Mark Takano

I would say that the committee should not rush into a bifurcation or separation of the determination process and the NICS list, but that we should hold steady for the sake of caution, the practical result of which would be potentially…

The result of a false positive in this case is that a veteran will not be able to buy a gun if they are put on the NICS list. The result of a false negative is that a veteran dies, potentially.

I want to clarify for any veteran that watches this hearing or reviews the testimony later, the transcript, VHA, the Veterans Health Administration does not provide NICS with any information.

There is a perception problem. There is misinformation and disinformation out there which is insidiously misleading our veterans.

I hope that you might work with us to see that that policy gets implemented, because it sounds very much what you were talking about.

The Constitution begins with we, the people, the men and--mostly men wrote the Constitution, came together not thinking they were channeling God.

The judicial process you are thinking of bringing in would effectively end VA's ability to put anyone on the NICS list.

This bill before us, as far as we know, would require that a judge be required to be involved in this.

It is not a bureaucratic process. It is one where clear and convincing medical evidence and or statements are reviewed.

There is a process for that, sir, and it requires clear evidence, medical evidence, medical statements.

I think is it also true that many, many, many veterans who have fiduciaries... have eight times greater likelihood of suicidal ideations.

The failure of my colleagues to condemn and counter the misinformation that leads to such a sentiment among veterans is as infuriating as it is damaging.

It is clear that my colleagues have spurned any attempts at sincere bipartisan discussion on the issue at hand.

My Republican colleagues have once again eschewed evidence-based, data-driven policymaking, and have instead embraced unnecessarily partisan legislation.

I have to say that this bill is ill-conceived and unwarranted at best, and potentially dangerous to veterans and beneficiaries at worst.

I am curious about this sole focus on China of this hearing when we have other authoritarian nations that pose these issues.

Might it be productive for us to have a hearing, not just on China, but on the influence of all maligned potential nations out there that are authoritarian and might have an interest in influencing our universities?

Well, essentially, they become at will almost because at will employees, fired at will, because they lack the protections that they currently have.

Are you concerned that H.R. 4278 by limiting civil service protections could deter applicants from seeking employment at VA?

We have to look at ways to get past the idea of a bachelor's degree being a proxy in all cases.

I do not have much more to say than I really appreciate our annual Bipartisan Member Day hearing.

I ask all my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 3672 to designate the clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Indian River, Michigan, as the ``Pfc. Justin T. Paton Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic.'' I thank my colleague…

This moral panic being created by this line of questioning is meant to inflame Americans' sensibilities about transgender people and stigmatize them.

You have spent your whole life fighting to improve the lives of working people.

It is outrageous, and desperate that my Republican colleagues are firing baseless attacks on you.