When we held a hearing about a year ago, I was very interested in the discussions that the Committee and the witness panel had about root causes of the surge that we experienced in 2014.

I look forward to working with the members of this subcommittee on a number of steps we can take, including legislation and programmatic initiatives to correct these failures, to improve the quality of care that our veterans have earned.

On the issue of proper treatment for pain, Secretary McDonald, not only do we have to crack down on inappropriate use of opioids and benzodiazepines, we have to increase the alternatives to narcotics for pain management.

We have to challenge the status quo. We have to do some things very, very differently.

Your fiscal 2016 budget calls for a $125 million investment in our high schools to ensure that these schools can redesign to meet student's needs.

Your leadership on these issues to redesign high schools... it's absolutely the right thing to do.

Many young people drop out of high school, not because it's too hard, but because it's too easy, and they're bored.

It's untenable for us to stand on the sideline and just see that continue to happen.

These people should be the most important priority to all of us because they are the real life heroes of this country!

Let's not let all of this fade away, let's make some historic changes that we can all be proud to be a part of.

If after today's hearing, nothing major gets changed, then I think people will lose faith in our Government.