releases: https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=63D51E8B-47D3-4B33-BEC0-3B52A8BF761C
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=63D51E8B-47D3-4B33-BEC0-3B52A8BF761C | Isaksons Health Care Efforts have Touched Millions of Lives | 2019-12-20 | 2019 | 2019-12 | Republican | House | GA | Johnny Isakson | I000055 | www.isakson.senate.gov | legacy | ATLANTA In a new video released today, colleagues of U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., praise his efforts to seek common ground and improve the health of Americans and people throughout the world. Isakson's efforts come amid his own challenges with Parkinson's disease a diagnosis that has not slowed down his commitment to helping others. Isakson serves on two committees with jurisdiction over Americans' health care: the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. During his Senate career, Isakson has worked tirelessly on bipartisan legislation to improve health care for veterans and for seniors with chronic conditions, fund research for rare diseases and combat the opioid epidemic - all while fighting his own battle with Parkinson's disease. Isakson's family was affected by the opioid crisis in 2015 when his grandson, Charley, tragically died from an overdose. Through sharing his family's experience with the affliction, Isakson helped shepherd through expansive legislation to combat the nationwide opioid epidemic and prevent addiction among veterans and vulnerable populations. Awareness is critical, said Isakson. Looking the other way is a disaster. Focusing on your family to make sure your kids can always talk to you [is key]. I want to thank you for sharing in public the experience of your family in the loss of your grandson from an opioid overdose, said Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H. You should know what a difference your public discussion of that tragedy made and continues to make as we deal with erasing the stigma that comes with addiction. We had senators like Johnny Isakson and Patty Murray and Republicans and Democrats working to pass what I call the opioid response act, said Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., chairman of the Senate health committee. President Trump said it was the single most important piece of legislation response to human epidemic that the country had ever done, and Johnny Isakson had a major role in that. In 2015, Isakson revealed he was living with Parkinson's disease, a neurological condition that causes chronic movement disorder. In announcing his diagnosis, Isakson again used his own experience to encourage others and advocate for research and treatment for chronic neurological diseases. He saw the Parkinson's as an opportunity to demonstrate the dignity and equanimity of temperament that can be there even for someone who is having some difficult challenges, said U.S. Senate Chaplain Barry Black. I think he's just been marvelous a marvelous example of what I would call a profile in courage. I've got chronic conditions, you know. I've got Parkinson's, said Isakson. Discovery and solving medical problems is not easy, but if it was easy, everybody'd do it. It's not easy at all, and it's also very expensive. Isakson has repeatedly fought to ensure the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has the resources needed to fulfill its mission of protecting Americans from dangerous diseases. Of course the CDC is in everybody's backyard. It's America's health center, said Isakson. There's only one CDC in the world, and it's in Atlanta, Georgia. I'm pleased we worked together with giving CDC, the Center for Disease Control, more initiatives and more resources to do a very important and very difficult job, said Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I. We spent a lot of time at the CDC, and an issue with the CDC not being in Washington but being a government entity is they can sometimes feel neglected or that they are not at the front of minds of Washington legislators, said Jordan Dawson, former Isakson aide. They had a champion in Johnny. Isakson's health care legacy includes championing legislation to help children with rare pediatric diseases obtain access to treatments more quickly. He passed major bills to create a neurological disease registry and to help seniors living with multiple chronic condition have better, more coordinated health care. He's taken steps to invest in medical research priorities such as the cancer moonshot, streamlining the FDA approval process for new medications and improving our country's mental health system. Johnny Isakson not only cares, but he gives a damn about those who don't have power, said Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa. I want to take a moment to step back and thank Senator Isakson, too -- his name is on most of these bipartisan bills for all of his work over the years to work with people and find common goals and to find solutions, said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. It's truly been an honor to work with you. As you end your days here in the Senate, I know we will all remember the legacy that you have brought to all of us in how we can listen to each other and find solutions and work our way forward. So thank you. To view the video, which was produced by the Senate Republican Conference and is the latest in a series focusing on Isakson's career as he prepares to leave the Senate on Dec. 31, click here. For a full list of Isakson's health care-related accomplishments, click here. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |