Takata does not require all of its inflators to pass USCAR-24 specifications.

I am grateful for the strong and eloquent words that were said by my colleague Senator Boxer. I am grateful to so many of my colleagues on this side of the aisle for supporting the President as he considers Executive action that would…

I have called on the President to do this for months now. We will review this nominee.

I hope you won't take anything I am going to say personally.

I hope you will cooperate.

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in recess subject to the call of the Chair. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? Without objection, it is so ordered. Thereupon, the Senate, at 4:46 p.m., recessed subject to the call of…

Today, I am proud to stand with Senator Thune, Senator Nelson, and Senator McCaskill on introducing legislation that would bring this information forward faster by rewarding whistleblowers.

Well, don't you agree, as the current acting administrator, that $35 million, $300 million, may be inadequate for some cases, as this one, where people have died as a result of failing to report sufficient information?

My time has expired, but I just want to finish by making the request that, by the beginning of next week, you come back to this committee in writing, after consulting with the Secretary, about how quickly you will have a determination as…

I am also calling on the Secretary of Transportation to immediately accelerate the replacement process, looking forward.

You have the power to order them to break exclusivity agreements, to share proprietary information.

I take your comments about going after the automobile manufacturers and pushing them.

The details were. And the devil and the death was in the details here. Don't you agree?

I hope that your companies will join in supporting the legislation that I have introduced, sunshine-in-litigation legislation, that would prevent these kinds of settlements that contributed to the problem.

NHTSA is far too important for that to happen, and I want to work with NHTSA and my colleagues on solutions to that.

I want to know that you will recommend to the Secretary of Transportation that you will order the automobile manufacturers to use replacement parts.

As you know, Senator Markey and I and Senator Nelson, our Chairman, have proposed the Automaker Accountability Act, which would lift that $35 million cap on penalties--it would eliminate the cap.

What steps have you taken to improve the assembly of the inflator?

If more than half of our Nation's veterans do not think they are getting better, I believe the focus on whether evidence-based treatments is provided might be misguided.

For every veteran suffering from this despondency, despair, depression, every day is like a lifetime.

I think that is the elephant in the room.

What I find so disturbing is what we will hear today is very similar to what we heard in 2011.

The focus should be on improving mental health.

The gap that he leaves for his family and children is irreplaceable and the suicide that he suffered was unnecessary and avoidable.

What that says to me is that among other age groups, suicide rates have risen dramatically for veterans who use your services, not just women, but men.