Patty Murray

This is extremely important. I am hearing from a lot of women who have been in Iraq, some in Afghanistan, who have come home and do not have the proper documentation saying that they were in combat areas.

I have to say I am still--because I talk to veterans--really worried.

Thank you very much for holding today's hearing to discuss VA's disability claims and appeals process.

One piece of paper lost, one piece of evidence, is too many.

One of the things I hear from veterans all the time is that their paperwork is lost.

The problem begins in DOD where women--particularly, but also some men who are in combat--experience their records being notoriously incomplete or vague.

I am frequently reminded that a lot of veterans see the VA as their adversary, not as an advocate.

We still have a lot of work to do, because I think the veterans often see that when they go to file a claim, the deck is stacked against them.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, Senator Johanns this morning, and all of our colleagues, for holding this really important hearing.

We need you to be candid. If between the Congressional Budget Office and elsewhere it gets reduced from where you all think it ought to be, we want to know from this Committee's perspective because that communication breakdown means that…

OK. Well, we have had experience in the past where the VHA has recognized the need for increased resources.

Last week President Obama outlined a change in strategy to increase troops in Afghanistan by an additional 30,000

One of his top priorities is to transform the VA into a truly 21st century organization.

I can guarantee that once you are there, you will be hearing a lot from me.

I sincerely hope that, if confirmed, you will work to promote an open and proactive approach to relations with Congress.

I spoke about the need to overhaul the bureaucratic culture at the VA.

This tendency to downplay problems does the VA a serious disservice.

The VA is an organization of people and those in leadership will shape the culture of the organization.

Mr. Chairman, I look forward to supporting this nominee, and hopefully we can move him quickly through the process once we have the Committee hearing so that we can get him to work for our veterans.

I want to congratulate you on your nomination and applaud you for your willingness to take on this challenging and rewarding job.

OK, good. I look forward to hearing about your progress and what we can do to help.

If we are not working with the spouses and the families, we often lose a lot of the resources.

I made a pledge to many of our Iraqi and Afghan veterans coming home that I would never leave a Chamber of Commerce or Rotary meeting without telling them they need to hire veterans.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

Ultimately, the VA and the Labor Department are organizations of people, and those in leadership roles will shape their cultures as well as their policies.