Senator Johnny Isakson Va Regional Office Act of 2022
Floor Speech
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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 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.
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Mr. TAKANO. 4359.
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 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.
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Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close.
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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.
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