U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., was selected by his colleagues to continue his service as chairman of both the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Senate Select Committee on Ethics in the 116th Congress, which formally began on Jan. 3, 2019. Notably, he will continue as the only senator to chair two committees.
 
As chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs for a third consecutive term, Isakson has pledged to focus on oversight of the implementation of new laws enacted during the 2017-2018 session of Congress to ensure veterans are being well served by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). As chairman of the non-partisan Senate Select Committee on Ethics, Isakson and his colleagues on the committee will be tasked with ensuring the ethical standards of the U.S. Senate are met.
 
Isakson was also selected to continue his service as a member of the Senate Committee on Finance with oversight of federal health, trade, and tax policies; the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations charged with developing and influencing the nation’s foreign policy; and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, which oversees U.S. education, health care and employment policies.
 
“I’m proud to continue serving Georgians as a member of five key committees that are important to our state and our nation,” said Isakson. “I’m especially honored that my colleagues have entrusted in me the responsibility that comes with being chairman of two committees in the Senate – Veterans’ Affairs and Ethics – and I am committed to working diligently every single day to be the best leader on behalf of our nation’s veterans and the American people.”
 
“Our Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee has worked tirelessly to reform the VA and ensure that our veterans receive the care and benefits they deserve, and I’m proud to continue fighting for our veterans as chairman. I also look forward to my service on the Ethics Committee, and I pledge to uphold the integrity of the ethical standards of the U.S. Senate in a fair, nonpartisan manner,” continued Isakson.
 
“The next two years present a number of unique opportunities to build on the momentum of policies we worked to enact in the last session of Congress to cut burdensome taxes and regulations, empower American employers and workers, and strengthen our national security to put Americans first. I will continue working to find ways to advance a positive agenda that helps more Americans succeed.”

Isakson is a veteran himself – having served in the Georgia Air National Guard from 1966-1972 – and has been a member of the Senate VA Committee since he joined the Senate in 2005. Isakson’s home state of Georgia is home to more than a dozen military installations representing each branch of the military as well as nearly 700,000 veterans. He was first named chair of the Senate VA Committee in 2015.
 
The Senate passed 25 new pieces of veterans’ legislation during the two-year period that have all been signed into law. Of those bills, some of the most significant reforms include the landmark VA MISSION Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act, the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017, and the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017.
 
Isakson joined the Senate Select Committee on Ethics in 2007. He has served as its chairman since 2015 and this will be his third consecutive term as chairman. He served as vice chair of the committee from 2009 until 2014.