We can't be in the reset for years.

The progress the Navy and Marine Corps makes towards improving the quality of life for our Sailors, Marines, and their families will undoubtedly help recruitment and retention efforts.

I mean, I think the second-bite emphasis is an important point.

I think we need the TEF and we need to break out VA medical care as a third category.

How are you working to restore users' trust with the system?

Okay. Do you have metrics that will measure whether you're meeting those goals? Because frankly, you are speaking in very broad rosy, you know, summarizing terms.

$20.3 billion in mandatory funding through the Toxic Exposures Fund ensures our commitment to the PACT Act and to our veterans.

It is despicable for servicemembers and their families to be subject to deplorable housing conditions.

It is frustrating, especially as we embark on travel to go see our military infrastructure around the world, and we talk with frustrated military servicemembers who show us decrepit, aging, unsafe infrastructure that they have to try to…

That kind of despair and losing a potential lifer is really troubling.

The Electronic Health Record Modernization Program, this version of it, officially started in 2018.

We must continue to build on this and protect our servicemembers.

I am committed to making sure that we have a safe and secure place for our servicemembers to live and to work in the execution of their oath of enlistment.

Can you discuss what the impact would be on women's healthcare if VA funding levels were rolled back to the 2022 funding levels?

I am just going to continue that same line of questioning because I was going to ask you to share the methodology that you used in determining the number 20.3.

I look forward to hearing from our witnesses on the progress that has been made towards improving access to mental health resources for our Sailors and Marines.

As Ted said, sexual assault has absolutely no place in the United States Navy.

I hope the Navy and Marine Corps will fully embrace these additional accountability measures and will fully implement the recommendations, including increasing communications with residents regarding their rights and their options.

if we are wondering why they have a recruitment and retention problem, this would be one of the most glaring examples of that reason.

I think we all agree that we shouldn't have any servicemembers that qualify for SNAP.

I think we all know this would have extremely detrimental effects on government programs that affect all Americans.

What those cuts would mean for our servicemembers.

I am also pleased to welcome you back, Mr. Secretary, to the MILCON-VA Subcommittee.

We talk about prevalence of sexual assaults in the military, harassment, unwanted contact every year, and it doesn't seem like any substantive change has been made.

if you have a process that you design to ensure that people, that we can really get a handle on this problem but your servicemembers don't have trust in it, then it is useless.