>> this is the third point of significance of collaboration in order to get this done. and it's not even the subject of this hearing. and i'm wondering if you could just spend less than a minute talking about where you are and where you think that we are headed. >> i will be brief. thank you for the kind words. there's essentially two problems. and one is that we need relief from liability with the clean water act and we are making progress and then second of all

we need more funding to clean that up. >> thank you. i am from colorado. i am on the western end of the planes. the smoke is building and we know that we have a problem. >> all right, mr. chairman. thank you for holding this hearing. it is good to hear from stakeholders on this issue and it's a really important issue which deals with budgetary impacts on threats to the national resources on federal and state and private land. so i am pleased to have these wildlife communities who recognize the need for change in our current policies. and i think that a lot of the hearing is focused on borrowing

with the cost of fighting fires, rising to $3 billion this year, but we have to find a more effective means of fighting these fires and i also believe, mr. chairman, that it is imperative that we couple this with improved forest management. failure to improve forest management is going to result in a continuation of dangerous increases and damage to private property and the environment and there are three things that i think can be done to improve upon forest management dramatically. and i think that the three changes i would suggest and i would like to get the panel's reaction, the first is to expand the use of categorical exclusions and the second to reduce litigator risks and third, implementation of large landscape management plans in the black hills national forest,

and it proved to be good in battling the pine beetle. once again we have a problem and we are throwing more money at it. but i believe that if we can take a measured and common sense approach to managing the forests and clearing a pathway for federal agencies to manage this effectively, we could make better use and even reduce the funding that is dedicated to funding fires. i would like to get the panel's reaction to their reaction, do you believe that these following three items if implemented would benefit forest management, categorical exclusion, expansion, litigated risk, collaborative projects in allowing the use of arbitration as an alternative dispute resolution mechanism and then

finally increased use of large landscape management plans. >> we will speak to the landscape approach, which is both public and private and i think that it's probably our biggest strength and opportunity that we have been focusing on the objective based on this landscape. and i think that that that is a big part of it. >> i think in areas where you have a broad agreement among multiple interests that have come together on some sort of collaborative, i think that relaxing some of the process requirements is probably a good idea. because what you will do is end up creating antagonism and that is my only comment. >> i would also like to comment on the landscape idea out in

eastern oregon my labor organization is working as part of a collaborative effort on stewardship with communities and other stakeholders and timber companies and environmental groups, bringing people together to talk about landscapes and what needs to be done and reach agreement on as many issues in terms of how they should manage that and what we should manage the land for in terms of other values and we are having some success doing that. so i do think that those kinds of effort where you bring stakeholders together and hold everyone accountable for coming up with a solution, i think that that is a good approach to supplement this idea of the

landscape. fire knows no geopolitical boundaries and we can't let state and private lands go untreated because that is not going to solve the problem. >> thank you, mr. chairman. >> i think the senator from south dakota who is focused on the one question i was going to ask i appreciate it very much and i think the panelists for answering and let rami me reminu of what is going on. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i want to take time to talk about this. he worked in forestry in 2001

and he is a diverse guy. and his legislation treats the sickness of overgrown forests and the symptoms which include wildfire and disease and infestation and i strongly support the bill. i would like to ask consent that we include a bipartisan op-ed that the congressman has written into the record. very quickly, while these issues are largely high profile in the west, we have serious impacts in the south. and i'm pleased that you are from that region which includes a significant amount of

ownership. >> wildfire, again we talked about no geopolitical boundaries and certainly they are all catastrophic. we have again had the impact on the budget affects and so if we take a look at the state and private programs and the mitigation effort and be employment those that are doing employment work, they are certainly impacted as a result of the fires and the way to the budget is handled. so it is a very significant impact of the country. >> lot more can we do on public lands.

and that includes the federal reform bill before this committee? >> our focus is on private lands and that is where the focus is. but certainly the more management that we have on public and private lands will gain not only the risks but the exposure that we have had not only from wildfires but from we have submitted to the committee this as well and that is not exclusive to the west. >> have you taken a position? >> not that i know of, no. >> very good. >> what can we do to stimulate markets to help address these wildfires and other issues? >> you know, i am a market person and something has to get this started. the grant programs that can

develop markets, public or private, is most appropriate as well as programs that identify those markets. the last component relates to research. when i worked at georgia tech i know a lot of the focus is on the bio-based materials. and that includes the materials industry of the future. >> thank you, mr. chairman. >> we have eight minutes left. senator, if you could please wrap it up for us. >> mr. chairman, thank you. >> i want to thank the witnesses for being here today. we are grateful for your testimony today and i want to direct my testimony to the first two witnesses. i say this as a representing state, something like 57% of the

state, about 87%, you have spoke of lack of budget certainty and you have talked about the funding for wildlife suppression affecting the ability to meet wildlife management. and you talk about those two issues that are related and it bears repeating how devastating sequestration has been among other problems that you have had to face with regard to budget. and with regard to uncertainty it is rampant within the agency because we don't know what the porsche portion of that is going to be and they don't know exactly what they can spend.

so they have to determine how the fire season is going before they can implement these products would they have already planned. >> we appreciate you raising that and i know we are limited on time. sir, i wanted to ask you as i noted in your testimony about 22 years of fighting fires, a good part of your life. the focus that you brought on the issue of the staff, can you walk us through that basic concern that you have? >> they are required to take certain on-the-job training and they are evaluated on the job and then if they are found

proficient they are certified to do certain jobs in the organization and so part of the problem is, you know, we have a lot within the federal government, a lot of people that invested a lot of money in and have a lot of years they are making plans to walk out the door and with them is going to go to the knowledge and skills and the federal government overall has not been, in my opinion, eight good job of planning, not just in this organization but certainly across other agencies. so that is one of the things that we are facing and the other problems that we have our budget related. a lot of agencies have concerns over the budget and the first thing that they typically set aside to try to save money is

training which is sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy for not being able to do a good job of planning within the future leadership of the management workforce. >> i want to thank each of our witnesses for sharing your views and the testimony today firsthand and we will take action to the fellow members, we ask that any additional restaurants be submitted to the committee or by 5:00 p.m. next thursday, november 12. the committee is adjourned.

[inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations]

[inaudible conversations] >> next a discussion about the va health care system. then a panel on the impact of the hispanic vote and later a senate hearing on wild fires across the. health care experts will talk about the national institute of health management foundation at noon, eastern tomorrow. >> the veterans affairs secretary robert macdonald will address the state department and his efforts to address the national press club tomorrow. >> every weekend this c-span

network features programs on politics, nonfiction books in american history as the nation commemorates veterans day, saturday at 11:00 a.m. eastern. american history will be live from the national world war ii museum in new orleans as we look back 70 years to the war's end and its legacy. and then at 10:00 o'clock, the new road to the white house rewind. take a look at top rewinds including ronald reagan and his 1979 presidential announcement. and then the steamboat freedom conference today legalizing marijuana and sunday evening at 6:30 p.m., the road to the white house coverage continues with democratic presidential candidate martin o'malley that will speak at a town hall meeting at the university of new hampshire and then saturday afternoon on booktv.

4:00 o'clock eastern, it is the boston folk festival featuring presentations about iraq and afghanistan war veterans that use their military experience to help others. and the nearest things to life. sunday night at 11:00 o'clock from a book discussion with dan romney on her book, in this together on her journey with multiple sclerosis. >> c-span has her your coverageh the speeches, debates, and most importantly your questions. we are taking the coverage into classrooms across the country.

giving students the chance to speak about what they are working on. >> next, the va health care system, senior members of the veterans affairs committee talked about ways to make it more effective during a discussion hosted by the brookings institution. this is about one hour. >> good morning, everyone, thank you for coming here to discuss the veterans affairs that we continue to recognize just how much men and women have talked throughout history and of course those working with challenges.

we owe them a debt of gratitude and that includes the enduring needs. we have two congressmen from the committee on veterans affairs and that let me introduce them. just to my left, congressman jeff miller from pensacola, florida, who has been in congress for a good chunk of time. so many interests and his national security foreign affairs portfolio and he is chairman of the veterans affairs committee and the armed forces committee and was really in many ways the impetus.

there's a lot of ideas that he would like to present and discuss and in that spirit we welcome the congressmen from minnesota and also the democrat who is joining congressman miller here today. we have a really good bipartisan discussion with the underlying discussion knowing that we want to take care of men and women and of course the department of veterans affairs covers issues that include health care problems and enduring chronic health care problems to mental health problems and it has been an enormous and expensive part of the government pushing $200 billion per year that is not part of the defense budget and if it were a separate budget it would be roughly tied with

china and so it's very much something that we have pumped a lot of resources into and that is the introduction. what we would really like to do is focus about the problems that are within the veterans affairs system and before we get to that, i think that it will help us to do a little bit on where we stand and just very briefly, what are we doing well and what are we not doing well. if we look at the whole veterans affairs mandate we have a lot of resources and time and we know we haven't done well enough yet that we have made some progress in the last 15 or 20 years. so what are we doing well and

where is the most severe problem remaining today. >> thank you for the invitation to be here. the department of veterans affairs, i think part of the store needs to be but it's also about 300 30,000 individuals that have worked there and they have gone a long way from there original mission and so now they do everything from a-z, whether it's managing cemeteries, to the g.i. bill, to the homeless reintegration and health care and you hear a lot about it. the secretary is quick to remind me that we are not upset about everything we do, they do a lot of things good.

the national summit kerry administration does things extremely well and they do great with the va and i come from a homebuilding background in the northwest area, but i will tell you that the biggest problems that exist still remain within the disability side of the veterans benefit administration and the health administration. not everything is a about story but some of the things that have occurred are systemic and we still have unrealistically times and the va is trying to work on that. they have some great ideas but they are trying to roll out and moving in a direction that is more 21st century and they are making some strides there and

it's bad if you want me to move away from what has happened in the past, but we will have to try to root out the culture and until that is done i don't think that they will be operating on all eight cylinders. >> thank you. that's a great introduction. >> thank you, michael. it's a pleasure to be here with my friend. we really mean it and there is not an inch of daylight between us and i say that this is true of the american public. the interesting thing is that while the public is there and they want to get it right, very few happy deep understanding of how this works. i will be the harshest critic because it could be unfair and

we get accused of focusing just on the negative. the fact is if one veteran waits too long, then that is a failure. so it's unrealistic to shoot for 100% and i think that in any organization that has to be the goal. and i am a product of that system in terms of this bill and i think that a middle-class kid from nebraska that was one of the options that we took that allows you to do this. but it is a large organization and we have a unique perspective and that i recognize this. most folks are saying that one of the best health care systems in the country is the 10th largest with the va being the first and they get 80 million visits per year.

and so i think for me one of the problems is that we have to simultaneously look at the things that go wrong. we cannot have mismanagement or cronyism and we need to continue to read those things out. and if you want to get some of the best health care in the world, they are doing some of the extremity injuries that is not being done anywhere else, many of them are trained at va hospitals and it's an integral part in this is where we miss the health care system in general and you cannot talk about the va health care reform outside of the larger issue and i think that the chairman has done a good job of asking the va to focus on this and there are a lot of folks who don't understand the issue and this

becomes a fight for privatization and not privatization. and so i think that the va, when they focus on the core competencies that they can get better if they are willing to look at that 21st century. and health care innovation is changing rapidly. and i think that when we get bogged down again, they have not good at it. ..

>> >> let me ask to break down the distinction vitrain core competencies of physical health care in the sense of injury to the body in general with mental health care with and traumatic brain injury, is the of v.a. system better than the other? >> i don't know if that is the right framework you have to look at the v.a. though way they treat traumatic brain injury but ptsd is

affecting all generations we see that manifest itself with the vietnam veterans where certain figures are hit but to make sure that we do everything that we can to stop this surge of 22 veteran's day committing suicide. the vast majority of those are older betterton's in vietnam era. i've learned this morning at a breakfast with the secretary that the vast majority of those that did commute and dash commit suicide not even in the v.a. system. seven out of 10. so the v.a. has no way of knowing that these folks are in need of help.

so there is of stick with there. >> you say they're not in the system there not actively part of a treatment program at this time. >> there is a category one through eight and you have to apply to be put into a category and most of these individuals are not getting any type of health care benefit from a the department. >> may be a benefit through the gi bill but not in the health care system which is half of the overall budget for most of the people. >> i believe it is 7%. >> i fall into that category i do not use them for health care but you use them for other but in many cases you do have some of the highest quality care to be delivered you could have the best position in the world of there is the inept administrator they cannot

get the patient to them. and i want to keep coming back to this mental health parity is something we're still struggling with. and manifest itself in the private sector and the v.a. is moving forward. the chairman and i with the klay hunt suicide act and that was of a clear-cut case one of the best practices show if you can get peer counseling as early as possible you reduce the significance of and that is the case to get them back into their community of they have to travel to minneapolis from southern minnesota it is distorted it is better to get it at home. >> as the b.a. always has

done but they will not do with a loan -- alone and there are barriers to make it very difficult for the practitioners but to compare them that if you have been 21 v.a. you have been to one but there is truth in that some are administered better than others so to look at how they're doing a rights or failing. >> but compared to patient care and the private sector they stack up pretty well. they would say that if you could get in and it is a fair point. >> it is good for those to get physical treatment with the love all of happiness of what is comparable. i have just two more questions.

now try to anticipate the policy initiatives or the reforms that we have not yet accomplished. before that talk about what we have gotten better at famous in terms of the bush and obama administration we will spend most of the time of what we need to do better you've already keep up the issues but to understand the context rather any reforms that are particularly effective? >> we adjusted for the use of the ground forces now coming out of the national guard to do a much better job of the benefit side gi bill. and something that we do much better now it is a double edge sword as more

veterans are in roving. i remember when i first got to congress but v.a. said they felt they could not advertise we had to have this debate david put science upon the sides of buses city have a better job to make them know what is available but the downside was there is very little preparation to prepare for that. keep this in mind the bulk of the care contrary to popular belief is from the recent conflicts of the rabbit through the vote constrictor it comes 50 years after the conflict starts so we see in vietnam veterans now with the real push for the conflict will

come in 2015. so there is no excuse for not being prepared. so now is the time we're integrating our forces we're getting them to know their benefits many of those can be preventative medicine and i don't think they have gotten significantly better. >> one of the things the committee mandated was mandatory transition assistance it used to be most branches of the military did not require them to go through and that was the marine corps. you cannot teach everything that they need to know about real integrating into the civilian life. it is no longer process. granted most when the exit

the service are now focused on the things they will lead 20 years down the road but focused on their new truck or their girlfriend or boyfriend. but still to make sure they know the benefits are available. one of the things they're doing very quickly, they had websites that provided information but you had to figure out where to go. i think i heard a 70 websites to rail a veteran can go to one singular website to navigate their way through the process to make it easier for them to know what is available. >> as a factual point congressman it is only 7 percent of the population

today of veterans that is an important statistic but 7 percent of 320 million people is still 25 million. and when you think of families perhaps one-third or half of the country is linked and the g.i. bill it isn't in the health care domain specifically but part of veterans affairs now that is more accessible but let me turn to our main concern is where we are falling short with the wait times of the culture of bureaucracy and in addition in greater detail one or two most important policy initiatives you would propose what is

the worst of the problems? >> we really started changing the way v.a. does business almost one year ago august. they always had fee-for-service is but it was not used in a way that veterans would expect it to be used. so we don't try to tear that down brick by brick but there is only 6.5 million in the health care system is the smaller number than they are struggling to be all things to all people. when i heard the new veterans health administration under secretary we need to focus on what we do well and nobody else can do the spinal cord injury the

impurities in what is most critical that v.a. does better than other things done in the community to allow the of veteran to go outside. it makes no sense a veteran would be required to get a flu shot. even with eyeglasses i and a stand up but there are many things from the basic health care we don't have to spend hundreds of millions of dollars of infrastructure that the v.a. has to take care of we can leverage what we already have. that is why i think for the veterans service organization we are thankful they were involved in negotiations that this tries

to help with the aid to what they do best obviously take care of the most seriously injured. >> see you are advocating a much broader option? because the choice act says you have to be a rural area or wait one month otherwise you have no choice use of veterans affairs system is sound like you have to give them the choice. of a light years see that as reality but it probably will lots we did the choice act and appropriated $10 billion with that was supposed to cover is outside that 40-mile perimeter and it may

need to be adjusted the you hear a the v.a. talk about but and to take care of the things to do the things that they do. we always had fee-for-service that one of the issues that i keep going back is talking about outside of health care in general, but a large percentage of our veterans to come from rural areas even though we make up 25% of the population.

if you give that card to someone you have the shortage in the private sector so you try to make it work. we should not be duplicating services or forget we have a special responsibility. what do the congressman to then? do we go to them? , what type of authority to we have over that? of not making this a false choice it is a realization of the population to change demographics that are changing we have to be open to this idea you cannot drive down the street that is not how it works.

we should figure out how to make that work. >> or the dod facility. >> that has to be the best care in this murderous care in the most cost-effective but one of the things we could figure out is the continuity of care and diu the nba should be the place that it starts it is unacceptable that we don't have those that are lifetime records. at the mayo clinic a electronic record is not dead database it is a diagnostic tool if done correctly the algorithms will put things to the forefront of that works directly it would make sense the doctor as was a local physician could see that to make a bigger impact.

so that poor research but we have to be smart how we deliver that yes they are veterans have a responsibility but they're also citizens in the local community. to impact the veteran just like it will. >> i have one final question to have high-level presidential level political debate and i am trying to understand exactly if there is of paramount of consensus with the veterans affairs system, where is the current disagreement to resolve?

it focuses the issues is the choice is we have to confront so what is the system not achieving right about? to get us to the next step even if we don't get to the final goal any time soon? >> if i were to pick one thing accountability is what will change the system the quickest and we passed the accountability bill through the house and he injected with senator rubio but the fact is the number one person in the health administration or the benefits administration said it is too difficult to fire people when the department of veterans affairs.

>> not his everybody needs to be fired, it isn't huge number as it relates but it still has to be done and accountability and transparency are the biggest things so make it easier to your discipline individuals who can or won't do their jobs. most of them are doing their job very well but there are people out there that though -- that know they are protected and they are causing grief right now. >>. >> i always heard you can fire a public schoolteacher one reason is the principle doesn't get at the office to show that they're performing or not. it doesn't make sense to strip the ability of collective bargaining rights.

but in many cases the only strength they have is to argue something is happening at their v.a.. i think the chairman has been a champion i could not agree more. i understand they're highly qualified people they could take a position we want them in the v.a. hospital. ciller the creek is thing you can do is it is done with high expectations of what we will say and do if they just move but i would say right now with long lasting implications that

dod is on the path to it in new electronic medical record they don't care but v.a. says so we will buy a system for them that cannot communicate with the v.a. or the private sector. that is irresponsible. i think there is agreement that they're doing what is wrong as quick as possible but then give us the tools and the biggest and exchange today is to manage a the data. >> we spent $1 billion in the integrated system. they said we will not do it. even though they're both doing different things.

and i'm afraid this is what they're doing that it has to that one of the of colleagues in a joint hearing say you should do this. but the sentiment is fairly decent that we could overcome this that would make the argument when it comes to health care is best to put their efforts there while simultaneously making sure the culture is broken down. >> day you need new legislation? >> and the role to support

the legislation and to receive this in a puzzle -- in a position and i can tell you nothing bothers say bad teacher or a bad doctor than the person downhaul not doing their job. so they want to get rid of this. >> what i told the secretary so is said less-expensive to let them appeal? then they'll so to take one

of the most egregious cases to go all the way to the top of how difficult it appears to do this. to the issue with sharon she ended up being fired not for the manipulation of the white homeland -- of the week times but what v.a. found out she was taking guests on this side and that is she was fired for. realistically you could say right now only pre-people have been fired as it relates to though playtimes. and there was one last week from the chief medical officer and if there is up

problem it takes away too long. so to get paid from phoenix. >> please wait for a microphone. please pose one question. >>. >> talk about electronic job records the department of defense already has signed an agreement and recently there was a report to suggest that v.a. looked into a commercial system as

well. this has gone on for so long, the whole process process, what you think needs to be done that they are on the same track? that somebody needs to do step bin to clarify? >> i have been down this road understand technology i am frustrated when i buy a computer three years later i feel like i have to upgrade. this is of a culture that started with the vista system in rio clinic told us they were pioneers. linda one porridge was one of the best records.

and it is inexcusable of the huge medical systems to force the change into the private sector because most people understood and it has much to do with the health care system. to well, i house intervention to drop the hammer to force them to do this. >> this secretary will talk a lot about the code being written even with they are based on to be older of languages. and then pages then forget it. it seems v.a. wants to write

their own which is not necessarily the best way to go because there could be something off the shelf and somebody could purchase. the only leader that has jurisdiction is the white house because this is day critical piece so with that electronic help record that follows him as somebody who did not wear the uniform and i was first elected so there is a veteran and retirees when dod is done with you

and to take care of them from the beginning to the and. nevada is still mushy. >> i have a of a question for the congressman. for the congressman. and then to open that of all aspects. with the care givers to bring the of homelessness in behind-the-scenes work for the veteran to takeover advantage of the programs offered.

>> we would be both readily agree that is one of the best thing is going especially if a family member of the veteran to make sure they do what they need to do or go where they need to go. unfortunately when it rolls out they tried to go out as far as they could but talk about going back to vietnam it is the focus of the committee just one of the things that is in the mix right now. >> former senator dole is working on this. the one thing with it a healthy part of this debate

is that it could have turned in to a partisan in their has been good legislation they don't see it every day and we're not paying anything for this. that entire burden is by that there may. but what i do not believe it is an detroits of non-government but collectively but to have senator dole involved is starting to elevate the discussion. >> directory.

she has brought to lou the discussion credibility and has been able to do some things outside of the system to bring it to us to be a resource to do resolve the issues that are out there for the care givers. >> tom porter. first of all, thank you for your accountability bill there are a strong supporter the need to work with the other side is day top priority for the 400,000 plus members and we would like to see how v.a. is

coming along to implement river by to see an oversight hearing on implementation. >> based on that request we will schedule one. that is easy enough. i know they we can do before the end of the year and especially on the senate side to put the omnibus v.a. bill together but a one your check is critical they you up a hearing early next year spirit of the issue of suicide then working on bills are wide you brought it up. it is and because people don't care but they move on to the next issue. i remind people of the top

page the bottom half was about a young veteran and on the very same day so the idea that he passed a bill we have to be very careful so we look forward to that hearing. >> this is for representative miller. so cash space gap that's as were the same type of provisions could be spread to other federal agencies for performance.

>> i have. set down. [laughter] with the department of veterans affairs. there is issues out there. that this is not obama of '04 bush issue it those years and years. when you are trained in the wrong way to do something from the accountabilities standpoint things have gotten tougher and tougher as it relates to hold people accountable and to that is why i contend it still is not difficult to do that but when danny kaye before us

the other night for a hearing he said it is virtually impossible. medicine to me that if somebody at the v.a.. yes v.a. is the test case but as i make the same offer to my friends is let's find no way to find the middle ground on the bill to get it passed. that is what is important. i don't think there is a change in the evidentiary requirements that we're not taking away somebody's ability to appeal. where i come from when you are fired, you are fired you walk out the door that day. what you hear from v.a. we

have given notice somebody will be fired but they're still on the payroll through november 9th. to me that does not fire somebody. it is different ways to look at that but we will find a solution may can agree i am stubborn but not enough to hold up a good accountability peace even if it's not when hunted%. >> they are healthy debates i do not question the purpose of what he is trying to do was hold people accountable for better quality care for veterans is a given. but the second and third degree fact i don't think this is an attempt of right to work to make them

entirely right to work. it is not the hundred pound gorilla of the realistic conversation but there are problems of accountability i was make the case he could have done his job better to not give bonuses then move them somewhere else itt could have done something better but we need to find a place for that happens you have chairman miller leading this in the right tone. there are differences and we should govern but there is no daylight between the zero, or the goal or the outcome. >> iran the medical research program eight years and now i am directing a georgetown

university center for studies. v.a. has always depended heavily on their private community particularly the academic medical centers. it has been good in powering veterans over their own health care advocates to the point the best resources are used i think that will be great. however there are about 78 million veterans who were eligible for care to do not use it to. of those who'd do i think it is 34% for health care to increase by 1% will cost 1.$4 million for each percent so as to expand choice it could be very expensive.

>> yes. it will be but i can tell you how much it cost to see a doctor in a particular community. v.a. up until recently cannot tell you. they will tell you the doctor's salary and those things but you have to factor in the hard cost. a study came out the number was like $250 an hour or her visit verses in the private sector 40 or 50 whenever the rates are. there should be a correlation as you experience the choice there is a savings within the system. but you are absolutely right is using the private sector if not for bradley who made

the integration between the medical schools and the v.a. it would not be near what it is today and they still have a huge collaborative efforts in the process but what we have promised a veteran we will provide quality health care and whether that is insider outside the v.a. and should be the veterans to raise its as to where they go to get that health care. that is why there has to be the third-party administrators right now through the choice program several you don't have somebody going out that charges three times. you have to get them and add a certain rate that the v.a. can budget for. >> that is a great point. hitting on this again, how we will deliver because i

agree it is a blended system but it is more important the you'll hear how it is framed they will pay for it they can go wherever they want. but i think what jeff is explaining the with public is that you cannot do it to avoid the cost you can get health care but the outcome is far better in the cost is far lower maybe it is parochial on my point the mayo clinic can do that but they still have cost is higher because they have specialty care. some veterans will have some of the most extensive injuries so your pool will be very high as to take of that agent orange claims a goal for illness claims are

a part of that. and we as a nation and have to figure out how to deliver that health care in a timely and efficient manner at a cost that is doable. that is the challenge. >> senate-passed you heard a great accolades from those people than the rule communities or the rule states like kansas and alaska able using the arch that was the pilot program the reimbursement rates were higher so they said we want to be out of choice is there we have been at this now for less than a year but i think the v.a. truly is changing the way they think about the edge of their free of health care for veterans today and

they will be better served. >> that is fundamental thing to keep in mind veterans and americans if we miss this opportunity long-term my biggest fear is we put out the short term buyers the public looks the way to think it is fine. it will come back again you can be certain. >> i will take to questions together. >> i am from government executive talk about accountability and the difficulties of firing federal workers but what about hiring and training are there areas they could improve that? >> i will take that. >> i will agree with you.

it is way too hard to hire someone in the system especially physicians and met yesterday with folks hoodoos staffing of hospitals and said you do things with them they said yes we have a doctor that is ready to go and it takes so long to go through credentials the doctor will go work somewhere else. so getting people into the system is very difficult. we gave them $5 billion if the choice act but to absolutely from both ends of the spectrum. >> key is exactly right. and to have the capacity to multitask. and how to retain the best

possible. >> i was the rifleman in the marine corps so you mentioned at thousand up 1% said navy fire ship kaftan was like the jews alert -- your riflemen i would say there reason they were fired but fundamentally the reform act the response of watergate justifiably that does not allow that will you look at reforming or at midday the civil service reform act to enable the firing of people that our

incompetent? >> please read your conclusions into this as well. >> i absolutely agree and v.a. would give you different numbers they do have protections but i agreed nothing bothers me more than to see and incompetence with dash an incompetent person that they went above wall above and beyond the chairman has made that clear today he is willing to find a compromise we have the tools necessary for those that are not performing so i am open to looking it is disingenuous as day of legislature to not considering the way washington has been acting in the issues that come up i feel very fortunate it is of a testament to the leadership of the committee

that we're still working together of a common goal and many of them are in this room private providers all of those i take it is disingenuous not to look at everything i want to turn away from the simplistic privatization but whatever it takes to deliver the highest quality health care and the veterans' benefit the most cost-effective manner is what they should choose. i am not tied to a dog in the fight but i would tell the american public if we don't do this now it may be very difficult we should find the answer and i am willing to compromise where it needs to me. >> the number that secretary will say he has fired 2200

but about half of those were probationary people they did not workout's why don't count those although technically they qualify. absolutely times are changing the american public wants accountability from us as members of congress. you can hear that right now people are angry because they don't think there federal government is serving them well and is taking advantage of them. they want people who want to do the right thing and work but those who want to work can go do something somewhere else there are people willing to come into ruth the v.a. to work. yes. >> bank's breuer excellent questions. [applause]

>> you can do anything you want to. if you get paid after due the first lady is supposed to do. but you can do anything that you want. is such a great opportunity solidifies the first lady to do what she wants to do she will be criticized a matter what you do. the white house poured tea have a reception i would have been criticized. and i got a lot of criticism

but you learn to live with that. never let it influence the.

>> texas legislators and officials talk about the hispanic vote and its role in upcoming elections. as well as voting rights and turnout across the country. from the annual texas tribune festival in austin, this is about one hour. >> good morning, i'm a reporter with the texas tribune. i'm happy to welcome you to the fifth annual texas tribune festival. we are happy that you decide to spend your saturday with us and you are here with 8:30 a.m. for a panel on on mocking the hispanic vote. we have a great set of panelist to talk to you. before introduced just i introduce just a few quick housekeeping thanks. we are going to be on here for about one hour. we'll be 40 or 45 minutes of discussion and then open it up for q&a. there are two mics on other side of the room. we are very excited to have an opportunity to ask questions. please put your phone on vibrate, if you're going to tweet about the panel the #.

let's get started. we have a founder of the hispanic republics of texas group which help the spanish republic nonprofits in the state. his a longtime political advisor to many boats including senator mccain and his presidential race. and presidential candidates in latin america. thank you. next we have a senator who is the honorary latino on this panel. the senator is a state senator from houston and where she was all elected in 1990, as she serves on the transportation and commerce committees. before that he served. next is a republican from dallas for elected in 2012. he serves on the business and

industry and in economic and small business committee. next to him is state representative he is elected here in austin in 2,014. i think there's been about four elections. she won a special election in the previous district. she has a long history in texas politics, late she currently serves in the elections committee. last, we have secretary of state pat, he is current secretary of state, his one of governors the first governors the first appointments when he was elected. he is a former democrat, he was elected the commissioner and became the county judge before being placed. thank you for being here we have done several different views of

this panel. this year we have a presidential election, and up, we have a very crowded field, on the republican side if you asked me a year ago when we first started talking about the panel my first question would be about donald trump i would not have believed you. here we are, we have a very crowded republican field where the front runner is at the front of the field despite some of the things that we have heard that their racist. do you struggle, how do you run an election where you can gain more hispanic support how do you give support to whoever gives the leader of your party. >> you're looking at me.

that such a difficult question. by the way, he is not only a national interest, he is of international interest. i've been to several countries recently and people come up to me and say, zero, i hope you are not supporting trump. because it is insulting what he is said about hispanic, but women, about but my family members, my friends. but it is also a phenomenon, a real international. we're talking about in mexico from out of nowhere appears a gentleman is very similar to trump he is offensive, he is a show man, and he wins the governorship of in mexico some argue the most powerful state. the most educated state. the state with the most finances

and for the first time in the history of mexico there is an independent governor. it happened in costa rica last year, also in panama, outsiders win. this year we have a comedian in guatemala, people are tired of politics as usual. in this nation, republicans and democrats i must say, if you look at some of the research, they love that there is a trump guy out there swearing, kicking everybody and making things stirred up. if you also look at the research and do not ask who you vote for, they show what trump stands for and believes in, americans are horrified. i would not vote for anyone like that. the good thing is though we tend to usually vote with our emotions and not with our mind.

that is also international. in this case, we have more than a year for his ideas to come forth and i think we will be missing him on panels very soon. >> i will say there is a cultural connection that i will remind everyone out. when we were growing up or any kids have a birthday party you buy a piñata. you are going to beat up on that piñata and it is a celebration. the hotselling item in austin right now is a donald trump piñata. that is an indicator, as a republican donald trump is the gift that keeps on giving. >> donald trump gives ways to the frustration for the party today. i think people that are following him, people most enthusiastic about him are those

that are just disenfranchised from the current political system. he is one of the outsiders we can attach ourselves to. that being said, his policies are offensive, they are troubling. i think any republican who is thoughtful about these issues, i am hearing some of these commentaries and horrified that someone who has risen to this level, and our party, just supposed to be in the nominee has even said those things. i think that is troubling. i think most republicans will have their summer affairs and some are flings with candidates while we are enjoying the process and entertainment of politics. i think as we go into the fall and into the spring, and we begin to discern who our next presidential nominee will be, i think at that point of the republican party. if you look at history, what we

did at the last election cycle, we had michelle bachmann and kane, we all had our moments in the sun. it is fun, interesting, entertainment. in the end, we nominated a solid individual who ultimately did not achieve what we had hoped but at least the republican party came together that we need a serious minded person to be the president of the united states. also trump is not a republican. you the pew look at the issues he cares about, he is clearly not a republican. certainly not a conservative. people who have begun to gravitate towards him because he is a conservative, they don't look at his record. this is a man who wanted to continue funding for planned parenthood. support single-payer obama care, a person on the news who went on and said george w. bush is the reason we had 911 even though we

had only been there two months when it had occurred. these are not orthodox positions in the republican party. for someone to espouse those positions and still maintain a sizable portion of the early polling suggests that we are hurting right now. we are not serious yet. once we get serious and sober after the stubble of trump then you'll begin to see republicans go that direction. >> at the end of the day he is running in the republican primary but is there silverlining to what you have all described. does it put more pressure on people both sides to step up and talk to hispanic voters and energize them. can they cut through the noise and will put more pressure and benefit voters. >> i think it provides an alternative for people like jeb

john bush and marco rubio, either i think senator cruise is banking on the fact that trump will ultimately implode and people will take his place. marco rubio who is articulate, fresh, and also latino, he is still brown skin and one of us. i think that will begin to resonate with viewers. we have got to broaden this tent, we have to be better about reaching hispanics. we saw the numbers in the last presidential cycle when romney got 22% of the vote. that is not going to cut it. george w. bush when he ran was in the 40s. we have got to get back in the 40s we have a chance and only candidates who can do that are more thoughtful and open-minded about these issues.

does anybody agree with that approach? >> good morning. no. i don't think that should be

the preface. -- precious we have been reaching out to add the there is a generational gap and we have a lot of first-time voters better very cynical that don't trust. been to focus on how we get the hispanic vote is somewhat disingenuous. but is non-partisan to sit back and watch the carnival atmosphere. i agree with the panel. but what is somewhat

concerning is the fact is there is a falling out there that his message is resonating. a look at who is in the background and who is there. and what i can see is anglo-saxon protestant type. every once in awhile and african-american but i'd be the concern is here from texas. everybody talks about the hispanic population and how it is growing with the constituency as well without speaking to the first-time voters or whatever it is. the growth of the hispanic

population is somewhat meaningless if we cannot generate and excite and engage people. doesn't matter hon the particular segment is growing if we don't exercise the right to vote but the message that came across the college campuses was trust they don't trust elected officials. there is a reason for that and it is ironic if you pull congress as the body the numbers are very, very low the unfavorable are high but if you go to any particular district and you pull that particular congressperson the numbers are much higher. so i have people i am trying to convince to go out to vote it would not be the lesser of two evils but to cast a blank ballot get the number registered because all votes do matter

regardless of where we are but as far as reaching out to the hispanic population of asian-americans and african-americans is determined on everybody here. >> the only member on this panel that has the ability to do something about the fact one way to do that is to change though lot. to hear the comments i work very hard with of mind voter registration it got a very late hearing despite having support on the floor. 76 co-authors with a very late hearing and it turned into a partisan attack to suggest if you pass the bill my colleagues would be in danger. my suggestion is texas is

already in grave danger because 34 percent already only voted that should be cautious for concern can reduce same day registration? the other dynamics those are the mechanical things within our control. but i will do it time and again because we have to do better a.m. 34 stinking% her. >> i strongly disagree. >> there is a tendency to forget how we got here. they had to be white and you had to be male. but people think it is okay.

if you have so low turnout election in which the legislature in the middle of the night with the transportation bill. i have registered more republicans in the history of attacks. [laughter] >> with this knee-jerk reaction of the new system of automatic registration. to say i'm against it i hope you take ted deep breath.

the hispanic vote is 1960. to increase the minimum wage we haven't changed with that new dynamic. everybody is spending all this money with the limited resources to try to register people to vote. when you are broke we should look at california and the same day registration technology eliminates the issues related to fraud but to operate with the same

mentality as our founding fathers. >> if i could add on the one hand yes we make it easier and i love the use of technology i think we should register the same day also we should make it attractive but one thing that i don't agree is we put all the blame on the voters. since we don't vote out to expect to change our nation? we decided let's go for candidates hispanics and invite them to run for office yes republicans but hispanics run for office in

individuals like. >> host: to represent us to go to the middle and represent the community -- community is defied the good candidates people will come out to vote owned we need more good people running for office and not just a home and we need to cultivate hispanics better flirting with running for office and then you get the numbers it is not that interesting they don't offer anything so to have more responsibility pledges like israel a reader who set up her campaign to touch every single person to make it clear she was interested in their life but it isn't just going to be by

not running for office. you get george w. bush in the state of texas in info for him as a republican and we as hispanics do tend to do a much more for the person but it is much more than the party. >> i fall prey to that sometimes because you get so frustrated as a candidate but what is so rewarding as a latino as i knock on doors but to connect with someone with there is african-american voter or whether latino you make a connection then they know

this is just a woman at my door to say she wants my vote that will weigh much more heavily than any of the polls showing that they are neither left or right for anybody that overlooks the ms. at our peril. >> i used to be a democrat now a republican iran three times as a democrat three times as a county judge as a republican. i thank you are right with the sos office to generate that interest and when we have a county like karen overwhelmingly democrat 65 or 75%, and i was able to

win three times against some strong democrats, where the straight ticket vote with cameron is two 1/2 times so on election day i.m. down 10,000 votes but it is important to recognize it is about the candidate there is a lot of good people who have great ideas some have not so great ideas either party is a monopoly on good government toward brady is. that is the message certainly when i did my door to door standing on the street corner by myself that in order for any candidate to get that vote they have to connect with the voter because everybody votes based on a personal impact or issue what is important to them personally if you can get that message to resonate my goal is not to

get out the vote that is in my role but it is to the individual party or the nonprofits to provide information and educate voters the best we can now today is not like the '60s you did not have twitter and facebook the and instagram or even sell phones so it is important all of us stay in our swimmingly in. we want to get the vote out african-american pro, a hispanic, everybody but you have to connect. >> we have such low prices a patient first it was a wide

in new mexico and california why are our level so much lower? have we done things in texas we're already at the bottom have redone what makes it more difficult. >> if people want to vote for get online i know a lot of folks that have more than two weeks to vote. would that increase voter participation and? we already have two weeks plus election day and when that was implemented then

today about 50 percent of all votes that were cast were done during the early votes but at least in camera and i have not seen the numbers go up significantly they are about the same. you're voting at it will stay the same there is a gap there isn't i equated that if your parents were religious about going to church every saturday or sunday it is likely will go to church if they did not there is a strong likelihood he will launch if you don't grow up in that environment as a youngster coming up if i see my mom and dad voting every single election it gives me the impetus to develop that voting ethic but if i never saw my parents they never talked

about that i will grow up that way. is not important so in our office we're trying to reach out to those first and second time voters to go to college campuses. one vote at a time speaking to them why anybody wants to get anything done recycling recycling, would never they take it home to their parents this is what i want to do with voting but when you have the rhetoric with the impact of the mexican relations with texas with the economy, it is the same thing so part of the message

to go out and ask them the hard question why is it you are not voting? it is just cynicism and they don't care. >> a think what governor patrick was suggesting that we have a situation that if they vote ended they don't it is in the impediments you were referring to. >> but because we don't have candidates we have eliminated their race delegation is the real point

he is making. we are already resisting impediments that doesn't drive though lack of voter participation. that the districts are drawn now so we end up big in texas that is a solid red state so we know the primary mode will not be relevant and if you are a republican you were all relatively the same so why get out to vote

because of those elected candidates and that alienates folks. now with your argument it is one of the strongest in the country and most republicans would agree we have to bring people to the polls. that there has never been a lawsuit. and just from one polling station of things that went awry so we do have an issue with fried in texas so that the ballot is delivered in a

way to have voter identification but to exercise the of franchise a building that is asking too much but our laws needs to be addressed in these to be revised to expand ways. >> but there will be. >> we are running out of time. and want to give you time to respond. >> betting that opinion is well worth reading. if people honestly believe it was an issue then why wouldn't texas into

automatic registration? >> why wouldn't we show online who voted? i go as far as other south american countries if you honestly believe in a democracy they work better with a maximum number of people participate. and when jesse jackson rand. that is not the way i looked at it. and to encourage more people to participate.

>> i want to talk about 2018 because we know latinos and minorities turnout in bigger numbers of a the presidential year. looking back at 2014 you won a big portion of the latino vote but it is a low turnout election. >> it takes all hands on deck is connection to the voters to say i am with hillary she said i your

hillary. she made that connection and people remember that the most of the trip between the ages of 18 and 29. that segment is always a the hardest with that median indicator. it means reaching out to connect in a personal way at the hillary level so i put the burden on all of us to put the campaign sale of the hour resources together. what is the target universe? fifty andover? everybody else you are on your own.

so perhaps we get to such a demographic we have to spend the resources then be topple as possible. >> it will take money and such strong candidates with all due respect to donald trump. [laughter] i know that would happen now but from when my brother and i 99. [laughter] -- 9-9-9. >> and california in with

the democratic state but the top two vote getters to help people to have to democrats in my district. plus my response in federal court. if two people run every time but it is the significance of money. but the more sick to begin the money becomes.

>> 2018 by then we must have passed comprehensive immigration reform. we can no longer be asking hispanics to participate when on the one hand they are insulting to family members or insulting to pass the immigration reform. then not so both parties have failed. with the economies over education is very important

issue. with good do immigrants. and really spend your capital and republicans get your act together to pass earlier point in those candidates that are very interested. everyone recognizes is to identify that there is someone were authenticated.