Mike Michaud

How come we don't have the resources to do more on that?

I am okay taking responsibility until I have no teeth to effect what is being done.

We need to make sure that we are looking at the long game.

I think now we know where you both are coming from and hopefully we will be able to work in a bipartisan manner to get this thing done.

It is an American negotiation. It is for the men and women that you serve.

This is not a partisan issue. It is not partisan.

I don't care how big the increase it is within the VA budget, is are we taking care of our veterans?

I want to make sure that the VA is there for them.

I want to know are you taking care of the veterans. The outcome is so critical.

You need to be active, engaged in the process of long-term reforms for the Department of Veterans Administration.

The business model for producing and delivering and supporting the VA product is fundamentally broken.

We need a new model, a new approach, and a new way of thinking about and looking at the department.

I want to be clear: we are not talking about privatizing VA care. We are talking about strengthening a health care system that is uniquely suited to serve the needs of our veterans with best practices that are working in the private sector.

The status quo is unacceptable. It is time for change--change that embraces both new ideas and proven practices.

Our veterans deserve a VA that works for them; not one that refuses to work at all.

I am not looking at talking about privatizing VA care, I am talking strengthening the health care system that is uniquely suited to serve the needs of our veterans.

Clearly, the scheduling practices and technology within the department are not working. The system can be manipulated.

I believe that we should always strive to do better, and I think that we can learn and get some good ideas in areas where private sector health care providers have had great successes.

This Committee has a constitutional oversight duty, and I intend that it shall be carried out unhindered, on behalf of the American public, and on behalf of our Nation's veterans.

Let me stress that you will not ignore me, nor my colleagues who are here with me tonight.

General Hickey, quickly, there are some pretty serious allegations and compelling allegations made by Ms. Ruell with regard to the shredding of at least 96 boxes and 8 cabinets of military and returned mail documents.

Did you find any instances in which VA is intentionally manipulating the data to present better outcomes than what's really happening?

Dependency claims have risen by nearly 2,000 percent in 4 years, with the majority of those being backlogged.

I do, however, have concerns--and the VA OIG shares the concern--that the resources needed to achieve VA's backlog goals are being directed and applied disproportionately, ultimately harming other veterans' services.

We are setting the Department of Veterans Administration and, more importantly, our veterans up for failure down the road once again.