Barbara Mikulski

I think we have come a long way over the last several years in reducing the waiting line for disability claims.

Again, if you have a disability, you should not have to wait in line to get that for which you are both eligible and entitled.

For my final round I have one question about claims processing and then for our Afghan-Iraqi vets.

Where there are national shortages, you could end up in a war for talent which then becomes a bidding war.

What are your challenges in the area of nursing, x-ray technology?

Waiting lists are a big issue with me. It is a very big issue with the veterans' organizations, and the fact that they have been reduced is commendable.

Well, we are all for this Uncle Sam's Club.

Now, let us go to the bulk purchasing. Essentially when I go to the Price Club or Sam's Club...

So you have a pharmacy benefit management. Second, you use generic drugs. You also use mail-out pharmacies...

I see as a fairness issue that when you serve in the military and if you have put in 20 years--while the rest of us are eating turkey on Thanksgiving, they are chasing some turkey down some hole somewhere.

We know that our subcommittee rejected a $75 million outsourcing study, and we understand that OMB is trying it again.

We want to be sure that we are ready for them. They are coming back with new types of injuries.

We want to know the status. Have we reduced the waiting time and the waiting lines?

We would like to hear your comments on that, whether you believe that is accurate, but particularly for those who have truly been disabled because of the permanent and irrevocable wounds of war, what can we do.

I am very concerned in the area of shortages, I know that one of our outpatient clinics in the Glen Burnie area is full.

We have worked on a bipartisan basis to increase VA funding every single year, and we need to continue to do that.

We want to know about that and how are we doing with the prescription drug benefit and how you are managing it.

I am concerned about a $250 annual user fee, as well as prescription drug co-payments.

No. 1, the promises we made to our veterans need to be promises kept, while also making the best use of the taxpayers' dollars.

We need to make sure that we do not have waiting lines for veterans.

I am concerned that this budget falls short on these principles.

Well, I'm going to----

I really want to thank you for our tremendous inroads against predatory lending.

Yes, we had a April 22 deadline.

I really want to support the momentum for reform that you have here, and oversight vigor and independence.