Johnny Isakson

I think it is a great idea, and it is something that is very important.

If they are going to be released, they need to be released in a thoughtful, methodical manner so you are not overwhelmed.

I know you have already met with Secretary Panetta to discuss that VA/DOD mission to make sure that we do not just have a million new veterans coming.

I want to see how it is going to be paid for, but also importantly see if there is any duplication overlap.

I remain very concerned about the questions surrounding the effects of sequestration on veterans' health care.

The VA must be there with not only timely access to care but also the right type of care.

I want to be clear: our first priority--our obligation--must be to ensure that we are fulfilling and honoring our commitment to our veterans.

I am disappointed at the size of the gap between the funding needed to bring facilities up to date and the funding requested from the Congress.

Support S.170, The Helping Responsible Homeowners Act, sponsored by Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA).

Congratulations on your nomination. And best of luck to both of you.

I think the committee will greatly miss the leadership of Dick Lugar, but I want to thank him, publicly and personally, for what he's done for me and what he's done for the country.

Just echo your comments about the importance of both countries to the United States of America.

I hope you'll take a moment to go up to the Nyumbani Orphanage, in Nairobi, where a wonderful lady named Sister Mary, is making life wonderful for some kids who were born to AIDS-infected moms, but, because of PEPFAR, they were born…

The largest investment of the American taxpayer on the continent of Africa has been the PEPFAR program, which has been a hugely successful program.

Well, one thing a lot of people do not understand is because of PEPFAR, we have gone from a situation where we were supplying retrovirals to try and prevent to where now people are living a lifetime of relatively normal and productive…

I want you to understand clearly that I am well aware of some of our food security and our food effort go to countries where we have displaced individuals in a host country who have left a place like Somalia or southern Sudan or someplace…

Food security in Africa is critically important to me.

I talked to President Obiang about the fear of the Dutch disease infecting Equatorial Guinea because they were the poorest.

I would mainly because my last trip to Equatorial Guinea, there was a 10-foot hole in the ceiling of the rented U.S. Embassy and it was raining the day I was there.

The foreign affairs budget and the United States aid overseas is going to go from a compassion-driven appropriation to a politically driven appropriation.

So tell him I have not forgotten that conversation, and I encourage him to invest in his people.

I commend each of you on your willingness to take those posts on.

We are scared to death that the South Sudan and the North will get into a civil war like what happened in the past.

I mean, any time the King can dissolve the Parliament, you got one person in charge.

I think one thing I would do if confirmed would be to stress in diplomacy and public diplomacy that these attributes are things that we, the United States, value very highly in Benin.