Hopefully that they will go back and do everything that they can to make sure that this is seamless not only within DoD, but between the two Departments because I just want to restate the bottom line for me is to make sure we provide that…

It is disheartening to me that the DoD and VA have made little progress towards integrating the care and coordination and case management across the Departments.

I just came from Bethesda on Monday. I went to visit a wounded soldier from Maine, and the doctor at the Center of Excellence told me that there was zero coordination with the VA.

the law is very clear on the coordination and there does not appear to be any coordination.

the bottom line is they are not being taken care of.

The bottom line that concerns me is the fact that if a servicemember or veteran is not getting the service that they need, that is going to cause a lot more stress on the individual member of the service as well as the family and…

This lack of response only serves to magnify in my mind the continued problems between the VA and the DoD in working collaboratively.

it is disheartening to me that the DoD and VA have made little progress towards integrating the care and coordination and case management across the Departments.

I would encourage each and every one of you who are responsible for this program to step up to the plate.

I do not feel confident that the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense can overcome existing barriers.

We have cut the time in which the government takes to pay small business prime contractors in half, from 30 days down to 15 days.

So if you were violating that, you were violating the terms of the contract.

I completely agree with you, Congressman, that the issue of payment and cash flow is of paramount importance right now.

Sure. I think there are three things that I would say.

that type of action is a real demonstration of the type of partnership we have with our inspector general and the Department of Justice, and evidence that this administration has absolutely zero tolerance for fraud, waste, and abuse.

If a prime contractor is delinquent, which we have defined as--after substantial input and public comment period--defined as more than 90 days late, just like you said, in paying its small business subs.

In terms of ensuring that small businesses are a part of it, the prime contract will have to submit as part of--a material part o the contract, the subcontracting plan.

The contracting officers have the primary responsibility for ensuring small businesses that they enter into contracts with comply with the limitations on subcontracting.