We honor our veterans and their families for their sacrifices and unwavering dedication to our country. Our troops who wear the uniform represent the best, and I mean the very best, our country has to offer. It is because of their service that we enjoy the freedom that comes with being an American.
 
I’m proud of the military tradition of our state. I’m also proud to serve those in uniform as Georgia’s junior senator in the United States Senate. I take that responsibility very seriously. We have a solemn charge to provide our veterans with the upmost respect and best care our country has to offer.
 
Unfortunately, for years the federal government failed to keep that promise. It is an open secret that the total lack of accountability at the VA jeopardized the ability of veterans to get timely and quality care. President Trump called this out and we have seen his administration work with Congress to tackle this head-on. This Veterans Day, I’m proud to say we are finally seeing a breakthrough.
 
Rules barring the VA from firing non-performing employees have been removed by Congress, and the new head of the VA has taken action to restore accountability. To date, 500 bureaucrats have been let go for poor performance. That’s great news for restoring trust between our veterans and the VA. We’ve also renewed the CHOICE program allowing veterans to seek out private care if they are unable to get it at the VA.
 
I’m proud to say that Georgia’s senior senator – my friend, Johnny Isakson – deserves much of the credit for his work leading the Veterans’ Affairs Committee. In a time of dysfunction and gridlock, these are real bipartisan accomplishments to help our veterans. I can think of no better message to those veterans and their families this Veterans Day.