I hope that we could work together to see that this gets passed so that all our veterans can receive the benefits that they are entitled to.

I would never support having either Social Security or veterans benefits being tied to a chained CPI because that cuts out a lot of needed assistance that veterans have.

I never thought I would be quoting Ronald Reagan but, ``There you go again,'' another Republican budget that kicks the poor, the hungry, and the disabled to the curb, that strangles the middle class and deserts hardworking families…

I thank the gentleman for yielding. I appreciate the hard work that went into this important legislation to ensure passenger rail service remains a viable option for travelers across the country. In particular, as a pet lover, I am very…

The day after the election, Speaker Boehner and Senator McConnell outlined an agenda for the so-called New American Congress, pledging to focus on the people's priorities. Well, they have obviously failed to deliver on this promise…

Just this morning, Nevada Attorney General Laxalt testified before the House Judiciary Committee, claiming that the implementation of DAPA and extension of DACA would cause undue economic hardship for our State. Well, I would like to see…

I rise with a heavy heart to mourn the loss and honor the life of my friend, Coach Jerry Tarkanian, who passed away this morning. A leader and a role model, both on and off the court, ``the Shark'' was not only a legendary collegiate men's…

Last week, House Republicans voted to eliminate DAPA, a program that would protect nearly 40 percent of undocumented immigrants, promote family unity, and boost our economy. They also voted to end DACA, which has helped some 630,000…

I plan to reintroduce that same legislation and I would welcome members of this committee to join me as cosponsors.

That is just not acceptable.

We have made a commitment to caring for our veterans, and we owe them an answer on appeals for that care in a timely and accurate fashion.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to congratulate you on your recent election to represent Louisiana's Fifth Congressional District, and also on your appointment to the chair this very important committee.

That is why I am reintroducing the Veterans Access to Speedy Review Act.

I would just ask Ms. McCoy, you said you were hiring 300 new people.

I would ask Ms. Eskenazi to kind of address that issue of the 72 percent of the claims who are already receiving some kind of benefits.

as you work to improve the letters sent to veterans, be sure that there is an element of standardization.

I think we need to take action so we don't get too far behind and we are not having this exact same hearing 2 years from now.

I am proud to represent the eastern portion of the Riverside County which has the ninth largest veteran population in the country.

Is there any system that makes sense as a way to prioritize?

In Congress here, we need to work collaboratively with the VA and with the VSOs to come up with that plan and create a system that will deal with these appeals in a timely fashion.

This simple improvement will increase flexibility to relieve the physical and financial burdens on veterans.

I think those are good recommendations, and I want to work with you on them because I think they fit right in with the proposal I made at the very beginning.

I am concerned that as we address this problem, we haven't been provided with a detailed plan of how we are going to address it in an overall fashion.

It seems to me that we need to take one step back.

I represent Las Vegas, Mr. Chairman, and I have appreciated working with you and I thank you for being here.