[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 175 (Monday, November 14, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H8459-H8461]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         SENATOR JOHNNY ISAKSON VA REGIONAL OFFICE ACT OF 2022

  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (S. 4359) to designate the regional office of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs in metropolitan Atlanta as the ``Senator Johnny 
Isakson Department of Veterans Affairs Atlanta Regional Office'', and 
for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 4359

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Senator Johnny Isakson VA 
     Regional Office Act of 2022''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) John Hardy Isakson, known as ``Johnny'', was born 
     December 28, 1944, in Atlanta, Georgia, to Julia Isakson and 
     Edwin Andrew Isakson.
       (2) Johnny Isakson graduated from the University of Georgia 
     in 1966 with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration.
       (3) In 1966, Johnny Isakson enlisted in the Georgia Air 
     National Guard, serving until 1972 and attaining the rank of 
     Staff Sergeant.
       (4) Johnny Isakson gained success in private business, 
     serving for 22 years as a real estate executive and growing 
     his business into one of the largest of its kind in both 
     Georgia and in the United States.
       (5) Johnny Isakson was elected to the Georgia General 
     Assembly in 1976, serving in the State House of 
     Representatives until 1990.
       (6) Johnny Isakson was elected to the Georgia State Senate 
     in 1992, serving until 1996.
       (7) In 1996, Governor Zell Miller appointed Johnny Isakson 
     to be Chairman of the Georgia State Board of Education.
       (8) Johnny Isakson was elected to represent the 6th 
     District of Georgia in the United States House of 
     Representatives in 1999, and served until 2005.
       (9) During his time in the House of Representatives, Johnny 
     Isakson, as a member of the Committee on Education and Labor 
     of the House of Representatives, worked to improve American 
     education, and was a key advocate for the bipartisan 
     education reforms that became the No Child Left Behind Act of 
     2001 (Public Law 107-110).
       (10) Johnny Isakson was elected to the United States Senate 
     in 2004, serving until December 31, 2019.
       (11) During his time in the Senate, Johnny Isakson was an 
     exemplar of courtesy, dignity, and kindness, beloved and 
     respected by colleagues regardless of party.
       (12) Johnny Isakson, during the 111th Congress, 
     demonstrated a bipartisan yearning for peace, and crossed 
     party lines to support the ratification of the 2010 Strategic 
     Arms Reduction Treaty between the United States and the 
     Russian Federation, also known as New START.
       (13) During the 114th, 115th, and 116th Congresses, Johnny 
     Isakson served as Chairman

[[Page H8460]]

     of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate, a 
     position with which he tirelessly championed reform to 
     improve the benefits and quality of service for our nation's 
     military veterans.
       (14) During the 114th, 115th, and 116th Congresses, Johnny 
     Isakson served as Chairman of the Select Committee on Ethics 
     of the Senate.
       (15) The late Congressman John Lewis once described Johnny 
     Isakson as ``A man who has strong belief but also willing to 
     work with others to get things done.''.
       (16) On December 19, 2021, Johnny Isakson passed away, but 
     his legacy of character and goodwill will endure as an 
     example to all who serve, or will serve, in the United States 
     Senate.

     SEC. 3. SENATOR JOHNNY ISAKSON DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
                   ATLANTA REGIONAL OFFICE.

       (a) Designation.--The Department of Veterans Affairs 
     Atlanta Regional Office in Georgia shall, after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, be known and designated as the 
     ``Senator Johnny Isakson Department of Veterans Affairs 
     Atlanta Regional Office'' or the ``Isakson VA Atlanta 
     Regional Office''.
       (b) Reference.--Any reference in a law, regulation, map, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     Regional Office referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed 
     to be a reference to the Senator Johnny Isakson Department of 
     Veterans Affairs Atlanta Regional Office.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Takano) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ellzey) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
to insert extraneous material on S. 4359.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill, S. 4359, which will 
rename the VA regional office in metropolitan Atlanta the Senator 
Johnny Isakson Department of Veterans Affairs Atlanta Regional Office.
  I knew Senator Isakson well from his years of service on the Senate 
Veterans' Affairs Committee. Like many of my colleagues, my enduring 
memory of Senator Isakson is that he was a reasonable man, a tireless 
advocate for veterans, and was someone you could work with to find 
common ground--something that is all too rare in today's political 
environment.
  I didn't always agree with Senator Isakson's politics, but I never 
once questioned his commitment to the men and women who have served in 
the U.S. military.
  I worked closely with Senator Isakson on a number of significant 
bills, including a wide-ranging VA reform bill--the Veterans Access, 
Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014--that President Obama signed 
into law during my first term in office.
  The bill expanded survivor benefits and educational opportunities and 
improved care for victims of sexual assault and veterans struggling 
with traumatic brain injuries while making important strides toward 
ensuring veterans' access to timely healthcare at VA medical centers.
  Senator Isakson was heavily involved in other bipartisan initiatives 
affecting our Nation's veterans, including a 2017 law intended to 
improve processing of VA benefit appeals and a 2018 law giving VA the 
authority to expand healthcare access to community providers.
  These pieces of legislation will have a profound impact on veterans' 
access to the benefits and services they rightfully earned for 
generations to come, and we owe Senator Isakson a debt of gratitude for 
his persistent efforts in seeing these bills through.
  Senator Isakson was a veteran himself, having served as a young man 
in the Georgia Air National Guard from 1966 to 1972. He ran his 
family's real estate business for over two decades and ably represented 
his constituents in the Georgia House of Representatives and the 
Georgia Senate before serving in the U.S. House and Senate.
  He has the distinction of being the longest-serving Republican 
Senator in Georgia history, and, at a personal level, I cannot think of 
a more suitable name for this VA facility--where so many civil servants 
work to provide veterans the benefits they earned--than the Johnny 
Isakson Regional Office.
  S. 4359 was introduced by Senator Jon Ossoff, while the House 
companion was led by Representative Sanford Bishop of Georgia's Second 
Congressional District.
  Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record letters of support for H.R. 4359 
from The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Disabled 
American Veterans, as well as the Georgia delegation.
                                              The American Legion,


                                        Department of Georgia,

                                                    June 14, 2022.
     Hon. Jon Tester,
     Chairman, U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 
         Washington, DC.
     Hon. Mark Takano,
     Chairman, U.S. House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 
         Washington, DC.
     Hon. Jerry Moran,
     Ranking Member, U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 
         Washington, DC.
     Hon. Mike Bost,
     Ranking Member, U.S. House Committee on Veterans Affair, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Honorable Gentlemen of the U.S. Congress: The American 
     Legion Department of Georgia is in full support of S-4359: 
     the Senator Johnny Isakson VA Regional Act of 2022.
       We respectfully implore and sincerely request that the U.S. 
     Congress favorably considers naming the regional office of 
     the Department of Veterans Affairs in metropolitan Atlanta as 
     the ``Senator Johnny Isakson Department of Veterans Affairs 
     Atlanta Regional Office''.
       Senator Isakson's distinguished himself as a tireless and 
     unrelenting advocate who championed reform to improve the 
     benefits and quality of service for our Nation's veterans. It 
     is our solid and steadfast position that this Act will be the 
     hallmark tribute to a fellow Georgian who labored to bring 
     about better and improved healthcare and quality veterans' 
     services. We are indebted to our veterans for their service 
     and sacrifice. Senator Isakson recognized the debt and 
     devoted his efforts as Chairman of the Committee on Veterans' 
     Affairs of the Senate ``to make right the master of might''.
       Naming the Atlanta VA Regional Office in honor of Senator 
     Isakson is a step in the right direction for the sake of 
     veterans of the great State of Georgia and the veterans 
     across this great Nation.
       For God and Country. . .

                                                  Mark Shreve,

                                 (For Z.C. Debro, Dept. Adjutant),
     State Commander, Department of Georgia.
                                  ____



                                     Veterans of Foreign Wars,

                                     Macon, Georgia, May 31, 2022.
     Hon. Mark Takano,
     Chairman, U.S. House Committee on Veterans Affairs, 
         Washington, DC.
       Chairman Takano: On behalf of the Veterans of Foreign Wars 
     Department of Georgia and in my capacity as State Commander, 
     I am writing to support renaming the Atlanta VA Regional 
     Office to the ``Senator Johnny Isakson Department of Veterans 
     Affairs Atlanta Regional Office.
       As a member and former chair of the Senate Veterans' 
     Affairs Committee, Senator Isakson worked tirelessly to bring 
     oversight and accountability to the agency responsible for 
     providing care and support to our nation's veterans. A 
     veteran himself, Isakson was a member of the Senate VA 
     Committee since joining the Senate in 2005 and played a 
     crucial role in the massive VA reform bill, the Veterans' 
     Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014.
       Today, Georgia remains home to more than a dozen military 
     bases, as well as more than 750,000 veterans. In addition to 
     aiding veterans who served in years past, he has worked to 
     strengthen our Armed Forces and continues to show unwavering 
     commitment to the men and women serving our country today. 
     Isakson brought commonsense leadership to Congress through 
     bipartisan efforts to address federal spending, reduce the 
     debt, create jobs, and reform burdensome federal regulations.
       If the Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of Georgia may 
     assist in any way to rename the Atlanta VA Regional Office to 
     the ``Senator Johnny Isakson Department of Veterans Affairs 
     Atlanta Regional Office,'' please do not hesitate to ask.
           Respectfully,

                                             Kevin F. Hammond,

                                        VFW Department of Georgia,
     State Commander.
                                  ____



                                   Disabled American Veterans,

                                                     June 6, 2022.
     Hon. Jon Tester,
     Chairman, U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 
         Washington, DC.
     Hon. Mark Takano,
     Chairman, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Washington, 
         DC.
     Hon. Jerry Moran,
     Ranking Member, U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 
         Washington, DC.
     Hon. Mike Bost,
     Ranking Member, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Tester, Ranking Member Moran, Chairman Takano 
     and Ranking Member Bost: The Disabled American Veterans, 
     Department of Georgia writes in support of legislation 
     sponsored by Senators Jon Ossoff, Roy Blunt, and Raphael 
     Warnock, renaming the Department of Veterans Affairs

[[Page H8461]]

     Atlanta Regional Office, as the ``Senator Johnny Isakson 
     Department of Veterans Affairs Atlanta Regional Office.''
       Throughout his career, Senator Isakson was a passionate 
     advocate for veterans in Georgia and across the country. 
     Senator Isakson served in the Georgia Air National Guard from 
     1966 to 1972. Throughout his political career he found common 
     ground across the aisle in order to achieve progress, all the 
     while governing with compassion. As a longtime member of the 
     Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs he worked to serve 
     veterans and increase accountability at the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs. As Chairman of the committee, he championed 
     VA reforms that culminated in the Johnny Isakson and David P. 
     Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act 
     of 2020.
       We believe that naming the VA Atlanta Regional Office after 
     Senator Isakson, a dedicated advocate and public servant, 
     will honor his legacy and inspire future generations of 
     Georgians.
           Sincerely,
                                                       Sadie Hill,
                                                        Commander.


                                Congress of the United States,

                                    Washington, DC, June 15, 2022.
     Hon. Jon Tester,
     Chairman, U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 
         Washington, DC.
     Hon. Mark Takano,
     Chairman, U.S. House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 
         Washington, DC.
     Hon. Jerry Moran,
     Ranking Member, U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 
         Washington, DC.
     Hon. Mike Bost,
     Ranking Member, U.S. House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Tester, Ranking Member Moran, Chairman 
     Takano, and Ranking Member Bost: As members of the Georgia 
     congressional delegation, we write to request your support 
     for legislation to name the Department of Veterans Affairs 
     Atlanta Regional Office the, ``Senator Johnny Isakson 
     Department of Veterans Affairs Atlanta Regional Office.''
       Senator Johnny Isakson served veterans, the state of 
     Georgia, and the United States throughout his life. A native 
     of Atlanta and a graduate of the University of Georgia, 
     Senator Isakson served in the Georgia Air National Guard from 
     1966 to 1972. Following a successful business career, he 
     served in the Georgia General Assembly and Georgia State 
     Senate for nearly two decades, served as Chairman of the 
     State Board of Education, and was elected to the United 
     States House of Representatives.
       In 2004, Senator Isakson was elected to the United States 
     Senate. During his fifteen years in the chamber, he earned a 
     reputation for courtesy, dignity, and kindness, building 
     relationships across the aisle for the good of the country. 
     Eventually, Senator Isakson rose to Chair the Senate 
     Committee on Veterans' Affairs, a role in which he championed 
     important reforms to improve the quality and accessibility of 
     services for our nation's military veterans.
       We believe that Senator Isakson's service to the veterans 
     of Georgia warrants this tremendous recognition, and that 
     naming this facility is a fitting tribute to his legacy. 
     Accordingly, we respectfully request the Senate and House 
     Veterans' Affairs Committees' consideration and support of 
     this legislation.
           Sincerely,
       Jon Ossoff, Sanford Bishop, Austin Scott, Buddy Carter, 
     David Scott, Andrew Clyde, Raphael Warnock, Lucy McBath, 
     Barry Loudermilk, Hank Johnson, Nikema Williams, Carolyn 
     Bordeaux, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Rick Allen, Jody Hice, Drew 
     Ferguson, Members of Congress.

  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, 
and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ELLZEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 4359, a bill to designate 
the VA regional office in Atlanta as the Senator Johnny Isakson 
Department of Veterans Affairs Atlanta Regional Office.
  Senator Isakson served over 45 years as a public servant. He retired 
in 2019 as the longest-serving Republican Senator from the great State 
of Georgia.
  Senator Isakson is remembered for his contributions to the veteran 
community and to his home State.
  His successful career of public service began when he joined the 
Georgia Air National Guard. After separating from the National Guard, 
he brought this invaluable experience to the Georgia General Assembly 
and to the U.S. Congress.
  Senator Isakson was a dedicated advocate for our Nation's veterans, 
serving as chairman for the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee for 
three Congresses.
  Under his chairmanship, our friends on the Senate VA Committee 
spearheaded the enactment of critical legislation such as the VA 
Mission Act, the Forever GI Bill, the Veterans Appeals Improvement and 
Modernization Act, and the VA Accountability and Whistleblower 
Protection Act.
  Senator Isakson is remembered fondly by his colleagues as the 
embodiment of compassionate servant leadership. He had a reputation as 
a bipartisan Member who was willing to reach across the aisle for the 
good of his constituents. I can think of no better way to honor Senator 
Isakson's legacy to both the citizens of Georgia and the veteran 
community than by naming the Atlanta regional office after him.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this bill, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Bishop) who serves as subcommittee chair on the 
Appropriations Committee and also as a former member of the House of 
Representatives House Veterans' Affairs Committee.
  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding.
  I am honored to speak in support of S. 4359 to rename the VA's 
Atlantic regional office after a good and great man, the late Senator 
Johnny Isakson.
  This is a companion bill to one that I introduced in the House with 
my colleague across the aisle, Congressman Rick Allen, and which the 
entire Georgia congressional delegation cosponsored.
  A son of Georgia, Johnny Isakson was born in Atlanta and graduated 
from the University of Georgia. He was first a businessman and then a 
public servant.
  I served with him in the Georgia General Assembly and then in the 
United States Congress where he served as a Congressman and as a U.S. 
Senator.
  We stood side by side in support of Georgia's military bases, 
families, and veterans. Together we worked on many projects to improve 
the lives of Georgians and Americans.
  During his many years as a public servant and as the chair of the 
Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, he worked tirelessly on behalf of 
the Nation's most deserving citizens: our military veterans.
  It is fitting that we are taking up consideration of this bill just 
as we conclude commemorating Veterans Day. One of the fundamental ways 
Congress can demonstrate its thanks to our veterans is to provide the 
care they have earned and deserved.
  Renaming the VA facility in Atlanta after Senator Isakson is a 
fitting recognition of his service to our country and his lifelong work 
ensuring Congress upholds America's commitment to its veterans. I am 
proud to call Johnny a friend, and I know he continues to look down on 
us. I hope that we are inspired by his example to always give our best 
to our veterans.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill and to honor 
Johnny Isakson's legacy of service.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am 
prepared to close.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ELLZEY. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I encourage my 
colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, again, I ask all my colleagues to join me in 
passing S. 4359, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, S. 4359.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

                          ____________________