U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, received the 2018 Gordon H. Mansfield Congressional Leadership Award from Paralyzed Veterans of America.
 
Isakson was selected to receive this honor for his work on one of Paralyzed Veterans’ top legislative priorities – the expansion of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Comprehensive Family Caregiver Program to pre-9/11 veterans – as well as for his efforts on “the most thoughtful and comprehensive reform plan for VA community care” during this Congress, which began on Jan. 3, 2017.
 
“I want to thank Paralyzed Veterans of America for this honor,” said Isakson. “Improving and expanding the VA’s caregiver program remains a top priority of mine, and I appreciate Paralyzed Veterans of America’s contributions to this effort. I look forward to our continued work with Paralyzed Veterans of America to help move forward the Caring for Our Veterans Act, legislation that includes an expansion of the caregiver program, and get it enacted into law.”
 
“Because of Chairman Isakson’s stewardship, caregiver expansion has never been more possible,” said David Zurfluh, national president of Paralyzed Veterans. “We’re proud to present Chairman Isakson with our Gordon H. Mansfield Congressional Leadership Award. We’re grateful for his support and can’t think of anyone more deserving.”
 
Paralyzed Veterans of America is a national Veterans Service Organization with more than 1 million members and was chartered by Congress in 1946.
 
The Gordon H. Mansfield Congressional Leadership Award is named for the Honorable Gordon Mansfield, former VA acting secretary and executive director of Paralyzed Veterans. Paralyzed Veterans of America established this award to recognize strong leadership and support of their priorities in the areas of veterans’ health care and benefits or disability civil rights. U.S. Senator Bob Dole was the first recipient of the award in 2015.
 
Isakson was selected as the 2018 recipient of the Gordon H. Mansfield Congressional Leadership Award by Paralyzed Veterans of America for “his tireless effort in the pursuit of expansion of the Comprehensive Family Caregiver program to veterans of all eras, not just those injured after September 11, 2001.”
 
The Caring for Our Veterans Act, legislation introduced by Isakson, would establish a permanent, streamlined ‘Veterans Community Care Program’ to provide veterans with access to health care and services in their own communities. In addition, the legislation strengthens the VA’s Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers and expands eligibility to veterans of all generations.
 
The Caring for Our Veterans Act was passed by the committee in an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 14-1 on Nov. 29, 2017, and awaits a vote by the full Senate.