I want to thank my Ranking Member for his profound statement to the panel and especially the VA.

Ultimately, the concern would be that the most favorable situation be created for the overall family.

Thank you very much.

I think the fact is that we are trying to create a place that families can call home.

The passage of S. 407, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2009, is critical.

It stands to reason--and I believe it happens in practice--that an active duty servicemember who enters the service in New York and is first stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, will retain his residency in New York.

Without an annual COLA increase, these veterans and their families would see the value of their hard-earned benefits slowly diminish.

It is important that we continue to educate, protect, and empower consumers.

The legislation before us focuses on providing assistance to veterans disabled while serving their country.

VA supports a cost-of-living adjustment of this nature.

Thank you very much, Mr. Duvall.

I plan to work closely with all of you to improve Federal financial literacy efforts.

the Talent-Nelson amendment enacted in 2007 limits the terms of consumer credit extended to military families.

Mr. Salisbury, GAO indicated that the Financial Literacy and Education Commission could increase its effectiveness and success by improving its internal coordination between member agencies.

This bill will also allow military spouses the flexibility to hold property in their own names, something the rest of us probably take for granted.

Financial literacy is an issue that must be addressed as we continue to grapple with severe economic challenges and global recession.

It is when recessions come, people lose jobs, and wages fall where the true costs of financial illiteracy among working families become apparent.

The negative impacts of financial illiteracy are less obvious when the economy is booming, employment is plentiful, and wages rise.

In order to retire on one's own terms, an individual must manage their debt responsibility, choose a mortgage suitable to their financial situation, and invest appropriately.

Thank you so much for your efforts and your responses to our questions.

Should there be further legislation that would help the cause, we certainly want to consider that as well.

I am hopeful that we will be able to increase the resources available for the EEE program.

I very much appreciate that President Obama includes financial literacy in his platform to help working families.

I sense an enthusiasm in this area of financial literacy and the importance it has for the Federal workforce.

The leadership on financial literacy exhibited by the President, Secretary, and many others is all the more critical now because so many Americans are struggling financially.