I thank you for your personal interest in ensuring that these suicides were fully investigated and that measures are taken to prevent additional suicides in the high-stress recruiting field.

Let there be no doubt about it. I like Gary Locke a lot.

I maintain no President can negotiate a trade agreement without TPA.

You did it in a very bipartisan way. You worked with Republicans, Democrats, and Independents.

Obviously, that is still at the heart of my concern about these issues.

This statement also includes information from our on-going review of air cargo security requested by the Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, Bennie G. Thompson, and Congressman Edward J. Markey.

This is the first time in 7 years that I have not been a Member of the Homeland Security Committee, and it is a great honor and privilege that you have extended to me to participate in today's hearing.

The Army's suicide rate has doubled from 2004 to now.

Do you believe there's a shortage of mental health counselors in the military?

I believe that the military has made progress on many fronts in confronting the issue of stigma.

When one of these storms hits or a catastrophe hits, no one asks your party affiliation.

What is your definition of a public health epidemic?

I would like to commend the Army for its hard work and initiative in developing the Third Generation Extended Cold Weather Clothing System (GEN III ECWCS).

$50 million sounds like a lot of money to me. Do you support that initiative?

We know that statistically suicide is rare yet it remains one of the leading causes of death among young adults.

From the 30,000-foot level here, for the 4-year period I just described, Air Force deployments have not come down.

What brings us here is the spike in suicides.

I think it's a cumulative effect of deployments that run from 12 months to 15 months.