Political Quotes

“the chairman and I share a bipartisan commitment to putting our veterans first, including providing them with the kind of memorial and cemetery recognition that they have well earned. There is no difference between us on that point. And I think we also share a belief that Members of the U.S. Senate have a duty--it is a constitutional duty--to hold accountable the executive branch and demand information from the executive branch to perform our obligations of oversight and scrutiny. I think we also share a respect for Sam Brown's service to our Nation. As a veteran--as a decorated veteran--who has earned appreciation for his service, the kinds of qualifications he brings to this office are impressive. But this nominee was advanced out of committee by a 10-to-9 vote. So it is clear he does not have unanimous support. He said, when he was asked about whether he would support the Trump administration's plan to fire nearly one-fifth of the VA's workforce, including many who are veterans themselves--in fact, one-third of the VA's workforce are veterans: We owe it to the Secretary in good faith to hear his full plan, which none of us have heard yet. That is really the point. This issue is bigger than Sam Brown. It is about information that has been denied to our committee and to us as Senators. The Secretary of the VA is actively working to undermine our bipartisan oversight efforts.”