Is that the Veterans Experience Office that will be a center point or a core function?

Training our Nation's physicians is one of the premier public service functions of our VA system and it is a pillar of American medicine.

What kinds of mechanisms and standards will be in place to assure that protection?

The care in community and generally non-VA medical services involve payments and there have been various efforts over the years to make sure that those payments are validly made.

Your issue about consumer rights, very important issue, very, very big in health care, and I would just very briefly say, the rest of health care, the private sector is dealing with this by no longer trying to be paternalistic and make…

Each one of those people that leave the organization that should not is painful for us and we have to figure out ways to retain people.

We urge this Committee to quickly consider and pass this important legislation to ensure severely disabled veterans are not harmed by VA's inability to enter into provider agreements.

I am heartened and encouraged by the feeling that I think is generally shared among this panel that the process has been collaborative.

Where do you get that data?

I want to make sure that this plan for care in the community is implemented as well as possible.

I would ask that they react to these proposals because these ideas are very promising and important.

You would advise waiting until sometime this spring or later when there is feedback from the President and Congress before the VA finalizes its Choice Program?

I share the concern about timing.

we appreciate the leadership of Senator Blumenthal and the Committee in helping those veterans who deal with a school closure through no fault of their own.

I do not mean to interrupt you. I apologize. But, is that a yes?

I am particularly proud of the whistleblower protection bill that Senator Kirk and I have introduced last night.

This effort is laudable.

I am hopeful we can consider to advance this bill and other important education legislation, such as the Career Ready Student Veterans Act, through this Committee to ensure that our veterans have not wasted hard-earned education benefits…

I am very hopeful that the VA will support this bill. I think the failure to do so will send a message unnecessarily and unfortunately about its commitment to protect whistleblowers.

I'd like to thank my colleague Senator Kirk for introducing this critically important bill.

We must do more to ensure that our Nation's heroes are using GI Bill education benefits to receive education training, and are not squandering these benefits on incapable institutions.

the challenge here is to get at the root of the problem to protect the public interest, and the whistleblower is a means to protect veterans and the public interest.

I enjoy your speeches, Mr. Chairman, and I appreciate them.

I'm proud to co-sponsor this legislation, and I'd like to again thank Senator Kirk for working with me and introducing this bill.

I am very pleased today that the Committee is considering my legislation S. 2253, the Veterans Education Relief and Reinstatement Act.