This is an obligation, and I am looking for at least $6.5 billion in the fiscal year 2010 request when the details are finally announced.

the Economic Recovery Plan, whose focus is on the EM sites, needs nationwide to reduce their footprint

But is this specific proposal one that you are looking at?

We have got to educate people today for the jobs that are going to be out there.

As I have said many times, Mr. Chairman, our VA staff are some of the most caring and compassionate people I know.

I especially want to extend a welcome to Valerie O'Meara. She has traveled here across the country to testify in front of us today as a nurse practitioner from the Seattle VA Center.

That's why science has to rule at the FDA. And with this decision on Plan B, they have now said politics trumps science.

I really agree that it is an emergency situation for those families, and they paid the ultimate price for our country.

if this is a cost of war, then we should have money in the supplemental, in the emergency supplemental, to take care of these veterans.

I’m also pleased to see the additional funding has been added for equipment, including the armored security vehicles.

But we do not see one dime in this budget. In this supplemental cost-of-war emergency funding, we do not see one dime for veterans.

And it is part of costs of the war, I think you would agree. The cost of caring for our veterans is----

I do want to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your new responsibility as Secretary of State.

I will be offering an amendment on this supplemental when it comes before this committee for $2 billion to care for our veterans.

Secretary Rice, thank you so much for being here today.

Many of us have encouraged the administration to increase those programs.

But there is--but there is no money there to do it. It's a--this is a supplemental----

I don't have time this morning to outline for this committee the inadequacy we have, but I will tell any of you go home next week and visit your veterans facilities, talk to the service people who are responsible for reintegration for your…

But what it does is, it doesn't allow that program to expand.

I plan to fight for this funding again.

At a time when we know that prevention, that community-based models work the best, that the uninsured numbers are growing.

I think it's great. I'm a huge supporter.

We are all in agreement that we face a serious public health threat that could cripple our health care system.

We need to find ways to make it happen and to fund these solutions at all levels.

I think we know that chronic disease that is caused by obesity and unhealthy lifestyles is costing us billions of dollars in this country.