Bernie Sanders

Generic drugs are critically important to the American people.

The bill we are introducing will require generic drug companies to provide a rebate to Medicaid if their drug prices rise faster than inflation.

The issue that we are discussing today is of huge consequence to the American people.

This has been an enormously helpful development in alleviating illness and suffering.

I think you are here to make sure other families do not experience what you have experienced.

People who served in the military have an extraordinarily strong community of people depending upon each other every day.

When people are hurting, they should be able to get the help they need.

We have virtually no mental health capabilities.

When we send $500 million to fund rebels in ISIS with no funding source to pay for it, but when we debate veterans' bills, we can never find the money is outrageous.

This has been a very important hearing.

I will say it again. You know, it will be billions we will be spending on what is going on in ISIS without any funding source for it.

We need to know that they are hurting and they need to know that we are there for them.

It is unsatisfactory to hear from my colleagues here about the long wait periods that folks struggling with mental health conditions have to overcome.

We cannot find a place for him in the Burlington, VT, area.

This will no doubt be a very difficult hearing because of what we are going to be touching on today: what happens to the men and women who come home from war, who have served us with great courage, and what happens to them when they return…

I was very happy to support an amendment that makes telemedicine available for active military anywhere in this country.

It is incredibly difficult to talk about these issues, which we all really admire your courage and your strength for being willing to be here to share your stories with us today.

When people are hurting, they do not want to hear that they have to wait 2 months to see a provider.

This country, above and beyond the VA, faces a major crisis. We do not have enough doctors, we do not have enough nurses, we do not have enough psychiatrists, we do not have enough psychologists.

It means passing legislation that I have sponsored on ensuring that there is loan forgiveness for people who get into the field of mental health services.

If you can't afford to take care of your veterans, then don't go to war.

We need a tax system which asks the billionaire class to pay its fair share of taxes and which reduces the obscene degree of wealth inequality in America.

I thank Senator Boxer not only for her remarks today but for her years and years of commitment to the environmental committee and pointing out the danger of climate change and the toxicity in our air. ____________________

It is unacceptable for VA staff or high ranking people to be lying, to be manipulating data.

What we have seen in Phoenix never happens again.