I suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the role. The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.

Mr. President, addiction to prescription opioid pain relievers and heroin is a growing public health epidemic that is taking a heartbreaking toll on families and communities in every State of this country. In 2014, more than 47,000…

Mr. President, my good friend, Senator Jeff Flake from Arizona, appeared here just an hour or so before and also spoke on the issue that I am going to speak about today. That issue is the ambassadorship to Mexico and the woman who has been…

I fully respect the fact that you took this assignment, Mr. Secretary, at a difficult time during great publicity around a serious scandal.

the military's ability to meet future global challenges is directly tied to its facilities.

We are going to have to keep that up to regain and maintain the trust of America's veterans, and I know that you all are committed to that.

I am happy to see that the Albuquerque VA has made significant progress, the percentage of backlog claims from around 60 percent in 2013 to 20 percent just last month.

We called for OMB to publish a top 10 list for the highest priority IT investments across the government.

But it is also one of the most frustrating. As I have said here before, the majority of veterans are satisfied with the care they receive from the VA when and if they can get it.

years of reduced MILCON budgets and deferred maintenance have resulted in facilities and infrastructure that may not be adequate.

I look forward to an update on this research as it moves forward on how we can ensure veterans get the treatment they need for such exposure.

I think it's important we move forward, so we make sure that we have a good, long-term relationship between the Air Force and the White Sand's National Monument.

We want to improve the oversight of how we spend over $80 billion annually on information technology across the Federal Government.

the VA's budget justification specifically supports research into exposure to airborne particulate matter from burn pits.

However, more veterans are unhappy with the decisions on their claims, which has led to more appeals.

Thank you very much, and thank you for your courtesies, Mr. Chairman.

Our veterans have earned the best care we can provide, the appointment scandal showed a disturbing disregard for health and safety of our heroes.

Can I have your commitment that you will work with me and other members of the congressional delegation to resolve this issue quickly?