Jon Runyan

I look forward to working with everybody that testified today on trying to get the best piece of legislation to truly take care and honor our fallen and our current veterans that we possibly can.

We have a solemn obligation to cherish the memory and heroic actions of our veterans by holding ourselves and our organizations to the highest of standards.

Overall I believe every organization represented here does a great service to our Nation's service men and women and their loved ones.

We owe it to our veterans and their families to get it right the first time, every time.

We face a deficit crisis and we must act to be prudent stewards of our budget for generations yet born.

Justice delayed is justice denied and benefits delayed, are benefits denied.

Congress should increase the plot allowance from $700 to $1,150 for all eligible veterans...

This should not and will not come at the expense of our Nation's heroes and the sacrifices they made.

I applaud you, Secretary Shinseki, because every time we talk to you we talk about accountability.

Improving the VA's Fiduciary Program is essential because it serves a very vulnerable segment of the veterans' population.

When the VA fails to provide this assistance, many veterans experience extreme financial hardship.

We are here today to hold VA accountable for its inability to properly serve these Veterans who are most in need of VA's assistance.

I am pleased that the VA has taken steps to improve the Fiduciary Program, but I know this Subcommittee wants to make sure that these steps represent real progress in fixing these real problems.

Mismanagement and little oversight have no place in the administration of these benefits, especially dealing with those that are least able to manage their own affairs.

Currently there is evidence that some in the VA system with responsibility for helping our veterans are embezzling funds.

Improving VA's fiduciary program is essential, because it serves a very vulnerable segment of the Veteran population - Veterans who are no longer able to take care of themselves.

we have to hold the people accountable.

My continued hope for DAMA is that this meeting of minds sets a precedent and tone for a broader promise.

Poor outdated science, overly cautious decision making, and top down flawed fishery management plans have all conspired to drive many of our struggling fishermen out of business.

It is important to note here this widespread opposition is not against the policy but rather, how it is being implemented.

Poor, outdated science, overly cautious decisionmaking and top down flawed fishery management plans have all conspired to drive many of our struggling fishermen out of business.

This is a common sense bill, and it will save jobs that government regulators at NOAA are on a mission to destroy.

We need to be able to protect ourselves if we don't want a catch share program, and we do not have the luxury of a vote.

I thank the chairman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 894, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2011. S. 894 is the companion bill to H.R. 1407, which I introduced in April, which passed this…

If we had solid science, we can't argue with it. We all want to be stewards of the ocean in that matter.