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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, today appeared on FOX News’ “Happening Now” with host Jenna Lee to discuss Veterans Day and his efforts as chairman to reform the beleaguered and scandal-rocked U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) through efforts such as improved accountability, increased oversight, meaningful legislation, the proper implementation of the Veterans Choice Act and by filling vacant leadership positions in the agency.

Isakson also answered questions on current foreign policy and the United States’ strategy in dealing with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL.

Below are excerpts from Isakson’s interview with FOX News.

Isakson on U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs wait times and Choice program implementation:

Said Isakson, “[Veterans] Choice is working even better than we predicted. We have seen seven and a half million more veterans sign up this year in the first nine months than we did last year because of Choice. So we haven’t got it perfected, but we’re making great progress.”

Isakson continued, “The [wait] numbers weren’t accurate, and when I took over as chairman of the VA Committee, I called the [U.S.] Department of Justice and said, ‘I want to prosecute anyone who’s [manipulating wait times] criminally,’ because it’s a crime to make the numbers look good so you get a raise while a veteran dies. The first indictment was a Georgia employee at the Charlie Norwood VA Hospital in Augusta, Ga., and we’re slowly but surely making those indictments. Slowly but surely the word is getting out, and people are being held accountable.”

Isakson on foreign policy and the United States’ engagement with ISIL:

Isakson noted, “With ISIL, somebody that will cut your head off or burn somebody in the town square, you can’t negotiate with them. You’ve got to kill them, and you can’t do it without troops on the ground. Not a ground war like we had in Iraq or Afghanistan, but Special Operations forces to take the heat to them. Until we begin to make them pay the price for what they’ve done, they will run rampant.”

Just yesterday on the eve of Veterans Day, the Senate passed the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriation Act by a vote of 93-0.

Isakson spoke on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday noting the government needs to be “part of the solution” to fix one of the “worst agencies in the federal government,” Isakson highlighted what the Senate has done to address programs at the VA and help veterans so far this year, including passing the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act and reforming VA construction programs in light of the gross overrun of the Denver VA Medical Center construction project.

He also made a promise to “see to it that those who fought and died for the United States of America are rewarded not only for themselves with their health care but their retirement benefits and their loved ones as well.”’

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