Holy bejeezus. Think how many kids you can educate with that.

I remain concerned, however, that at the end of the day you have the resources you need to fulfill your mission.

But the question was, why do we not insist on it in their contracts? And why is it not 50 instead of 15?

I applaud your budget request this year.

Why does the contract not specify and mandate that preference level so you do not need the conversations that is part of their requirement?

I thought we would get through a whole hearing without you mentioning contraception.

I applaud you on that. The House passed a bill that I had put forward a year or two ago called a Women Veterans' Bill of Rights.

I think we are on the verge of revolutionizing the way we process claims.

I just want to focus on a couple of areas that I have been involved with over the years.

I disagree with you on one thing, Mr. Chairman, when you said the administration is somehow cynically holding veterans hostage.

It puts all the burden on the bureaucracy to say, 'Yeah, we are going to accept that.'

Let us give the Vietnam vets some peace. Let us give them a real welcome home. Let us grant those Agent Orange claims.

To say we are leaving veterans twisting in the wind is just not true.

I am disappointed that for the fourth straight year the administration included a repeal of LIFO in its budget.

Will the gentleman yield for a moment?

I am heavily interested in water, and hydrofracking is something that is very near and dear to the area that I am in.

The water challenges--one of your 7 initiatives for 2013--how were those proposed reductions in spending for basic data-gathering... impact your ability to fulfill statutory mandates?

Clearly we cannot tax our way out of it and we cannot cut our way out of it.