Charles Q. Brown

I consider it a major disservice to the veterans who rely on VA to provide needed and very important health care services.

The veterans of the Central Florida cannot wait any longer for a full Medical Center to be built.

This is not about politics anymore. We must build this facility for the veterans of Central Florida.

This is a self-imposed disaster on the veterans and on the country.

There would be no effect on veterans... if this Congress would just do its job and pass a clean funding bill.

The House is inept. I have been in here for 22 years, and I have never seen anything like the people who serve in this House that act like they care about the veterans.

This Committee used to be bipartisan. And now you got a few Members that are dragging the House of Representatives down, the People's House.

I certainly agree with your remarks on the importance of passing a complete and clean continuing resolution that will provide the certainty, I think Americans are looking for in their government, and their leaders.

It's time for House Republicans to drop the political games and join Democrats to bring a vote to the floor immediately to end the shutdown.

Some veterans will not get what they are expecting, what they deserve, and most importantly, what they have earned.

Time has shown that we, as Members of Congress, and Senior Leadership of the Department of Defense, and Department of Veterans Affairs' have not been able to provide timely compensation for the work our servicemen and women did to defend…

I believe it is our duty as Americans to provide proper care for our veterans and servicemen who have unselfishly put their lives on the line for our wellbeing.

The Government has to stay in the business of the rail passenger system. There is no question in my mind that it has to stay in there.

Federal funds of $950 million will not give us a better railroad. We know this from experience.

How can Amtrak improve long-distance routes without funding? How can we expect Amtrak to reduce trip time when we fail to make the infrastructure investments that are needed to implement these reductions?

We need to get serious about rail like we are definitely serious about highways in the United States.

I guess I am really smiling because for once, I think we are all on the same page.

Without long distance, Amtrak would be a commuter rail. There would be no connectivity between the east coast and the west coast.

We have to get our partners that are making money, those stakeholders, to invest in the system.

What is the cost of life? What is the cost of service?

Since we enacted the advanced appropriation policy three years ago, veterans' health care has not been the subject of the whims of the Congress and for that I am very grateful.

The goal here is always to de-institutionalize people and to get them into their home.

I would put every dime into infrastructure investments. That is my position, but I am not the President and I am not the only Member of Congress.

I will also continue to fight to ensure minority participation in leadership and contracting throughout the transportation industry.

I truly appreciate what freight and passenger rail have done and will continue to do for our country.