I hope that there is a way that we can better track the experiences of our veterans.

Madam Chairwoman, I would like to request that all of our Services send to our subcommittee the latest of standard surveys and any modifications that are made to the surveys.

I think, as a general proposition, that it behooves all of us to care about the graduation rates throughout our country.

only 14 percent of youth are inclined to serve in the military.

The post-9/11 GI Bill has been an outstanding program.

a huge percentage of them are not able to join. Maybe 75 percent--that's a number that I came across in some other setting--are not qualified, a lot of them due to the fact that they may not have high school degrees.

Would there be some differentiation that would occur in these price increases?

If it goes down very significantly to the point where we may be having to close some commissaries, that might happen, that could happen?

The men and women who do serve need to be treated fairly.

I figure--you know what? Each one that we help to get on in a positive way with their lives, that is worth doing.

I think it is really important to focus on the issue of veteran homelessness.

Certainly, increasing access to VA benefits, cutting or eliminating the backlog to claims, ending homelessness, the mental health issues, the suicide rates--these are all areas that we have bipartisan support on the Committee.