Senior senator from georgia, Johnny Isakson. Its been about three months since johnny announced hed retire the end of december. Since then, i think weve all been taking stock of everything our dear friend has accomplished and everything he means to so many people. Ive long side if the senate were to hold a secret ballot popularity contest, Johnny Isakson would win in a bipartisan landslide, quite possibly in a unanimous vote. He commands bipartisan respect and affection to a degree that is truly remarkable. But if you think about it, it makes sense for a man whose personal mantra goes like this. There are only two kinds of people, friends and future friends. For most people that might be a noble aspiration, but unrealistic. But for Johnny Isakson its a statement of fact. Nobodys an enemy. Nobodys a stranger. Just friends and future friends, thats it. With a motto like that, its no wonder that johnnys first career was a successful step in real estate, a field in which relationships are everything. It strikes me there are two ways you could thrive in a business where friendships and Connections Matter so much. You could be either good at faking a smile, at feigning interest in others or you could genuinely love meeting everybody and learning how you might be able to help them. That second kind of person is exactly who ed and julie isakson brought up in atlanta, georgia. Warm, honest, forthright, incredibly kind. No wonder johnnys neighbors jumped at the chance to hire him to be their state representative. And then their state senator. Then their congressman. And then their United States senator. So his retirement this month will cap a 45year career in Public Service packed with one significant accomplishment after another, one after another. First and foremost in johnnys long legacy is his work for our nations veterans. He spent six years in the Georgia Air National guard as a young man. And he spent the half century since then as one of his fellow veterans best friends at any level of government. Under johnnys chairmanship, passed literally scores of bills. More accountability at the va. More education benefits. Better Community Care programs, better procedures for when veterans appeal a determination, an updated g. I. Bill with no more expiration date. And of course, johnnys landmark bill, the va mission act. Its now law providing many of the most significant reforms in the history of the va. Taking power away from bureaucrats and giving it back to veterans, and their doctors. Yet somehow in the midst of compiling this singular record for our nations veterans, johnny wracked up countless more legislative successes that impacted every american, from securing pension protection to reforming education policy, from regional Infrastructure Projects hike the savannah harbor expansion, to combatting hunger worldwide. One look at the list of laws bearing johnnys fingerprints, youd be forgiven for thinking he never met a problem that he couldnt solve. Alas, every senator sometimes encounters requests from back home that he cannot deliver. Sometimes you have constituents on both sides of an issue. Sometimes a request might conflict with your principles. Whatever the reason, everybody in office eventually disappoints somebody. But johnnys staff marvels at the fact that even when goeorg a georgians walk out disappointed they are beaming for praise for their senator. Can you believe johnny . Hes the greatest guy ever. What a senator. And these are the people he just said no to. The same traits explain why johnny is just as popular under this dome as he is back home. And i dont mean just his fellow members. Johnny isakson is practically an honorary member of every other members staff and an honorary elevator operator and an honorary Capital Police officer and an honorary member of chaplain blocks team and on and on. He knows and values absolutely everybo everybody. I cant count how many times id hear a peal of laughter from outside the bullpen and realized that Johnny Isakson came by not to chat with me, but with my team, ask after their families, maybe check up on a couple of georgia priorities while he was there. Theres one classic story that has this mans characters, most who hung around johnny and his team knew the famous story about the gin and tonic in the laundry room. The gin and tonic in the laundry room. Here is the deal, back in 2006, johnny was still a new senator. We were tackling some thorny pension issues, and thousands of georgians stood fto be affected if things didnt get hammered out. The freshman senator dives in, goes toe to toe with big players like ted kennedy and bill player over in the house. He didnt get a seat on conference committee, but he basically appointed himself an honorary member. Johnny worked it like crazy. He sleuthed out where theyd be meeting. He spoke to everyone. And because its johnny we are talking about, we know how this ends. He delivered for georgia. Afterwards, the Atlanta Journal constitution senator wanted to hear how he pulled off the victory. Among other things how he celebrated. Did he clear out the champagne at some belt way steakhouse . Here is what he said. This is a direct quote, madam president. Isakson said after the vote he went straight back to his capital hill area apartment and celebrated by doing his laundry. He didnt want to leave dirty clothes behind for a month. So he said further, so i was putting coins in the machine and i had a gin and tonic in the laundry room. This anecdote is almost a perfect encapslation of Johnny Isakson. It starts with tenacity and a cando spirit, propelled forward by charisma and southern patience and it ends with a win for georgians. And one celebrity cocktail, while wrist deep in laundry deterge detergent. But i think theres one other story that reflects this remarkable leader more perfectly. It starts with one name, kate koozie. In 2009, johnny was reading a local people and found an obituary from a person with the peace corps. Johnny didnt know kate, didnt know her family, but he felt called to attend her funeral. He sat quietly in the very back and listened to her friends. Her family, ministers, peace corps colleagues. Unassumingly he invited the family to stay in touch if there was anything he could ever do. Only later did they relate what wasnt in the obituary. Kate had been murdered in the dark of night after sounding the alarm on child abuse in her village in the african country of benine. Johnny isakson was on the case from that day forward. Not only was he a fixture on the Foreign Relations committee he was actually Ranking Member on the africa subcommittee so he put a framed photo of kate on his desk and leapt into action. Senator isakson flew there to bernly lean on its president. He met with peace corps officials, he built a legislative coalition for reforms to better protect volunteers. And like i said earlier, because this is Johnny Isakson were talking about, we know how the story ends. With results. He helped kates parents pursue justice. And just a couple of years after johnny sat down in that pew, the peace corps volunteer protection act was law. Now, that is Johnny Isakson in one story. He starts out trying to do good for his neighbors and winds up literally changing the world. Of course, madam president , changing the world can be grueling work. We all know johnnys health that is made his Tireless Service more and more challenging in recent months. As much as the other 99 of us hate to hear it, hes decided its time to find new ways to serve that dont involve twice weekly air travel or winding trips through the capitol complex. But we know our friend is not riding off into the sunset or kicking up his heels. I know hes bound and determined to keep putting his expertise and Institutional Knowledge to work on behalf of georgians who need him. I have no doubt hell keep on advocating for georgians with a pen and a phone, more friend across the country than anyone can count up, and maybe a few of his eight grandchildren by his side. Sounds like a pretty enviable work arrangement and no doubt, johnny has earned it. Hes earned the right to a little less light night voting and a little more time with his lovely wife diane. So on behalf of all of his colleagues, ill tell johnny go ahead and relax just a little. Maybe find something to drink, but this time around he should enjoy it on the front porch with diane and leave the laundry till later. Were savoring our last weeks alongside our good friend here in the senate. Were so lucky to have called him our colleague. Finally, on a happier note, or a bittersweet happy