On the recordJune 18, 2014
I appreciate the chairman yielding. Mr. Chairman, I would reluctantly add my voice to the chair. I certainly appreciate the gentleman's concern for wounded warriors, his sensitivity, and the fact that he is asking for, if you would, a fresh set of eyes. The chairman talked about his concerns about the offset. I would simply inform my colleagues that we have had a number of studies. The Office of Inspector General has completed seven different studies, but perhaps more importantly, to the gentleman's point about an independent study, is that the Government Accountability Office has also done two. I would remind our colleagues that the GAO is a creature of the legislative branch and is not captive to the Department of Defense. Perhaps the emphasis here--and, again, I appreciate the gentleman's concern and what he is trying to get at--is to implement some of the findings in these nine studies, particularly the findings from the Government Accountability Office on behalf of the legislative branch and see that they are implemented.
