The debt we owe your loved ones and all our veterans can never be repaid, and we must do all we can to ensure that they receive the best quality health care that they have earned and rightly deserve.

This is not the way we want to do our business. This is not the way we want patients to be treated, and I find it as appalling, I believe, as this Committee does.

Now is not the time to eliminate the GAO review.

Veterans deserve better from us.

In The Independent Budget for Fiscal Year 2014 we recommended that Congress debate and consider authorizing advance appropriations for all VA accounts.

Why OMB does not want this is just amazing since it is a small portion of VA budget.

Before we budget and appropriate dollars, we must plan and program.

we do want to work towards that goal and we think it's a worthy goal.

I am kind of a little concerned that you do not want to codify it in statute.

It's not a commission. It's--and I am glad that The American Legion is looking at fiscal matters because that is what the whole idea behind this is, is to force VA, Members of Congress, the VSOs, to look forward, to plan ahead, so that we…

I thank my colleagues who have already supported the bill, and ask those who haven't to join us in truly Putting Veterans' Funding First.

Because if I remember correctly, the President actually supported mandatory funding during the campaign.

Change is necessary if we are to position the VA to meet its responsibilities and fulfill its mission in the coming years.

It might be worthwhile maybe in September, to haul OMB in here and see how they are coming along with their big vision.

In my closing--opening statement, I mentioned change is hard and not everyone will be comfortable with the changes, I know, in the draft legislation, and I think there is also some misconception about it.

The discussion draft bill to be proposed by Representative Michaud, entitled the 'Department of Veterans Affairs Budget Planning Reform Act of 2013,' would establish new planning and budgeting processes.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, for holding this very important hearing this morning.

Once more, political calculations having nothing to do with our veterans are putting our collective support for funding for their benefits and services at risk.

We owe it to our current and future veterans to ensure the VA never again runs low on resources to provide health care to our veterans.

They ensure requested resources are sufficient to meet the current and future needs of veterans.

Advance appropriations can provide fiscal stability during uncertain times.

Putting Veterans Funding First would end the uncertainty by ensuring VA has its full discretionary appropriation well before its fiscal year begins.

Allowing this GAO review to sunset puts veterans' health care in jeopardy. We cannot take that risk.

I think we would all agree that our veterans deserve better than this.

I would like to thank you for the opportunity to be here to testify today.