What I am very shocked about, Mr. Chairman, is sort of this attitude that, if it is new, we are not going to fund it.

It seems to me, for our veterans that we are trying to help in any way but because the Welfare Reform Act does not allow them eligibility longer than 3 months without training for the SNAP program, you ought to come back here and tell us…

It is the feeding of people in this country who are in need of not only food but in need of healthy food.

I personally think that non-V.A. care is a great and underutilized alternative, particularly in the aftermath of what happened in Phoenix and elsewhere around the country.

I can't believe that they can't take steps to correct that.

The Choice Act, as you know, is bifurcated, reflecting the different views of the members of the House and Senate authorizing committees at the time.

the most frequently asked question in Congress is 'why don't we run government like a business?'

It is also critical that we continue to invest in tried and true models like veterans treatment courts.

I really want you to go back and find out what initiated the ruling on this issue.

We will need flexibility within our budget to ensure that we have the right resources at the right place, at the right time, to provide veterans the timely care they need.

I hope, Mr. Chairman, when we finally get these numbers, and we are taking the Veterans' budget and cutting and squeezing and trimming it, we can bring the Secretary back and have a real, transparent discussion on what those cuts are going…

We need more than words on this critical issue; we need results. In fact, we are demanding results.