The increase, in my view, really ought to be a permanent one.

S. 1885 seeks to modernize housing programs provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), to ensure they are appropriately meeting the needs of homeless veterans and their families.

I think it is within the purview of your responsibility to make sure that disability claims for the benefit of veterans are processed as expeditiously as possible.

I think all this testimony has been enormously valuable, and I appreciate particularly, Mr. Norris, your mention of both homelessness and Post Traumatic Stress, PTS.

I joined in the lawsuit. I supported it.

I support this measure.

I want to thank the Chairman for his leadership on this issue and others, although I am not sure I am wholly in accord with his eulogy.

I want to thank you for recognizing this very, very important topic.

I think this hearing is very important because it deals with mental health, with equality of justice, and with homelessness.

I think the most telling word in that title is 'service.' You have truly been of service to the veterans of America.

There is a real and pressing need to move forward on many of these issues.

the goal here is to go beyond meeting the immediate, as you say, the urgent apparent need that may be on the streets right now, but to provide a more permanent solution, and that is the goal here, an equally difficult goal, but one that I…

I want to offer my strong support for the bills mentioned by my colleagues, as well as for Senator Tester's DOCS for Veterans Act.

I think it is absolutely vital, and I want to thank Senator Tester for his leadership.

The procedure is complicated. It is needlessly fraught with red tape.

This letter emphasizes the challenges that the VA faces in meeting the unprecedented and increasing demand for services that our veterans need and deserve. This obligation for our country is not a matter of discretion or convenience, it is…

I thank my colleague from Alaska for yielding and giving me this opportunity to discuss two measures that ought to be beyond debate or discussion on this floor as well as in America--two issues where Americans ought to unite and be…

The lightbulb needs to come on for the Nation on this issue.

The research that would be authorized by the bill I have introduced is long overdue.

The exclusion of bays and harbors from inland waters...was completely irrational and that they felt that the regulation was arbitrary and capricious.

The passion and urgency of this issue has to be understood by our Nation.

In this instance, it is almost criminally overdue because Congress and the country have simply chosen to look the other way.

I look forward to hearing from all of our witnesses about this measure, along with other important issues including helping Blue Water veterans and all those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with toxic exposures.

Congress must take a look at what the DOD is not providing but should.

I understand from the BVA that this type of cancer is rare in the civilian population, but it is ten times more common among Vietnam era veterans and currently is not being considered for an epidemiological study.