Johnny Isakson

We have to be very careful about what we are really--we are not just dealing with limitations we as senators want to have.

I do not know if we all recognize it as serious as it really is.

The enemy gets a vote.

I want to thank you very much for mentioning the names of those four soldiers in Niger who lost their life last week.

We have to be ready to make the decisions that those--that those lack of limitations allow us to make at the drop of a hat in today's type of warfare and today's type of conflict around the world.

President Kennedy did a great thing in that conflict because... they used an embargo on an island as a line--a red line in the sand, so to speak.

Free speech is, as I think Senator Murray said, the most important, if you had to pick one, of all our rights.

I think you said something that is very important, and that is if you give the employee or the individual the measurements to show improvement and reinforce that along the way, you can change what the program is doing to induce them to be…

I look at Government as being an enabler in this process, but I also think there is an opportunity for Government to lead.

This is a very important hearing, particularly the people in front of us because we are talking about all of you.

I appreciate the other members that are here and that will come.

It serves as an 'umpire,' calling balls and strikes.

I want to add to your answer a second ago, and if I am wrong, I want you to tell me.

The first use of the accountability legislation in the termination of a senior member of the staff at the Veterans Administration.

We have changed the paradigm of the VA.

We have not had enough good training in the VA for dealing with suicide, and we need to work on that.

Dan is an unequalled individual, in my knowledge, for the subject he's been nominated to handle.

I think the best thing we can do to protect our republic in the long term is see to it that Americans can take care of themselves.

I want to assure Senator Cornyn and the other members to my left that I am not using my back situation as an advantage in my seniority, but I was here first.

Deferral does not mean you are never going to pay it. It just means, I do not have to pay it right at this minute.

It is very important that we not do it.

We want to make these changes on a prospective basis as we make new tax policy.

This bill has been approved by the Senate Finance Committee and is now pending consideration by the Senate.

Which is why we put the mandate in the ACA as well.

One of the key things that we have got to do is find some way to get everybody covered.