Joe Wilson

And, Mr. Secretary, considering the significant variability associated with the budget and resulting force structure, is it premature to initiate a BRAC [Base Realignment and Closure] round?

I grew up in Charleston, South Carolina, and I have a firsthand experience of growing up with Navy personnel, and what extraordinary people that you work with and who protect our country.

We have to maintain that. So that means that some of the operational readiness, combat readiness will begin to get, we will pay for that to be able to keep those capabilities.

We agree with this recommendation, and we urge the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Government that the release of all Montagnard prisoners be negotiated for and their release obtained before any more U.S. Government defense and trade treaties…

We urge the U.S. Congress to put pressure on Vietnam to implement the principles of this declaration especially since religious persecution is being experienced by all of the indigenous groups.

We also recommend that the U.S. Government continues its dialogue with Vietnam to recognize the Montagnard, Khmer Krom, and Cham as its indigenous people.

The experience is very clear that there are not increases of any significant amount, less than 1 percent.

Why would we be increasing the fees when in fact the program is working well?

I was happy to join with nearly 50 of my colleagues, bipartisan, a unique situation of bipartisan concern...

We had 75 percent of the Members of the House, 85 percent of the Senate, 350 Members of the House, 81 members of the Senate who voted for that authorization bill with that provision in it because they thought it was necessary, that it was…

We had a provision that was put in the National Defense Authorization Act last year that was Section 533 for the protection of rights of conscience of members of the Armed Forces and chaplains.

But again, we need to change the way that we get involved in these foreign wars with no end to it.

Yes, we have got to have a strong military. We have got to have a strong defense. But they deserve better than what they get from an administration and a Congress that wants to send them around the world and change the culture of countries…

I am committed to support DOD's goal to prevent and treat these devastating conditions.

We must not lose the momentum we have gained through this research.

I'd also like to recognize her leadership in this area both while she was the Chairwoman of the committee and now as the Ranking Member.

Today the Subcommittee will hear testimony on the research conducted by the Department of Defense and the military services to address deployment-related psychological health needs of service members, particularly Traumatic Brain Injury…

That is extraordinarily encouraging, and I have seen domestically the success of telemedicine.

But it does not appear to be a precipitous cutoff?

That is great news. Thank you.

I would also like to recognize her leadership in this role while both--when she was chairwoman of the committee and now as ranking member.

Thank you for attending a meeting of the Military Personnel Subcommittee Hearing on Mental Health Research--very important to the military.

I particularly want to thank you.

I am deeply concerned about the uncertainty of sequestration and the coming budget challenges, how that will affect our service members and their families.

We cannot rest until we have created every opportunity to change such an awful statistic.