We've really got to work on that because it would be awful to have somebody who's ready, wants a mission, wants to do it but they can't wait for nine months or a year.

I'm sorry nobody said we're not gonna return these phone calls, it just didn't happen.

Take note of what she just said. Twenty-five percent of the residents in Aroostook County today are over 65. That's extraordinary.

One of the concerns--and I've heard this when I've met with their agencies, particularly in rural Maine, is an epidemic of loneliness.

Well, it seems to me that's an area that we should be talking about in Washington.

I think that's something we have to figure out how to waive or something.

If you can't--if you can't get enough people, you're not going to be able to meet the staffing ratios which could mean a loss of capacity rather than a gain for the veterans.

So on a dollar to a nursing home, the State of Maine puts up roughly 40 percent, the feds 60?

Your costs didn't go down? Your cost didn't go down----

Every day that you delay a nursing-home placement, the veteran is happier and the taxpayers are happier.

I'm sorry nobody said we're not gonna return these phone calls, it just didn't happen.

We're not helping veterans if we have--if beds disappear.

Could you define expansion? Are we talking 20, 30 percent, 40 percent? I mean----

By the way, I got a great piece of advice. Someone asked Buckminster Fuller, the famous architect, for advice on how to live a long life. His answer was 'always use the bannister.'

People have told me that too so----

I believe that we have leaders there that want to help us, they care.

That's a scary thought, isn't it?

It would be nice to have WiFi in the CBOCs; [Laughter.] just saying.

I like the idea. In other words, additional federal funds not generally but targeted toward workforce retention?

Stabilize the workforce. This is directly tied to increased reimbursements, as you've heard, which need to be tied to inflation.

I want to publicly thank the chair and co-chair of the committee, Jon Tester of Montana and Jerry Moran of Kansas.

They're also going to be facing closure; aren't they?

If we don't have the people to staff them, it ain't gonna work.

I urge this committee to focus on the impact that Medicare and Medicaid payment policy is having on veterans' access to post-acute care services.

TAP is the Transition Assistance Program?