Jon Tester

Montana has got the highest rate of veteran suicide in the country.

We've got Vietnam veterans getting older. There's more pressure on you guys, and that's why it was beefed up.

I say this because, right now, VA Montana told us that they're nearly fully staffed.

I want to make this clear. That bill would have been passed last year if we could have got the VA's endorsement of that bill.

And it was -- there was the 'candy man' because he handed out prescription drugs like they were candy.

I look forward to working with you to do what we can do to solve this problem.

I just think that we owe it to these folks to make sure that they have access.

We have problems during service and we have problems outside the deployment window.

If we do not do what we need to do, and I think you put your finger on it.

The plan probably should have been out long before now.

I think it is our obligation as the leader of the Free World to do our fair share and maybe even a little more.

That is fine. I just want to talk just very briefly on re-importation because people think this is a panacea.

I know but if that drug is not there anymore, if that prescription drug is not there anymore because they have changed it a little bit and pulled it off.

I have talked to many doctors that say, you know, generics come along, they do a good job.

The truth of the matter is, I don't think President Obama was aware of this stuff or he wouldn't have tolerated it if it's true.

I told Chief of Staff Kelly yesterday if we had that hearing on -- tomorrow, on Wednesday, that there would be questions asked and we would be very uncomfortable and that he would be under oath.

I think it would be wise for the admiral to do some self -- self-assessment and ask himself if this is out there.

It's an obligation that we made to the people who signed up and served in this military.

If we've got a person in that position that has the issues that you talked about in your opening, plus these additional issues about his management style, we've got severe problems.

The veterans of this country deserve better than that.

That's not a nickname you want in a doctor. And if you consider the prescription drugs we have a problem with in this country right now, it's the example we need to have set.

That's correct. That's correct. That's what we were told.

Yes, that's exactly right. And put them to sleep and then give them the drugs to wake them back up again.

Yes, I can't tell you exactly the name because I'm not a pharmacist but these are drugs that are meant to put people asleep and wake them back up. They're controlled substances. They're prescriptions. The word is, is that on overseas trips…

This is totally unacceptable in this environment, and that's what multiple people told us this is the case on several different trips.