Johnny Isakson

Only through meaningful reforms can we live up to President Lincoln's promise to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and his widow and his orphan.

We need to get this right. And I look forward to working with all of you on this important task.

If we are talking about consolidation to provide Choice and make it meaningful for our veterans, that ought to be the ultimate goal where we go.

If you are within 40 miles but you cannot get the service that they need, they ought to have Choice.

The biggest problem for health care in America has today is the lack of interoperability between data systems.

My ultimate vision for Choice was that a veteran had a choice to go to a doctor who could provide that veteran with the service they need whether they are a VA hospital facility or a private provider in the community.

I appreciate, A, his willingness to do it and, B, the Committee's willingness to act quickly and expeditiously to see to it that we do.

This kind of dialog is exactly what this Committee is for, for us to work with the administration...

Are you not frustrated with how screwed up the VA is? I say, well, you know, the problem is that we see every day the successes that are being made.

Thank you very much.

We have to somehow find a way to do as an organization is root out the problems by protecting the whistleblowers and having a disciplined program to go after those that are causing the cultural problems while at the same token elevating…

We have met the enemy and it is ourself.

The fact of the matter is that with the changes this Committee originated in August of last year and have been implemented by the VA and its new Secretary, Secretary McDonald, are appearing to start to change the ship of State.

They painted a broad picture of fraud, waste, abuse, mismanagement within the VA.

VA has come under increasing fire recently for treatment of whistleblowers and this Committee wants to see to it that whistleblowers who truthfully come forward to testify have the protection and the ease necessary to accomplish what they…

It does address a critical need. We have had some input, which I will go over with you, but we want to move forward as soon as we can.

It is important to evaluate new ideas to staff VA facilities adequately and connect veterans with health care providers.

I would assume, Mr. Coy and Dr. McCarthy, you would be willing to work with Senator Hirono and Senator Ernst to try and deal with that issue, to make it a better piece of legislation?

If you would, when you take over and are confirmed, will you expedite the decisionmaking process on seafood for pregnant women and the recommendations the FDA makes?

Thinking is a subjective thing. Rulemaking is an objective thing.

Will you commit to require FDA staff to go through rulemaking when it intends to legally bind regulated parties?

Guidance letters, again, don't have the rulemaking period or the comment period to be open.

FDA has two opportunities. One is to issue guidance letters. The other is to do rulemaking.

I appreciate the words of the distinguished Senator from Rhode Island, and I always enjoy his speeches, whether I am on the floor or watching him back in my office. He is an articulate spokesman for what he believes, which is one of the…

The Senator from Montana is going to preside at 6:30 p.m., so I think he is the one who will need to go, and I will go after the Senator from Rhode Island.