Angus King

Everything we talked about still comes back to workforce, doesn't it? Home-based care, respite care. It's all having the people.

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

And the VSOs have an important role to play here it seems to be. They're representatives that can act as that navigator buddy system for an individual veteran.

Well, I think that's--that's something that you're going to have to be thinking about because it ties back to the workforce problem.

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

We need a sustainable system of care. And if we want that sustainable system of care, we have to fund it. Our veterans deserve it.

Fifteen percent is the gap?

Shame on us if we're not ready for it because it's totally predictable.

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

What can we do to expand and support home health services which I think everybody, including veterans, would prefer and really ramp that up.

We want to keep that permanent.

The cheapest health intervention is the one that doesn't happen.

I rise to provide a brief statement on the nomination votes on December 18, 2023. I was unable to attend the votes due to inclement weather. Had I been here on Monday, December 18, 2023, I would have voted in ``yea'' on vote No. 347, the…

One suggestion that Senator Rubio and I are working on is funding preventive measures so that we're preventing the disaster, which is much more expensive to remedy than it is to prevent.

I've come to realize that I'm now above that.

That's what I'm looking for. There's a pre-existing structure. It's not ad hoc when an emergency strikes.

And it's important to me, it seems to me that the local and State emergency preparedness folks know of your capacity and as part of their toolkit.

Maine is a big small town with very long streets.

One suggestion that Senator Rubio and I are working on is funding preventive measures so that we're preventing the disaster, which is much more expensive to remedy than it is to prevent.

I've come to realize that I'm now above that.

This isn't a case where an emergency occurs and you call up and say, can we help? I presume there's already a relationship established.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It was very impressive the way that came together.

That's what I'm looking for. There's a pre-existing structure. It's not ad hoc when an emergency strikes.

And it's important to me, it seems to me that the local and State emergency preparedness folks know of your capacity and as part of their toolkit.

Maine is a big small town with very long streets.