Only in the Government could a base closing exercise end up overrunning its budget.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm pleased to be back here today as ranking member of this subcommittee.

My hope is that someday we would go with, for lack of a better term, we would have an android-kind of culture.

I understand that in Chicago, it is at 431 days, and we would want to shorten it, as you have laid out.

I want you to know, we intend to follow regular order.

That sounds like an awesome idea. We get both secretaries in here to explain why we haven't combined the two systems.

Only in the Government could a base closing exercise end up overrunning its budget.

my priority and the priority of this subcommittee is not only to give our veterans the very best care this Nation can provide, but also to analyze this budget to ensure we are spending our taxpayers' dollars wisely, without excess or…

I want to thank you. And I've thanked you over and over again for shepherding the Stryker vehicle through the U.S. Army.

I think at some date prior to the big markup of this subcommittee, that we should pick either VistA or AHLTA as the backbone, so just VA or DOD wins and so the taxpayer only pays for one software management system.

I am going to interrupt you one second. Usually, my questions kind of tend to the State of Illinois.

I am hoping for all of you, on the implementation of the sequester, that we move away from what I would call the insidious implementation of the sequester, meant to harm the Nation to make a political point, to blame the Congress, on the…

I want to make sure that it is typhoon hardened as well and we don't lose an asset like the B-2.

the VA under the leadership of Secretary Shinseki is doing a great job taking care of our Nation's veterans.

Our men and women in uniform need to trust their health record will follow them seamlessly.

I'm just worried we'll return to the old Carter days of the entire Army squinting and shivering in buildings that are dim and are hot in the summer.

I don't understand why the taxpayer has to pay for two totally separate systems.

I'm mad at you for announcing your retirement. You have been an honorary member of my medical recovery team.

Our vision is to have someone join the Navy and then retire, and the record all passes straight into the VA.

My hope is that you guys could come forward with us for making permanent the THAAD deployment there.

I hope, since we have very high level people here, to say to my colleague from Colorado that I was a very minor part of the U.S. delegation to the Kyoto climate change negotiations.

today I rise to join with Senator Durbin to introduce the Great Lakes Water Protection Act. This bipartisan legislation would set a date certain to end sewage dumping in the Great Lakes, America's largest source of surface fresh water. The…

Nothing creates dignity more than a job, and this legislation will ensure that all Americans can realize their right to economic independence.

I believe opposition to discrimination is a time-honored American tradition.

I strongly support the deployment of fixed and mobile broadband to increase economic development, productivity and America's global competitiveness.