Beto O'Rourke

We may be shifting to a new strategic era.

Lastly, let me say that this country is a country of laws and people.

To Secretary Hickey, I want to thank you for the progress you're making across the board and specifically at the Waco Regional Office in Texas, which serves the veterans that I represent in El Paso.

We've seen wait times for first-time service-connected disability claims. You know, we're at 470, moving much closer to our ultimate goal of 125.

I first want to join all my colleagues in thanking you all for your service.

But from everything that we're led to believe, things are moving in the right direction and at a pretty good clip.

I like the idea that you would limit the medical information specific to the claim that you're filing.

Unless we change the culture at VA, this is going to be a temporary fix that will not last.

But I really don't see the problem here.

The discrepancies between what we are hearing from people like Mr. D'Amico and the VA were so great.

I couldn't agree more with you.

I would also like to welcome Sheriff Garrison.

This idea of an interdisciplinary approach to taking care of veterans when they return, I would like to know more about that.

We are projecting fears based on things that might have happened in your district, Mr. Barber, that we might be afraid of from a distance.

There are no consequences for veterans dying.

I am a big supporter of this designation. I think it is great for the area, great for the country, and is not a danger to the homeland.

I want to follow up on the spirit of the hearing, as you stated, to find the facts and make sure that we understand the situation.

If you had known that the average wait time was 71 days... what would you have done differently?

the 5-mile buffer will stop nothing

one of the safest cities around

I love the idea that we think about the VA restricting its responsibilities to becoming a center of excellence for war related injuries.

It is safe, I think relative to other parts of the border.

I hope will force us and the administration and this country to treat this issue with the respect that it deserves.

I have got to connect the lack of access, the delay in care, which turns into denial of care into Nick D'Amico's death.

I want to thank Dr. McCarthy. She mentioned the mobile vet center and other resources that are being directed to El Paso.