I have to say that I am disappointed in this result, and I urge OMB to reconsider whether its bureaucratic internal processes are actually serving the government and the taxpayer well.

If a veteran-centric vision is not guiding this implementation, then we need to figure out what needs to change.

Because really all the patient--all the veteran patient cares about June 7, I come down to the VA and I need an appointment, can I get an appointment? That is all they really care about.

I am a veteran and I have been a patient. And like any other veteran or patient, civilian or not, I am going to seek out the best care that I feel for me and my family.

I want to be sure that we leave this hearing today absolutely clear on what would have to happen for the worst-case scenario to come to pass.

We asked VA in 2014 to do something no organization can do, which is to put up a nationwide network together in 90 days.

the future of the VA's health care system is in the hands of the American veteran.

We are working on legislation that would create a competitive interoperability strategy to make sure we resolve this problem as soon as possible.

I think that we all stakeholders have to be part of this solution without a doubt.

We know that VA can't be everything to everybody, just like the private sector sometimes has to.

You should have a secret ballot so you are not intimidated either, as Ms. Harper mentioned, either for or against.

we should guarantee every American the right to vote unintimidated and with a secret ballot.

I dropped a bill yesterday called the Employee Rights Act, and I want to look after the employees.

Look, the most protective worker in the world is the United States worker, employee, no question about it.

Thank goodness, President Trump has tried to bring these back. We have added 600,000 manufacturing, good-paying jobs for American workers.

You can now go to community college in our State for free.

77 percent finish on time, 97 percent are placed in a job, and 100 percent graduate with no debt.

All I was interested in, when I drew the bottom line, was how much of a check do I have to write you all, and that check keeps getting bigger and bigger.

I think colleges are going to have to rethink, with all of the technology that is on this PDA I have got in my hand right here, I can learn a lot at no cost.

In Tennessee, we have decided that education had to be affordable for our citizens.

these kinds of programs can address a national security need as well as education and nutrition.

I think we need to stay strong.

The problem that we have right here, it is basically an arithmetic problem.

We missed an opportunity in 2014 to put a composite plan or a hybrid plan out there.

I am a public school proponent. I didn't go to kindergarten. They didn't have one. And the facility I started in was a two-room country school without indoor plumbing or running water. But I had great teachers.