I want you to know what a special privilege it is to have you in this position.

I do not want to squander the opportunity for change afforded by this budget because of miscalculations or misuse of funds.

I challenged the VSOs several weeks ago, General, to start with a clean piece of paper and tell us how to design that process so that we would not have a backlog system, and I say to all of them that are here today I am still waiting for…

I commend them for their hard work on behalf of our veterans.

Many members brought up in their opening statements concerns as it relates to the VA's intent to raise revenue by billing insurance companies and charging them for the VA's care related, I think, to medical services even for…

We must take care of our veterans.

It is more of a privileging issue that you are talking about.

I would just point out to the Chairman I cheated myself on the first round, so I may go over.

So they would do home telehealth from that rural clinic.

We must find new ways to serve our rural veterans.

I am convinced we must tackle this problem, and I am eager to hear what the witnesses from VA are doing to solve it.

Last year's legislation that was enacted directed the VA to establish a pilot program for collaboration with non-VA providers to deliver health care services to veterans specifically in rural areas.