This budget, the HUD budget, impacts the lives of so many Americans in such an important way.

The VASH (Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing) voucher program has been critical, and the former ranking member, Senator Patty Murray, and I were always strong supporters of the VASH program.

But, Mr. Secretary, it is by no means solved. You may be able to point to isolated examples in large cities, but your own statistics show that it is not solved.

I am very disappointed by the administration's decisions to propose this reduction, especially since it was not part of an effort to live within the current budget caps.

If we are talking about those veterans who were drummed out of the service because of the inequality and injustice of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell law, then I am sympathetic.

We have to ensure that Federal dollars are spent effectively.

We have made significant progress, but it is by no means solved.

If we are talking about homeless veterans who received dishonorable discharges due to crimes that they committed, I do not understand why we would prioritize help to them with a new program rather than going through the regular VASH…

Now, I hope we can work together with the administration to get rid of sequestration while living within our means.

The request also supports the administration's goal to prevent and end homelessness.

I must say I was a bit puzzled by this request because it seems to me what we ought to do is move the perpetrators out of these housing.

You need to make this a priority because it is only fair to the very hardworking majority of employees who are at HUD.

This is terrible. No wonder morale is bad.

this is a dead horse that deserves beating, in my view.

If we don't replace sequestration, decisions we make today to defer shipbuilding programs will have 30-year consequences that we can't foresee.

If we reimpose sequestration this year, as you've testified, that would be a severe impact across the board.

It would be ironic and dangerous, it seems to me, to be following the opposite course.

Losing competition means that you don't--the Navy doesn't get the best price.