I recently held a press conference on women's veterans issues, and in attendance were several female veterans.

Southeastern Washington needs the existing VA facilities and it deserves a new, modern VA facility, as well.

I have been very proud to fight alongside the veterans in the three-State region served by the Walla Walla VA, to save Walla Walla VA and ensure that it has a future.

It is very important that Congress use its legislative powers to make sure that the VA is prepared to meet the health care needs of our veterans tomorrow as well as today.

This legislation would eliminate copayments paid by catastrophically disabled veterans.

We finally have a President of the United States who is in support of advanced appropriations.

There has to be accountability. There has to be responsiveness.

Today, our Committee will consider the nomination of W. Craig Fugate to be Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

It seemed to us that we had to at least guarantee that the person going into this position, so critical to the lives and safety of Americans at times of emergency, have had the basic experience to give us the confidence to believe that he…

I particularly want to welcome our friend Senator Mel Martinez, who will be introducing you.

The law requires that the FEMA Administrator have a demonstrated ability in and knowledge of emergency management and homeland security and at least 5 years of executive leadership and management experience.

I will give you my full support.

The issues and challenges facing ICE are considerable, and I want to continue the dialogue we have started in the confirmation process.

I will say that I am encouraged by some steps that Secretary Napolitano has taken thus far.

I do not think they have a positive place in Federal law enforcement as a general matter.

I think we are going to have to really spend some more effort and resources.

I think that, as I said earlier, this is not a question of whether or not the agency detains people, but it is a question of who does it detain, how does it detain them, and are there better ways to do this--and I think there are--that are…

The extraordinary record of experience in emergency management that Mr. Fugate has is, of course, very important, and I want to say how historically important it is to this Committee and put it in some context.