Daniel Akaka

Providing these benefits makes sound business sense.

I hope that today's hearing will help determine how to keep the program affordable and stable for our federal employee participants.

It is fitting that these two committees would join forces to look into this program and the long-term care insurance market.

I hope the witnesses will address these rate standards and how to make sure that future increases will not occur.

Thank you very much, Dr. Gillooly, for your testimony, and now we will receive the testimony of General Payne.

The Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs will come to order. Aloha and welcome to today's hearing where we will focus on how the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense respond to in-service exposures.

Since taxpayers paid for those reports, should not that information be made public and how is the information in them protected if it has not disclosed the identity of either the patient or the provider?

Thank you very much, Senator Begich.

I want to know that VA is doing everything possible to help in the wake of the recent natural disaster there.

Thank you very much, Mr. McClain.

Congress clearly recognized the risks of sending veterans outside the VA for care, limiting the use of health care contracts to specific circumstances.

I think that whole system today needs to be recalibrated in light of today's demands.

How long will it take before the State Department can expect to fully eliminate both its language and mid-level experience gaps?

We have got to do better.

Before I call for questions from Senator Voinovich, let me finish this question by asking Ambassador Powell...

While I support the intent of NSLI, I felt that it was too limited to be truly effective.

I urge the Department to follow GAO's recommendation to fill hardship post positions with at-grade officers.

Thank you. Will you please do that?

The State Department's diplomatic readiness has been consumed by current operations and now it must focus on rebuilding its capabilities.

Yes. Ambassador, we will look forward to that.

A stake was put in the ground as to progress across a period of time.

I believe it is important. The transparency, as General Clapper has mentioned, is critical, we must be held accountable on this.

I have always believed that the Executive Branch could get DOD's clearance process off the High-Risk List, and I want to see that happen.

General Clapper, you testified that the Department of Defense has begun to use electronic automatic adjudication...

Security clearance reform has been an important oversight priority for this Subcommittee.