My bill recognizes VA's current efforts and intended to support these efforts while making sure Congress has access to the information we need to do our job.

Advance appropriations can provide fiscal stability during uncertain times.

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.

I take this lack of personal engagement as a sign that they care less, that they are not as committed.

Let me be clear, both VA and DoD have a responsibility to end the backlog by 2015.

I am told that strategies have been modified and collaborative efforts are ongoing for both records transfer and IEHR.

If we really want to get these systems integrated, if we really want to get the backlog cleaned up, then we need to start passing appropriations bills.

None of us up here are going to take our foot off the gas when it comes to ensuring progress is made on the backlog.

The Department's resistance to the President's open standard agenda appears to be founded largely on an incorrect assumption.

Throughout the first term, the Department's actions have been inconsistent with the President's agenda.

Let me be clear. Both the VA and the DoD have a responsibility to end the backlog by 2015.

And I don't only say that without two secretaries--also the President of the United States who made it very clear in this first term he wants both agencies to work together.

I take this as a lack of personal engagement, as a sign that they care less, that they are not as committed as they have been.

I would submit to you that the government has struggled to fulfill the sacrifice, you know, trust to care for those who have served and sacrificed in defense of our Nation.

Expending our hard-working taxpayers' dollars on authorizing costly capital investment projects should never be a matter of routine.

Ensuring the Department of Veterans Affairs has the proper infrastructure and facilities to provide safe, effective, quality health care to veterans is a priority of mine and of this Committee.

If a resolution cannot be agreed upon, what contingency plan has the Department of Veterans Administration looked at to ensure that Veterans' health care is not adversely impacted by the change in the scoring policy of the leases?

Ensuring that the Department of Veterans Affairs has the proper infrastructure and facilities to provide safe, effective, quality health care to our veterans is a priority of mine.

In closing, today, we can take a meaningful step to ensure the VA better serves veterans who were subject to sexual trauma while serving in our military. These veterans' disabilities were not the result of fire from the enemy, and they…

At this time, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Negrete McLeod). Mrs. NEGRETE McLEOD. Thank you, Ranking Member Michaud. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of H.R. 671, the Ruth Moore Act of 2013. This bill…

At this time, I would like to yield 5 minutes to the author of the bill, the gentlewoman from my home State of Maine, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree.

I wholeheartedly support H.R. 671, the Ruth Moore Act of 2013. This bill was introduced by my colleague and good friend of mine from the State of Maine, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree. It is named after a constituent of mine, Ruth Moore…

I thank both gentlemen for your willingness to look at section 8 more closely. {time} 1630

First of all, I want to thank the chairman of the full committee for all his hard work and for working in a bipartisan manner not only on this piece of legislation but all of the bills that we've been dealing with in the committee this…

I, too, have no further Members who wish to speak, but I do want to, in closing, emphasize that veterans are an asset to any organization, whether it is in the private or public sector. They make the organization better, and they improve…