Charles Boustany

I can't understand, so I ask you this personally, not as a Member of the Administration.

We have a very uncompetitive Tax Code.

I just think it is outrageous.

I thank the gentleman.

We need to pick up our pace. And that means we need to move forward with tax reform.

But ultimately, the task of fixing our Tax Code falls on us, specifically on this Subcommittee.

I believe you share my concern that these EU state aid cases will lead to retroactive foreign tax increases on U.S. companies.

If we fail to reform our Code appropriately, we will not lead this process, it will be led by others.

Treasury might be perceived as speaking or committing to legislative policy recommendations on behalf of Congress without full consultation with Congress.

We need a firm commitment that the Administration will work with us getting beyond where we are today.

I can assure my colleague that is the intent, and that is to move forward with policy that will help Americans in need.

I think there is a way that this Committee can work to try to take the programs under its jurisdiction to make them more effective to help the people who are truly in need.

I want to thank all of you for being here today to provide testimony before the Subcommittee. It has been very, very valuable in our efforts to move forward in this TANF reauthorization.

When these brave Americans require a trip to the emergency room because they believe their lives are in danger, the last thing on their minds should be fear that the VA will fail to pay their claims.

I hope my bill can jump-start the cultural sea change required at VA to ensure our women veterans are provided the same benefits they earned in service to our nation just like their male counter-parts.

Creating a dedicated call line and ensuring the VA implements a better framework for communicating solutions with veterans is an absolutely necessary step toward eliminating the backlog.

The last thing that should be on their mind are concerns about the VA damaging their credit rating.

Unfortunately, the VA's long history of delayed payments has brought me here to testify before you today.

And, ultimately, we do have to measure results, outcomes, what is really working and what isn't.

Thank you all for your testimony. It has been very helpful.

Is there more than we can do to help streamline this approach, make it more effective?

I appreciate that. And our Subommittee has been looking at some of these cross-jurisdictional programs to try to understand the interactions, so that we can, hopefully, better design programs that help people in need.

It is not a real way to fix the problem of finding the cash for the chronically under-funded highway program.

I don't think that is a very good idea, for a number of reasons.

I firmly believe we need to get to a user fee system that works, is broad-based, and sustainable.