Beto O'Rourke

If you prioritize something, it puts that at the top of the list.

I am talking about a single-minded, almost exclusive focus on getting that up.

Preventing veteran suicide is more important than all of those.

We want to make sure that we minimize any threats to the United States and to our allies.

So what Syria is missing right now is more pain. There hasn't been enough pain in the last few years.

Train and equip hasn't really worked to that end so far. It has been an abysmal failure.

I think that needs to be included in the calculus for reform.

I would link campaign finance reform to military acquisition reform.

I sympathize with the fact that you are managing, you know, an all-funds, all-accounts budget organization that controls $156 billion.

The 18 percent excess infrastructure that the Army has, what force size is that based on, or is it directly correlated?

I want to make sure that we are investing in that sufficiently.

Are you saying without a BRAC process, you cannot get that detail?

If you get a 10 percent reduction in the cost of each ship in a 12-boat program, then you are getting a little bit more than one of the 12 boats in that program for, quote, unquote, 'free.'

I think it is important if we are at war to define in the clearest, most precise terms what victory looks like.

The history of cost growth in lead ship construction is one in which quite often a lot of that cost growth has occurred in the final stages

I think we owe that to our service members. I think we owe that to ourselves.

What I am concerned about is you have just a little over a year left in this administration. And this is a very exciting, necessary, essential proposal to reform VA care.

And it is restoring the VA to its rightful place as a leader in American health care who can set the standard and become known for excellence and figuring out problems that are fundamental to how we provide health care in this country.

I just want to begin by telling you each how encouraged I am by this report that you produced and your testimony today and your answers to our questions, and how grateful I am on behalf of the veterans that I represent for this initiative.

When we brought that to the VA's attention, and when we hammered the VA frankly on this huge gap in service, that helped the VA to prioritize resources where they were most needed.

I agree we do not want to duplicate efforts and spend more money.

When I was sworn in in 2013, I began to hold regular town hall meetings and I was struck by the number of veterans who would attend them to tell me that they could not get in to get a primary or specialty or mental health care appointment.

It is not rocket science to design these surveys. It is not incredibly expensive.

I do not think you have a compelling case against the Ask Veterans Act.

I am a big believer in that which is accurately measured tends to improve.