I have an amendment at the desk. The CHAIR. The Clerk will report the amendment. The Clerk read as follows: Page 54, after line 12, insert the following: Sec. 224. None of the funds made available in this Act for ``Department of Veterans…

The Secretary mentioned he was open to the language that you have inserted, which is a great step forward. Was he open to actually meeting with the delegation on the options that our community is putting forward?

Thank you, Mr. Fortenberry. I think the language is innovative and absolutely necessary, and I compliment you on your perseverance on this issue as well and on the insertion of this language into the bill. Mr. Chairman, the lend-lease or…

Now, the purpose of this inquiry was to discuss some health care alternatives for the VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System. Our hospital for 170,000 area veterans is in serious disrepair--boilers, HVAC, emergency generators. The…

Given the fact that 95 percent of consumers live outside our borders, the U.S. must continue to pursue trade opportunities. The U.S. actually had a trade surplus with our 20 trade agreement partners in 2012. Trade agreements expand…

We discussed not necessarily the specific language. We, in working with the committee, came up with this. Again, I want to thank Chairman Culberson for his leadership in helping craft this. The Secretary expressed a general openness toward…

I thank my friend and colleague, Congressman Terry, for his steadfast commitment in trying to find some creative resolution for this problem. Mr. Chairman, he is very right in outlining this timeline of frustrations that we have had in…

And, by the way, on housing. As the Secretary pointed out, the VA does this on housing as well. Mr. Chairman, there are creative options out there that do not give the government a longer term budgetary risk, but they nonetheless help us…

Again, I want to thank my colleague, Lee Terry, for his steadfast commitment to this important issue. Mr. Chairman, I think we should all be on the same page. Everybody shares the general goal and mission as to how to get this new hospital…

I would like to read the language that is in this bill. It reads: Alternative Financing: The committee is concerned about meeting the need for access to high-quality veterans' health care facilities, including in rural areas where access…

I strongly affirm the principle of equal pay for equal work. Both the Equal Pay Act and title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which were passed on a bipartisan basis, have helped increase career opportunities for women and ensure they receive…

EPA's work is of great consequence to our country and to my home State of Nebraska--impacting everything from agricultural practices to energy production.

We have the world on the verge of nuclear weapons proliferation. That is the reality.

Well, let's fix that. Why don't we fix that?

Fort Hood is still locked down. We are still getting facts. It's a terrible tragedy. We know that. We know there are casualties, both people killed and injured.

If I could interrupt, that is an excellent point.

It's a terrible tragedy, we know that. We know there are casualties of both people killed and injured.

if we are looking at the creation of a star and we are not exactly sure whether or not we can do that and we are pouring lots and lots of money into it versus trying to prevent the explosion of a nuclear weapon in an American city, there…