Johnny Isakson: “I wish to acknowledge a couple of things--one, my appreciation for his hard work on the SCHIP program and my…”

“I wish to acknowledge a couple of things--one, my appreciation for his hard work on the SCHIP program and my understanding of his frustration with some of the misunderstandings that have taken place in the debate on all sides. But before he leaves, again, I commend the distinguished ranking member on his effort on behalf of children's health insurance and his effort to clear the record in hopes that, in the end, it will be a foundation for all of us to clear the record of misunderstandings. There is fault enough to go around, starting with the administration and then taking both sides of the issue. But I commend the chairman for his hard work. Ten years ago, I chaired the State Board of Education of Georgia when the SCHIP program was first authorized. I took it upon myself, in that capacity--the one that met closest with the children in need in Georgia--to initiate a broad program of registering and getting the information out so that every poor child in Georgia who was eligible could be covered by SCHIP, which in Georgia is known as PeachCare.”