When can this Committee expect to see the full detailed plan on reorganizing your prosthetics purchasing process?

Numerous contracts reviewed by this Subcommittee show VA purchasers splitting contracts in order to remain under a specific price threshold for purchase.

What special training, experience, tooling, or technique is required on behalf of the surgeon to use the various biological brands?

Many physicians at the VA are part-time employees and in this capacity can promote companies with which they are associated as consultants.

Chairman Bill Johnson.

I need to point out this is not an earmark. It has already been determined that this is not an earmark. This is a question of whether or not the United States of America is going to maintain its superiority as the world leader and protect…

Growing up on that two-wheel wagon rut mule farm, I learned firsthand the critical role that America's farmers and ranchers play in our economy. And on the 150th anniversary of the United States Department of Agriculture, we are reminded…

For almost 40 months, unemployment has been at or above 8 percent. That's too high for too long. Right now, over 88 million people are not even considered in the workforce. These are people who have given up on searching for a job. It's…

I can certainly agree that there is no intention to do so, but I think we all agree here that the objective here is to make sure that those veterans that request mental health counseling get it as soon as absolutely possible.

I would first like to commend all of you for your efforts to assist our veterans with disability claims.

Today, House Republicans will stand up to business as usual in Washington and vote for a budget that will help our economy grow, guarantee the promise of Medicare for everyone, and put forth a true all-of-the-above energy strategy in…

President Obama's job-killing EPA is at it again. Last year, the EPA proposed a rule on manganese alloy production that would close down the last two manganese alloy production facilities in America, costing over 500 direct American jobs…

I want to thank the Chairman for having this hearing today.

I share your dedication to those who have sacrificed so much for our great Nation.

We need to start treating China like a developed country.

It's worse than we thought. President Obama and his activist Interior Department are threatening an estimated 100,000 direct and indirect coal jobs, according to a new study. This is from the administration's proposed rewrite of the stream…

Making the veterans' preference laws stronger is one of those few no-cost things you have the latitude to accomplish even in a tough year which can really improve the lives of disabled veterans.

H.R. 4048, Improving Contracting Opportunities for Veteran-Owned Small Businesses Act of 2012, introduced by Representative Bill Johnson (R-OH), would amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify the contracting goals and preferences of…

The preferred rule of OSM would cut down on underground coal mining by as much as 50 percent, and cost tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs, if it goes forward.

I want to commend you and the chairman of the Full Committee, Mr. Hastings, for digging deep for the answers to this important issue.

So that's taxpayer dollars down the drain?

I want to thank the panel for being here today, as well.

I would also like to remind everyone that this is a budget hearing on OSM, and their use of taxpayer money to, amongst other things, unnecessarily rewrite a rule to forward a political agenda, regardless of the amount of jobs it would cost.

Why did VA ask for money to expand while simultaneously planning to build a new facility well over the authorized project limit?

This hearing will come to order. I want to welcome everyone to today's hearing on the VA'S Dubious Contracting Practices: Savannah.