[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 192 (Tuesday, December 3, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6805-S6818]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Tribute to Johnny Isakson

  Mr. PERDUE. Madam President, it is always a privilege to come before 
the U.S. Senate. I always feel humbled by that because I think of the 
people who have spoken on this floor since 1859. I am always measured 
in what I try to bring in terms of thought or whatever, but today there 
is a special sense of responsibility.
  Senator Coons and I have been chosen to lead our colleagues in 
honoring Johnny Isakson today. What we just heard was historic, I 
believe. It is not the first time we have had a speech on this floor 
that addressed that topic, nor will it be the last, I will predict.
  We just heard Johnny admonish us to judge with our conscience and our 
heart. With that, I feel somewhat unworthy to try to address what I 
feel, and what he also talked about is his heart.
  Today is truly a bittersweet occasion. It is bitter because my 
friend, my mentor, and partner in the U.S. Senate, Johnny Isakson, is 
stepping down at the end of this month. For those of us who know this 
man, it is tough to come to grips with that. I will dearly miss him on 
many levels. I will miss having him come here in the U.S. Senate 
alongside me. I will miss his words of wisdom. I will miss his 
patience. Most of all, I think I will miss his example.
  However, we can still find joy in this occasion, I believe. As Johnny 
and Dianne head into the next chapter of their lives with their family, 
all of us can take time to reflect on who Johnny is and what his public 
service has truly meant not only to us individually and not just to the 
constituents in our State but to America.
  Johnny has actually meant the world to me and for longer than I have 
been in the U.S. Senate. When I got involved in the political process, 
I had never been personally elected to anything--maybe in the 8th 
grade. You know how that goes. But this was a radically different 
experience than I personally had ever had. Johnny helped me personally 
with that transition. He gave me advice. He befriended me. He 
introduced me to our colleagues here in the Senate. He has been the 
best partner anyone could ever ask for. I remember the best advice he 
ever gave me. I just shared this with our colleagues at lunch: Dave, I 
only have one piece of advice for you. Keep your head down, your mouth 
shut, and don't ever vote against the farm bill.

  That was his advice, and it was sage, and I listened to that.
  Over the last 5 years--and, Johnny, it is hard to believe it has been 
5 years. To Dianne, I am sure it feels like five lifetimes. In the last 
5 years, Johnny's advice has stuck with me on many levels. A lot of 
people in this town know how to talk, stick around. Johnny has shown us 
how important it is to listen and learn from each other. He has shown 
us how to work together on behalf of, not just ourselves or our next 
reelection, but truly for the people who put us here. Johnny is a true 
public servant.
  I say that next to the word ``servant'' in the Webster dictionary is 
a picture of Johnny Isakson. He is devoted to getting results, not just 
for the people of Georgia, but for everybody in the United States. Most 
importantly, he does it in a way that really is worthy of this august 
body.
  I know this body has had controversy throughout the last 230 years. 
Part of what makes us great is that we have differing opinions, but 
somehow, in the last 230 years, we found a way to put those aside to 
find compromise. I made a living in business for 40 years finding ways 
to compromise with people who had different views than I did.
  One example of Johnny's statesmanship was with his longtime 
friendship with another great Georgian, Zell Miller, who happened to be 
a Democrat. Zell was a former Governor of Georgia and a U.S. Senator. 
Last year, he, sadly, passed away. What most people forget is that 
early in his career, Johnny actually ran for Governor against the same 
Zell Miller who ended up being, as Johnny calls him, the best friend he 
has ever had.
  When Zell Miller passed away, Johnny was asked to speak, and he spoke 
on this floor. In that speech, he said that Zell Miller was ``an 
individual I met through politics, became one of my best friends 
through politics, and probably had more influence on my life than 
anybody else I know in public service.'' That is a Democrat Johnny 
Isakson is talking about. Saxby Chambliss and I get a little upset 
about that occasionally, but, Johnny, that is a big deal. Thank you.
  It is almost hard to believe Johnny and Zell used to be political 
opponents. Despite their political differences, Johnny and Zell 
remained close friends up until Zell's death. In fact, Zell even 
appointed Johnny as chairman of the Georgia Board of Education 7 years 
after Zell had beaten him in that same Governor's race. We can have 
strong differences in rigorous debates, but we should always be civil 
and respectful to one another, Johnny says. And Johnny lives that out 
every day.
  I have said before that Johnny Isakson is the Howard Baker of our 
time. Why do I say that; what do I mean? Johnny doesn't talk a lot, but 
when Johnny talks, people listen. What we just witnessed was, I think, 
historic. The paper that was on the podium in front of Senator Isakson 
just now was not a speech. I want everybody to understand this. It was 
a list of the 50 Senators who have asked to come to this floor over the 
next few hours to honor this man as he goes into retirement.
  What we just saw was straight from the heart--better than anybody I 
have ever witnessed and in a way that I will always remember. Truly, 
when Johnny talks, people listen. It doesn't matter if you are a young 
child, a member of his staff, a colleague, or the President of the 
United States, not only do people listen to Johnny, but I will add one 
thing to what I have been saying for the last 5 years, when other 
people talk, Johnny Isakson listens. That is a rare commodity in this 
town; trust me.
  If you need help, Johnny Isakson is always there. We all know now 
that Johnny will no longer be with us in this body every day, but we 
know he will still be around to help us in any way he can. I am hoping 
he will still call me and give those pieces of advice that have been so 
valuable over the last 5 years. I know he will answer my call when I 
call him and ask for that same advice.
  But I want to leave the body with this thought today--and I think it 
echoes what he just said, and I prepared these remarks some time ago in 
thinking about today--in the new testament in the Bible, in Matthew 23, 
it says that the greatest among you will be the servant. And today, I 
want to remind everybody in this body that the greatest among us is 
Johnny Isakson.
  Johnny, it has been a true blessing. God bless you and Dianne and 
your family. America will always be in your debt. Thank you for 
everything. God bless you, and God bless the United States of America. 
Thank you, Johnny. God bless you.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Blackburn). The Senator from Delaware.
  Mr. COONS. Madam President, it is an honor to rise and speak in 
tribute to my dear friend and trusted colleague, Johnny Isakson of 
Georgia.
  To follow the junior Senator from the State of Georgia, something 
remarkable happened just before this session on the floor of the 
Senate. There was a bipartisan lunch in which virtually every currently 
serving Senator--nearly 100--gathered, not just because there was tasty 
barbecue, but because we were there to thank our friend and colleague 
Johnny Isakson for his decade of public service, for his dedication to 
this body, and for the ways in which he has been the glue that has 
helped hold so many of us together. You just heard it again here on the 
floor, his passion and his commitment to working across the aisle.
  Johnny Isakson has been an effective, capable, and powerful Senator 
because he is never worried about who gets the credit for the work he 
does. He has kept his word. He has a great sense of humor. He is easy 
to be with. He is persuasive. He is persistent, and he is principled.

[[Page S6806]]

  Let me just start by saying to Dianne, to John and Julie and Kevin 
and the grandkids: Thank you. Thank you for sharing Johnny with the 
State of Georgia and with our Nation for decades.
  When I first got elected to the Senate back in 2010--which was a 
somewhat unexpected election, I got seated right after a special 
election--a respected senior realtor from my hometown, Dick 
Christopher, came and told me I should look up a guy named Johnny 
Isakson from Georgia. He was someone he knew from the real estate 
business. He said: He is a good husband and father, a principled man. 
You will enjoy working with him.
  I never heard of him, so I looked him up online. If all you had to 
judge someone by was their right-left position--he succeeded Newt 
Gingrich--he and I, on the surface on a few positions, would have 
nothing in common. But as luck or providence would have it, when I got 
here, he was the trainer with Barbara Boxer for ethics for the new 
Senators. And to his misfortune, he got assigned to be my mentor. I 
began what has been an adventure that hasn't yet ended--and I hope 
never will--of a friendship and a companionship that has taken us to 
some pretty wild places.
  Early in 2011, I was made the chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa 
and Johnny was the ranking member. I could not have asked for a better 
companion or partner. We did dozens of hearings on foreign aid policy, 
on security and trade interests, and on the growing role of China in 
Africa. But then we also went and visited places--widely--places both 
easy and hard. We went to Mali and Congo, to Senegal and Benin, to 
South Africa and to Ghana.
  Over several trips, we visited AIDS orphanages and hospitals, water 
purification plants, and Millennium Challenge Corporation trips. On 
these trips, we saw the terrible impact of terrorism and grinding 
poverty in countries like Nigeria and Mali, but we enjoyed some pretty 
darn good times, too, like seeing the fruits of the best pineapple 
plantation I have ever been on and enjoying a beautiful vineyard in 
Cape Town, South Africa.
  But Johnny didn't just go because it was an assignment. He went 
because it was his passion, even his calling. The first trip we took 
together was to Benin, a tiny little impoverished country in West 
Africa that hadn't had two Senators visit in 50 years. We went because 
Kate Puzey, a young woman who was a Peace Corps volunteer from Georgia, 
had been murdered. She was tragically and senselessly murdered because 
she tried to report child abuse back to the capital.
  We had a remarkable and memorable series of meetings there that I 
won't go into. I will just say the thing about Johnny is not just that 
he persuaded me and others to join him in the quest for justice for 
Kate Puzey, but he worked and worked until. Ultimately, the Kate Puzey 
Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act was law in 2011. That was followed 
by so many others. Johnny is the consummate legislator. On this one 
small subcommittee of one of the many committees of this Senate, he and 
many others of us worked and passed the Electrify Africa Act, the 
Global Food Security Act, the BUILD Act, the Nick Castle Peace Corps 
Reform Act, and, of course, AGOA reauthorization--something we worked 
very hard on.
  The secret to Johnny's success is he doesn't focus on the two-
dimensional ways that you are different. He focuses on what you have in 
common. In my home State, we have a county that raises more chickens 
than any county in America. The whole State of Georgia raises more 
chickens than any other State. So Johnny suggested, and I agreed, that 
we would form a Chicken Caucus. You may not know there is a Chicken 
Caucus. You may not know about the great ways in which it has made the 
world safe and free for America's chickens--a tasty, low-calorie, 
incredibly environmentally sustainable and affordable source of protein 
for a hungry world. That was brought to you by the National Chicken 
Council.
  At one point, the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee 
mockingly called me the ``Senator from Chicken,'' but our work together 
on AGOA reauthorization and our travels together resulted in opening 
new markets to American exports. On this floor, in this august body, 
with all the things we deal with, that might seem like a small 
accomplishment, but I will tell you, the chicken farmers of Delaware 
and Georgia are grateful.
  Each of us comes here to represent our State. In the travels I have 
undertaken with Johnny, I saw a remarkable passion and commitment to 
his home State, which has made him such a great legislator. There are 
so many other things we legislated on, but I know we have literally 
half the Senate waiting to speak. Let me move.
  The other joy I have had with Johnny, which has been at the other end 
of our decade together--he is the chairman and I am the advocacy 
chairman of the Ethics Committee. It is a very tough committee. We 
handle difficult subjects. Johnny runs it well and will be deeply 
missed. We are joined here by many of the staff of the Ethics 
Committee, the folks who have seen his common sense, his humor, his 
decency, but also his focus on getting to a result. For me, it has been 
just another opportunity to see how Johnny Isakson lives his values.
  We have joined together almost every Wednesday morning at a 
bipartisan prayer breakfast, and Johnny has taught Sunday school for 
three decades at Mount Zion United Methodist. Those of us who have 
gotten to know the blessing of his humor, decency, and his common sense 
and his attitude--everyone who is a friend or future friend knows that 
it is rooted in his connection with the Eternal.
  Johnny said something important here just a few minutes ago: America, 
we have a problem. It is my hope that after today's good, brave, 
important speeches, that some of us will step forward and take up the 
best way to honor Johnny, which is to model and mimic his style, 
listening to each other, respecting each other, committing to practice 
a brand of politics that is a little less combative and a little more 
focused on results, and finding ways to trust each other and to work 
together.
  In some ways, Johnny's best work has been his tireless, relentless 
work on behalf of our veterans. As I heard said: The best way to honor 
our veterans is to be the sort of Americans for whom they fought and 
served. This Senate, this body needs to step forward and be worthy of 
the service and sacrifice of Johnny Isakson.
  Johnny, I can't thank you enough for all the ways you have been an 
amazing partner and colleague on issues large and small. Your kindness 
and friendship has meant the world to Annie and me. As you and Dianne 
go home to enjoy the blessings of family, know that I will always look 
forward to another visit to Georgia or Delaware, and I am always up for 
another trip to an obscure country that hasn't seen two American 
Senators in 50 years.
  Thank you for your service, and God bless.
  Mr. SHELBY. Madam President, today I am honored to congratulate my 
friend and colleague, Senator Johnny Isakson on his retirement from the 
U.S. Senate after 15 years of dedicated service. Senator Isakson served 
the State of Georgia and the entire Nation with integrity, inspiring 
future generations through his public service. He has led a remarkable 
career, and he will be truly missed in the Senate. I am proud to know 
Johnny, and I wish him and his wife, Dianne, all the best in his 
retirement.
  Mr. WARNER. Madam President, I want to thank the gentleman from 
Georgia for allowing me to participate in this colloquy and pay tribute 
to his remarkable career of public service.
  I think you could ask anyone in this Chamber, Republican or Democrat, 
what they think of Johnny Isakson, and you probably get the same answer 
every time: He is a gentleman and a statesman, somebody who knows how 
to find common ground and understands why that is still important. 
Sometimes, it was the little things--a bipartisan barbeque to just get 
Senators in the same room for a few minutes. As a chairman he brought 
folks together on one of the few remaining pieces of bipartisan 
territory: caring for our veterans.
  Even on issues that often divide us, Johnny has spent his career 
looking for ways to get to yes, and he has a track record to prove it, 
particularly on the issue of healthcare. This is an issue that Johnny 
approaches from a place of deep knowledge but also deep empathy.

[[Page S6807]]

  One of my proudest moments in the Senate was working with Senator 
Isakson, along with Senator Hatch, Senator Wyden, and others, on 
improving care for the millions of Americans with multiple chronic 
illnesses. As many of you know, this is pretty personal for me. My mom 
had Alzheimer's for 10 years before she passed away; 9 of those she 
couldn't speak.
  Working with Johnny on that Chronic Care Working Group--you knew he 
wasn't just transacting business or playing politics; he was personally 
invested in making life better for folks with these conditions.
  I can't think of a better testament to the Johnny Isakson way than 
the fact that just a couple months after one of the toughest fights to 
ever take place over healthcare, we passed the Chronic Care Act on an 
overwhelmingly bipartisan basis.
  A lot of people in politics can tell you what they are against, but 
not many people can show you what they have accomplished. And as Johnny 
Isakson heads home to Georgia, he leaves behind a legacy of bipartisan 
accomplishment that will live on for many years to come.
  Johnny, I want to wish you, Dianne, and your family health and 
happiness.
  In closing, I just want to say thank you for your years of service to 
our country and for your years of friendship.
  Mr. COTTON. Madam President, I join my colleagues in recognizing 
Senator Johnny Isakson for a lifetime of service and achievement, from 
the Georgia Air National Guard, to the Georgia Legislature, and finally 
to Congress.
  Georgians know Johnny as a trailblazer, a proud Republican in a State 
that was once solidly Democratic. Americans know him as a friend to 
veterans and taxpayers, a strong conservative who loves and fights for 
his country. Those of us in this body know Johnny as a leader, a man of 
great integrity, and a statesman whose legacy will last a very long 
time.
  We are sad to see you go, but proud of what you built while you were 
here. Thanks, Johnny, for your work on behalf of our country and the 
State of Georgia.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, one thing I am always going to 
remember about Johnny Isakson is that with every conversation with him, 
he always included some words of encouragement for the work that I am 
involved in or how we are working together. I think you saw that in his 
remarks today, that he wants to encourage all of us. In this town of 
Washington, DC, where a lot of people think that they are the most 
important person in the room, Johnny Isakson is known instead for his 
unassuming manner. He is unfailingly kind and considerate to Senators 
and staff alike, and I think I expressed that in my first statement 
about his giving encouraging words in almost every conversation one has 
with him.

  In fact, my staff told me a story wherein Senator Isakson came to the 
Senate Committee on Finance when I was previously the chairman, and he 
asked to speak to a member of my tax staff. The staff assistant didn't 
recognize Senator Isakson. When asked who he was, he simply said, 
``Senator Isakson.'' It was not until after my tax staff came out that 
he realized that it was Senator Isakson himself.
  Throughout my Senate career, it is safe to say that when it comes to 
me, all roads lead to Iowa. For Johnny, it is no exception. Johnny has 
close friendships with the famous Knapp family of Des Moines, IA. In 
fact, the Knapp family is known all throughout Iowa. Now, you are 
probably thinking: How in the world does a southern boy from Georgia 
get acquainted with Iowans? Well, for Johnny, a common answer is the 
golf course. That is where he first became friends with the Knapp 
brothers, Paul and Bill. In fact, Johnny delivered the eulogy at Paul's 
funeral in 2008. Paul and Carol, his wife, were friends of the Isaksons 
for more than two decades. Bill, Paul's brother, is a senior statesman 
of the Democratic Party of Iowa. Partisan glasses will not fool 
commonsense Iowans, particularly when it comes to Johnny's charm and 
heart. Johnny reminds me that he was the first Republican who Bill 
Knapp ever supported.
  I guess, Johnny, you beat me to the punch on that one.
  Johnny said today that Iowa produces some of the finest people he 
knows, but I say today that Georgia produces very fine people as well. 
At the top of my list is Johnny Isakson.
  Johnny brings a smile to each person he encounters when he walks the 
halls of the Senate. As a result, he will be greatly missed by 
everyone. That includes me and our fellow colleagues. It also includes 
a lot of people who don't get much attention around the Senate, the 
young staffers who answer the phones and the support staff who do 
things like cleaning the bathrooms. Johnny is always interested in how 
you are doing and has a word of encouragement to share, the same sort 
of encouragement he gives me in every conversation.
  We have heard it before, but I haven't said it; he is a workhorse, 
not a show horse. No one can doubt Johnny Isakson's dedication to the 
people of Georgia and the United States, not to mention our country's 
veterans, where he has worked very hard as a member of that committee 
and as the chairman of that committee to bring justice to our veterans 
and to keep our promises to those veterans.
  Johnny Isakson is a true public servant. I am proud to have served 
with him, and I am proud of the work he has done on the Committee on 
Finance, which I chair.
  Now, Johnny, I am sorry to see you go, but I wish you and Dianne, 
your wife, the best as you step back from public life.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Washington.
  Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, I am so glad to have the chance to be 
here today to recognize Senator Johnny Isakson. He is a dedicated 
public servant to the people of Georgia and is a dear friend of mine 
here in the Senate. I am pretty sure every single person here in the 
U.S. Senate building would say the same.
  I have had the good fortune to have been office neighbors with 
Senator Isakson for several years now, and like any good neighbor, 
Senator Isakson has made it very clear that his door is always open 
whenever I need someone to help work out a problem, to swap stories, or 
to just share a laugh. Over the years, in working together and in 
walking together to the Senate floor, we have managed to take a lot of 
steps to help the families and the veterans back in our States and 
across the country.
  I remember back when Senator Alexander and I were working to replace 
No Child Left Behind, and I kept telling him that early childhood 
education just had to be a part of this. After I pushed and pushed and 
pushed, Senator Alexander finally said to me: OK. Go talk with Johnny. 
If you two can work something out, I will accept it in the committee.
  I knew right then and there that we were in business because I knew 
Senator Isakson was someone who really cared about early childhood 
education and who also knew how to work with people across the aisle. 
He understands not everyone is going to have the same ideas, but he 
listens to other people. He respects their views, and he works so hard 
to find common ground so as to pass something that can actually help 
our families, and that is exactly what happened there. When the Every 
Student Succeeds Act was signed into law, it included a strong focus on 
early childhood education, thanks to the efforts of Johnny Isakson, and 
I so appreciate that.
  It is also exactly what happened when I worked with Senator Isakson 
to pass support for military caregivers. Throughout that process, every 
time there was something that tried to derail it, Senator Isakson was 
right there, working with me to get things back on track, because he 
understood it was not about politics; it was about people. It was about 
the spouses and the family members who stepped up to make sure our 
servicemembers had the support they needed no matter what.
  That is something that has been clear on every issue Senator Isakson 
has worked on. He has always known the people behind the words of 
legislation. He has always understood how personal the work is that we 
do here for our families back home.
  That has possibly never been clearer than it was last year when we 
worked

[[Page S6808]]

on legislation in the HELP Committee to respond to the opioid epidemic. 
Senator Isakson spoke up throughout that process about the loss of his 
own grandson, a victim of the opioid crisis. He shared his family's 
story in the hope it would help other families who struggle with the 
disease of addiction so that they would seek and find help.
  I have no doubt that, because of your work, they did.
  As usual, the bill that we passed was stronger thanks to Senator 
Isakson's efforts and thanks to the perspective he brought that always 
kept families top of mind.
  Now, of course, Senator Isakson hasn't just brought an important 
perspective to the Senate but a distinctive voice. A few years ago, we 
worked together to update our country's workforce training programs. 
The bill that we passed represented years--and I mean years--of 
bipartisan effort and was an important step forward for workers in our 
country.
  I remember heading back to our offices after the bill passed. I said 
how excited I was to finally get this done, and Senator Isakson said:

       Me, too. I was grinning like a mule eating Breyers.

  Well, we don't have charming phrases like that in the State of 
Washington, so I am certainly going to miss those. Yet colorful sayings 
aren't the only reason Senator Isakson's words have always been so 
notable.
  The real reason is, when Johnny Isakson gives you his word, you know 
he is going to keep it. Some people will say something to you just to 
get you out of the way or it is said without their really meaning it. 
Senator Isakson never did that. When he said, ``I am going to get this 
done,'' you knew it would get done. Just as he kept his word to me so 
many times, I think it is safe to say, as he leaves the Senate, that he 
kept his word to the people of Georgia.
  His No. 1 priority has never been to get the most coverage on Sunday 
talk shows or to start political fights. Instead, his legacy will be 
that when he came into these halls every day, he came in with the 
people of Georgia in his head and in his heart and that he did the 
absolute best he could do, each day, to make their lives better.
  I am so grateful I have been able to work with him throughout our 
time together here in the Senate, and I know so many families are 
grateful, as well, for the tremendous work he has accomplished. I am 
going to miss having a friend like Johnny Isakson across the aisle and 
down the hall from me.
  Johnny, as you head home to Dianne and your family and the State that 
you love so much and the State that you have done so much for, I hope, 
when you think back on all of the work you have done, you will still 
grin like a mule eating Breyers. Thank you so much.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kansas.
  Mr. ROBERTS. Madam President, I am honored to pay tribute to Johnny 
Isakson. I don't know how I could top anything that has been mentioned 
by Senator Perdue and, especially, Senator Coons--Senator Chris Coons 
has given us a charge to follow Johnny's example--and Senator Grassley 
and now Senator Murray and everybody who will follow me.
  I have a problem. I did all of this on Veterans Day. I tried to point 
out that his committee has passed 57 bills. I don't know of any other 
committee that has done that on behalf of the people who wear the 
uniform of the United States--who do so much on our behalf--and, more 
especially, for the VA and what that is all about. There has never been 
a better chairman than Johnny Isakson. I said all of that. I also said, 
in this body, there are those who choose ideology and partisan issues 
while Johnny is someone who works with his colleagues to pass 
legislation that benefits not only our Nation's veterans but every 
American's pocketbook and daily life.
  The reason I just sort of read through that is that we have just had 
lunch wherein nearly every Senator was in attendance with the exception 
of those who are running for President, and they would have liked to 
have been there. By my count, there were seven standing ovations--
seven. Each Member, both of the leaders, and the people who have served 
with Johnny either as a minority member or as a chairman gave their 
amazing tributes to this wonderful man.
  Isn't it amazing that in this very difficult time in the Senate, when 
the bar of civility is about forehead high--you don't want to run into 
it here--that here is a man who has given us a way out? I have never 
seen that before.
  Johnny has had, I think, 50 years of public service. I have him beat 
if you add in staff time and 40 years of public service--by the way, of 
being elected 24 to 0. I have never seen such an outpouring of 
affection and genuine admiration for an individual, be he a Member of 
the House or the Senate, as was experienced at this lunch.
  It was Chris Coons who, during his tribute, said: Why don't we use 
this as a wonderful way to see if we can get past all of the trials and 
tribulations that we have gone through in the Senate and work together 
for a change? People talked about, when they had come to the Senate, 
that it wasn't this way. Actually, it was. Yet we look very fondly upon 
the past. So I hope that people can take Chris's challenge to heart.
  It is a pretty easy deal. Johnny knows it by heart, for that is who 
he is; yet, if a person or a group of people or Senators in this body 
love to come down here and make speech after speech--in many cases, 
they are very partisan, and many of the younger Members do this--I give 
them that. I mean, that is their right. I remember, in the early days 
when I was in the House, that I did that a couple of times and then was 
talked to by some of the senior Members who said: We don't do that here 
in order to get along, especially in the all-powerful House Agriculture 
Committee and now the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 
Committee. We always work together because we are nonpartisan on that 
committee.
  So you ignore that. Then, if you really do take the time to know that 
individual, as opposed to the individual you have seen on the floor, 
you will find out this is a person who is very interesting. You will 
find out this is a person worth knowing. You will find out that you 
have common ground. You will find out that you can get a vote for them 
in order for them to vote for the farm bill or for a veterans' program 
or for any other thing.
  So I think that is the example that Johnny has set. I don't know if 
there is anything more I can add after seven standing ovations and 
obviously many, many people actually telling the truth about you. I 
know, Johnny, it must be a little much for you. Frankly, I am getting a 
little tired of it.
  I would just like to say what I said back then when I was speaking of 
your tremendous success as chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee 
when I said: ``Johnny, thank you for your service; now thank you for 
your message; now thank you for being simply who you are.'' And I said: 
``Senators eventually come and Senators go.''
  I do not think we will see the likes of Senator Johnny Isakson for 
years to come. We love you. I love you. I will miss you greatly. Thank 
you for your fortitude and courage in fighting Parkinson's as an 
example to so many.
  Semper fi, my dear friend.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Vermont.
  Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, it really is a privilege to join with so 
many of my Senate friends in honoring the service of Senator Johnny 
Isakson.
  I would also say to Senator Isakson: Isn't it nice to hear all of 
these wonderful things while you are alive and can be enjoying it?
  I have had the privilege of serving with 391 U.S. Senators. I respect 
the office they hold, but some of those 391 I respect not just for the 
office but for who they are.
  Johnny Isakson stands out among the 391 because of who he is: a 
lifelong Georgian through and through, born and raised in Atlanta. As 
we have heard from others, he went on to serve in the Georgia Air 
National Guard and had a wildly successful career in real estate in his 
home State.
  It was a call to service that led him to seek opportunities to 
represent his fellow Georgians in the State legislature, in the U.S. 
House of Representatives, and, to the benefit of every single Senator 
in both parties, ultimately, here in the U.S. Senate.
  I have seen him, as chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, 
fight for

[[Page S6809]]

our Nation's servicemembers. He tried to make our system of care for 
our veterans more efficient, higher quality, and most importantly 
widely accessible.
  The VA MISSION Act was a wonderful signature accomplishment of 
Senator Isakson's tenure on the Veterans' Affairs Committee. But his 
commitment to our nation's veterans extends far beyond healthcare. He 
was a key leader of the Forever GI Bill, which made GI bill benefits 
available to veterans at any time in their career, without expiration.
  As I said, I hold in my mind a very special group of the 391 Senators 
I have served with. Johnny, you know you are in that very, very special 
group. I remember when I first came to the Senate in the wake of 
Watergate, I spent time cultivating bipartisan relationships that might 
help my advocacy for Vermonters and for the Nation.
  I forged relationships with Senators with whom I had strong 
differences of opinion, but with whom I could find common ground. I 
valued the partnership of Members who, when they gave their word, they 
kept it. That is why I value Senator Isakson. He is a Senator in that 
mold whom I looked up to the most when I first came here. He reflects 
the best of those Senators of both parties, who, over the decades, have 
shaped my knowledge of this body.
  He is a public servant devoted to his constituents, devoted to his 
country, devoted to this Chamber. The Senate needs more people like 
Johnny Isakson.
  I know that he and Dianne will welcome the calmer days that lie ahead 
of them, but the Senate is going to miss him and his efforts to promote 
bipartisanship. I have even learned to like Georgian barbecue, which I 
never had before I met Johnny Isakson. I also like the good spirit he 
brought with him and the fact that he had Republicans and Democrats 
across the political spectrum sitting and enjoying each other's 
company, enjoying the example of Johnny Isakson.
  Johnny, as I have told you privately, I am sad to see you leave, but 
I so value our friendship.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maine.
  Ms. COLLINS. Madam President, the State motto of Georgia is ``Wisdom, 
Justice, and Moderation.'' Those three words aptly describe Senator 
Johnny Isakson's more than four decades of service to the people of 
Georgia and to our Nation.
  He has indeed served with wisdom, justice, and moderation, setting an 
example for all of us.
  I would add to that description that Johnny is extraordinarily 
effective and beloved on both sides of the aisle. His life of public 
service is characterized not only by his extraordinary integrity, 
intelligence, and statesmanship but also by his kindness to everyone.
  As was mentioned several times at our luncheon honoring Johnny today, 
if ever there were a poll held in the Senate to determine the most 
popular Senator, he would win, hands down.
  It has been such a pleasure and honor to serve with this remarkable 
leader on issues ranging from supporting research and cures for rare 
pediatric diseases to improving education. Johnny is always thoughtful, 
informed, and determined to achieve a result to make a difference.
  As a veteran himself, and as chairman of the Veterans' Affairs 
Committee, Johnny has led the way in reforming veterans' healthcare to 
make the VA more responsive to those who have served. What a wonderful 
legacy to leave, to know that you have been responsible for improving 
healthcare for those who have worn the uniform of our country.
  Johnny, as we have heard today, has always sought common ground 
rather than partisan advantage. I thought it was so telling, as I 
listened to his farewell remarks today, that Johnny did not take the 
time to list his own legislative accomplishments, even though they are 
so impressive and so numerous.
  Instead, he posed a challenge to us. He called on us to put aside the 
petty bickering that has prevented progress in America. He called upon 
us to work together. He reminded us that we achieve the best 
legislation when we sit down and negotiate with one another, when we 
listen with respect to each other. Those were his final words to us as 
a U.S. Senator.
  I have had so many wonderful experiences with Johnny, whether it was 
working on legislation or having an informal dinner, but perhaps the 
most memorable experience occurred this past June on a bipartisan codel 
that Johnny led to France to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-day.
  It was a privilege to join him in honoring the American heroes who 
began the liberation of Europe from Nazi tyranny.
  Johnny, I thank you for your service but, most of all, for your 
friendship. You have indeed set an example of civility and 
bipartisanship that everyone who serves in this great institution 
should emulate.
  I wish you and your wonderful wife Dianne, whom I enjoy so much, all 
the best, and I want to tell you that I will always miss your friendly 
greeting, your big smile, and your even bigger heart.
  Thank you for all you have done.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Illinois.
  Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I am honored to stand and join tributes 
to Johnny Isakson. A lawyer from Springfield once gave a pretty famous 
speech, and it was only 275 words long. This speech may be a little 
longer, but I don't believe a speech has to be eternal to be immortal. 
So I will try, in just a few words, to say what I feel in my heart this 
moment as you are preparing to leave the U.S. Senate.
  Your heart is good, and I know that because I saw something on the 
floor of the Senate today. Your relationship and your comments about 
your friend   John Lewis were so genuine and so heartfelt, and the fact 
that you would point to a photograph taken of the two of you embracing 
one another as one of the signature photographs of your career in 
public service tells me a lot about you, Johnny Isakson.
  Our lives have been led along the same path. We know how many changes 
there have been in America during the course of our lives and how many 
more we need to be even better in the future.   John Lewis was one of 
the real leaders in our Nation who led us all to look very closely at 
the issue of race and the issue of civil rights. It was painful, many 
times unpopular. For his heroic work, he was given the Presidential 
Medal of Freedom, and he deserved it more than anyone I can think of. 
The fact that he counts you as a friend and comes over here for your 
farewell address and that you would embrace him and announce that to 
the United States and the world, tells me your heart is good, Johnny 
Isakson. That simple experience tells me that.
  The other thing I know is that your word is good. It was 2 years ago 
when we had a debate on the floor of the Senate about a measure that 
means quite a bit to me, the Dream Act--the idea that young immigrants 
brought to this country would have a chance to become part of America's 
future. I worked on that legislation for 19 years, so I remember when 
people voted with me on the Dream Act, and you voted with me. It wasn't 
easy 2 years ago. Immigration was not a popular thing, but you stood 
up, and when I went to you afterward and thanked you, you said it was 
the right thing to do. I will never forget that. It told me that your 
word is good, and your heart is good.
  And, finally, let me tell you, you have struggled with affliction, 
illness, and you have done most of it very openly so that people with 
similar challenges in life can watch as you live through this 
challenging experience.
  All of us can remember moments here when you were willing yourself to 
come to this floor, to that chair, to cast your vote. I have never seen 
courage like that. Your determination will stick with me forever.
  Now you are going to have some time for yourself with your family, 
Dianne, and others and have some relaxing time together, but I am going 
to miss you. I am going to miss you as a special colleague whose heart 
was right, whose word is good, and his courage was there for all of us 
to see.
  Thanks, Johnny. I wish you the best.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Wyoming.
  Mr. ENZI. Madam President, I have had the pleasure of serving in the 
Senate alongside Johnny Isakson for close

[[Page S6810]]

to 15 years, and it has been a privilege to work and join with him on a 
number of legislative efforts, but, more importantly, Johnny is the big 
brother I never had, whom I aspired to be like. I will never have the 
speaking ability he does, but he is a brother because although we grew 
up across the country from each other, we shared many experiences that 
shaped our formative years and continue to influence our work in the 
Senate. We both served in the Air National Guard; we both were in 
business before entering politics; and we both were Sunday school 
teachers. Even our spouses, Dianne and Diana, have similar names. We 
both served in the State legislature before we came here.
  Besides his speaking ability, there are many things I will never 
match. Johnny served in the Georgia legislature for 17 years, beginning 
in 1974. After serving as the chairman of the Georgia Board of 
Education for 2 years, he was elected to the House of Representatives 
in 1999 and then to the U.S. Senate in 2004.
  Throughout his time in both the State and Federal legislatures, 
Johnny was nothing short of a pioneer in the State of Georgia. He was 
the first Georgian ever to be elected to both Houses of the Georgia 
State legislature and both Houses of Congress. He is the first 
Republican in Georgia to be elected to a third term in the U.S. Senate, 
and he is the only Republican Senator currently serving as the chair of 
two committees at the same time.
  Now, despite these tremendous achievements, Johnny never lost sight 
of what was important and remains committed to legislation that is 
important to the folks in Georgia and across the country.
  I remember when I was chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions Committee, there was a mine accident in West Virginia. Senator 
Kennedy, who was the ranking member, and I decided to go down there to 
take a look, and Senator Isakson asked if he could come along. We went 
down, and we talked to the safety inspectors; we talked to the mine 
owners; and, most importantly, we talked to the families of the men who 
had been trapped in this mine. We learned the story of how coal mining 
had been decreasing over the years, so the people who sell the safety 
equipment quit inventing the safety equipment because they never had 
the market for it. Consequently, when coal mining started coming back 
up again, the equipment wasn't in place for it. We found out what was 
needed, but Johnny was the real salesman for it. He has a picture of 
one of the family members. He carried that picture with him everywhere, 
and anytime the subject of mine safety came up, he brought that picture 
out so everybody could see a real person--there it is--a real person 
whom we were trying to provide for the future and see that accidents 
didn't happen.
  I also had the pleasure of working with Johnny on the Senate Finance 
Committee. We passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which reformed 
America's Tax Code for the first time in 30 years, and gave hard-
working families more choices about how their hard-earned money should 
be used. We were both businessowners in the private sector before 
entering politics and understand the burden that heavy taxes and 
Federal regulations can place on families and businesses. His expertise 
and insight was invaluable when the Committee was considering this 
historic piece of legislation, and instrumental in helping it become 
law.
  Throughout his time in the Senate, Johnny remained committed to 
ending reckless Federal spending and reining in out-of-control national 
debt. This is an issue we cannot ignore anymore. It is a focus of mine 
as chairman of the Budget Committee. Senator Isakson has repeatedly 
introduced the biennial Budgeting Appropriations Act, which would take 
concrete, serious steps toward fixing our appropriations process. It 
has been a pleasure to work with a friend who understands how dire our 
situation is and has a commitment to finding lasting solutions that 
will not only secure a better future for today but also for generations 
to come.
  Johnny understood that the United States owes all its servicemembers, 
veterans, and families a great debt of gratitude for their service and 
sacrifice they have made. He knew our country would not be the Nation 
it is today without those who are willing to give so much of 
themselves. Johnny took those values to heart as chairman of the Senate 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs and enacted policies that significantly 
improved the lives of our most vulnerable veterans.
  He was instrumental in the passage of the MISSION Act, which took 
significant steps toward reforming veterans' healthcare through the 
Department of Veterans Affairs. Senator Isakson truly understood that 
military service requires sacrifices not only for the servicemember but 
of the entire family. He ensured that those who gave so much for their 
country received not only the benefits they deserve but knowledge that 
those efforts in protecting their homeland did not go unappreciated.
  Probably most important, though, is that Johnny is a man of faith. 
Despite the tremendous achievements, he never lost sight of what truly 
matters and never wavered in his commitment to God and to do what is 
right. My mother used to tell me: Do what is right, do what is best, 
and treat others as they wish to be treated. Johnny lives by these 
words and never forgets why he is here, which is to represent and serve 
the people of Georgia and the United States to the best of his ability.
  I am deeply saddened that Johnny will be leaving us soon. His 
experience, knowledge, and friendship will surely be missed as you can 
tell from the speeches here so far today.
  Diana and I send our best wishes and appreciation to Johnny and 
Dianne. We wish them all the best as they take time to spend with their 
children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Together they have 
been great examples of the importance of public service. We wish them 
the best in whatever adventure they choose to pursue next. God bless 
you.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island.
  Mr. REED. Madam President, I join my colleagues honoring Senator 
Johnny Isakson of Georgia who is retiring from this body. He is a dear 
friend and a great example of a great Senator.
  Johnny and I have worked together on a number of public health 
priorities. I had the privilege of serving with Johnny on the Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. We forged a shared commitment 
to improving public health, from cancer prevention to better 
surveillance of neurological diseases, from strengthening regulations 
of indoor tanning devices to improving trauma care. Johnny has the 
privilege of representing the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, CDC headquarters in Atlanta, GA, made up of some of the 
greatest professionals in the healthcare field across the globe. He has 
always been a fearless advocate for the CDC and its staff, and the 
critical work being done by the CDC. He has always been a fierce 
advocate for all of his constituents in Georgia.
  During our time on the HELP Committee, we developed a partnership 
while working on skin cancer prevention. We spent many years advancing 
legislation to require improved labeling on indoor tanning beds to 
better reflect their dangers. We also worked hard to make sure there 
was disclosure of the ingredients in sunscreens, and we were proud to 
see signed into law in 2014 the Sunscreen Innovation Act. It was a work 
Johnny led with such distinction.
  Building on that skin cancer prevention and other preventive health 
measures, Johnny is, again, a fierce advocate for improving the health 
of children, particularly children with cancer. I was so proud to work 
with Johnny on the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act and later the Childhood 
Cancer Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and Research Act, the STAR Act, 
tremendously benefiting children who have cancer. That goes, I think, 
to Johnny keeping his commitment to doing the right thing, doing it 
well, and helping the most vulnerable in this country.
  As mentioned, Johnny has been on the veterans' committee and has 
chaired that committee since 2015. He is a veteran himself, a veteran 
of the Georgia Air National Guard from 1966 to 1972. He has done 
significant work for veterans and, as a veteran, I thank Senator 
Isakson.
  He was instrumental in passing the VA MISSION Act, critical 
legislation that enhances the ability of comprehensive caregivers to 
assist veterans. Further, after the VA MISSION

[[Page S6811]]

Act, he has been working so hard, and he was also able to pass--and I 
was proud to work with him--the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational 
Assistance Act. This is known as the Forever GI Bill because it made 
critical improvements to the GI bill, but most important is the law 
ends the 15-year limit on the use of GI bill benefits, allowing the use 
of those benefits throughout the lifetime of the recipient. He has been 
an extraordinary leader, doing so much.
  I wish Senator Isakson, his wife Dianne, and his entire family well. 
Finally, what I want to say is, the true measure of an individual is 
not the sum of their legislative achievements, Johnny has had many of 
those; not political victories, Johnny has had many of those; not 
success in any one realm of any endeavor, public or private; the true 
test of an individual is the sum of their kindnesses, of what they have 
done for and with other people. By that measure, no one surpasses the 
gentleman from Georgia, and I thank him.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Tennessee.
  Mr. ALEXANDER. Madam President, I will bet Senator Isakson is a 
little bit surprised that his farewell address would produce such an 
eruption of bipartisan speeches, both in the luncheon we just had for 
nearly 100 Senators--almost everybody was there, Democrats and 
Republicans--and then the 50 or so Senators who are going to speak on 
the floor.
  As I listened carefully to Senator Isakson's own remarks about 
bipartisanship, it kind of reminded me of the preacher on Sunday 
talking to the congregation saying: I am not so worried about what you 
do during this 1 hour during church. It is what you do between now and 
the next Sunday during the 1 hour in church.
  I think what Johnny Isakson is saying is that the speeches about 
bipartisanship are honorable and good, but what he would like to 
suggest to us is that what we need to do is have a little bit better 
behavior, follow those speeches a little bit better between now and the 
next time we have a group of speeches.
  Johnny learned a long time ago that if all you want to do is take a 
position or make a speech, you don't need to go to all the trouble to 
come to the U.S. Senate. You can get a radio program or get a street 
corner. If you want to come to the U.S. Senate, you are supposed to get 
something done.
  I like to say to our constituents in Tennessee that I encourage them 
to look at Washington, DC, as if it were a split-screen television set. 
On the one side, you see where most people are watching. You see 
impeachment, tweets, and Supreme Court controversies. On the other 
side, where very few probably watch, you see Senators like Johnny 
Isakson working to pass an opioids bill or Senators working to pay 
songwriters a fair amount for what they do or Appropriations members 
working to set a record, as Senator Blunt and Senator Murray have, for 
example, in terms of funding for biomedical research. All of that is on 
the side of the television screen where Johnny Isakson has spent most 
of his 15 years.
  Senator Murray of Washington, during her remarks, talked very 
accurately about what happened in 2015 when we were working on fixing 
No Child Left Behind. That was not easy to do. Working on legislation 
to try to set rules for elementary and secondary education is like 
being at a University of Tennessee football game, where you have 
100,000 people in the stands, all of whom know what the next play ought 
to be, and when the coach doesn't call it, they have an opinion about 
that.
  Well, everybody has had a little education, and so they had a lot to 
say about how we would fix No Child Left Behind. Finally, we just 
ground to a halt over preschool education and what the Federal role 
ought to be. Senator Murray felt very strongly about it. As she said, 
she is a former kindergarten teacher. So I stepped back and said: Why 
don't you and Senator Isakson sit down and see if you can come up with 
a solution, and if you do, we will take that.
  They did. They presented it to us. We took it. It went in the bill, 
and President Obama signed the law called No Child Left Behind and 
called it a Christmas miracle.
  The same thing happened on the Workforce Investment Act. Again, 
Senator Murray and Senator Isakson sat down and worked together to 
solve a problem that the rest of us couldn't solve.
  Senator Reed, who just spoke, worked with Johnny on sunscreen; 
Senator Tester worked with Johnny to make it easier for veterans to get 
care nearer their home; Senator Casey from Pennsylvania--all these 
Democrats--working with Senator Isakson on the most important piece of 
legislation to govern the sale of over-the-counter drugs, which I hope 
the Senate will adopt either this week or next week.
  All of that was done not because these Senators gave up their 
principles or not because they were not good negotiators. I think 
Johnny would say Senator Murray is as tough a negotiator you will find 
in the U.S. Senate. But the difference is they also understood that we 
are here to get results--not just to take a position, not just to make 
a speech, but to see if we can get a result.
  That is why Senator Isakson has had so many Senators praise him 
today, because he understands that it is hard to get here, it is hard 
to stay here, and while you are here, you might as well try to 
accomplish something for the country. Johnny Isakson knows it is hard 
to get here. He started in 1974. He lost his first race. Then he was on 
the ballot 20 times. He won 18 of those times. He knows it is hard to 
stay here. A year before he ran for reelection this last time, he 
announced that he has Parkinson's disease.
  Johnny Isakson has legislated, as has been mentioned, with his heart. 
When we worked on skin cancer, he talked about his skin cancer. When we 
worked on the Opioids Response Act, he talked about his family's loss 
because of an opioid overdose. And he has not been afraid to stick his 
neck out. There was a time during the Atlanta Olympics when one of the 
county commissions passed a bill saying: Gays are not welcome at the 
Olympics. Senator Isakson said--he was not a Senator then--``The Bill 
of Rights does not have an asterisk in it. The Bill of Rights is for 
everyone.''
  And as his comments about   John Lewis would reflect, Johnny Isakson 
was willing to speak out for civil rights in the South when not 
everybody was.
  I often think that members of the U.S. Senate are generally men and 
women who once sat in the front row of their first grade class with 
their hand up, hoping that the teacher would call on them. These are 
not a reticent bunch of men and women, and I am sure Johnny Isakson sat 
on the front row of his first grade class. But I am also sure that he 
raised his hand and he conducted himself and caused all of his 
classmates to like him and admire him and elect him as their leader, 
because that has happened all throughout his life.
  The luncheon we had today was an extraordinary event, a bipartisan 
occasion. I do not remember anything like it in my time here, just to 
honor a retiring member of the Senate. And as someone said, listening 
to the speeches by the handful of Democrats and Republicans who spoke, 
you would not have known which party Johnny Isakson came from.
  Our love for Johnny is great, but his greater legacy is something 
else. What is more important is that he, by his example, has reminded 
us why we are here, reminded us that if you are a U.S. Senator, it is 
hard to get here, it is hard to stay here, and while you are here, you 
might as well try to accomplish something good for the country.
  That is Johnny Isakson's legacy, and that is something we should be 
grateful for and remember.
  Madam President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maryland.
  Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, I join my colleagues in expressing our 
genuine affection for Johnny Isakson. This is surely a sad day as 
Senator Isakson is leaving us as a member of the U.S. Senate.
  But frankly, his retirement from the Senate has given us an 
opportunity to recognize how fortunate each one of us is to be a Member 
of the U.S. Senate and that we can get things done if we follow Senator 
Isakson's recommendations and model to work together to find common 
ground.

[[Page S6812]]

  One other thing that I will always remember about Senator Isakson is 
that he has taught us that the Senate family really is family and you 
can form genuine friendships in the U.S. Senate and it makes no 
difference your party affiliation in forming those friendships.
  I first got to know Senator Isakson when he was Congressman Isakson. 
We were both serving in the House of Representatives. The House is a 
much larger body, and we did not have the opportunity during those 
years we served together in the House to get to know each another in a 
personal manner. But when I was elected to the U.S. Senate in January 
of 2007, it was Senator Isakson and Dianne that reached out to Myrna 
and me to welcome us to the Senate family.
  It was not a one-time, let's get to know each other and try to 
understand each other. We come from different backgrounds and different 
States. We have different religions. But he and Dianne, Myrna and I, 
really wanted to try to understand each other.
  You heard Senator Isakson talk about finding common ground. Well, you 
cannot find common ground if you do not know the other person you are 
talking with. And Senator Isakson has lived by example to develop that 
type of genuine friendship with his colleagues, so that we can really 
understand what our priorities are and how we can find that common 
ground to get things done.
  So we have enjoyed a professional relationship, but it has been a 
true friendship. And as Senator Isakson has said, the way to get things 
done is through understanding what bipartisanship is about. 
Bipartisanship works, as Senator Isakson has said many times, to find 
common ground. And Senator Isakson has lived by that example throughout 
his whole life.
  You have heard he is the only Georgian to have served in the State 
House, the State Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives from 
Georgia, and the U.S. Senate from Georgia, so he has been the whole 
legislative route in the State of Georgia.
  But by using that approach of getting to know each of us and spending 
the time to become friends and finding out what our priorities are all 
about and be able to find common ground, he has been able to accomplish 
an incredible record of success for the people of Georgia and our 
Nation.
  Let me give some examples. You have heard many of them, but I am 
going to talk a little bit from a personal point of view. Yes, I had 
the distinction of serving on the Ethics Committee for a short period 
of time on one case, and I got to see Senator Isakson at work and how 
he defended the integrity of this institution.
  As I was listening to his leadership during that deliberation, I had 
no idea what party he belonged to in the way that he conducted that 
investigation. It was done with one thing in mind: to protect the 
integrity of the institution and to find common ground in order to 
serve the institution right. He has a deep respect for the U.S. Senate, 
he has a deep respect for the legislative branch of government, and he 
has demonstrated that, over and over again, by his leadership.
  You have heard about his experiences as chairman of the Veterans' 
Affairs Committee. Well, I had the opportunity to travel with Senator 
Isakson to Normandy to celebrate the 75th anniversary of D-Day, and I 
must tell you the emotion of that moment as I saw Senator Isakson 
interact with our veterans and saw that genuine way that he connected 
to those who have served our Nation.
  You see, his presence was important, his words were important, but he 
has also shown his appreciation through the deeds of what he has been 
able to get accomplished. It has been pointed out that the Veterans' 
Affairs Committee under Senator Isakson's leadership has produced 
numerous bipartisan bills to help our servicepeople.
  We can mention maybe the one that I am most proud that we were able 
to get done is dealing with the healthcare issues because the 
healthcare issues were not fair to our veterans. Senator Isakson was 
able to find common ground in a very difficult environment so that we 
could pass the appropriate legislation, so that the members of the 
armed services could get the healthcare and our veterans could get the 
healthcare that they so richly deserve.
  I have had the chance to work with Senator Isakson on the Senate 
Finance Committee. We have worked together to protect pensions for 
workers, an area that is very important to all of us. And we helped 
first-time home buyers. I must tell you, Senator Isakson's experience 
as a realtor helped us get through that issue as to how we could help a 
recovery at the time that the economy was not doing well.
  You see, Senator Isakson had taken his experiences as a successful 
independent real estate leader, president of the largest company in the 
southeast, to his responsibilities here in the U.S. Senate, taking that 
business common sense of what works in the community to what can work 
here in the U.S. Senate.
  We have worked together on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. 
You have heard the examples of what we have been able to do in boosting 
trade and development in Africa--the Global Food Security Act, which 
helps starving people around the world. Very few, if any, will ever 
know Senator Isakson's name. Millions have been helped, thanks to the 
leadership of this incredible U.S. Senator. And you heard the personal 
example of the Peace Corps, how he went not only the extra mile, but 
the extra tens of thousands of miles to bring safety to those who 
volunteer in the Peace Corps.
  You have heard Senator Alexander and Senator Murray talk about the 
Health Committee and work he has done on education and health. I 
particularly appreciate the work on the Workforce Innovation and 
Opportunity Act, a critically important bill that, again, has Senator 
Isakson's motto throughout.
  He has been a champion for the people of Georgia and the United 
States. I particularly appreciated Senator Isakson's reference to 
Congressman   John Lewis who was on the floor during Senator Isakson's 
speech. Congressman Lewis and I came to the U.S. Congress the same 
year; we were both elected to Congress in 1987. We have been friends 
ever since.
  Senator Isakson is correct that Congressman Lewis is an icon of civil 
rights. He says what he believes, and he calls it the way it is. He is 
not going to change. That is who Senator Isakson is as a person. And as 
  John Lewis said about Senator Isakson, ``He did not just talk the 
talk, he literally walked the walk.''
  Over and over again, Senator Isakson has been in the forefront in the 
civil rights for all Americans.
  So to my friend--and I mean a true friend--we will miss you in the 
U.S. Senate. It is a sad day because we know we will not have the 
benefit of your wisdom as a Member of the U.S. Senate, but all of us 
are better off because of being given the opportunity to serve with you 
in the U.S. Senate.
  You said in your comments that you want to come back to ring the bell 
when we work together to promote the values that made the U.S. Senate 
the greatest deliberative body in the world. Well, I am going to tell 
you, I believe we will reach that day sooner because of what Senator 
Isakson has done and the example he has set for all of us. I look 
forward to ringing that bell with my friend.
  With that, I yield floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas.
  Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, I rise to join my colleagues today in 
celebrating the distinguished career of our friend, Johnny Isakson. It 
is a great moment for all of us to talk about our shared aspirations as 
representatives of the American people, to recognize the role that we 
play--that all Americans play--in supporting our country, and to 
celebrate some of our successes. We have heard a lot about Senator 
Isakson's successes as a legislator and maybe to shrug off a few of our 
failures, but reaffirm our determination to make self-government work.
  The senior Senator from Georgia did not set out to build a long, 
storied career in politics, I am told, or even to enter public service 
at all, for that matter. After graduating from the University of 
Georgia, he began a 40-year career in real estate. He opened a branch 
of Northside Realty and would later spend more than 20 years as that 
company's president.

[[Page S6813]]

  Johnny's career in public service began in a unique way. It was by 
winning an election that he never entered. He made the mistake of not 
showing up at a meeting where he was selected as a member of a new 
commission, as new commission president, with the host of zoning issues 
that riddled the community, so that was Johnny's first election, as the 
new commission president of the zoning commission.
  Of course, in that position, you could imagine he listened to his 
neighbors' concerns, and he would work with the commission to make 
improvements, but the truth is, from that point onward, Johnny was 
hooked. He went on to serve in the State house, the State senate, the 
U.S. House, and finally in the U.S. Senate, as the first and only 
Georgian to hold all four titles.
  As we have heard--but it bears repeating--at each step, he never lost 
sight of his most important responsibility: to listen to his 
constituents and to work every day to make their lives just a little 
better.
  Here in the Senate, I have had the privilege, as we all have had, of 
working with Johnny on a number of bills to empower our military, 
strengthen American agriculture, and improve our Nation's healthcare, 
but I believe his lasting legacy, the thing that perhaps is the most 
important to my mind that he should be very proud of--and I know he 
is--is our collective work together to support our Nation's veterans.
  Johnny is a veteran himself, and he didn't take the position as 
chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee lightly. He never stopped 
listening to America's veterans or fighting to ensure they have the 
services and the support they have earned.
  One of the seminal pieces of legislation that we passed thanks to 
Johnny's leadership was the VA MISSION Act, which made significant 
reforms to the Department of Veterans Affairs and strengthened 
healthcare options for all veterans. This was not an easy piece of 
legislation to move through the legislative process, which, as we all 
know, under the Constitution and under the way Congress works, 
essentially, the system is dead set to defeat you, and you have to find 
a way to navigate it in a way to get things done, which is hard work. 
But at every step, Johnny helped guide this legislation from a bill 
that looked good on paper to a law that has made a real difference in 
the lives of our veterans. He did what he does best; that is, listened, 
learned, negotiated, and built consensus between people who had very 
different views of what that law should look like. In the end, it was 
because of his hard work and dedication that it passed and was signed 
into law.
  As great as his legislative impact has been, his personal impact on 
all of us has been immeasurable. During the time I served as the 
Republican whip, I had a chance to work with him most often and saw how 
this soft-spoken master operated.
  Two years ago, we were working on tax reform, and I remember one 
crucial meeting at a luncheon conference we had. We wanted to make sure 
everybody was on the same page because we knew that failure was not an 
option. Our Members heard from colleagues who were subject-matter 
experts, who had been working on tax reform, but I think the most 
encouraging words we heard came from Johnny Isakson.
  It reminds me of that old movie that Ronald Reagan was in where the 
coach, Knute Rockne, talked about an ailing player, George Gipp. He 
talked about winning one for the Gipper. Well, Johnny told us to win 
one for the Gipper that day, and we all left excited, inspired, and 
eager to accomplish our goals.
  That meeting showed a lot about who Johnny Isakson is. He is rarely 
the loudest voice in the room, but when he speaks, people listen. He 
isn't the type to pat himself on the back. He isn't afraid to work 
behind the scenes or let his work go unnoticed in the press, and he 
cares about getting results and results alone. He doesn't care who gets 
the credit.
  I believe the reason Johnny Isakson has been able to accomplish so 
much here in the Senate--and he has--is because of his focus on 
building relationships. In fact, as we have heard, you would be hard-
pressed to find somebody more well-liked or well-respected by folks on 
both sides of the aisle.
  I think Johnny summed it up himself pretty well recently when he 
said:

       It's about relationships. It's about respect. It's about 
     motivation, and it's about getting things done. So make 
     friends. Be a friend, and know how to be a friend. It makes 
     all the difference in the world. I am sure that is true in 
     life in general, but it is certainly true in the U.S. Senate.

  That is how our friend Johnny Isakson has gained the respect of every 
Senator in this Chamber. He is a straight shooter, a man of great 
integrity, and an honest broker. He is not just a nice guy by 
Washington, DC, standards; he is a nice guy by any standard.
  I know our friend from Georgia is sad, perhaps, to leave this 
Chamber, and we are equally sad to bid him farewell. The Halls of 
Congress will not be the same without Johnny Isakson.
  I will personally miss those Wednesday mornings together at the 
Senate Prayer Breakfast and catching up with my friend here on the 
Senate floor. I know we will all miss his great example--this humble 
man of great integrity, who has taught us all how to work together.
  When another Georgia colleague, Saxby Chambliss, retired 5 years ago, 
Senator Isakson said Saxby would join Richard Russell, Zell Miller, and 
Sam Nunn and become the fourth face on the Mount Rushmore of Georgia 
Senators. Well, Johnny, I think they are going to have to make room for 
a fifth.
  I thank our good friend Johnny Isakson for his dedicated service to 
his State, to our country, and to this institution. I join all of our 
colleagues in wishing him well, along with his wife, Dianne, their 
three children, and their eight grandchildren. We wish him all the best 
as he retires to his beloved Georgia.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Missouri.
  Mr. BLUNT. Madam President, a lot of things have been said today, and 
some things will be repeated, but as I sit here, it occurs to me that 
the mark of a truly great legislator and a great friend is how many 
people have an individual story about Johnny Isakson.
  That helpful word at a right time, the ability to come in and solve a 
problem and get a piece of legislation passed or to get over a 
particular bump in a piece of legislation--those are the kinds of 
things that define a great legislator.
  All of us have our own personal stories about Johnny Isakson. My 
first memory of Johnny Isakson is long before I met him personally. In 
1992, I was hiring a new pollster who also happened to be Johnny 
Isakson's pollster. After I hired that pollster, Linda Duvall, she 
brought in somebody she likes to work with in campaigns. I was looking 
at some campaign commercials they put together, and there was Johnny 
Isakson playing basketball with a bunch of seventh grade boys.
  If you can play basketball with seventh grade boys, you can do almost 
anything. I am going to come back to the seventh grade boys in a 
minute.
  Linda called me a few days later and said: We have been trying to 
figure out which of our clients you remind us of. She said: We have 
decided you remind us of Johnny Isakson. So in 1999, 2 years after I 
got to the House, when Johnny Isakson ran for the House, I was eager to 
meet this guy whom Linda said I reminded her of. It didn't take me very 
long to find out that Linda had misjudged either me or Johnny and that 
Johnny set a different standard than the standard most of us are able 
to set, but it also encouraged me to want to spend more time with him.
  When he got there, I had been there 2 years. I was the chief deputy 
whip, and our 20 years of close friendship began then. Then I became 
the whip, and I asked Johnny to become one of the deputy whips.
  Johnny had the worst whip card in the House. All the people he 
whipped were not the worse people to whip, but he definitely had more 
than his share of the hardest people to whip. Whoever was the most 
impatient with everybody else somehow couldn't resist becoming patient 
with Johnny.
  Beyond that, Johnny somehow was always able to take the time needed. 
I said that Johnny was one of the three whips we had in the House who 
could take however much time it took to explain an issue to whomever he 
was explaining it to, in whatever level of information they needed to 
hear it in. He

[[Page S6814]]

could be very simple and basic in his explanation if that is all that 
was necessary, and he could be incredibly detailed if he had that 
unique Member who wanted to know everything before they made up their 
mind. But he was always ready to do what had to be done.
  Back to the seventh grade boys. If you could teach a Sunday school 
class for 30 years that has one group of seventh grade boys after 
another going through that Sunday school class, you are truly ready to 
have the patience to be in the U.S. Congress, to be a Member of the 
House, and then to be a Member of the Senate and to let that become 
part of your extended family.
  Johnny has such a great family who is his own family. He and Dianne 
have a great partnership. Dianne leads in community projects. When 
there is a First Lady's lunch, Dianne always does the artwork for the 
First Lady's lunch.
  One of things you benefit from on occasion in the Congress is the 
ability to travel together. That has been mentioned here, some of the 
travels that Johnny has headed--the D-Day operations and other things. 
Not long after Johnny came to Congress, he, Dianne, and I had a chance 
to travel together. You could just tell their enjoyment in each other 
and their enjoyment in the people they were getting to know better.
  Johnny's work at the VA is incredible--the VA MISSION Act, the 
determination that veterans would have more choices in where they get 
their healthcare, realizing that young veterans didn't always look at 
healthcare decisions the same way older veterans did, realizing that 
people wanted more choices than they had before, realizing that we 
could make that happen, and also realizing there was a standard of care 
that we could insist on. Johnny passed the legislation that allowed us 
to do that.
  His advocacy for the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta--we have 
our annual discussion. I chair that committee now, and we have our 
annual, very subtle but, for me, almost irresistible discussion--
somehow the Centers for Disease Control doesn't quite yet have 
everything they need, and we can do better.
  Then there is the Ethics Committee. When Johnny announced he was 
going to retire, I happened to be speaking to our conference at lunch 
that day, to the Republicans in the Senate, and I said: The bad news is 
that Johnny is leaving. The really bad news is that someone else has to 
be the chairman of the Ethics Committee.
  If there is a job in the Senate that you don't want, it is the Ethics 
Committee job. If there is a job in the Senate that you need to have 
exactly the right person in, it is the Ethics Committee job. Somebody 
has to be chairman.
  In one of my favorite books, ``To Kill A Mockingbird,'' the neighbor 
across the street, Miss Maude, is explaining to Scout why her father is 
having to do what her father is doing. I think the best I can remember 
that quote is that she says someone has to do the jobs that have to be 
done and that nobody wants to do. Johnny Isakson has always been 
willing to do the jobs that have to be done, and he does them in a way 
that you wonder why everybody doesn't want to do them because he makes 
them look like they are a lot easier than they are.
  We will miss you here, Johnny, but we are not going to miss your 
continued friendship. We all are already planning on how we can come up 
with a reason to go to Atlanta. For me, it is to check in on the CDC. 
Thank you for your service. Thank you for your friendship.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Cassidy). The Senator from Washington.
  Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I rise to join my colleagues on the 
floor and pay tribute to my colleague from Georgia, Senator Isakson, 
and to congratulate him on his retirement after 20 years in Congress, 
including the past 15 years in the U.S. Senate.
  We worked together on key provisions of the SECURE Act to improve 
retirement planning for millions of Americans.
  I would be remiss if I did not mention all the work he has done on 
behalf of our veterans. His work on the VA MISSION Act is important to 
so many people who have served our country.
  We also worked together on the Finance Committee for the last 6 years 
on important issues like affordable housing. There has been no better 
advocate for the affordable housing tax credit--helping to secure 
billions of dollars in funding for affordable housing nationwide--than 
Senator Isakson. It is true that my colleague Senator Hatch and I had a 
bill that helped to increase the affordable housing tax credit, but I 
guarantee you, there is nobody who understood it better, could explain 
it better, and could bring more colleagues to join us in support of it 
than Johnny Isakson.
  I was amazed at a debate in the Finance Committee. Some of our 
colleagues weren't quite sure of their support, but by the time Johnny 
Isakson was done speaking, I think they had to backtrack their 
opposition and wonder if they would ever take him on in a debate again. 
I thank him for that because that is an issue that has complexity to 
it, but at its heart and soul, it is really about providing affordable 
housing to our fellow human beings, and Johnny knew that. I so 
appreciated his joining us this year again as we fight to get more 
affordable housing.

  We also have worked together on very small things with our colleague 
Senator Fischer to make sure that military servicemembers didn't get 
charged cancellation fees for TV and internet services when they were 
deployed and to work on diverse issues like mass timber innovation and 
funding for community health centers.
  One thing is clear, though, when you work on all of these issues with 
Johnny Isakson, you realize that not only is there great integrity 
behind the purpose of what he focuses on and great intelligence that he 
brings to the debate, but there also is just a general kindness to his 
personality.
  You know, sometimes, I think today we have lost that kindness and 
ability to work across the aisle. When you read stories about our past 
predecessors, whether it was in the time of Scoop Jackson and Warren 
Magnuson, I keep thinking: Did they get along because they had to stay 
here? They couldn't travel all the way back to the Pacific Northwest. 
So they bonded together. Many of them lived in rooming houses together 
and did all sorts of activities and got to know each other. Our 
colleagues lament many times: Where has this Senate gone?
  Well, I think today we saw at lunch and have seen many times over the 
hospitality of barbecue with Johnny Isakson that you don't have to be 
with each other on weekends and you don't have to stay here to get to 
know people. The ability to communicate just a little bit of niceness, 
a little bit of civility, a little bit of ``I will work with you on 
this important issue'' is what it takes to make the Senate work.
  Johnny, I just want to congratulate you for 20 years of service in 
the U.S. Senate, but, more importantly, for reminding us what the 
Senate should be about and that just a few words and a few examples and 
a common attitude can really bring us together, and we mount an effort 
to surpass the biggest obstacles that we face because of our regions 
and our ideologies. That is what we have to get back to.
  So, as you go home to Georgia, I hope that you will take our great 
gratitude for reminding us of all of that, and I know that you will 
always have a smile, a quick wit about you, something nice to say, and 
we will always remember you as the Senator who not only got things done 
but who made us feel like the Senate again. Thank you.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from South Dakota.
  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, when I learned that Johnny Isakson would be 
retiring at the end of the year, I was saddened. I served with Johnny 
for a long time, not just here in the Senate, where we were both 
freshmen Members in 2005, but in the House of Representatives as well, 
and I have been honored to call him my friend.
  It is really hard for me to imagine Congress without Johnny. He is, 
hands down, as I have said, the nicest person ever to serve in the U.S. 
Senate. He is a model of decency and graciousness and the kind of 
person who can fight hard every day for the principles that he believes 
in without ever developing any rancor toward his political opponents.
  He is not just kind and decent. He is also a tremendously effective 
legislator. He is deeply knowledgeable on a

[[Page S6815]]

whole range of issues, and he possesses the gift of being able to 
explain complicated subjects in a very clear way. He gets things done. 
He doesn't stand around talking about things or playing to the cameras. 
He just rolls up his sleeves and gets to work, and he makes things 
happen.
  If there was a decency index and we were all rated on that decency 
index on a scale of 1 to 10, Johnny would be the perfect 10. Anybody 
who knows Johnny knows that he has a real passion for people and he has 
a real passion for veterans.
  I had the opportunity to work with Johnny on a couple of important 
issues. We served together on the Senate Finance Committee. Tax reform 
was something to which he brought tremendous knowledge and experience 
and know-how. He talked with great understanding about the complicated 
issues that we had to deal with when it came to reforming our Tax Code. 
His experience was invaluable as we did something that hadn't been done 
in over 30 years and reformed an outdated, archaic Tax Code that was 
keeping us noncompetitive in the global marketplace.
  In 2015, he became the chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, 
and he spent the past 5 years working tirelessly to increase 
accountability at the VA, to improve healthcare for veterans, and to 
strengthen veterans' benefits. Over the course of 2017 and 2018, the 
Veterans' Affairs Committee, under Johnny, passed 25 pieces of 
legislation, all of which were signed into law. One of those pieces of 
legislation was the VA MISSION Act, which was a bill that made 
significant reforms to the healthcare delivery system for veterans to 
ensure that veterans have access to the care that they need when they 
need it.
  My wife Kimberley and I have traveled with Johnny and Dianne a number 
of times over the years. One trip that will forever stand out for me is 
a trip we took led by Senator Burr to a number of World War I and World 
War II cemeteries in Europe--the Normandy American Cemetery, the Meuse-
Argonne American Cemetery, and the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery, as 
well as several others. We walked in battlefields where American 
soldiers fought and bled, and we visited the graves of young Americans 
who died on those fields.
  It was a profoundly moving trip, especially because we were able to 
visit the graves of soldiers from our home States of South Dakota and 
Georgia. While the trip would have been meaningful enough on its own, 
it was doubly so because Johnny cares so much about those issues. It 
meant so much to him to visit the places where American soldiers had 
served and died, to remember their sacrifices, and to honor their 
memory.
  I am going to miss working with Johnny. His retirement is a real loss 
for the institution, and I am not the only Senator who will miss his 
expertise and dedication, as well as his unfailing graciousness and 
good humor. The Senate is going to be a poorer place without him.
  There have been a lot of tributes to Johnny since he announced his 
decision to retire, and one that I came across that I thought really 
captured Johnny was published in a Georgia magazine. The author of the 
piece is a political science professor at Kennesaw State University, 
and this is what he said:

       As a political science professor and an administrator, I'm 
     often asked by students if good people can serve in 
     government and keep their integrity. Johnny Isakson is always 
     the first example I come to. It's very often a shocking 
     revelation to most people--that good people can, and often 
     do, serve in government for long periods, fight hard for what 
     they believe in, and remain true to themselves and their 
     principles. And they don't have to sell their souls to do it. 
     It's a great lesson, really.

  I remember being down in Georgia with Johnny a few years ago on the 
weekend of the Florida-Georgia football game, and we were at one of the 
celebrations. I remember being struck by how well known and how well 
liked Johnny was among the college students who were there. Nowadays, 
we often hear about young people being disillusioned with politics, but 
I have to tell you that these students weren't disillusioned with 
Johnny Isakson. I think that is because they recognized Johnny's 
character. They knew that Johnny was somebody who was truly, genuinely 
committed to making life better for the people of the State and for the 
people of this country. Here was somebody who had gotten into public 
service because he genuinely wanted to serve.
  Interestingly enough, on that trip we were near the coast of Florida 
or Georgia, and I had to get back to Macon, GA. My daughter was 
competing in a cross-country meet there. Johnny was kind enough--he was 
flying back to Atlanta--to take me on that plane and to drop me at 
Macon, GA, so I could watch my daughter compete.
  Interestingly enough, when he got on the plane to go back from Macon 
to Atlanta, they had engine trouble. They had to make an emergency 
landing. Johnny ended up, I think, having to drive or have somebody--a 
taxi or somebody--drive him 100 miles from Macon up to Atlanta and his 
home, but that is the kind of person that he is. He thought it was 
important for me to be there and to see my daughter compete, and he was 
always willing to go out of his way to make it possible for somebody to 
be able to participate in an event like that--a family event.
  That is what I think about when I think about his retirement. I am 
sad about his retirement, but I am happy that he is going to have a 
chance to spend more time with Dianne, with his family, his children, 
and his grandchildren. I have been lucky enough to get to know Dianne, 
as well as Johnny, over the years, and they are just the same--the 
warmest, kindest, most gracious, most genuine people you will ever 
meet.
  I know that after years of sharing him with the people of Georgia and 
the American people, Dianne and the rest of the family will enjoy 
having Johnny to themselves for awhile. After all, somebody has to 
babysit those eight beautiful grandchildren.
  The Senate is losing one of its finest Members, but he has more than 
earned his retirement. I wish him and Dianne the very best in 
retirement. I pray for God's blessing upon him, and let him know how 
much we are going to miss him.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Delaware.
  Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, I am pleased to join Democrat, Republican, 
and Independent colleagues alike on the floor today. I understand there 
is an overflow that is going to be back on the floor tomorrow to say 
the truth and tell the truth about Johnny Isakson.
  One of my friends likes to say: ``Flattery won't hurt you if you 
don't inhale.'' Johnny, I know a lot of nice things have been said 
about you today, and more tomorrow, and probably for the rest of the 
year. So I would just say: Don't inhale too deeply, and you will be 
just fine.
  I just want to follow up on what several of our colleagues have said. 
A number of them talked about how kind Johnny is. He is one of those 
people who will say hello to the folks who are custodians, the people 
who may run the elevators, the folks who are the security police here, 
and he even says nice things to the pages. Can you imagine that? That 
is true. He is about as kind as anybody you would ever want to meet, 
and it is not just occasionally. It is like that all the time.
  He is also smart. I haven't heard anybody say he is smart. They may 
have. I may have missed it. I want to say, for the record, that he is 
one smart fellow--as my mother used to say, smart as a whip. He grasps 
complex issues, understands them, and is really good at explaining them 
so that even people like me can usually understand them.
  I first met Johnny when he was newly elected to the Senate, and we 
had just established something called orientation. We didn't have 
orientation for a number of years here. George Voinovich from Ohio, 
Lamar Alexander from Tennessee, and Mark Pryor from Arkansas, and I put 
together a 3-day deal. We called it orientation for new Senators and 
spouses, and I remember that Johnny, I think, was in the first class 
that came through.
  I had been Governor of Delaware for 8 years. I got here in the 
beginning of 2001. One of the Governors I served with was a Governor 
from Georgia named Zell Miller. Zell Miller was elected and served two 
4-year terms. I think he served two 4-year terms. One of the

[[Page S6816]]

people who ran against him was Johnny Isakson. When Senator-elect 
Johnny Isakson came through orientation right after he had been 
elected, I asked him if he knew Governor Zell Miller. I thought that 
they had a connection, and, sure enough, they did because they had run 
against each other in an earlier year.
  There is a saying that some of you have heard. That saying is 
something like this: Just because somebody is your opponent, doesn't 
mean they have to be your enemy.
  I don't think I have ever heard anybody say such nice things, kind 
things, and generous things about their opponent in an earlier election 
where he lost and Zell Miller won. That is proof that your opponent 
does not have to be your enemy. For us around here, this day and age, 
that is a lesson that we would do well to take to heart.
  One of the other things I want to say is that I want to share a story 
I was reminded of today by one of my staff members.
  My office is in the Hart Building, and I have been in the same office 
for, gosh, 19 years now. My staff doesn't want to leave. They want to 
stay there. They like it. As to what makes them happy, you know the old 
saying: Happy wife, happy life. Well, happy staff, happy life, too--
they want to stay in the office, and that is where we have stayed.
  Once, a number of years ago, when Johnny was relatively new in the 
Senate, he came to a meeting on the same floor, and he came to the 
wrong Senate office. He came to my office by mistake. He meant to go to 
the office next door where David Vitter was, a Senator from Louisiana. 
His office was next door to ours. He came into the entrance--the foyer, 
if you will--of our office and met a couple of young people at the 
front desk there. He came in and said that he was there to see the 
Senator. They were looking at their schedules, trying to figure out 
what was going on. They didn't know quite what to tell him. He was 
there to see the Senator, and we had a wonderful gal at the front desk 
who was a little bit shy. He very kindly engaged her in a conversation 
and asked her: Well, tell me about you.

  She offered some things, and when she stopped, he would just very 
gently pull out her story and make her feel special. There was another 
fellow at a desk a short distance away in that foyer, that entrance to 
our office. He was a young man named David, and he would say to Senator 
Isakson, ``Senator''--and Johnny would interrupt him and keep talking 
to this young gal on our staff. Johnny would say: I am not in a rush. 
Take your time.
  David just couldn't get in a word edgewise. This went on for several 
minutes, and, finally, the young man interrupted, and he said to 
Senator Isakson: Senator, I think you are in the wrong office. Who do 
you think you are here to see?
  He said: Well, David Vitter.
  His office was next door to ours at the time.
  He said: You are in Senator Tom Carper's office.
  Johnny, without missing a beat, said: Well, I will just meet with 
Tom.
  And he picked up his stuff, and he walked into my office. I am sure 
those young people hadn't seen anything quite like that.
  We welcomed him warmly. He could walk into any office, and he would 
be welcomed warmly, whether he had an appointment or not.
  Recently, I served with Johnny on the Finance Committee. The fellow 
standing behind him is Senator Portman. We served there together. 
Senator Boozman, who is sitting down next to Johnny right now--he and I 
serve on the Committee on Environment Public Works. In Environment and 
Public Works, we had a witness not long ago who was here for a 
confirmation hearing, a fellow named Rob Wallace. I know Senator 
Boozman would remember him. He had been nominated to be a very senior 
guy in the Department of Commerce. The job he was nominated for was to 
be in charge of National Parks and in charge of Fish and Wildlife. It 
was a big deal. In his testimony, he talked to us. He used to work for 
Senator Malcolm Wallop from Wyoming. He had a distinguished career. 
During his testimony, he said words I will never forget. He said: 
Bipartisan solutions are lasting solutions.
  Think about that.
  He said: Bipartisan solutions are lasting solutions.
  Johnny Isakson is as good at crafting bipartisan solutions as anybody 
I have had the privilege of working with here. Again, he is a great 
role model for us.
  I want to close with just a few words on leadership. In my 
experience, having been privileged to be in the Navy for many years--I 
served in some wars and in peace and had the chance to be Governor and 
Senator, Congressman, and treasurer of my State--I have seen a lot of 
leaders. I have seen great leaders. I have seen some lousy leaders. I 
expect that is true of all of us. I have probably learned more from the 
not-so-good leaders as I have learned from the superb leaders. In my 
experience, leaders are humble, not haughty. Leaders have the heart of 
a servant. They realize that our job is to serve, not be served. 
Leaders have the courage to stay out of step when everybody else is 
marching to the wrong tune. Leaders build bridges, not walls. They 
unite, not divide. Leaders surround themselves with the best team they 
can find, and when the team does well, the leader gives the credit to 
the team. When the team falls short, the leader takes the blame. 
Leaders don't build themselves up by tearing others down. In fact, it 
is just the opposite. Leaders are aspirational.
  There is a French philosopher named Camus, I think--Albert Camus. He 
would say: Leaders are purveyors of hope. They appeal to our better 
angels. Leaders are interested in doing what is right, not what is 
easy--not what is expedient, but what is right. Leaders embrace the 
golden rule: Treat other people the way they want to be treated. 
Leaders focus on excellence in everything they do. They essentially 
say: If it isn't perfect, let's just make it better.
  Finally, when the really great leaders know they are right, when they 
are sure they are right, they don't give up. They just don't give up. 
We need leadership here in this building as much as at any time I can 
remember. We need leadership in this Capital City of ours, and we need 
leadership in all kinds of roles across our country. I just want to say 
about the leadership qualities I just described that you can find some 
of them in all of us, but in Johnny Isakson, you find all of those 
qualities.
  There is a saying: ``I would rather see a sermon than hear one.'' In 
Johnny Isakson, we see the sermon.
  Johnny, again, my friend, God bless you, Dianne, your family, and we 
will hold you close to our hearts. We will always be thankful for you, 
Thanksgiving, year-round, forever. God bless you. Thank you.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Ohio.
  Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. President, we have too many people on the floor here 
to pay tribute to Johnny Isakson, and we all have to go quick. I will 
be back again, talking about my buddy from Georgia.
  Let me make a couple of points. One is--and this is a little straight 
talk because I heard so many great things about him--we ought to know 
something else about him, which is, yes, he is a gentleman; yes, he is 
a nice guy; but he has the velvet hammer, as I have said. That velvet 
hammer has driven a lot of nails in around here and ended up with a lot 
of great bipartisan legislation. It is not just because he is a nice 
guy. It is because he is intense, and he is committed and determined 
for the people of Georgia as an independent voice for his constituents 
and for the great country that he loves so much.
  Let me give you one example. We are working on energy efficiency 
legislation right now. I work with Johnny on a number of different 
legislative projects. In this particular case, he is the author of 
something called the SAVE Act. The SAVE Act makes good sense 
policywise. It helps people reduce their energy costs and saves them 
money on mortgages, but it is not supported by everybody around here. 
There are some powerful groups against it.
  Once again, you will see in the Portman-Shaheen energy efficiency 
package, the SAVE Act is in there, and it is in there for one reason 
and one reason only, and that is because of the persistence of Johnny 
Isakson, a real estate guy who gets it.
  To my friend, I have heard so many great things about you over the 
last

[[Page S6817]]

several hours. I agree with just about all of them--almost.
  To Dianne, who is by far the better half here and such a dear friend 
of Jane's and mine, we love you. We are going to miss you. We will stay 
in touch, but we are going to watch you in your retirement as that 
velvet hammer continues to nail things that are good for your beloved 
Georgia and for the United States of America.
  Thank you, Johnny.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Pennsylvania.
  Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, keeping with the brevity that we have to 
exercise now because I know the guest of honor may have to leave the 
floor and others are going to speak before he leaves, I will write a 
longer statement for the Record with detail.
  Johnny, it goes without saying--we keep saying it over and over 
again--how much we are going to miss you, not only because of the 
bipartisan work you did and the legislative achievements but because of 
who you are--your decency, your integrity, your warmth even in the heat 
of a battle. We are grateful for all of that.
  I will just make brief mention of a few issues. I will start with the 
Global Food Security Act, which was started here in the Senate by 
Senator Dick Lugar way back in the period even before 2009 when I began 
to work with him. Johnny made it possible for us to finally get that 
passed. What that act does is put into law to authorize into the future 
the Feed the Future program, one of the most successful programs the 
U.S. Government ever undertook. Millions of children have been saved 
from chronic hunger or stunting, where they literally cannot grow 
because they haven't been able to get enough to eat. That program will 
now be perpetuated over time because of the work of Johnny Isakson. I 
will add more numbers to that in my written version.
  Here is how Feed the Future is described in their website: It is a 
program that works with ``partner countries to develop their 
agricultural sectors and break the vicious cycle of poverty and 
hunger'' the world over for the countries that are participating. I 
will start with that.
  Second--I will be very brief on the next three--is the Children's 
Hospitals Graduate Medical Education, the so-called CHGME Program that 
funds residency programs at children's hospitals. Johnny knows about 
this well in the State of Georgia, and three of those hospitals are in 
my home State of Pennsylvania. It would not be possible for that 
program to continue without the good work of Johnny Isakson.
  Third, disabilities. We don't have time for all of it today, but I 
know that Johnny and his wife Dianne have worked with students with 
disabilities for years, and Johnny has been a partner dedicated to 
improving the lives of people with disabilities. I will go into that in 
more detail in my written version.
  Finally, the last one I will mention for purposes of today, Johnny, 
is the work that you did on the pediatric priority review vouchers 
program, which makes it possible for drug companies to develop new 
drugs for rare pediatric diseases.
  Johnny, you and I are working these days, in these hours, to get the 
Over-the-Counter Monograph Reform done. Thank you for the work you have 
done on that.
  For these and for so many other reasons, I will conclude with this, 
Johnny. There is an inscription on one of the State government 
buildings I worked in at Harrisburg, PA, for 10 years. It is a 
beautiful inscription of public service that applies to you personally 
and your integrity and to the work you have done: ``All public service 
is a trust, given in faith and accepted in honor.''
  You have always accepted that trust the people of Georgia gave you. 
You have returned that with honor.
  We are grateful to be your friend. Congratulations on your work. God 
bless you.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arkansas.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. In the interest of time, I am going to put my remarks in 
the Record, but I do want to take just a moment to thank Johnny for his 
friendship. I won a special election to the House of Representatives 
and was assigned to the Transportation Committee. Literally, Johnny was 
one of the first people I met there. He was an important person on 
Transportation.
  I was the 435th Member of the House, and he was so very, very kind. 
He helped me get acclimated.
  His wife Dianne was just wonderful to my wife Cathy when I came to 
the Senate. Nobody was any nicer, again, helping her to get acclimated 
to the ways of the Senate, and, certainly, this is a family affair. We 
appreciate that so very much.
  I had the honor of serving on the Veterans Affairs Committee. The 
reality is, we got a bunch done under your leadership. We appreciate 
that so very much.
  Proverbs tells us that a good man is worth more than silver and gold, 
and that is really what this has all been about this afternoon, just 
hearing Member after Member express the good name of Johnny Isakson. We 
appreciate you, Johnny. We truly will miss you more than you know.
  I yield back.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota.
  Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I will submit my full comments for the 
Record as others have done. But you can tell, as we continue to go 
here--and we know that we have a hard stop on the vote at 5 p.m.--
Senators just want to be here to express their admiration and their 
appreciation and their gratitude to Senator Isakson. We wish Johnny and 
Dianne the very best in their next endeavors.
  It is hard to see Senator Isakson leave this body. He has added so 
much in an amazing and wonderful way for the time that he has been 
here. It is not just that, hands down, if we were going to vote as to 
the Senator who everybody appreciates the most, hands down, he would 
win that in a bipartisan vote. There is not a question about it.
  At the same time, each of the Senators has remarked on something 
substantive and important that Johnny has done and they have had a 
chance to be part of--legislation that affects this Nation and the 
great people of this country in a real and meaningful way. I want to 
talk about that for just a minute, and that is the VA MISSION Act.
  As the chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee, there is no 
question that Senator Isakson led the effort on behalf of our veterans 
in so many instances. He passed legislation and did many things to help 
our veterans--things that will help our veterans, not only today and 
tomorrow but for years and years to come. Included among those 
accomplishments is the VA MISSION Act. I had the opportunity to work 
with him on making sure we could include language in that legislation 
that would not only make sure that veterans have access to healthcare, 
medical care--both institutional VA care and from private providers--
but also that they could access those VA benefits for long-term care 
and for home- and community-based care. It is legislation that, thanks 
to Johnny, we were able to include in the VA MISSION Act.

  So it is not just about medical care for those veterans. It is about 
making sure that they can use VA reimbursement to go into nursing homes 
in their communities if they need nursing home care or if they need 
home- or community-based care. Again, it is not only the medical care 
but the long-term care for our veterans that will make the difference 
for them today, tomorrow, and in the years and years to come. This is 
the kind of legacy that Senator Isakson leaves.
  To Johnny and Dianne, we say thank you, and God bless you. We wish 
you the very best.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota.
  Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senators 
Graham, Tester, and Murray be allowed to complete their brief remarks 
before the vote previously scheduled for 5 p.m.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Montana.
  Mr. TESTER. Mr. President, I will be brief.
  Every one of us can stand here and talk on the floor about Johnny 
Isakson ad nauseam.
  By the way, I have been watching this on TV, and I appreciate your 
stick-to-itiveness in your being on the

[[Page S6818]]

floor, listening to this. You are a great man.
  The fact doesn't escape me that we are standing in the U.S. Senate, a 
body that has seen so many great Senators over the years. We can go 
back and have a history lesson on Clay, Calhoun, La Follette, Murray, 
Wheeler, Mansfield, Metcalf, and all of these folks. The truth, though, 
is the reason we are all here, talking today, is that Johnny Isakson is 
a very special guy, and he is special for a number of reasons.
  He treats everybody with respect, and because of that, everybody 
treats him with respect. His word is his bond, and his handshake is 
worth something in this body, which is not something you see all the 
time. Johnny is somebody who can get things done. I speak from 
experience in being the ranking member on the Committee on Veterans' 
Affairs. He has shepherded through many, many very difficult pieces of 
legislation, and he has done it because he has developed trust.
  If we ever get in a foxhole together, Johnny, I will have your back. 
Do you know what? I know you will have mine because you have exhibited 
it before. It has been such an incredible pleasure to be in this body, 
serving with you. You are one of those guys who doesn't have to be 
disagreeable, but if you disagree, you can disagree. Thank you very 
much. It has been a pleasure to serve with you.
  Godspeed to my friend Johnny Isakson.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from South Carolina.
  Mr. GRAHAM. Johnny, at some point, this has to be painful for you. 
Very few people get together at their own funerals.
  What we are trying to say is that we like you. You are a breath of 
fresh air in a body that has a hard time agreeing on much. I have known 
you since I got into politics. I served in the House with you, and I 
have served in the Senate with you. I have traveled the world with you. 
I have played golf with you. I have had dinner with you. I have gotten 
to know your family.
  To sum it up, when it comes to being a U.S. Senator, Johnny Isakson 
has become the gold standard.
  God bless you.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Washington.