Ultimately, we are going to have to make some tough decisions.
I want to step back to some questions that were asked earlier, and you said--I think it was in response to Chairman Dodd...
It takes a great deal of time to get new claims processors trained and contributing.
Disability claims filed by Guardsmen have a 14 percent rejection rate, compared to a 5 percent rejection rate for active...
I hear them tell me that they fear the VA is trying to outlive them.
It is critical that we get them done quickly and accurately.
It has been an urgent problem for a while and I wished we could have an immediate solution.
The number of claims exceeding 125 days in review is up. The accuracy of the claims is down.
I think the people who serve this country deserve better.
Shame on us if we fail. These are real folks and struggling families behind those 500,000 disability claims.
I think this is a very key moment for the VA on the claims issue.
I would just like to state, just for a fact because it is true, that agriculture is still Montana's number one industry.
I think there is--all of Montana is rural, all right.
Housing is a huge issue.
It would just seem to me that it makes just too much sense to say--you know.
I honestly think we are going to see some out-migration into real frontier areas.
Kudos to you on that. I think you get more synergy, a better program the more you can work together.
Well, thank you, Mr. Gear. I appreciate your testimony also as with the two preceding participants.
