Tim Walz

Congress needs to do more to bolster VA's current efforts to modernize its operations and promote further improvements.

Congress needs to do more to bolster the VA's current efforts to modernize its operations.

We believe there are common sense measures Congress can undertake to bolster the VA's efforts to ensure our veterans are getting the care they need in a more-timely manner.

We, along with Senator Franken, have introduced bipartisan measures in both the House and Senate that will remove several hurdles to getting claims processed quickly.

With the hard-earned experience of two major wars during the last 12 years, Americans have developed a renewed understanding of the need to support our service members in battle and throughout their active-duty service.

Our goal, and this is very, simple: uphold the promise we made to our veterans by ending the backlog and getting the benefits they earned.

It is a singular honor to serve on this committee, and to testify in front of you is humbling and an honor.

This issue of the claims backlog, it is corrosive, it is wrong. It wears at the soul of this country.

It is important to remember our Veterans, as our nation moves past over a decade of war.

This is unacceptable, and VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, a retired U.S. Army General who has dedicated his life to military service and taking care of our brave warriors, agrees.

Once again, I thank the chairman for a smart piece of legislation. It is simple. It strikes that proper balance between safety on our roads and a smooth flow of commerce. This is a matter of life and death. It has been a bitter cold…

The problem we have, sometimes, though is the city of La Crescent was there also, and they said I happen to know Winona's got a better grant writer, because we're smaller.

We want to keep our citizens safe and we want to move important products, and we have to figure out strike that balance.

He doesn't believe there are three fire departments in America that could respond in an urban area to a Casselton type of incident.

They referred to these as incidents—not accidents. And it kind of changes the point of view on how we're getting after it.

Thank you to the chairman and the ranking member for your incredible hard work. The folks of Oklahoma and Minnesota should be proud of the representatives that they have sent here. I am proud of this piece of legislation. I stand in…

To me, however, college affordability is probably one of the top priorities we need to be focused on.

I appreciate having the Financial Institutions Subcommittee Chair, Shelley Capito, as a cosponsor of the legislation.

I have worked across the aisle, with my colleague Michael Grimm, to introduce the Federal Adjustment in Reporting Student Credit Act.

I think the point you brought out about the United States upholding ours, whether it is upland cotton or whatever it is, it is making sure that we are addressing those, and I think that sends the message.

We are going to vote on an omnibus today that is going to be $4 million less, significantly less than what was requested by USTR.

Thank you all. I yield back.

I think with the steel industry being as important as it is in China--and we have already seen...

My constituents and workers in southern Minnesota are not afraid to compete against anyone, but they are frustrated when they compete in an unfair system.

I have yet to be convinced that building hospitals is one of them.