To this young girl. Im not in a rush. David just couldnt get in a word edgewise. This went on for several miners. Finally, the young man interrupted and he said to senator isakson, johnny, he said, senator, i think youre in the wrong office. He said, who do you think youre here to see. And he said, well, david vitter. Whose office was next door to ours, was at the time. Well, youre in senator tom carpers office. And johnny, without missing a beat, said, well, ill just meet with tom. He picked up his stuff and he walked into my office. And talk about those young people, i am sure they didnt see things like that in the past. He could walk into any office and he would be welcomed, whether he had an appointment or not. Recently we had i got to serve with johnny on the finance committee. There is a fellow standing behind him, rob portman, we served there together. Every now and then, senator boozman, who is just sitting down next to johnny right now, he and i serve on a committee called environment and public works. In environment and public works we had a witness not long ago who was there for a confirmation hearing, a fellow named rob wallace. Senator boozman, if you remember him, he was nominated to be a very senior guy in the department of commerce. His job that he was nominated for, he would be in charge of National Parks and in charge of fish and wildlife it was a big deal. And 234n. His testimony, he talked to us. He used to work for senator mall woman wallace. A distinguished career. He said these words. He said, Bipartisan Solutions are lasting solutions. Think about that. He said, Bipartisan Solutions are lasting solutions. And Johnny Isakson, as good at crafting Bipartisan Solutions as anybody ive had the privilege of working with here. And again a great role model for us. I want to close with just a few words on leadership. My experience ive been privileged to be in the navy for many years, served in some wars and had a chance to be governor and congressman and treasurier of my treasurer of my state. Ive seen some great leaders and some how subsidy leaders. I suspect thats true of all of us. But in my experience, leaders ls are humble, not haughty. Leaders have the heart of a servant. They realize that our job is to serve, not be served. Leadershave 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 a team does well, the leader gives the credit to the team. And when the team falls short, the leader takes the blame. Leaders dont build themselves up by tearing others down. In fact, its just the opposite. Leaders are aspirational. There was a french philosopher named albert kamu. Leaders are purveyors of hope. They feel to our better angels. Leaders are interested in doing what right, not whats easy, but what is right. Leaders embrace the golden rule, treat other people the way that they want to be treated. Leaders focus on excellence in everything they do. Essentially say, if it isnt perfect, lets just make it perfect. And finally, when really great leaders, they know not to give up. They just dont give up. We need leadership here in this building as much as 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. And i just want to say that the leader the Leadership Qualities i just described, you can find some of them in all of us. But in the Johnny Isakson, you find all of those qualities. And there is a saying that id rather see a sermon than hear one. And in Johnny Isakson, we see the servant. Johnny, again, my friend, god bless you, dianne and your family. We will hold you close to our hearts, always be thankful for you. Thanksgiving, yearround. Forever. God bless youment. The presiding officer the senator from ohio. Mr. Portman i come to the floor here to pay tribute to Johnny Isakson. Ill be again talking again about my buddy from georgia. Let me make a couple of points. This is a little straight talk. Yes, he is a gentleman. Yes, he is a nice guy. But hes got the velvet hammer, as i say. And that velvet hammer has driven a lot of nails in around here. Its not because just he is just a nice guy. It is because he is intense of the and he is committed and determined for the people of georgia as an independent voice for his cities and for the great country that for his constituents and the great country he loves so much. Ive worked with johnny on a number of different legislative projects. In this particular case, he is the author of something called the save act. It makes good sense policywise. It helps people reduce their energy costs and saves them money on their mortgages. It is not supported by everybody around here. There are some powerful groups against it. The save act is in there and it is in in for one reason only, thats just of the because of the persistence of Johnny Isakson, a real estate guy who gets it. Ive heard many things about you. I agree with just about all of them. And to dianne, we love you, were going to miss you. Were going to watch you in your retirement and that velvet hammer continues to nail things that are good for his beloved georgia and for the United States of america. Thank you, johnny. Mr. Casey mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from pennsylvania. Mr. Casey in keeping with the brevity, ill write a longer statement for the record with detail. But, johnny, i think it goes without saying, we keep saying it over and over again how much were going to miss you, not only because of the bipartisan work you did in the legislative achievements, but because of who you are. Your decency, intig gret, your worth integrity, your worm warmth, even in the heave battle. Were grateful for all of that. Ill start with the global Food Security act which 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 possibly 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 United States government ever undertaken. Millions of children have been saved from chronic hunger or stunting where they literally cannot grow because they havent been able to get enough to eat. That program will now be perpetuated over time because of the work of Johnny Isakson. And ill add more numbers to that in my written version. Heres what how feed the future is described in their website. It is a program that, quote, works with partner countries that develop their agricultural sectors and break the vicious cycle of poverty and hunger. The world over for countries that are participating. I start with that. Ill be very brief on the next three. The Childrens Hospital graduate medical education, socalled chgme program, that funds residency programs at Childrens Hospitals. Johnny knows this well, both in the state of georgia, three of these 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, the disabilities and we dont have time for all of it today. But i know that johnny and his wife, dianne, have worked with sundays with disabilities for years and johnny has been a partner and dedicated to improving the lives of people with disabilities. Ill go into that in more detail in my written version. Finally, the last one ill mention for purposes of today, johnny is the work that you did on the Pediatric Priority Review Voucher 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 overthecounter mono reform phon. Thank you for the work youve on than that. For these and many other reasons, ill conclude with this. Theres an inscription on one of the State Government buildings i worked in in harrisburg, pennsylvania, for ten years. Beautiful inscription of Public Service that applies to you personally and your integrity and to the work ive done. All Public Service is a trust, given in faith and accepted in honor. You have always accepted that trust for the people of juror that the people of georgia gave. Youve returned that with honor. Were grateful to be your friend. Congratulations on your work. God bless you. And i yield the floor. Mr. Boozman mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from arkansas. Mr. Boozman in the interest of time, im going to put my remarks in the record. But i do want to take just a moment to thank johnny for his friendship. I want 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, so very kind in helping me get acclimated. His wife dianne was just wonderful to my wife kathy 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, and we appreciate her so, so very much. I had the honor of serving on the Veterans Affairs committee and the reality is we just got a bunch done under your leadership. We appreciate that so, so very much. Proverbs tells us that a good name is worth more than silver and gold. Thats what this has been all been about this afternoon, just hearing member after member express the good name of johnny azach son. We isakson. We appreciate you and truly will miss you more than you know. A senator mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from south dakota. Mr. Hoeven thank you, mr. President. Ill submit my full comments for the record, as others have done. You can tell as we continue to go here and we know we have a hard stop on the vote at 5 00, but senators just want to be here to express their admiration and their appreciation and their gratitude to senator isakson. And you know we wish johnny and dianne the very best in their next endeavors. Its 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. And its not just that hands down if we were going to vote as to, you know, the senator that everybody appreciates the most, hands down he would win that, in a bipartisan vote not a question about it. But at the same time, each of the senators has remarked on something substantive and important that johnny has done and that theyve 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. And i want to talk about that for just a minute, and that is the v. A. Missions act. As the chairman of the Veterans Affairs committee, theres no question that senator isakson led the effort on behalf of our veterans in so many instances, passed legislation, did many things to help our veterans, things that will help our veterans not only today and tomorrow but for years and years and years to come. Included among those accomplishments is the v. A. Missions act. I had the opportunity to work with him on making sure that we could include language in that legislation that would not only make sure that veterans have access to health care, medical care, both institutional v. A. Care but also from private providers, but also that they could access those v. A. Benefits for longterm care and for home and communitybased care. And thats legislation that thanks to johnny we were able to include in the v. A. Missions act. So its not just about medical care for those veterans, its about making sure that they can use v. A. Reimbursement to go into a nursing home in their community if they need nursing home care or for home and communitybased care. Again, not only medical care but longterm care for our veterans thats going to make a difference for them today, tomorrow, and for years and years and years to come. Thats the kind of legacy that senator isakson leaves. And so to johnny and to dianne, we say thompg r thank you we say thank you. God bless you and we wish you the very best. I yield. I yield the floor. A senator mr. President . Mr. Hoeven mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from north dakota. Mr. Hoeven beg the indulgence of the senator from montana. I ask unanimous consent that senators graham, tester, and murray be allowed to complete their brief remarks before the vote previously scheduled for 5 00 p. M. I thought the senator from montana might agree to that. The presiding officer is there objection . A senator mr. President . The presiding officer is there objection . Without objection. The senator from montana. A senator thank you, mr. President. I will be brief and its not just because of Johnny Isakson. Every one of us could sit here on the floor and talk about him for ad nauseam. By the way, johnny, ive been watching this on tv. I appreciate you being on the floor listening to this stuff. Its great. Youre a great man. Mr. Tester it doesnt escape me were standing in the United States senate, a senate where a body that has seen so many great senators over the years. We go back and can have a History Lesson on clay and calhoun and murray and wheeler and mansfield and metcalf. And all of those folks. The truth is the reason were all here talking today is because Johnny Isakson is a very special guy and hes 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. His handshake is worth something in this body, and thats not something you see oughtle time. Johnny see all the time. Johnny is somebody that gets things done. I speak as being Ranking Member on the veterans committee. He has shepherded through many, many difficult pieces of legislation and hes done it because hes developed trust. I can tell you if we ever get in a fox hole together, johnny, ive got your back. You know what . I know youve got mine because youve exhibited it before. I just want to say its been such an incredible pleasure to be in this body and serving with you because you are one of those guys that if you disagree, you can disagree but you dont have to be disagreeable. And i just want to say thank you very much. Its been a pleasure to serve. Godspeed, my friend, Johnny Isakson. I yield the floor. A senator mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from south carolin soutm south carolina. A senator at some point this has to be painful. Very few people get together except at your funeral. What i want to say is we like you. Youre a breath of fresh air and a body that has a hard time agreeing on much. Ive known you since i got in politics. I served in the house with you. I served in the senate with you. Ive traveled the world with you. Ive played gulf with golf with you. Ive had dinner with you and got to know your family. Sum it up whrks it comes to being a United States senator, Johnny Isakson has become the gold standard. Mr. Graham god bless you. I yield. Mrs. Murray mr. President when . The presiding officer the senator from washington. Mrs. Murray i want to turn to the nomination that is pending before the senate that we will be voting on as soon as i finish my remarks. Mr. President , i have come to the floor many times to speak in opposition to president trumps ideologically driven, deeply partisan judicial nominees and express my frustration that under the republican leadership, the senate is stamping one lifetime nomination after another. They have been willing to rubber stamp the nominees whose qualifications are in doubt, a Record Number have been deemed unqualified by the bar association, the impartiality is virtually nonexistent and without a doubt chose fon their commitment to uphold president trumps agenda rather than upholding our nations laws. These nominees have sided with shady forprofit colleges like the president s department of education. Trums nominees have followed his footsteps on health care, ruling and speaking against expanding Affordable Health care for families. Theyve allowed major corporations to skirt rules intended to help address the urgent threat of the climate crisis. About you perhaps most consistently, president trumps judicial nominees have adhered to rigid, backward, deeply harmful ideology when it comes to Reproductive Health care. One called roe v. Wade quote radical abortion rights. Another pushed pseudo science claiming Birth Control can lead to suicide. Mr. President , the vast majority of women and men in our country would agree these arent positions you want a supposedly impartial judge to espouse. But unfortunately what ive just laid out pails in comparison so what we know of the judicial nominee we know of today, sarah pitlyk. Miss pitlyk who the American Bar Association raifted as unqualified, unqualified as actively worked to erode womens access to Birth Control and abortion. She even defended legislation that would have allowed landlords to evict their tenants and employers to fire their employees simply because they used Birth Control or got pregnant before they got married. Mr. President , these views are already wildly invasive and disqualifying. Unfortunately, theres more. Miss pitlyk has also not only expressed her personal bias against assisted Reproductive Technology or a. R. T. But has actually authored briefs arguing surrogacy and a. R. T. Have, quote, grave effects on society. I am very