Angie Craig: “I have given a figure of $41,000 per patient. That is an extraordinary amount by any measure. The VA's average cost per…”

“I have given a figure of $41,000 per patient. That is an extraordinary amount by any measure. The VA's average cost per patient is about $5,000. My point in making this an issue is I want to work with the Senator from Washington. I am never going to argue that there aren't real needs in the Veterans' Administration. I am not going to argue that there ought to be some priorities--mental health and those things that the Senator from Washington and I have shared as a common interest and a common concern. Let me yield time to the Senator from Texas. She will take a few moments and give the Senator from Washington adequate time to respond before the 12:45 time. I am willing to work with the Senator from Washington, to examine her numbers, but a $1.98 billion or $2 billion bump-up to be spent before close of business in September--I am getting signals from the Senator we are dealing with a 2-year appropriation. Let's look at those numbers. I close by saying, in my opinion, there is not an emergency in the VA. This is an emergency supplemental. I will work with the Senator to see where we might go. It is wrong in an emergency to talk about things that are long term in character and necessary to finance. I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas.”