I urge my colleagues on the subcommittee to work with the Veteran's Affairs Committee to develop these authorities.

I urge my colleagues to heed the lesson and deny VA's proposed consolidation of the medical services account and the community care account.

I want to join my colleagues in thanking you, Mr. Dent, for your extraordinary service to our country.

Opening Statement of McLane Kuster, Hon. Ann

It is imperative that the Appropriations Committee continue to robustly fund the Choice program.

Patients must always come first.

I am proud of the bipartisan oversight and legislative work that we do on this Committee.

Chairman Bergman and Congresswoman Rice's draft legislation to address purchase card abuse is also much-needed legislation that I hope this Committee will send to the floor without delay.

Thank you, Chairman Bergman, for holding this hearing, and I would like to welcome Ranking Member Walz...

Employees who misuse purchase cards should be held accountable and should be prevented from being a purchase card holder or authorizing official.

Our job here is to keep the VA on track and Ranking Member Walz's bill will give us the tools and the information to do just that.

This legislation should ensure that VA follows best practices and sticks to a timeline, so that VA facilities and vendors have a predictable, functional medical surgical supply system.