This bill would extend the requirement for the VA to provide nursing home care to certain veterans with service-connected disabilities through December 31, 2018.

We must keep our commitment to these veterans, which is why I am grateful to the VA and the veterans service organizations here today for their testimony in support of the bill.

The 350 veterans in Hawaii, that is really a large number of veterans who would be impacted.

I would like to thank Senators Collins, King, and Markey for their close sponsorship of S. 683, my Keeping Our Commitment to Disabled Veterans Act, which would ensure coverage for around 350 veterans in Hawaii, some 20,000 veterans across…

I am glad that the VA is supportive as well as the veterans organizations across the country, because we have a lot of veterans who need long-term care, and we want to keep those facilities supported.

I conclude that you do support the President's budget for Interior at this point with all of the cuts that many of my colleagues have pointed out.

I think that is very unfair to states such as Hawaii.

I believe that there is value in having the U.S. Forest Service invest in protecting Hawaii's forests.

I will certainly be working with you all to make sure that we are, in fact, maintaining a level of activity in this area and research because $5.3 million is a relatively small amount and I think that it should be restored.

the President's budget goes the other way.

Serving Native Hawaiians is foundational to my service in the Senate.