last Friday I left this Chamber with a folder containing most of the information from the Ryan-Murray comprehensive agreement on the budget. I left with the ringing of suggestions in my ear from some colleagues on the floor that it wasn't…

I just want to thank the chairman for calling this hearing. There is probably no more important subject for us to be talking about.

The solutions are not easy, but Senator Toomey's comments about preserving the tax benefits and incentives of government policy to direct people toward more private savings are absolutely essential.

the Affordable Care Act promised accessibility, affordability, and choice. As we heard from the stories told here tonight, it delivered on none of the above. I join Senator Lee, Senator Johnson, and the others to call on Congress to come…

Is there a particular medical problem that causes your adjudicators the biggest problems? Is there a particular medical condition?

I want to thank VA for the attention they have been paying most recently to the veteran suicide issue but please remind them that until we get our arms around this we are going to continue to focus like a laser beam on that problem because…

Although any true progress is welcome, I think there are still many reasons for concern.

To start with, nearly 700,000 veterans and their families do not yet have an answer to their requests for benefits.

In fact, The American Legion recently testified that it found errors in over half of the decisions that it reviewed last year.

We had a hearing in Atlanta in August 2012 on the veteran suicide problem at the Atlanta VA but also focused nationwide on the problem--that 22 veterans a day, 8000 a year are taking their own life.

Today, more than a quarter of a million appeals are waiting to be resolved.

I thank the chairman, and I look forward to working with him.<bullet> Access to Compounded Drugs