Robert C. Byrd: “I compliment you on being the new Secretary. You follow a line that goes back to the very beginning of the Republic.”

We need important changes in our great health benefit program. TRICARE, to ensure a superior benefit for the long-term.

I hope that wherever you can share your views, you will, because it's pretty easy in history to see this.

The Department is firmly committed to working closely and openly with Congress in order to protect the health of our servicemembers.

I cannot support this item unless there are some limitations on it, unless Congress can exercise its power over the purse, as the Constitution provides.