Ron Johnson

This Committee hearing will come to order.

This is about getting people to admit we have a problem. I think this is a real problem that needs to be addressed urgently.

I think both Senator Carper and I will certainly work together to see what we can do to help those in Mr. Schneider's position.

That is something you try and do working with a law that does not contemplate indemnifying the operator.

This hearing is really about the recent outbreak of avian influenza (AI), bird flu, that has plagued, really, primarily the Upper Midwest.

In light of the VA OIG's treatment of the victims and whistleblowers at the Tomah VAMC, it should not come as a surprise that VA whistleblowers and others would rather seek assistance from nonpartisan good-government groups--like the…

Accountability is certainly better at the VA today than it was a year ago, but there is a long way to go in regard to cleaning up that corporate culture to make it the kind of system it should become.

However, this bill simply does not go far enough.

All my bill is trying to do is provide accountability, give the VA the tools to remove truly those people that are not honoring the promises.

I am happy to work with the VA to structure the bill that maintains high morale and high quality health care for our veterans.

I think the vast majority of people working in the VA are incredibly dedicated, professional, doing everything they can to honor the promises to the finest among them.

Full and fair accountability for all VA employees is necessary to achieve the kind of culture change that VA badly needs.

There is nothing more corrosive to the morale of an organization than if bad actors just continue to be able to conduct themselves in an inappropriate manner.

This common-sense bill--S. 1082--would simply increase the accountability for VA employees.

Thank you, Chairman Isakson, Ranking Member Blumenthal, and other distinguished Members of the Committee, for the opportunity to present my legislation.

Mr. Schostek expressed at the June 23 hearing Honda's support for S.1173, the Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act of 2015.

Ron, there is no way I could start my business and build it the way I have if I had to start it in this regulatory environment.

Where is the outrage, where is the sense of urgency to try and control a $2 trillion regulatory burden?

I would be all in favor of a one-in/ten-out rule, but I will be happy with incremental success.

I could keep going--of law and rules and regulations, which are becoming quite burdensome.

The problem with the regulations, unless you are on the front lines, ... you really do not understand really how corrosive and harmful all of this regulatory overreach has become.

The shortfall is $15 billion. Are you telling me you can't find $15 billion of lower-priority spending?

You cannot take it off the table. You have to address it or we are going to be hitting something that the American people are not going to like.

If every Presidential candidate, both Republican and Democrat, were forced to address the issues we are going to raise in this Committee, that would be success.

Please work with me, work with this Committee to lay out the reality and have the courage, give us the courage as elected officials to use what little bully pulpits we have to tell the American people the truth.