Again, I appreciate the fact that it seems like we are getting good news regarding the claims process.

This legislation is supported by many VSO's, including some here today, and would be a step in the right direction in expanding educational opportunities for veterans and would actually save the Federal Government money.

I also wish to take a pause. It seems as though for the last several weeks on a very regular basis storms have been ravaging the country and different events have been occurring where we have had cause to pause, and certainly this tragedy…

We can come to the right conclusion in a lot of different ways.

I am very much appreciative of the Senator from Kentucky and the Senator from Nevada having this very important discussion. Washington tends to operate inside a bubble where one can easily forget just how much Main Street America is…

I strongly believe that States should be in the driver's seat when it comes to considering the nutrient levels of their waterways.

What can EPA do to help the States that are looking at this situation?

Nutrient trading has the potential to help achieve reasonable water quality goals at the lowest possible cost.

It really does affect so many of our constituents throughout America.

there is currently no national memorial dedicated to the valor and sacrifices made by those members of our Armed Forces who honorably fought, and in some cases made the ultimate sacrifice, in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. For…

The Water Resources Research Act is one of the most effective Federal research programs when it comes to leveraging investment.

There was a comment about budget cycles and it would be interesting--you as head of the Congressional Budget Office--it would be interesting to know how the lack of a budget... affects your budget in the sense of being inefficient.

in Arkansas, our law enforcement history runs deep. Take my hometown of Fort Smith, for example, where the U.S. Marshals Service played an integral part in shaping the city's unique role in our country's westward expansion. Many people in…

this is a commonsense amendment. All it does is allow the Corps of Engineers to participate in the interagency America the Beautiful Pass Program. It just allows military families to participate in the same way they already do with the…

Again, ditto. This is a very commonsense amendment, and I think we can all agree to it. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Who yields time in opposition?

I just want to thank you for your service again, Director, for all that you've done. I know that you've worked really hard to keep us safe, so we appreciate it.

Your efforts, your work, your advocacy really has changed the world, and we appreciate your efforts very, very much.

I hope that we will do the same thing in regard to suicide and some of these other challenges we have.

I am committed to getting this thing done as quickly as we can.

What VA can do is implement the executive order that was issued on January 21, 2009, having to do with open government, transparency, and participation of stakeholders.

I think you raised a concern that many of us have heard about, which is the over medication of many of our veterans.

I would hope that you support the Veterans' Drug Courts. I think that is another solution that is a big deal.

I think that providing a safe place to live for a victim of domestic violence is absolutely key.

We have gotten behind in the backlog of disability claims, and this and that.

the Transition Assistance Program, TAP, provides training to servicemembers regarding veteran benefits, job search skills, pre-separation counseling, resume writing, how to prepare for interviews, and other transition training. TAP is a…