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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

I offer a resolution constituting a question of the privileges of the House. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the resolution. The Clerk read as follows: H. Res. 340 Resolved, That the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 1735)…

I thank the gentleman. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Michigan withdraws his reservation. The resolution was agreed to. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. ____________________

I thank the chairman of the Rules Committee for giving me time. Let's set the facts straight here. Liberal union leaders, radical environmentalists, some of our friends on the other side have been relentless in pushing misinformation to…

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

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

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

I thank the chairman. Mr. Speaker, after 1945, the U.S. set up a global trading system, and countries around the world are taking advantage of it. The world is not sitting still. Hundreds of trade agreements exist, but we only have 20 with…

I thank the distinguished chairman of the committee for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I believe all of us here in Congress can agree that evasion of antidumping and countervailing duties is a serious problem and needs to be effectively addressed…

Trade promotion authority gives more transparency to the whole process. Right now, we don't have the kind of transparency that is necessary. TPA, trade promotion authority, is public. That is public. That is the process. It is very public…

On that I demand the yeas and nays. The yeas and nays were ordered. The SPEAKER pro tempore. This is a 5-minute vote. The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 239, nays 172, answered ``present'' 1, not voting 21, as…

So this is really about achieving America's goals. This is about improving our economy. It is about growing jobs. It is about economic connectedness. It is about helping countries that have struggled and building newer relations and…

I thank the chairman for yielding time. This is a really important bipartisan bill. I want to thank Mr. Rangel for his work and, of course, Chairman Ryan. This bill is important because it is part of our soft power. This is about how…

I thank the chairman for yielding time. Mr. Speaker, there are hundreds of trade agreements being carried out all over the world today, and the United States--our country--is sitting on the sidelines. Ninety-five percent of the market is…

We want to put the Administration on notice that this body, the legislative branch, writes law and that the executive branch executes.

why does the Administration choose to trample on the Constitution and Article I powers in an area where we want to work together?

the Administration in this area was usurping the authority of Congress to write law and was, in effect, writing law.

If you commit fraud against Social Security, we will punish you and you will repay the money you took from the American taxpayer until it is made whole.