I do not think we should nickel and dime them for their care.

I think the best thing to do is to completely overturn the 2003 ban.

As the lead sponsor of the Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act, I was especially glad to see the budget enable the VA to provide additional specialty care for female veterans.

I appreciate that. Again, once we get the 2009 bill passed, hopefully tonight, we do have money in there for some pilot projects on homelessness.

I think our veterans already paid, and proposals that just simply balance the VA budget on their backs are, you know, as far as I am concerned, dead on arrival.

Modernizing our VA into a 21st Century organization is not an easy task.

I believe that all veterans should be able to get the care they have earned.

There would be a real risk to just everyday average families.

Mental health is something that I have talked about for a long time.

If you could, because I am concerned about whether or not that is accurate; and if it is, what we are doing to provide outreach and better access for our servicemembers in more rural areas.

We created an Office of Rural Health within the VA to improve the delivery of care to rural veterans.

Making sure those veterans can access care is one of the many problems we're still struggling to address.

So this is a real challenge.

Many tell me they have to drive several hours--through snowy and icy conditions in the winter time--just to see their doctor.

The VA's studies have found that rural veterans are in poorer health than those living in urban areas where care is more accessible.

I want to thank the Chief and his family for accepting this responsibility at, really, this important time in our Nation's history.

It is my privilege to present Gil Kerlikowske for the position of Director of National Drug Control Policy.

It really is my honor to be here, along with Senator Cantwell, to introduce to you Gil Kerlikowske.

Nearly one million veterans are now unemployed as of February 2009.

I have always said that we need a VA Secretary who will be honest about what our veterans need and have the backbone to stand up and ask for it.

this Senate has turned down those requests every time, so if you want an honest budget, it might be better to come to us without those in them.

Telling the truth about the needs is part of what builds confidence in veterans.

I think we all agree with that and look forward to seeing you implement a real change of culture and heart.

We want it not to be business as usual. We want to not hear just about a bureaucracy, but about a people organization.

I am hopeful that we don't see from this administration those kinds of proposals for increased copays and fees.