Jon Tester

Instead of investing in rural communities through common-sense, extensively studied, privately funded projects like the Keystone Pipeline, the Administration plans to rip away jobs.

If we want to have people live in rural America, we have got to stop crap like this, or it is just going to further evacuate rural America.

I get probably six phone calls a day on this thing, robocalls. And please figure out how we can knock these guys down.

Look, the scams around COVID have been amazing. You guys, probably, are fully aware of them, requesting personal information and $50 for a home test.

I will make this painless with me. I only have one question, and that is--and it is a yes or no answer--do you believe the VA has an obligation to be responsive to congressional oversight?

I just want to express my appreciation for the testimony that was presented here today.

Okay. Dr. Tompkins, DARPA invented the Internet for the Department of Defense. It was adopted worldwide.

It is critical that we do our best to ensure our service members continue to have access to the world's most sophisticated and advanced technologies.

Do either of you see any existing barriers to working with your particular agencies and if you do, are those barriers things that you can break down or do you need congressional help?

I think it's important that we add value by tapping into academia and private sector, small business and large business.

I have continued appreciation for his role as Whip and the chairman in the caucus, and so thank you, Senator Durbin.

I want to start by telling everybody here what an honor it is to serve as chairman of this committee.

It is critical for Congress to continue to make strong research investments across the board.

We have heard from combatant commands in recent weeks about the daily threats they face.

I appreciate that, and I appreciate your hard work on this.

It is clear we have more work to do to ensure veterans can access mental health services.

I would say the last administration made a lot of promises that were not kept, about expanding VA mental health care to those transitioning out of the armed services.

To ensure that these sites are successful we need to ensure that the facility's infrastructure, electrical, and broadband connectivities are there and prepared to support the ATLAS location.

I think we need to do a better job understanding the risks posed to our economy by climate.

If we do not at least make some strides toward how we are going to deal with climate, I think we are going to lose family farms.

I think disclosure and transparency is very, very important, whether it is corporate political spending or the impacts of climate change on businesses.

I have seen the impact of climate change firsthand. It is undeniable: longer, hotter summers; flooding; droughts.

Are you concerned about the risks posed to our economy by the climate change issue?

Hell, I do not know what the weather on my farm is going to be like for the next 4 or 5 days.

We have a lot more work to do. I think this Committee is committed to doing it.