Richard Burr

My question was simple, Mr. Secretary. At what point will we determine whether what we have implemented is working?

So, a year from now when we get together for the 2014 budget, if the quality has not improved or the timeliness down, it will have failed?

At what point on a calendar would you make a determination as to whether those quality initiatives are going to work and what indicators would you look at to make that decision?

March 31 in North Carolina we will have the first in the country Welcome Home Vietnam Vets Day, an all-day event.

The bottom line is that particularly in this time of record deficits, we need to ensure that when we spend the limited money as we have we do it wisely and that we make certain that the veterans are the ones that receive the benefits and…

I continue to believe that it is important that we provide adequate funding so that veterans of all generations will be able to receive the benefits and services they have earned and deserved without hassles or delays.

What is needed to improve the current data collection and reporting across child protective services and law enforcement, for us to glean the data that we need to make the right decisions?

Nothing is more important than the safety and the well-being of our Nation's children.

I hope everybody heard exactly what was said, because we have some stovepipes; stovepipes between law enforcement and child protective services.

Child abuse is a grownup problem.

No child should ever have to suffer the pain or shame of abuse at the hands of an adult.

I said in my opening statement, I am not sure if there is a single piece of legislation that is a magic bullet that solves this problem, but education over a generation begins to effect change.

A criminal background check will only weed out the offenders known to the criminal justice system.

I do question whether, when we think about the 24 hours ahead of us whether we see the human face of that veteran first.

I hope you will put into your equation your answer to a lot of issues today. We have an implementation problem.

We still do not do that. It still does not happen.

I remember last time, and I cannot remember whether it happened, Chairman, in the last hearing but we had one that dealt with suicides.

So, are we just sort of plucking out of the United States just the people that fall through the cracks?

It is troubling to me that you can have a not-for-profit organization like Give an Hour.

As a policymaker, our commitment to our country's veterans are we are going to get you better.

These are all issues that exist with the current mental health plan at VA.

Mental health treatment is trumped by new entries into the VA system.

Would you find it unacceptable if, in fact, the system was not providing what the health care professional prescribed to have?

VA focuses on medication management.

Veterans have little access to follow-up care.