We need to keep our forests working and not pursue policies or incentivize practices that may impede the great story of our forest and wood products industries.

This is not a Democrat or Republican thing. This is just the history of what we've encountered.

Resilience is a particularly timely topic given the ongoing national discussion concerning the important vulnerability of our nation's critical infrastructure.

This is a contract that we have signed with our veterans, and we want to give them the benefits they and their families deserve.

We will work this out. We will work together.

We need a score. We need the VA to weigh in. This is major stuff.

To be resilient first requires that our national resources, infrastructure and installations be hardened against threats, both natural and manmade.

I'm not attacking you. I'm attacking the system.

Without additional investment in MILCON, we cannot adequately address all of these requirements.

I want you to tell those at the VA that I am very concerned about a bill that we are going to have this week.

The National Guard is a lethal, cost-effective, dual-role operational force that provides strategic depth to the Army, Air Force, and Space Force, and responds to crisis in our homeland. Some estimates put that cost effectiveness of the…

Thank you, Chairman Schatz, and Ranking Member Collins for having this important hearing.

I rise today to recognize National Police Week and honor the law enforcement officers who selflessly serve and protect our communities. Law enforcement professionals at all levels, from local police forces to sheriff's departments, to…

Is there anything more that Congress can do to authorize the VA to expedite the claims process to ensure veterans are receiving benefits in a timely manner?

To help address this issue, we worked closely with the members on this Committee to provide the authority for the VA to enhance their capacity to conduct C&P exams.

Effective April 3d, as we talked about earlier, in 2020, the VBA suspended all in-person C&P exams due to the pandemic.

Well, thank you all for being with us, and I apologize for being late.

Well, we appreciate you guys so much, and so we should recess again.

It is great that we are returning to some normalcy and we do appreciate not only your efforts but your staff that have done a tremendous job through all of this.

Clearly this has been a successful effort to date.

And I want to follow up on the digital divide that we are, you know, discussing now.

Well, we will come back. Again, we appreciate that very much.

For years this committee has supported expanding and enhancing VA telehealth's efforts, particularly for rural and highly rural veterans.

We must continue to honor those who have sacrificed so much for our country.

This Committee must work to honor Sharri's sacrifice and ensure they are supported.