While not under this committee's jurisdiction we hope that the House Veterans' Affairs Committee can support specific tax incentives to hire returning veterans and Guard and Reserve members.

ROA and REA support the concept of H.R. 802 introduced by Ranking Member Bob Filner

I think we have to be careful of that, because this is our prime responsibility as a committee is oversight.

we risk losing the most able staff among us, the loss of the ability, the institutional knowledge, and the effect of the quality of the laws we pass

I don't think so--I don't think officially, but the cutback in salary may lead to movement and basically the effect of a layoff.

I really think we should exempt the salaries from the proposed cuts.

[Congress] would be derelict in our duty if we failed to guarantee that those who sacrificed so much for this country are able to receive benefits and services that keep pace with their needs and inflation.

Congress should enact that proposal and then halt the sequestration scheduled to take place on January 2, 2013.

OIG Recommendation 5: ``. . . that the Under Secretary for Health establish procedures to monitor performance measures to determine the impact of rural health care funding on improving access and quality of care for rural Veterans.''

The Administration continues to believe that balanced deficit reduction, not across-the-board sequestration, is the way to put the Nation on the path to fiscal stability.

Every dollar that is misspent or wasted is a dollar that cannot be used to provide benefits or services to veterans in need.