Johnny Isakson

Well, thank you, Chairman Sanders, and thank you for your vigilant effort on what is the number 1 challenge facing the VA and the number-one frustration facing every American veteran returning home.

And that process has worked?

Thank you very much.

In Secretary Hickey's testimony--I think I wrote this down right--she said the redeployment of VBMS was in full swing from portal to decision. Is that an accurate statement?

Then let me follow-up because I was not questioning it but I wanted to make sure it was accurate because, as I understand, and I could be wrong; this could be a problem.

So, you have had no system performance issues?

I appreciate all the witnesses' testimony and appreciate what they've done.

So that is the $5 billion, correct?

Well, as someone who ran a business for a long time and, being dependent on the technological revolution, started transitioning consumer access to our services away from human beings and to technology access, you had better be sure you get…

I think also our inability to do budgets and appropriations on the Senate side and some of the difficulties we have had, demanded of us to change the paradigm and change the structure in which we make these considerations.

It's kind of professional malpractice for us to be blaming schools for the performance of a law which we haven't reauthorized in, I think, 5 years.

I appreciate the comments of Mr. Moslander regarding the drawdown phase, because we are always talking about the accumulation phase and beginning the process, but taking the money out the wrong way can leave people without any retirement…

I want to memorialize here publicly, in front of everybody, including those on television, that, Senator Murphy, I'm delighted to accept you as the replacement for Jeff Bingaman as the lead co-sponsor of the act.

I think education and transparency is invaluable in people making the right decision for themselves.

Would the Senator from Arizona yield? Mr. McCAIN. I yield to the Senator from Georgia.

Let me quote my predecessor in the Senate, Senator Sam Nunn, by saying they don't make them any better than Dick Lugar.

You have a unique opportunity to be a change agent.

We owe them the benefits that they have fought for and earned.

It is really offensive to me that we have not been able to shorten the time.

One of the reasons we did that was because there seemed to be a black hole that veterans fall in between finding opportunities and being prepared for those opportunities.

I think that's representative of what Mr. Mahmoud said and what they need in terms of the government to build on.

I really just have one question. Ms. Dory, if, as Johnnie Carson said, or Secretary Carson said, if military discontent with the government support was a major contributing factor to the coup, and the military is going to be a major…

I just wanted to throw that out as possible help.

So Africa's biggest developmental problem, which is corruption, is still alive and well in Mali. Is that correct?

Is USAID assisting in those camps to get humanitarian services?