Brian Mast

My commitment, as I believe every commitment--every Member of this Committee has the same commitment--is to help the end user of the VA be served every single day with dignity and honor that they have earned.

When common threads or issues surface, I address it immediately with the hospital administration.

I firmly believe that in order to fix an issue, we must be present to understand the problem.

I also believe that our veterans have to know that we care about things before they really care what it is that we know about the issues that we have to deal with.

If you have seen one VA, you have seen one VA.

In 2017, Representative Brian Mast, a special-forces combat veteran and Veterans Health Administration patient, opened the first-ever congressional office at the West Palm Beach Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC).

They know that their Representatives and their Members of Congress and their government cares.

I was happy to be the first through this door, and the lesson that we learned about the process of opening this congressional office in the VA should be simplified and institutionalized.

The American Legion applauds and appreciates the intentions, efforts, and leadership of Congressman Mast.

It is clear that water quality is the intent of Congress.

We want to see the care for every end user of the VA to be best possible care that it can be.

I see the smiles on them, and I see their truly heartfelt gratitude when they get the care that they were seeking at the VA.

I would like to ask a question of this body. I would like every Member of this body to think about this: What would you do if one of your neighbors each and every day was taking their garbage and throwing it over your fence into your yard…

Today is day 22 of water exactly like this being discharged into my community in Lake Okeechobee. You can see exactly how disgusting it is. What you cannot see is the disgusting smell that emanates from it. You cannot see the toxins that…

I have a great 5-minute speech prepared here, but I am just going to tell you the way it is. For the last 2 weeks, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been using my community as their own personal septic tank. That is not hyperbole. That…

I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: At the end of title I, add the following: SEC. ___. CLARIFICATION FOR INTEGRAL DETERMINATION. (a) WRDA…

Thank you, Congressman.

I do want to move to you, Mr. Erickson, while I still have a minute here.

the expectation is, by servicemembers and veterans, is that they get taken care of when they come home.

I do want to thank both the IAVA and Representative Gabbard for their work on this issue.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has a 'Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry.'

We are working towards delivering an information paper to the Health Subcommittee.

I want to begin by thanking the chairman, Chairman Shuster, and the committee for all of their work on WRDA. It has been timely, and they have been a joy to work with. WRDA 2000, however, authorized a plan known as the Comprehensive…

Again I applaud the committee on their work, and I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mast). The amendment was agreed to. Amendment No. 18…

his VA office, in only five months of existence, had conducted more than 250 meetings with veterans, their families and caregivers