Johnny Isakson: Tom Price Is the ‘Rare One of Us that Actually Reads the Bills’

“I think it s ░░░░░░░░ for all of us ░░░░░░░░ look at a secretary ░░░░░░░░ whether it s secretary ░░░░░░░░ defense whether it s ░░░░░░░░ and human services what ░░░░░░░░ I really looking for ░░░░░░░░ terms of this person ░░░░░░░░ and foremost I m ░░░░░░░░ for a person that ░░░░░░░░ the American family Tom ░░░░░░░░ a great family man ░░░░░░░░ fact his wife Betty ░░░░░░░░ here Raise your hand ░░░░░░░░ Last week I told ░░░░░░░░ to stand up and ░░░░░░░░ was in a crowd ░░░░░░░░ I couldn t get ░░░░░░░░ to do it so ░░░░░░░░ m going to get ░░░░░░░░ to raise her hand ░░░░░░░░ time around Betty is ░░░░░░░░ great lady and a ░░░░░░░░ wife Their son Robert ░░░░░░░░ still in Nashville Tennessee ░░░░░░░░ country music is that ░░░░░░░░ So he couldn t ░░░░░░░░ here today but Lamar ░░░░░░░░ appreciates that part very ░░░░░░░░ Tom s active in ░░░░░░░░ church active in his ░░░░░░░░ understands the needs of ░░░░░░░░ and understands the relationship ░░░░░░░░ health care to a ░░░░░░░░ family Secondly who would ░░░░░░░░ ask to spend 1 ░░░░░░░░ trillion of my money ░░░░░░░░ don t have that ░░░░░░░░ of course but that ░░░░░░░░ how much Tom will ░░░░░░░░ at HHS What I ░░░░░░░░ look for in a ░░░░░░░░ to handle that much ░░░░░░░░ I look for a ░░░░░░░░ bit of experience and ░░░░░░░░ s got it in ░░░░░░░░ of a legislator I ░░░░░░░░ for someone that understood ░░░░░░░░ that cost was going ░░░░░░░░ what he needed to ░░░░░░░░ to manage it and ░░░░░░░░ is that type of ░░░░░░░░ I look for somebody ░░░░░░░░ I would trust with ░░░░░░░░ amount of money even ░░░░░░░░ I don t have ░░░░░░░░ but if it were ░░░░░░░░ Third does he understand ░░░░░░░░ care Let me tell ░░░░░░░░ a little bit about ░░░░░░░░ and his medical practice ░░░░░░░░ s called Resurgence Orthopedics ░░░░░░░░ Orthopedics is the consolidation ░░░░░░░░ a number of small ░░░░░░░░ firms around the state ░░░░░░░░ Georgia into the largest ░░░░░░░░ provider in our state ░░░░░░░░ was one of the ░░░░░░░░ persons that pulled that ░░░░░░░░ and ran the practice ░░░░░░░░ a while himself They ░░░░░░░░ my doctors In fact ░░░░░░░░ years ago Resurgence saved ░░░░░░░░ young son Kevin s ░░░░░░░░ leg in a terrible ░░░░░░░░ accident and I ve ░░░░░░░░ forgotten what they did ░░░░░░░░ him and the terrible ░░░░░░░░ we had in our ░░░░░░░░ They re a great ░░░░░░░░ firm He understands medicine ░░░░░░░░ he has run a ░░░░░░░░ medical program Third I ░░░░░░░░ want to understand if ░░░░░░░░ does fourth I want ░░░░░░░░ understand he knew the ░░░░░░░░ process When the president ░░░░░░░░ Tom and in and ░░░░░░░░ We re going to ░░░░░░░░ to the Senate and ░░░░░░░░ House and we re ░░░░░░░░ to seel our package ░░░░░░░░ has to have the ░░░░░░░░ to convince 535 people ░░░░░░░░ the president s right ░░░░░░░░ that the administration is ░░░░░░░░ You don t want ░░░░░░░░ going in there who ░░░░░░░░ t walked into a ░░░░░░░░ meeting before somebody who ░░░░░░░░ t been in a ░░░░░░░░ process before Tom s ░░░░░░░░ there and done that ░░░░░░░░ s a type of ░░░░░░░░ you can trust to ░░░░░░░░ the sale and represent ░░░░░░░░ administration and the people ░░░░░░░░ I would want somebody ░░░░░░░░ s accountable Tom s ░░░░░░░░ accountable type of guy ░░░░░░░░ fact I joked last ░░░░░░░░ and said he s ░░░░░░░░ of those rare ones ░░░░░░░░ us that actually reads ░░░░░░░░ bills In fact when ░░░░░░░░ have a big question ░░░░░░░░ usually come talk to ░░░░░░░░ late at night and ░░░░░░░░ Tom what do you ░░░░░░░░ about H Resolution 3742 ░░░░░░░░ he ll tell me ░░░░░░░░ s not exciting He ░░░░░░░░ sometimes boring but he ░░░░░░░░ always right because he ░░░░░░░░ always prepared He understands ░░░░░░░░ need to be accountable ░░░░░░░░ this business you need ░░░░░░░░ be responsible for what ░░░░░░░░ do and responsible for ░░░░░░░░ you say.”