Mike Rounds

But you have significant volumes right now that we are not meeting today, correct?

I want to be very clear on something.

Although it does a very good job in terms of meeting the volume guidelines and it does do a very good job of meeting and improving octane levels within a fuel.

In order to reach that, there has been considerable discussion that I have been a party to that indicates that we are going to want higher octane ratings for fuel in order to meet those volumes.

But in terms of higher compression engines, the need for a higher octane rating helps, doesn't it?

I have heard that in my State VHA has made the conscious decision to shift certain health care services over to the Choice Program.

In South Dakota, we continue to hear that timely provider payment under the Choice Program is a continuing issue.

I have appreciated the bipartisan approach by both the Chairman and Ranking Member Blumenthal as we move through the different and challenging issues before us.

I hope you will address that in your remarks. That is something we have talked about many times, have not done, and it is something we rightfully need to do.

We want to put that behind us for the future and build a platform that is good for the employees, good for middle management, and good for the Veterans Administration

It is probably the most important thing that this Committee is really interested in

My goal is to see to it that by the end of March we have an accountability bill for the Veterans Administration employees

I think it is important for the Board to do a thorough cost-benefit analysis before it creates any new red tape.

I do not believe we will, by the time IOT&E starts, get anywhere near 80 percent.

The key components are thinking how we look to the programs of the past, both those that had done poorly and those that had done well.

Governments cannot run the hospital. I agree with that. Tribes can't, Federal Government can't, you guys can't. It's a proven fact.

We have a serious breakdown in communication or somebody is not telling the truth.

The health care crisis within the Indian Health Care Service needs to be resolved.

What has to be acknowledged is that CMS findings indicate people's lives are in jeopardy. This is unacceptable.

For too long, the Federal Government has failed to live up to its promise and its trust responsibility to provide adequate care for the Native American community.

Thank you, Chairman Barrasso and Ranking Member Tester, and members of the Committee for allowing me as a non-member of the Committee to give a very brief statement.

I hope that one area that we are successful in is actually integrating and getting a system in place so that the veterans, regardless of whether they are in rural areas or urban areas, they can use the health care facilities that are…

I think back about the goals that you have got here and the layout that you have put together with regard to the MyVA.

What this says is that all of the options available, not just permanent easement options, but intermediate easement options, should also be considered.

The hope is that we will get more owners, landowners to actually agree to conservation easements in the future if it doesn't have to be one size fits all of a permanent easement only.