Jon Tester

I think that we passed a good piece of legislation.

CDBG is important. Would you guys plus it up? That is all I am asking for.

What is the purpose of me confirming you in this position if you do not have any programs to help with affordable housing when your position is the Secretary of Community Planning and Development?

I agree with you, we need to get the debt under control.

All I want is some answers. That is it. And if we cannot get answers from Indian Health, where do we go to get those answers?

Indian Health Service is in a crisis and if you have served in Indian Health Service for 10 years, and you have answered the questions in Indian Health Service like you have here today, it is no wonder that it is in crisis.

I have never had in 10 years on this subcommittee, I have never had somebody come up here and when I asked them a direct question, they do not answer it.

Absolutely, it is shoring up our longstanding vacancies in some key leadership positions.

I think we should almost demand an audit because that is not how things work and you should have those numbers at the tip of your tongue.

Access to safe, quality health care has always been critical to veterans.

It is no secret that incidents of cyber-harassment of a sexual nature are on the rise.

I think, ultimately, in the end, what everybody on this Committee wants to have is we live up to the promises made when you signed the dotted line.

What would ultimately happen is we would start restricting availability and veterans would not be able to have the same access to care that they have today.

We do not support that because I think any of that extra money should be invested back into VA.

I think the VA has been very responsive, except in one area, and that is funding for the Choice Program.

We applaud Senator Tester's explicit provision extending medical malpractice protections under 38 U.S.C. Sec. 1151.

The best thing you guys on the VA Committee could do would be to disband Choice and put every dollar into the VA and focus on the VA.

Earlier today, I dropped a bill that would get the Department the money that it needs for the Choice Program.

I do not know that you can outsource responsibility.

I believe that my community care bill does exactly that.

The Commission's economists estimated that the recommended limited choice option would increase VA spending by at least $5 billion in the first full year.

We cannot let VA lose oversight of the quality of care the veterans receive, regardless where it is.

In my view, a doc and a veteran should talk about that veteran's specific needs.

I want to thank you for calling maybe the most important hearing that we are going to have this year.

The American Legion wants to thank Senator's Isakson, Tester, and Crapo for taking the lead in drafting these three bills.