Dan Benishek

It is of concern to me that, Mr. Williamson says that the data you are collecting isn't useful without going over it a second time and fixing it up so that it made some use.

Nice comments, Mr. Cartwright. I appreciate it. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Walorski), my colleague on the Veterans' Affairs Committee.

I would like to thank my colleague for his passion on this issue. I would now like to yield to my colleague from California (Mr. Peters).

Nearly 10 million Americans have serious mental illness, and millions go without proper treatment or care because our Nation's mental health system is broken not only for our veterans, but for our nonveterans as well. My next speaker is…

I'm glad that Congress is finally investigating this issue.

Who in their right mind would want to take a position for 2 days a week following a contract where they had a full time position?

Let me be clear: Our veterans fought for our freedom--they shouldn't have to fight government bureaucrats too.

Congresswoman Brownley brought up there is a dearth of physicians to hire.

I agree with Mr. Rice's testimony that we often advertise a position----

Frankly, I am a little disappointed with your testimony.

It seems like that should be able to be addressed while you are there so he didn’t have to drive three hours and then drive all the way back.

I have yet to have someone explain to me why it is that the veterans in this area are not entitled to a VA facility with a full-time doctor and quality healthcare.

The veterans that I have spoken to, some of whom you will be hearing from this morning, are understandably concerned about the lack of a physician at this facility and the impact that the VA's failed recruitment efforts have had on the…

Let me be clear: our veterans fought for our freedom; they shouldn't have to fight government bureaucrats too.

Medal of Honor recipients deserve our utmost appreciation, and I believe the small portion of our servicemembers who have gone above and beyond the call of duty and earned the highest honor in our nation's Armed Forces have earned the…

We want to move that process forward and have the changes that the IG recommends implemented on a timely basis.

I believe that the VA's objections are a little overstated.

I don't think Congress ought to be doing that. I think those residency slots are--those 1,500 slots, the VA can see where their needs are.

I ask on behalf of Dr. and Mrs. Somers that the committee amend the title of the bill to the Sergeant Daniel Somers' Classified Veterans Access to Care Act in memory of Sergeant Somers' service and sacrifice.

We owe it to our veterans and to the taxpayers who pay VA's bills to ensure that poor-performing VA bureaucrats are held accountable for failing to provide the high-quality care that our veterans have earned and deserve.

Such negligence and inaction would be unacceptable for any organization, but it is particularly unacceptable for a taxpayer funded Federal Government department that is charged with caring for the men and women who have served our Nation…

I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will report the amendment. The Clerk read as follows: Page 75, line 14, insert after the dollar amount the following: ``(reduced by $2,000,000)''. Page 76, line 8, insert after…

Can I have you be the one responsible for coming up with an answer of why these claims are gone?

The problem I have with VA is it is never anybody's fault.

I want your solution to these problems, and I think it goes down to not having enough control locally.