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

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

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.

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

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.

Veterans define good, timely care and services on their whole experience from start to finish.

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

Lax measures and practices with records to veterans' personal information is simply unacceptable.

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.

For once again, we are finding that our veterans deserve much better than the care that they are receiving in all of the areas that we must address.

I thank the gentlelady for yielding, and I rise in strong support of this amendment. The Water Power Program supports critical private sector research, development, deployment, and commercialization for new American hydropower technologies…

But one that we haven't zeroed in on too much yet has been access to mental health care and suicide prevention services for our veterans.

If we do not get results this time then shame on us.

We can give lip services or we can get serious about how we are going to do it.

Push reform where possible and develop new legislation where necessary to facilitate partnerships with the community.

This is how democracy can work best.

I am done with the talk. I am done with the pilot programs, if you will.

I think there is no doubt in my mind, the American public wants to get this right.

So once again, we are finding that our veterans deserve much better than the care they are receiving.

When a veteran is experiencing depression or other early warning signs that may indicate mental health issues or even suicide, that must be treated like an immediate medical crisis, because that is exactly what it is.

We have had many discussions and debates about how to deliver the best health care services to our Nation's veterans, and how to ensure accountability within the leadership ranks of the VA.

Our veterans are the ones paying the price for this dysfunction.

I would argue that fixing mental health services is among the most important area.

At its heart access to care is not about numbers, it is about people.

Daniel Somers wrote that he felt his government had "abandoned" him and referenced coming home to face a "system of dehumanization, neglect, and indifference."