We are pleased to open up our hearing to hear from our new Secretary, General Shinseki.

Such leadership will be needed at every level of the VA, and I have faith that it will start with you.

We are bogged down in Iraq. We are spread too thin. We should be worried about Iran. We now, obviously, have to be more worried about Korea. And yet nobody takes us as seriously as they should because of our military weakness that has…

I want to emphasize my continuing concern that the VA is not adequately meeting the benefit and health care needs of veterans who served in the Gulf war and who now suffer from various diagnosed and undiagnosed disabilities.

I support this increase as an important step toward equity for Filipino World War II veterans.

I strongly urge this committee to heed the testimony of Ms. Heather French, Miss America 2000, and allocate $750,000 from the HUD fiscal year 2001 appropriation to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans to provide technical…

I am pleased that the administration's budget for the year 2001 recognizes that the men and women who have served in uniform deserve an adequate budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs [VA]

The entire nation will be watching the International Summit of the Business Women's Network on October 18 and 19, 1999, where women from over 90 countries and from 48 states will come together in celebration of the more than 9 million…

As the decade draws to an end and a new millennium approaches, I want to recognize women entrepreneurs as the fastest growing segment in our economy.

It is with great pride that I recognize California as No. 1--both in the number of women entrepreneurs and as the fastest growing state for women minority entrepreneurs.

I am pleased to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Reverend George Walker Smith on the occasion of his recognition by the San Diego Urban League and to acknowledge his idealism and dedication to providing a quality education for all…