the Georgia 
delegation, are getting to sit here today and not only speak to you, 
but our dear colleague,   John Lewis, as well. Because many of those 
same things that we say about you, we have to say about our colleague, 
Mr. Lewis.
  There is a genuine love for our Georgians, a sense of decency, a 
sense of optimism, the desire for a bright future. All of those things 
come through, not just in your words, but in your actions.
  I want to thank you for your 40 years of service to making our lives 
better. I am not exactly sure what piece of legislation you took up 
shortly after you met me, and I had the chance to meet you and heard 
from you on the steps of a fraternity house in Athens, Georgia, but I 
feel confident that whatever it was, it made my life better many years 
later. I thank the gentleman for that.
  We ask that God continue to bless you and Dianne and know that we owe 
you a debt of gratitude that we will never be able to repay. Thank you 
and God bless you.
  Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Madam Speaker, in the last few minutes, 
I want to thank all of my colleagues who joined us this afternoon, 
especially   John Lewis, another icon from Georgia.
  Certainly, America and the world are better off because of both of 
these men. I think the strong bipartisan presence here lends to the 
extraordinary impact that Senator Isakson has had on our delegation and 
the great respect that we have for his service to our State and our 
Nation.
  Senator Isakson, I have been told that I can't call you Johnny on the 
floor, but if I could, I would say: Johnny, we love you. Thank you for 
your service to the great State of Georgia. America and the world are 
better places because of the service that you have provided to our 
Nation and your fellow man.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

[[Page H9049]]

  

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