Jon Tester

I am not going to be the guy up here who allows the Administration to chip away at VA health care.

If we do not make the investment so they can get that health care, they will never get that health care within.

Make no mistake about it. Under any of these conditions, veterans will unnecessarily suffer.

I reject any proposals to divert critical resources to community care that would hollow out the VA.

Veterans have told me that the Choice Program has not improved access. In fact, it has made it worse.

We are privatizing the VA with that budget.

I think the challenge is also what he just said, and that is making sure it is done efficiently, effectively, and timely.

So, you need legislation.

Can you give me some assurance that it will be not business as usual when it comes to keeping the subcommittee informed on these negotiations?

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.

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?

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.

This could eat--this would eat up your entire budget in a minute.

We have another situation in Libby: asbestos, bad stuff.

One of EPA's really important jobs is to hold those bad actors accountable.

At some point in time you've got to hold their feet to the fire.

The Superfund budget, the cleanup portion, is cut from $718 million to $515 million, a cut of $203 million.

They would say fund it.

It should have been rather than going into Treasury where now you have to get a loan to get it out of Treasury.

I have got a bill to do that.

I think it--truthfully, if you talk to the county commissioners, and I know you have, you know what they will tell you.

You could have recommended that appropriation within your budget.

It is good to have you here, Secretary Zinke. Appreciate your willingness to serve.

The agency emphasized that SRS supported economic opportunities for local communities.

It is crucial that Congress gets this done.