if the VA is to continue to deliver top-notch health care to veterans, then it needs to be able to attract and retain qualified medical professionals.

the challenge is that the VA competes for these professionals in a marketplace where they are high in demand and short in supply.

Let me add to something that you said and that is that we might agree that it doesn't happen naturally within the VA and there is a progression that happens naturally in the private health system.

it is imperative that the VA have the tools it needs to attract and to keep quality doctors and nurses.

If I made the statement that I personally don't think that the VA delivery system responds the same way that the private delivery system does to technology, to research and the findings from that research, would you agree with that?

How does the VA change its marketing strategy to market itself to these unbelievable academic institutions?

Does this demand--and I agree with all of you that I think we've only touched the philanthropic potential of parks--but, given the scope of this challenge, does it almost demand us to go back and look at the programs we have in effect…

I think you begin to lose people on the Hill, you begin to define things in a way that potentially it could have some effects outside of the world we're talking about here.

Senate bill 1253 outlines a new and creative way to fund Federal projects.

The Centennial Challenge Fund will help the National Park Service achieve that mandate of all 391 units.

It's great to be a part of a Subcommittee that really treasures our national treasure, and that's our parks.