I want to bring up first something you and I have talked about previously, and that is Veterans Affairs (VA) reimbursement for long-term care for our veterans.

We should be talking about the increased cost of health care, and so if we could all just turn away from our politics for a minute and go directly to solving the problem, we would go a lot further.

This is a real problem.

You know what would be good is for you to backtrack on your original statement that kids in your custody are safe, that there is no mismanagement within custody, within those facilities of what is happening with these kids.

This sickens me. It sickens me that these children have been put in this position and in harm's way, and that we in the U.S. Government have responsibility for these children.

There have been 125 reports to law enforcement of child sexual assault in detention centers that are run by HHS or at least contracted to run by HHS, does not that concern you, Commander?

If this were a IV-E investigation of a State foster care system, they would fail, and you basically would withdraw Federal money because there would be inadequate protections for kids.

A couple of things, and I do want to get into this idea that the children are safe when they are in your custody because that is certainly not what we are hearing.

I am concerned even beyond what happens with these kids when they are out of your custody, and we cannot seem to agree on whether you have any responsibility for them.

That program is failing by all accounts.

I think that we should have some pretty high expectations at $45,000 per child.

I want to thank my colleagues for advancing these appropriations bills, specifically the ag appropriations bill. I also want to thank Senator Merkley, my ranking member on the committee. Throughout the process, we have had open…

I ask unanimous consent to be recognized for 3 minutes for comments relating to the appropriations bill prior to the NDAA bill debate. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Appropriations Legislation

I do not know what that is going to look like in 5 years. I do not know what it is going to look like in 8 years.

Federal Government, honestly, must do better. It must be more efficient. It must be more effective and do a better job of connecting with its citizens.

I think this is fascinating. I think this will be one of these introductory meetings.

Losing control over the implementation of your policies is not something you worry about.

I am not afraid of big ideas and Congress cannot be reflexively dismissive of a proposal simply because it changes the status quo.