I was proud to support H.R. 1171, as amended the Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program Re-authorization Act of 2009.

Each night approximately 131,000 veterans, the men and women who have served our country are among the Nation's homeless.

Do any of you charge any type of service fee or co-payment to those who are receiving service-connected compensation?

Does anyone else have a figure or statistic on that?

each night approximately 131,000 veterans, the men and women who have served our country, are among the Nation's homeless.

We must ensure that ratings boards strive for thoroughness and accuracy, along with efficiency in their work.

It is good to once again have the opportunity to assess the appeals process for veterans' claims.

I think too that we can fairly conclude that in its current state, the AMC is a failed experiment whose poor performance and lack of accountability confounds veterans, their advocates and Members of Congress alike.

I am grateful for what we have been able to accomplish, not only on this Committee, but in a concerted effort.

I believe that any veteran should have access to healthcare and treatment for PTSD.

I believe such a loose standard diminishes the bravery and service of those who faced the fire up close.

I commend you for your compassion toward our veterans. Your bill is based on the best of intentions.

Ranking Republican Member, Doug Lamborn has raised concerns about damage to the integrity of the system.

The criteria recommended by the Institute of Medicine or the National Academies of Sciences should be taken as the definitive methodology.

If the Congress is looking for very useful ways to stimulate the economy, and to accomplish much needed work at the same time...

a similar legislative change has been proposed on the Senate side by Senator Charles Schumer of New York.

I certainly would not be in favor of reducing existing veterans benefits elsewhere in the VA budget in order to establish an overly broad definition of 'combat with the enemy.'

What type of recourse would a noncombat veteran have if the traumatic event they experienced is not expressly written down in their service record?

While I understand and appreciate the effort to address problems regarding the VA claims backlog, I believe that they generally result from procedural issues and we can and should address those problems accordingly.

I have introduced H.R. 952, the Combat PTSD Act to redefine section 1154 to include a theater of combat operations during a period of war or in combat against a hostile force.

the old methods of failing to develop our resources in the OCS are not going to work any longer.

the problem, of course, is that VA does not do it, despite the 3,800 new clinicians they have hired ostensibly to better treat PTSD.

I know it has been a longstanding issue for you to ensure that no one falls through the cracks due to unintended consequences of the laws and regulations pertaining to compensation for PTSD.

I hope that through the collective efforts and knowledge of the individuals gathered here this afternoon, we can help ensure that every veteran who has service-related PTSD is able to access the benefits to which they are entitled.

I extend my thanks to you for holding this hearing and I look forward to hearing the testimony of our colleagues and witnesses on our panel today.