just under three hours.

>> hi good morning everyone good morning to my colleagues on a senate committee on veterans affairs. this hearing will come to order. to the first hearing of the senate committee on veterans affairs in the 119th congress. i am grateful to have so many of

my colleagues returning to this committee and look forward to communing with our work together on prevalence of five new members that are banks of indiana, senate sheet from ma oa hanna, et cetera duckworth from illinois and arizona. and senator from michigan. welcome to this committee. that was me before you you and i have had the experience of workingtogether previously. work together to see what veterans are well cared for at asmembers of this committee have an opportunity to express the views and make a difference in this arena. might work on this committee's almost always driven by what i hear from veterans. particulate home in kansas but also across the country.

we will hear from a lot of veterans organizations as well. this is how do we make the v-8 vawork better? was it doing well, what is it not doing well? sometimes what it a time also is veterans as citizens in a group work to solve problems and access healthcare. benefits they've earned and thad achieved in their success in their service. i want them to be successful after their service. i expect the next secretary of veterans affairs to share a similar focus. the role of the secretary of the department of veterans affair is critical of america's national security is dependent upon all voluntary and a va successful help service members thrive veterans is key to bolstering recruitment and keeping our nation safe.

rely on the va to access higher education job training, buy a house, opening small business access healthcare and more. helping veterans achieve those goals is often complicated by the fact the va is one of the largest bureaucracies within the federal government with more than 400,000 employees. that includes a massive physical footprint that expends the globe facilities are aging it and budget well over $30 billion. we must have a secretary that understands a va mission help refocus the department department but veterans first. to recognize is important at the v8 contribute to save successful future for our nation. i'm grateful to congress on doug collins to testify about his nomination to be secretary of veterans affairs.

many issues facing veterans and their families. i am grateful for congress called's interest in serving in this capacity i look forward to hearing today how he plans to improve and support the lives of his fellow veterans if confirmed. i don't military service as family service on to recognize and thank congressman collins family including his wife lisa. his daughter jordan son cameron and copeland who art with us here today. welcome to your family, congressman. before yielding to the ranking member directed sworn veterans affairs mcdonough. i'm grateful to secretary mcdonough for his hard work of the veterans and their families i wish him all the best in his next chapter. with that i yield to the ranking member, senator blumenthal. >> think he is mr. chairman for thank you for being here today congressman collins as well to your family.

lisa, jordan, cameron to all the visitors or who are here today many are veterans. i'm thrilled to be ranking member i have is chairman and friend senator moran. he and i have a strong working relationship. it exemplifies the bipartisanship that characterize the work of this committee. in fact even a paragon of bipartisanship in the face of the buffeting when polarization on other topics. i look forward to fighting and advocating for veterans in the face of some pretty heavy threats. i was chagrined in the inaugural address by president trump about veterans. i was disappointed to see in executive orders the hiring freeze will be imposed

apparently on the va. i am hopeful that you congressman collins, going to be very blunt to be the kind of advocate our va admit veterans will need in this administration. there will be potentially heavy pressures on you to cut and/and reduce access and eligibility because the va frankly is a target rich environment for cost cutters for this a department of government efficiency looking for those kind of cost cutting opportunities. i look forward to supporting you and bolstering your effort to defend and advocate our veterans who must always be a priority. when you think senator moran

senator tester strong advocate as well as mcdonough a joint effort for the impact act. president biden secretary mcdonough were instrumental in more care more benefits to veterans and ever before when they were exposed to toxic chemicals or burn pits only on the battlefield but in training. every member this committee can be proud of the effort pretty much in your opening that quote timely benefits for every eligible veteran is job one. i hope they'll be your mantra. it certainly is ours. veterans with losing access to va drug care system in an unprecedented number of referrals going into the community as we discussed during

our meeting you and i. i proceed coming by to talk to me. there is certainly an important role for community care in the timely delivery of care to veterans. could not be at the expense of the direct care system. you can rely on. one of the combat infantry officer the others a navy seal. most particulate my navy seal son has made benefits and westhaven, i know firsthand the extraordinary care as a gold standard of care are veterans facilities provide. particularly in the area of mental health. we need to invest as well as modernizing infrastructure and facilities such as we are doing and westhaven.

today i want to hear more about your player literally the largest civilian agency and organization more than 450,000 employees providing 20% of the whole federal workforce. that's an awesome responsibility. especially interested in how you plan to build a workforce culture that encourages employee to speak up with concern and criticism. ideas to drive improvement not one, to seek retribution for demand fealty and loyalty at the expense of the quality of veterans care. if confirmed that your duty to treat every va employee and veteran regrowth of gender, race, religion or sexual orientation with the dignity and respect they deserve. you never acknowledge our differences.

you will have differences of opinion especially on social policy. i need your assurance your abuse will not negatively affected veterans seeking the care and benefits they have earned. they earn those benefits. i appreciate your commitment to put the law first and respect the rule of law but with regard to abortion care and counseling expect administration consider the existing rule legally binding unless it is replaced or struck down. i believe rolling back this policy would unnecessarily risk the lives and health of pregnant veterans in states with abortion begins in the post- dobbs era. during the last trump administration when outsiders exerted significant influence on the g8. unsubstantiated three

individuals, private citizens bruce, isaac and mark referred to as the mar-a-lago three played a key role in several high-profile students outside of the formal va decision-making process. these include v-8 senior level personnel decisions and involvement in negotiations for the va electronic record system among other issues. i hope you'll push back. push back strongly on an appropriate of well-established fellow transparency rules. espresso and they're not acting in the best interest of veterans. whether it's ideologically minded groups with ulterior motives or the array of big tech executives was on the platforms yesterday at the inaugural including elon musk.

congressman collins if confirmed you must be the decision-maker at the va. you must be the advocate keep the needs of veterans at the forefront. guilt back at every opportunity i cannot emphasize how important it will be to me and hope all of us on this committee you fight those efforts hopeful we assured priorities including upgrading the va facilities around to greet healthcare, and suicide prevention which i know would be a priority of yours we discussed it to work with you support you advocate in this administration

before i turn it over i went to offer on a personal note, i am incredibly disheartened that the trump administration is canceling the flights of nearly 1660 afghan refugees who were already cleared by the u.s. government to resettle in the united states. these allies aided our troops in afghanistan. when everything about the conflict there, the risk to these afghan allies are so dire and dangerous. many of our groups have been advocates for them. as you know the strongest advocates were re- settling at

risk afghan allies are the veterans who benefited from their protection in their service which involved when their own lives and their families on the line. and yet those afghan partner forces stopped at the risk of harm and errors from the world. our nation has a sacred promise we made to do right by the men and women who risk their lives for our freedom and democracy indirect for the families. that included translators, the guards, the others humor loyal friends i will keep fighting to make sure they're resettled to the united states and pushed back on any attempt by the administration to renege on those problems or service members and veterans went to

offer thanks to the individuals who came to at risk allies have joined us urging aid and freedom for them. again, thank you, mr. chairman et cetera blumenthal thank you i now call one of our colleagues is a member of this committee congressman kevin cramer is a former colleague in the house of our witness, the nominee are now recognized senator cramer. parks thank you chairman moran, franky member blumenthal the titles look good on both of you. look forward to a productive term. it is a great honor and a blessing for me too be able to be here to introduce my former colleague, friend, navy veteran, military chaplin, accomplished attorney, doug collins. in fact if we were to write up

there's a lot of talk about being unqualified for these positions the reality is in a great system of self-governance on qualification is a people who want you. if we were to write up the qualifications for the va administrator for for va secret, doug collins picture it would probably be right next to the description. working with a doggone big pied person things the house of one of the most unlikely things in the world for me too get involved in was copyright law. looking out for the song writers. somehow doug's big personality and big brain sucked me right in and i'm glad i did it's important work. on the work of entertainment. he's got that kind of a

personality and engaging personality that attracts people to what he's working on. i think that says a lot. i mention he's an accomplished attorney because that's really an important part of understanding, et cetera blumenthal the law and enforcing the law. curing out the laws. defending the laws that are passed by congress and become part of the bureaucracy. obviously, him being a veteran of the navy and air force reservist, is important. he relates directly to the experiences of our veterans. he was deployed to iraq. he knows a thing or two about the experience of the veteran. i think that's part of what, to your point center blumenthal makes the va care so special. it's not that there better doctors, better psychiatrist,

better nurses or technicians. they are empathetic. that is when hear from my veteran so often times while they appreciate access to community care they appreciate the empathy of a fellow veteran. doug brings that. but he is a chaplin come on. how perfect is that? to me, one of my great frustrations about the va i mean this was last summer $15 billion shortfall is announced. where was all the communication before that? was he transparency would sit before that? suddenly panic sets in fear and anxiety uncertainty even to the point congress itself pass the supplemental. we remember very well a supplemental because low and

behold there is not $15 billion surplus. how does that happen? in a competent agency that's looking out for the veteran? doug brings, first he brings a legislative experience he helped pass the va act the va admission act that va accountability whistleblower act. these things provided the transparency which we seek. he knows the intent of congress he's a lawyer who understands but he is a chaplin who understand the recipient and that need at the moment. i am really, really grateful he is my friend. i have known many, many good people who have sought a position in the va. everyone was well-intentioned. everyone was search and they would break through. the date would be the one that

made the difference. they would be the one who would take the opportunities to care closer to home or on the front page of the website instead of bearing them deeply never find them. we do have now in the commander-in-chief a cabinet he is picking, people who will put the veteran first. not the bureaucracy bureaucracy bureaucracies important service provider is important. but the most important person is the veteran and that is who doug collins will look out for. i'm really, really, really grateful that he is my friend he's willing to step into this gap i'm ready to support them in every way possible so i introduce to you congressman doug collins. quick center kramer, thank you for your statement and support on the introduction of the nominee and thank you for your membership and efforts and hard work on this committee.

we unite needs arise and go to ask you to take an oath. would you raise your right hand? do you congressman doug called solemnly swear or affirm the testimony about to give up before the nights that senate committee on veterans affairs will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth shall be god? thank you. congressman, thank you again for being here we will now eagerly await your testimony. quick thinking mr. chairman, frank member blumenthal and the restless committee and it seems look around this committee people i've worked with before it's good to see you in the new members as well. i'm honored to be sitting here to be the nominee for the next secretary for the va. thank my friend kevin cramer for that kind introduction appreciate his work i appreciate your work as well he hit it

perfectly i think and for that. i also like to thank president trump for his nomination and for his willingness to have it in confidence in me but the veterans of this country. i am privileged today i appreciate the chairman and ranking member for mentioning my family because i would not be here without them, my wife of 36 years as of me lisa. she is here i have my son copeland and his wife holly i have my son camera his fiancée mattie, and then on the end of the one that glues us all together that's jordan. she is our daughter. also one who's probably watching right now would be remiss if i did not mention it's my 86 rolled father who spent 31 years as a jordan state trooper. dad, i am here because of you and mom. america's greatest nation on earth. the greatest nation i believe because the men and women who serve. the men and women who serve are willing to take a step up to protect the freedoms that we hold so dear. there were two decades of

service i witnessed this firsthand. i watch men and women go at their best even when they did not want to and they survey stood up for freedoms. they earned the benefits of being and a rake great veteran system the va is there for them. in addition to being a navy veteran for white i've been a united states air force for over 23 years. colonel serving at the robbins base i've been able to watch over the years leadership. leadership is about listening it's also about leading. it's also about taking the men and women you serve with making sure you're putting their needs first. when you are in the military it is about the mission for me if i am confirmed by this body the va will be my mission it will be the mission to take care of our veterans make sure they get the benefits they deserve important to write i understand vern pitts i slept next to one for many months. i understand this generation

that went for time and time again deployment after deployment in a different way that we have seen it many times before in our past wars in needs that they have. also being a veteran i also bring something that is unique to this position, since it became a cabinet position with first member of this hill house or senate to serve if confirmed by this body which i think brings a different perspective to my service here because over the years we have all had our differences in this body and i appreciate mentioning we have differences but we can agree i've worked across this aisle to pass major legislation things are president trump in this body we passed the first step active group criminal justice reform with hakeem jeffries in the house modernization exiting center kramer mentioned these are the kind of things that make a big differences when you cross and give good ideas. for me it's having respect for the members it's about having respect for this committee that is what i believe this committee

is one of the most bipartisan here i have earned and work bipartisan to make things happen in this country. i also believe you have a lot more in common with on both sides for this committee we also believe timely access and care for veterans for every eligible person i believe we are supposed to reach out in the mission act provides the template we passed here i was a part of passing va accountability whistleblower protection act by pass this body holds our veterans, workers the works of chapter veterans to the highest standards possible i would say right now that va will not have a stronger writer with employees in the workforce in this secretary if confirmed also one that will make sure we are held accountable because good work but god's good work others seem to be held accountable, we will do that to make sure you get the best for veterans the pack act does mention by the ranking member something we are still developing and making sure everybody gets treatment. just past elizabeth dole asked

of the ground have to look at next i'm looking forward too. as we look at this and bring one thing is going to require your help it's going to require our mission. i bring to you today to things that will be at the forefront of my service but these are my dog tags. they are a reminder just like every other veteran who serve a are part of a bigger unit. we'll also bring this bracelet made for me by a young airman she was keeping watch each night go by and see her we talk i was a flatlined chaplin she said when i i've got something for you. she ran back into her guard shack and came back and said you're always bringing us something and listening i want to give you something. what she did not know is about 15 years later if confirmed by this body this bracelet will be setting the secretary of the va's office remind me every day of the men and women that we serve. with that mr. chairman i yield back. cox congressman collinson give your testimony. love around the questions i will

start and ask a couple questions and yield to the ranking member. it would be unexpected if i did not open my questioning with regard to the mission act. i was involved in the creation of the choice act. we then attempted to improve it. make it more certain with the mission act. my views are highly framed by my days as a house of a cyber represent congressional district the size of the state of illinois with no va hospital. i care about rural and they face. so i want to ask if confirmed will you make sure the letter in the spirit of the mission act is followed by every employee in every va in every facility the veterans are aware of their rights to advocate for themselves to receive care when they needed where they want it?

it's been a few years and forgot to push my button. as we spoke in your office is no greater asset. you hit at the very issue of why the va existed but it does not exist it in and of itself it exists for the veteran. it exists that is where the past 10 -- 15 years in the spot in the mission act was passed the intent of that was to make sure the delivery of services to the veterans is first and foremost. it veteran services being delivered to you also have as you mentioned, va benefits in our community care program for the end of that in the veteran is getting taken care of. va care is going to happen. there always be the va healthcare system for the veteran. the way we express that there's different expression on how we make it better there's different things 40 years ago we still do

today if we are still wanting to stay current with what is going on our newer veterans deserve every access point in your case if you have a long way to go they need to find the care if they want to. always have the va as a backup. read the intent of the mission act at the end of the day is how to make veteran care available to the veteran who needs it in the intent of the congress which i pass that's my intent as well for. >> representative as an answer to what i ask you? >> yes it is. we'll have the intent were going to follow that parts going to be day one understanding that is where we are there but nothing's going to hold out for. >> only highlight i mentioned geography is lots of other concerns and veterans accessing care. i would highlight the importance mission acts can play with high

risk mental health. we need to make certain it's available when they do true? >> yes mr. chairman that is key. using this all across. you can see in jordan has a physical disability, she cannot walk people look at jordan and have immediate sympathy someone commence at trouble thinking clearly or my brain is not working right we tend to repulse i want to condition the va in intercommunity caregivers are drawing near suicide prevention is one of our biggest issues we've got to build to draw the best and brightest this is an issue not just in the va but also the community as well. comedic confinement find it quickly and efficiently. >> me talk about firmament transition to civilian life.

one of the most dangerous circumstances in the well-being of a member of our military who is soon to be a veteran occurs at that point transition periods of time in which there is a sense of loss of belonging, camaraderie of mission and purpose at the time suicide ideation is more prevalent. the department of veterans affairs the department of defense cooperate in a program to properly assist military men and women as they depart active duty. i want to hear how much you value this process and in fact how much you value the requirements. the department of defense and the department failed to implement that care giving time. to provide the necessary

transition support it's hugely important to the life of a servicemember. two recruitment of members of the military. >> you hit it perfectly. is not just taking care of our military veteran coming out from dod in transitioning to a va care if they choose. this is a recruiting issue with the lifecycle of a veteran. if you have good experiences in the dod to have bad experiences for chum children with the va or vice versa people served telling the children and others i don't want you to serve. this to me is all encompassing issue to work on. transitioning becomes that time for some they don't have a grounding anymore. they need that connection. we've not done a good job of connecting the dots.

the 17 number often used 17 veterans who died by suicide. when we understand that, here is all without over 40% could never connect with the va. mr. chairman of my complete assurance is not only going to be a priority extra priority for me i believe we can use all assets not just dod and va but state veterans association as well i am looking to look anyway we can make the connection to make this transition as easy as possible. >> think you know recognize senator blumenthal. >> thank you, mr. chairman. you're exceedingly generous and allotting time for us to ask questions i'm going to try to stay within the five minutes pick what we are suggesting i did not. [laughter] i would never suggest anything of the sort. i hope we'll have a second round of questions.

>> i anticipate that quick thoughts are with easy questions congressman collins. will you commit to respond promptly to any inquiry from members of this committee to request information be fully transparent with this committee? >> that is my intention will you commit to working with veteran service organizations and other stakeholders in making decisions at the va? >> out for to work with his committee members of the house and senate any other organizations out there to help help our veterans. >> and put in the office of inspector general, the government accountability office and special counsel? >> you have laid out the very essence of accountability not only from this body insight into what we are doing and how we are doing it so i look forward to those in making sure we look at those recommendations we work on them at where we can. >> thank you. last week at a hearing of homeland security committee i

gave russell vote the nominee omb director. to renounce a proposal he made it's included in "project 2025" to impose a means test. for va disability compensation benefits. i asked about his proposal to clawback benefits from service disabled veterans. he has advocated him with that lesson the the 30% disability receive no benefit. he refused to renounce either proposal. i need from you a commitment she will oppose any such effort by the administration forgot senator blumenthal being up aprl never ask for anyone else i will say this i have not even read it my issue is i'm going to take care of the veterans that means were not going to balance a budget is in the back of

veterans benefits were not going to do that much for the veteran first and for me that decision comes in the secretary that's in our budgetary oversight that's what i'll be coming to you for as we talk about in your office is issues onion went coming with the issues to solve this issue in this eve of the lot is allowed were going to say here's where we change the law because that's what we've done before. my commitment is in the veteran and making sure we have our budget insufficiently funded sore veterans receive their benefits. i'm going to interpret that as a yes ranking member you can interpret. chris's first term president trump attempted to go down this road by trying to eliminate individual unemployment benefits for retirement age veterans in my view very proposal later retracted and i hope you will oppose any such proposal during this administration for. >> i am not familiar with that discussion. but i am familiar with is what president trump did advocate during his first four years ocs mission act that things that put

veterans first his words were i want to take care of the veterans. as we look forward as i look forward to carrying out his vision taken care of her veterans. putting them first but make sure the va is in the situation was doing that having the resources it needs having the efficiency it needs to make it better. i look back to what is already done i know that was when the veteran first i was doing the same. >> thank you. as you know for far too long across the administration of both parties frankly that va major and minor construction projects hospital, nursing of other critical infrastructure priorities nuts and bolts depended upon by our veterans for care have been dramatically underfunded. for years i had to fight for fact-finding to modernize the facility and the westhaven finally is underway there thousands of other projects i

would bet in any one of my colleagues districts that need that kind of funding is a bipartisan issue it's good for veterans and good for local economies and a red states and blue states. the longer we wait the more expensive construction becomes if confirmed will you commit to me you will work with us to make those kind of investments a priority? >> what you just hit is bigger than buildings it's about the future of the va it's how we take care of our veterans reframe the question of funding the projects i look at in my funding a project that helps a veteran that's me in every district as you said i am looking forward look in the limited dollars upon becoming from the congress how we spend those to make sure we are prioritizing the needs in areas you meant you target your home state as well well for his or her heirs his errors i make sure the done efficiently and on time for it also the proper oversight

we don't see them drag on for years. i've heard too many times and many of your office is it was 60 plus centers on both parties this is an issue that comes up consistently up to better stewards of our building projects that at the end of the day it's the veteran who get served. >> thank you, thank you, mr. chairman. >> i almost gaveled due at the time, 43 seconds ago just to make sure the order of things too. >> and knew that was coming. >> yes, sir. senator she he is going to be answered next. one of he presides at the senate welcome to this committee thank you for your service in the country. you are recognizably quick thank you german. congressman, thank you for being here everything so bring your families great to see them all here the military as a family business when we leave for month and year on and it's them it carries the weight. i come from very large state were not a whole lot of people out veterans travel up many,

many hours it to be a care. too that end i like your thoughts i will expand access to care. senator blumenthal others discussed press release, talked about i think we know from experience it's been very, very hard for veterans to effectively mention their healthcare benefits of being able to seamlessly go to the community and get their care of your with montana five and half hour drive to a va care facility. i want to make sure we actually take action to make sure veterans can go in the community to the don't have to drive hours away. issues is not new to district.

i get the facts sometimes the distance may be deceiving you for shorter distance how to get there that can be a problem especially older veterans. i asked him to drive 90 miles at corrective lenses he is having trouble seeing but not the best positions we need to be and buried their intent advisor for the mission. i'm going to go a step to be on center isaacson was a good friend of mine. the choice actiq and that mission act with all the very issues you speak of. for me it's about making sure we publicize what is out there. that's been a concern for many on both sides of the aisle you and i both know in rural areas and sometimes it's hard to get there. i am commitment to reasoning every avenue again to make sure the benefits they know about perth want to use them, grateful be them for them babe are some do not know for you and other states and rural states and urban settings we have to make sure the access is there.

i have to make sure that va it self is not standing in the way. where there is conditions met and they are eligible it's not the va stand in the way to getting them the healthcare they needs that can be through call centers, doctor visits and everywhere else. will be working with that. >> is a wounded vet who transitioned out my wife is also active duty. we served together at the same time. the hardest part about va care i found it most of my peers i agree is the handoff from active duty healthcare and handoff to the va unfortunately, i was fortunate enough at a fantastic handoff disabled veterans help with my transition very few veterans end up in that spot. how can you as a va secretary ensure we have a smoother inseam of handoff from active duty members when they enter the va medical records are ported over, care is ported over to happen hn

seamlessly for the veteran? >> senator, as we just discussed as previously discussing this the transition with the chairman. it is the most important for the family itself. you understand that with your transition and your wife transition at that point there is the unsettled desperate wheredo we go? especially there's pre-existing there are several things we need to make sure touches are much better their programs to make sure we touch, the va touches on occasion make sure they get the transition care. if that's not happening we need to do it better. that's a medical health records issue of the va. that's a program that is went to many years and cost to many billions of dollars without finding a solution in my commitment one of the very first priorities if confirmed to get in and figure out why and put on the bigger time frame to get that medical health records

issue solved. i will say this now will price it again. the va is special but not unique. here meet when i say that part especially who we keep and who we trust and who we take care of as her veteran. it's not unique in the sense we do healthcare but healthcare is done and this every day outside the va is one of the largest system which is the va. guy got her health records straight good and easy handoff. it should be simple click of the button is many times i've had in my office when i was in congress opt-out almost a year to the records are transferred that leaves uncertainty for the veteran. what should be a simple click of the button. up to almost one year to get those records transferred.

that leaves uncertainty for the veterans, it leaves uncertainty for the family and leaves a very unhealthy experience. >> thank you for your service to the country. thank you for your family service. thank you for stepping up again. >> senator murray. >> thank you, chairman. very good to see you. thank you for meeting with in my office. i appreciate that discussion. i will start the question in reference to what you just talked about. signed an no-bid contract to rule out the electronic health record to all va facilities and the first site went live in my home state in 2020 and it was disastrous. endangered patients by rushing the deployment not making sure that the system was technically sound. not working with the clinicians on the ground and not providing

sufficient training and veterans in providers in my home state are still paying the price for that. last month the va announced it would be moving forward with pre-deployment activities at the next four sites for the electronic health record. you said, you reference it here that you plan to make dhr a priority. i want to know what specifically that means. when you prioritize that by rushing the implementation or will you prioritize it by getting this system right and focusing on veteran safety and clinical productivity as you move forward. >> thank you, senator. i did enjoy our time together in your office. there is never a more perilous issue than a tip of a new idea. that goes back a long ways. that is true with what happens here. when i say we will make this a priority, it means for me, it will be taking it as a full, i am taking the first step and i

will look at it from fresh eyes. i will not be there for what this committee would have to say has been too long and cost too much money. we will talk about the vendor from oracle. we will make sure that we find out what their issue is. we will listen to our clinicians , we will listen to our hospitals. we are special and who we care for, but we are not unique. there is no reason in the world that we cannot get this done. that is a concern that i have because you in this body and you have done a great job making sure that we are funding a system that we are now sitting here six-eight years away and nothing has happened. just as a senator talks about not only the transition, we have to get better health so we cannot only have the issue with our one on one doctrine we can move faster. they can see the information ahead and it is safer for the patient. for me, as soon as possible, in the very early stages of confirmed, i will gather together members of my spat -- staff that will be specifically

tasked within the first days of this administration to see what is the issue. why is it waiting and wise a previous administration saying that they may try to started back in 2026. i believe that we can do it and do it properly, not rushed. there is enough information that we can get it done quicker. >> the first step would be to bring oracle into your staff. please make sure that you talk with these people on the ground that have been dealing with this to understand what has gone wrong. as you take on the next steps. i would also ask that you please stay in touch with me. this committee knows my top priority and i would just be so frustrated with it. >> senator, you would be amazed at how many conversations i have had. cannot over emphasize enough the why this needs to be done. being on the hill and positioned it is also an understanding

coming to products. to normal billions of dollars. i think president trump started this. we will continue that. it is time to get it done. as i said early, the mission is the vet. the veteran that has her the benefit and if we are not given the right tools for that, then the doctor, clinician, nurses are not able to mash. i will not accept we cannot do it. i will not accept we do not know i will not accept we don't have enough money, you have that eight years of billions of dollars. i am with you on this, we will definitely work together. >> reference something that senator blumenthal mentioned in his opening remarks and that is i care deeply about our women veterans and that they have the services that they need it i

want to just ask you do you believe a veteran that lives in texas who has been raped and becomes pregnant should be able to get abortion care at her local va. >> senator, that is a issue that is very sensitive in this body. it has been looked at here at what the law actually says. the va does not do abortions. two years ago that was a decision that was looked at it decided. we will be looking at that issue when i get in there to confirm that the va is actually following the law. >> do you plan to modify that law then? >> will begin and we will look to make sure that the laws being followed. the revision had just happened. >> i want you to know that i will be following this very closely. i want to make sure that women veterans get the health care that they need thank you. >> senator sullivan. congratulations to you and the ranking member. i look forward to working with you and congressman collins, congratulations to you.

thank you to your wonderful beautiful family there behind you. i certainly agree with my good friend and is open remarks. i think that you are eminently qualified eminently qualified. as a veteran yourself and as a chaplain i agree with senator kramer that bring some real unique insights that i think will be great. i look forward to strongly supporting your confirmation. i am a big fan and i certainly hope that we have bipartisan support for your confirmation while given your qualifications. so, thank you for your willingness to serve. i appreciate our meeting. as you know, i focused a lot on alaska. for really important reasons my state has more per capita. we are big. talk about big states. i won't even get into the size of alaska because i do not want

to embarrass anybody but it is really, really really big. i think we are five times bigger than montana. we do not have one full-service veteran hospital. not one. it is up -- it is us and new hampshire higher. we have really big challenges for all those reasons good because we have so many veterans challenging because we are big and we don't even have one full-service hospital. we have had many disasters, in my view with the va. you and i talked about some of them. in 2015 right when i talk with the senate the va system in alaska collapsed. it was the first big thing i dealt with as a brand-new senator. it collapsed because they realigned these visions. they took the vision out of alaska

i need to get a commitment from you. i was able to get legislation that said if you don't have a full-service hospital so you can go immediately community care. the call centers do not allow that. they don't know the bill. if people understand what the

state is about and help bring down this very big backlog. maybe see what it is like to be in a state that is dark and 50 below zero. august as opposed to february. >> actually putting chaplains up in your beautiful state. that is one of our issues is that long winter. you brought out a point when you were talking about this and the uniqueness of alaska and new hampshire higher and not having the full-service hospital. going as a user of community care. it is really disturbing to me as we talk about 5000 i believe it was. talking about health benefits. this is not a benefit backlog.

this is a healthcare backlog. that means there are 5000 souls that are there. >> last summer it was up to 12,000. outgoing secretary was trying. 12,000 just waiting to get an appointment. we had someone in the lower 48 that it never been to alaska trying to make an appointment for our alaska veteran. yes go back and make change. i'm willing you commit to look at that and see if we can make it better. they cannot drive to anchorage. >> let me ask one final question very quickly. we talked about our alaska native community is also incredibly patriotic. alaska native serve at higher rates in the military than any other ethnic group in the country so super patriotic. live in a lot of our rural

communities in our alaska native healthcare organizations have reached into the rural parts that no other place does. the va has a long history of working with our alaska native health organizations to extend the reach of care into very rural parts of america. very rural parts of alaska and partner to get alaska native veterans but also non-natives that live in these rural communities to go to alaska native health organizations to get care because they partnered with the va. can i get your commitment to continue that good relationship? sometimes a little contentious on negotiating the agreement, but they are really worth it to expand and extend va healthcare for native alaskans, non-native alaskans in the most rural parts of our state. >> senator, yes. we are willing to commit to do that in any other districts across the country where we can partner to make sure veterans are getting health care that they need. of course.

>> great. thank you, congressman. i will have more questions for the record. thank you very much. >> senator. >> thank you, mr. chairman. it is nice to see you, congratulations on your nomination. as part of my responsibilities to ensure the fitness of any nominee that becomes before any of my committees, i asked the following two initial questions. since you became a legal adult have you ever made unwanted requests for sexual favors or committed any verbal or physical harassment or assault of a sexual nature. >> no, i have not. >> have you ever face discipline are entered into a settlement related of this kind of conduct. >> no, i have not. >> i would like to note that they do not have a full-service va hospital and like alaska has access issues with seven inhabited islands and veterans living on all of them. those are all issues that we will need to continue to address

congressman, you are very close to president trump both as a member of the house and since that time. under what circumstances would you say no to a request or order from president trump? >> senator, we are dealing with hypothetical saying the president would actually asked me to do something illegal. i'm not going to hypothetical because this president has put veterans first. he will not ask me to do anything illegal and i think the question implies something that has not happened. >> excuse me, i think that we need to make sure what your priorities are. you are saying that you will not say yes to it into what you consider in a legal order. during your time in public life, you have been very outspoken on pregnant peoples right to their own reproductive choices. the role of secretary, you would be receiving care for veterans and their loved ones across the

entire ideological spectrum. would you resend the interim final rule enacted under the biden administration that allows va to provide abortion counseling and abortions in the case of rape, incest or where the life or health of the veteran would be in danger. >> thank you, senator. as we just discussed a moment ago, the va act in 1992 specifically forbid the va from doing abortions. >> let me just clarify something for you. you referred to a law that actually is being pretty much clarified by this interim final rule. as you know, debate regarding what the law allows. i believe the law allows israel to be inaccurate. my question to you would be would you resend this interim rule that would provide the providing of abortions to

veterans under the circumstances of rape, incest are aware life is endangered. would you resend the rule? >> senators, i was answering your question. we will look at this ruling and see if it complies with the law. as you just said, it is a debatable issue. we will make sure that the va is following the law. >> if you provide these services , you are providing the veterans the full range of care for reproductive services as needed. regardless of your ideological position. >> senator, my position is based in the law and i will follow the law in this regard. i would have loved to have sat down to talk with you before this hearing and we could have explained this. >> i am asking you under oath, world-class care, quilting you, includes a full range of reproductive services.

>> i believe the range of care provided at the va is following the law and intent of this body as it is set forth in the law. >> the way you interpret the law will just allow services to 2 million veterans in the u.s. including 13,000 in hawaii. you would do so. that is what you just testified. >> as i have just testified, i will take a look at where the law stands and where you also testified in your question probably just changed two years ago. >> i would hope -- there is a rule and you say that it all depends. you are not responding to whether you will resend that rule which provides care for thousands of veterans. va has over 450,000 employees and contracts with hundreds of thousands of prior providers across the country.

can you explain what rules you would have withheld for such a large organization? >> i would love to, senator. affecting the va operation from a day-to-day operation. i have also spent time in the military working with many individuals currently served in the air force base and command for 656 personnel working across different columns handling different positions. putting good people and good positions to make sure they enforce it and know that they have. >> thank you. senator kramer. >> i am compelled to ask this question because senator asked you if -- i think the implication was would you carry

out by the president of the united states. it is so hypothetical to be silly. but i am compelled to ask, would you consider resending an illegal rule by the previous administration? because it seems to me that in a legal rule or one that is debatable is worthy of significant legal consideration before you would do it just because you felt like doing it. >> i appreciate the way that is worded because that is exactly the way i try to word it to the senator. the va was not to be doing abortions. we look at each situation that comes up in 2022 in which they were told to look at a rule that would get around that. to me it was a time to look at

that rule that we are actually dealing with the law and the intent of this body. when you get into that, for me this is going forward and looking at all the issues. i have great respect for this body. best served in this body. what we asked actually mean something. the minute the rule of law falls down. for me, yes, i will be looking into this. >> thank you. i wanted to give you this opportunity to uninterrupted explain yourself and you did very well. you are hearing a lot about community care, obviously. i will spare all of my horror stories. the senator did a remarkable job those are big rural states. your examples are outstanding. i would just add that, it is my intention to work with my

colleagues to further clarify in the mission act, in other words, we still hear horror stories from veterans that lived 300 miles from the va hospital, maybe 100 miles from the nearest maybe even see bock who may be live across the street from a critical access hospital which we have 36 spread throughout our wonderful little state. they operate on the thinnest of margins. it is tragic for me to think there is a veteran waiting for paperwork that is being slow walked by a bureaucrat more interested in the va than they are the veteran. all while there is a hospital that is barely hanging on across the street. i am not even exaggerating a little bit when i say that the perhaps, i guess my question is, would you work with me and colleagues on this committee to

find ways to not just streamline the process, but guarantee it. the default is not have you checked all the boxes on enough pieces of paper to qualify for care somewhere else before you die trying to get far, far away but rather you do that first and then the reimbursement comes after that. anyway, i am just asking if you would help me. if you have some thoughts and you would commit to working with us on something like that. >> i've been asked about doing this job long time ago. i have had some say congratulations. i've had some say what are you doing. i say no i am taking this number one because i care for people and i care for veterans. it is what you see to make it better. the service organization called the va is about service. it is about the veteran. the va is there and like i said,

i am looking forward to be a secretary that motivates and unleashes the power of this wonderful workforce which i believe the most wonderful workforce that want to do a good job. they need the leadership encouragement to say let's find yeses instead of nose. let's find answers and set of technicalities. let's find the hope in people instead of trying to find the reason to hold or delay. to me, this is about the veteran getting them access to care that we voted for. that is why we do what we do. they deserve it. so, for me and senator duckworth and this crosses party lines and i appreciate the member talking about this. we had a great conversation discussing about co-locating with rural hospitals. if that is a possibility, could it be looked at. it is something that i would look a because it helps both sides. we have to get back to where it is about the veteran itself. i will empower a workforce that wants to get together every day and say i'm getting to yes. i am getting to this veteran so

they get the help that they need >> you, sir, are a leader with the service heart. >> thank you, mr. chairman. congratulations. i want to just emphasize a couple of things you already discussed. critically important and a number of bills out there that cap promotion act, combat veterans preenrollment act. i suspect you are familiar with them. i just want to hear you reiterate your commitment to this transition and working with the department of defense. it is a partnership that has to happen to make that warm handoff it will be a priority for you. >> yes. they are so many priorities, this one about making this transition is so important to me because it transcends just getting them back into the service. it transcends the benefit that they are in spirit it goes to

the very heart of making sure that they are going to unfeeling wanted. i believe a recruitment issue all the way through a retirement issue. if they feel like they are being taken care of in dod, they will have a better opportunity if va reaches that thing here are the benefits you want to participate in that they have a place there and they have a facility for them. the concern that i have is making sure that in dod and i already had some look at this at how we can do some cooperative work with the dod and the va. also bring in into account the state associations as well. >> i want to emphasize that last point. the national defense authorization act. getting to the senate and the house to communicate veterans transition status to the state veterans facility so this person can be greeted at the airport, for example. that is a kind of handoff that i think we want. do you agree.

it is how you are perceived. i viewed the service part of the va is the most important part. there sometimes you have to tell people know. you have to tell them we cannot do something benefit or something else, but there is always time to make that veteran feel like they are cared for. i believe that the transition time, as you said, that warm hug is a thing that we need to actually look at. >> it is a time of heightened risk of suicide for example. let me move on. having some discussions. i think this points out one of the fundamental flaws in the federal government peer kermit process particularly in national security areas where we feel that we have to buy our own custom brand new shiny product rather than something sitting on the shelf. there is electronic health record system called epic that thousands of hospitals use all across the country. instead, we are trying to invent our own system which frankly has

not worked in as you pointed out cost billions of dollars. i hope you will look at the option of saying let's go with something that works that we know that works and can be modified to meet our needs rather than continuing down the role of billions of dollars of a system that has so far not proven itself. >> what i am committed to is making sure what we have been looking at all of the options on the table. oracle has had, you know, places where they already had facilities already running the program. it is the issue that i went back to earlier. the vas special, but not unique. how is it different than the largest healthcare organization if they are not better ways that we can do it. we have to look for better ways all across. >> that is exactly my point. a lot of discussions about the mission acting community care. i am all for it under the

appropriate circumstances, but not at the expense of a creeping elimination of the veterans health care system. i believe i heard you say earlier you remain committed to va healthcare in addition to community care where appropriate is that correct. >> you heard correctly because i believe there will always be va healthcare for the veteran that comes out. i believe we have to make sure that we are giving the care as authorized by this body to make sure that we do it in the ways that are appropriate to the veteran. we have to have the veterans to do the mission and what the intent was when we passed it. >> you mentioned you had not read project 2025. there are some suggestions in it that frankly i find pretty frightening. when somebody says it on tv,. >> for example there is a provision that new managerial approaches should be currently used in the private sector to be employed to approve the existing vba activities.

i am afraid that that may be code for sharks. for a claim sharks. are you supportive of that bill? >> i am familiar with it, yes. >> i hope that you will familiarize with that. it is a very important bipartisan bill to protect veterans from referring to it as claim charts. i have some other additional questions later in the hearing. thank you, mr. chairman. >> senator banks, welcome to the committee. you are recognized for questions >> great to see you. we served together in the house. those four years of president trump's first term wherefore great years for america's veterans. president trump was the veterans president. we did great things from expanding the mission act to greater accountability for va employees. we loosened standards for the g.i. bill. president trump sent us down a path to modernize electronic

health records. the list goes on and on from the va crisis hotline to other issues that were priorities. you and i had a chance to work on them in the house as among the greatest accomplishment in the eight years that i've served in congress. now we have another four years. i do have some concerns about the condition of our medical facilities. we talked about this in my office. the indianapolis medical center is due for total replacement. it is in the va's five-year development plan meeting. a project that you have on the books but you do not have funding to do it. will you commit today with working with me to get the project started next year as the

va plans call for? >> thank you, senator. working with this body to get the funding needs with all of our construction and priority needs will be there. our average age of many of our facilities is 60 plus years old. this is beyond when you look at the hospital sign now in private hospitals and public hospitals are average 15-20 years. this is just a whole different spirit some of our resisting facilities will have to have major work just to hold. something we will look forward to make sure we get it funded. we look forward to working with this body.

the va has struggled with construction, maintenance and leasing for years. in indianapolis and a lot of other projects around the country facing significant delays which is harming our veterans. how will you prioritize reforming the offices that handled these functions within the usa? >> you have to make sure we have what i am hoping i find a slam down but a very focused vision on our acquisitions, our construction projects. this person has to sign off. making it applicable. the project over 100 million. after the project in aurora and colorado which went so far which we were here for. that is why we have to make sure we have the right people in those positions they bring and help them we need to. how can this be more cost effective. i looked at this job and looked at the masses.

actually showing it and what we did and worked here. >> the last few years have been very different. i look forward to changing up very quickly. the house veteran affairs committee there's a lot of confusion about where they will put new clinics and why those counties are towns or cities were chosen. it made it really hard for me as a congressman to explain to my constituents wideness was chosen for the clinic in another location was not. do you think the va should let congress know in advance where land clinics are going? >> we should have a much better working relationship in regards to all aspects of this. we discussed earlier about how we locate those, maybe even others.

one of the main offenses that i will have. i believe after listening to us over 60 plus or more, we have to have a better looking relationship through our legislative affairs. if confirmed by this body they will be proactive not reactive. answering policy questions boots on the ground so to speak here on the hill. talking not just to you about your concern but hearing your constituent service workers. 60% fall under va where it's benefits or healthcare. i want our folks to know that up front. so that your people can know who to talk to. they will relate the reports to me. we have a problem coming from your office and we have a chance to react to that much quicker. i will have the information so that we are not seeing something

in the paper six months later or have you to call. i have made the promise to everyone here that i do not come in this with rose-colored glasses. i think this is a large undertaking i feel called to be had. for all of you who have it and i've heard it as well might years of congress, when a member of the military, a veteran has to call our office, a congressman or senator's office to get the care they've already earned it is a mark of failure in our department. it is not something we can overcome. i believe till we get to that market then we are not taking care of veterans. i will encourage all of our employees to get to that. >> thank you. >> i better check and make sure that i have it right. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i am really pleased to be on this committee. sorry. sorry. i missed it by an inch. i think that veterans issues

should be bipartisan issues. you and i served together in the house. i am very proud to be the first cia officer in the u.s. senate. i am a 9/11 baby, as they say it was recruited after 9/11 and completed three tours in iraq armed by the military and worked proudly for both democrat and republican administrations. i am also a democrat that just got elected on the same ballot as donald trump. i understand that mr. trump has the right to nominate his own people and have policies that differ than my own beliefs. i think what i care about the most is just making sure that our veterans get the care that they need and we do not strip essential programs for the sake of cutting the workforce. i worked very hard and that bill on the house veterans affairs committee. the potential to expand care to

3 million 9/11 era veterans who lived near burn pits and then elizabeth dole act that a number of folks in this committee worked on as well which really does amazing things for mental health and expanding programs on long-term care so can you just give me assurances that while i know it is a mandate from president trump to cut the size of the government, that you will always speak up on behalf of veterans, not just do the bidding of someone that may be somewhere else easier numbers and starts to slash and burn. in places like michigan we have really expanded our staff on the va to handle the veterans coming in. if we just start slashing numbers, we will be hurting the veterans who voted and said we wanted to care for. just a simple answer there. >> that is an easy one.

as i said earlier in this hearing we will not sacrifice the veterans benefits to do a budget. i think these are the consequences we have. we have to make sure we are doing our mission. i would not go to a place where we are not doing the mission. >> i know there will come a time there always is when we are cutting things that you will have to push back and say this is what that will do to care. you will pledge an oath to the constitution here, not to anyone president. on the issue of veterans benefits, do you believe that you have the ability, usda secretary, if confirmed, would have the ability to change the discharge status of anyone american do you believe that a veterans benefits can be cut based on personal or political

beliefs? >> no, senator. that is not a criteria for cutting. it is earned based on the criteria set before. it is not a test that we would work for. >> i really hope we stand for that. even when we deeply disagree with the veterans actions their service and their discharge status is determined based on their moment that they serve the country. whether we like their views are not. taking it away from people like that january 6 protesters. even when they were convicted. similarly, we are watching right now senior people from the u.s. military and coast guard be removed from their jobs on mr. trump's first day. i just want your assurances that we will not change the veterans benefits that they earned if the discharge status is what it is from the department of defense.

>> up not going down the path that we talked about her hypotheticals, i think that the dod, when it comes to the veteran and the va coming to itself that comes with the benefits that they have earned through their service and how they get to us. we will take their status when they get here. the issues you're talking about from dod we will take care -- take care of them from the veteran perspective if we say a veteran has served, they get their discharge papers they own their service to the country, regardless of what political views they have, whatever they say or do after their service, they are retroactively punished to their pension, through their va benefits. i think that that is a dangerous path for democrats and republicans. i will rely on you to stand on the breach on that one. with that, i yield back my time. >> thank you very much. senator bozeman. >> thank you, mr. chairman. congratulations on the

chairmanship the we look forward to working with you and senator blumenthal's leadership, continuing to provide great leadership that this committee has had for the last several of years. the va's state veterans program is a great resource for many senior veterans including those in arkansas. the rogers location does an excellent mark carrying for senior veterans needing upgrades to provi the standards of care expected. in fiscal year 24, this 96 bed facility was ranked number 12 on the veteran state home construction grant program priority list after being ranked number nine in fiscal year 23. unfortunately, the facility will not receive the necessary funding in fiscal year 24. we have worked with the current administration to get the necessary upgrades the rogers facility needs. do i have your commitment that the va under your leadership

will continue working with us on the issue. >> senator, thank you. i think that this is important. we will work with you and the appropriators and also this committee to make sure that the priorities express will be taken care of and we will work with you to do those as we go forward at the end of the day especially with what you just brought up it is one of the more critical in the end-of-life issues that we deal with in those later stage issues where more care is needed making sure that the states across the country and the va is providing that care is something that is frankly a nonnegotiable. as a pastor for 11 years as well and spent any times in those long-term care facilities and it was humbling and also very critical to understanding. we will work to see what we can to make sure that every need is met. we will not always be able to say here is the best answer you want to hear, but i will definitely work with you. >> thank you.

>> i'm very proud of the committee's work to pass the pact act which now provides long-overdue care for veterans dealing with the effects of toxic exposure while the va's effort to reach veterans impacted by the legislation and get them support has been great. our main concern about the va's management of the toxic exposure fund and overall budget outlook. how will you make sure that the va's toxic exposure fund remains viable for years to come while providing the levels of care our veterans have earned. >> thank you, senator. the care there is the biggest issue coming out of the pact act it has been several hundred thousand new people brought into the system and even more coming. i think the biggest thing we have to do is look at what has passed here. i promise you and i spoke about

this in your office, are we making sure that we are getting good information and doing what the intent of the law was so they can continue to get those benefits. that comes from resources that come at us from this body. i will come to you with real-world examples. one of the things as i made the comment earlier about our legislative affairs and making sure we are more on the keel so to speak was another commitment that i have because i have sat where you sat and had questions of administrations in the past is that you get good information and that you have a commitment from me that when you get information about how we are funding and how we are appropriating that that whoever sits at this table myself and anyone else that comes from the va will give us good information and give you good numbers. starting off in a number of millions and then goes down to another millions and that is not even use a senator kramer talked about in the opening. we will be doing that in addition to making sure that we are getting good accurate

numbers so that we can inflect the intent of these acts. the elizabeth dole act will be one that i want to make sure that we do properly. we set it under the trump administration when bluewater navies actually put into play. there were times set in that we could be done properly. sometimes the great ideas are at the wrong time are not the best way. you have to make sure that you have the great idea done properly and that is what we will do. >> just say again, you serve, you are a great member in the house. you understand how important it is that when we need information , when we need to talk to you or somebody important it is so frustrating. you have the hearing and you sent letters and the last three letters had not been answered. just say again very briefly because my time is up, but i think that it is one of the most important things that we can talk about today is how important it is again too, you

know, be such that you are in constant with the members. >> thank you for piloting what i think will be one of the biggest differences and confirmed by this body if the va in the early stages and that will be the involvement of our legislative affairs on the sale. i am committed to having 535 if you would, canaries in a coal mine. 107 senators and representatives helping us to see where there are problems. to see where there are issues. not just a policy not just in funding revenue but in the actual veteran constituency. when i hear from you, he mentioned earlier, when we hear from the veterans, that is what we here at home depot. when we are walking around. i want to know where the problems are because i'm not a secretary confirmed that will sit behind the desk i will be out there making sure that we get it fixed. >> thank you. >> thank you senator bowes and. >> thank you for joining us here

today and congratulations on your nomination as you and i talked to my office of course this is very personal to me also being a marine iraq veteran. someone who has used va healthcare services and also receives a disability rating from them making sure that the va continues to be you know, taking care of our veterans is important to me. especially in arizona. i have a couple questions come up more arizona focus. to be connected program had began as an arizona veteran suicide prevention program and has grown to serve the states by connecting them with mental health resources and more. which sometimes cannot be met within the hospital system. receiving one third of its funding and two thirds from the va and renews this with the phoenix va annually. they recently said it no longer intends to enter into another contract with the be connected program and will stop funding on march 31 due to budget constraints.

so, if confirmed will you commit to work with me and the other members of the delegation to ensure that the va finds alternative sources of funding so arizona veterans can continue to receive the critical services through the be connected program >> yes, senator. good to see you and good to see you over here in your seat as we serve together. also the same ground in iraq we know that issue coming back and that transition has been mentioned many times here before it concerns me. what you are bringing up right now, it concerns me that as a va they will be concerns about funding a program that actually goes to one of my major concerns and that is the issue of death by suicide and looking or even taking to a homelessness issue as well. those are the kind of programs that i think our priorities. from my perspective as a secretary, it will be about priorities. seventeen people not with us anymore is not satisfactory. of those are homeless not

satisfactory. a 5000 waiting list in alaska is not satisfactory. budget items will match up to the priorities that i want to have the that is why look forward to working with you in getting more information on that issue. >> thank you. i am moving on to the hud vast program. something that is very important in terms of reducing homeless veterans. we did see a growth in homeless veterans increased by 7.4% from 2022-2023 for a viral variety of reasons. the program pairs rental assistance to housing vouchers targeted at veteran specifically with case management and other support services. if confirmed, what would you do to support the program and increase collaboration between the va and todd? >> you and i talk about it in the office being very important because we look at the areas of disability. is it actually enough to provide people their resources to have a

home. for me, i will look at this not just as a va issue i will look at it across the spectrum with hud and any other department which we can to make sure that this is something that is not the dark spot on the veteran service where we have homelessness like they do spoken all the time. i'm willing to take whatever we can in the va outside the va and i'm looking forward to having a good relationship if confirmed here. confirming to hud that we will have a lot of conversations about this. we talked about this in my office. the studies have shown that whole health coaching could help veterans make meaningful progress towards health reduce stress and improve quality of life and overall breakdown the long-term cost for the va because any of healthier veterans at a younger age and healthier veterans at an older age. it pays around 200 full-time health coaches but there are approximately 20,000-30,000 health and wellness where they have 23,000 health and wellness per month. this number is expected to increase for more coaching as it

comes to life and health. as we discussed in our meeting they have serious health coasts -- health coach vacancies. if confirmed what would you do to safely remove these barriers to professionals interested in becoming health coaches with the va. >> as we discussed, that is one of the issues, i think you and i both saw from the house and now you are over here in the senate and myself the wire regulations keeping us from getting the help that we need. that is what i want to take a look at. we will look at this and say why is getting from a to d, is bnc proper or could we remove see and just go abd. because what you just talked about is how do we keep people at the bottom line for me this chaplains heart the secretary heart will always be about helping the veteran get the help that they need in all areas of their life. if we do not do that, we are making a mistake and we are

missing the mark in you and i've seen that unfortunately firsthand. someone who is actually counseled with someone thinking about taking their life, those are serious issues we have to have all the help that we can have. >> thank you. >> senator. >> thank you, chairman, thank you, congressman for wanted to take this on. largest healthcare system in the world. if that's not eye-opening, i don't know what is. we have had a lot of people tackle this job and it is a hard job and it is very, very important. then to many many va's. we have some good ones in alabama, but, it is amazing to me that, you know, we look at this and it is second largest budget that we have in congress. second largest behind the dod. it really is not about money. i think about look at all of this in a different perspective sometimes. it is about people running what you have. we are run by unions and

obviously some good and some bad , but we have to find a problem. because we have more and more of our veterans adding up. we have almost 500,000 just in the state of alabama alone. it is a big problem that we cannot take care of all of them. when i first got here got on this committee four years ago, one of the first things that we did, president trump had eliminated 4000 that she did not care what they were in. if he did not do his job, he got fired. he took 4000 of them and sent them out the door. the biden administration, and the first thing they did was rehired them and back pay and put them in a situation where a lot of them had really breached protocol. now, i come from a previous profession if you did not do right, you were gone. will you commit to doing what is right for the veteran when it

comes to the personnel that are handling these people. we can talk about acts and laws and bills and all this, it will not make a damn bit of good unless we get the people that is running these bas and these homes that take care of our veterans, we don't get the best. will you commit to that? >> senator, thank you for that. not just your profession but every other profession in the world expects accountability. i think that that is what raises the standards. we will have accountability. by the way, passing unanimously out of the senate. the intent was to make sure that those workers who were not fulfilling their mission, they were not going to take a job anymore. i intend to make sure that this is a promise that i have that if there is someone harming or in the way of the veteran and taking a veterans benefit away, i have no problem in getting rid of that person and making sure we do it properly and i have no problem with the legal repercussion because there is no

one if the veteran will stand in the way of getting the care properly and if they are not doing it safely. many of them were not doing it safely putting our veterans in harms way. i will say it again and i think you will agree with me. i will be the biggest cheerleader for every va employee out there who is out there getting up every morning and doing it right and making sure we are taking care of our veterans but i believe the only way that i can make them better, the only way that i can push them is to not allow those not to do it. so, we have to have that accountability. this body passed it unanimously. it is about raising standards. saying we expect the best and require the best. if i want to retain doctors, if i want to retain nurses and benefits have to set a standard that says i'm proud to be here. for me, i want to lead an agency that works and put our veterans first and hold accountable those that are not. >> 2023, it was reported to us, some of our va's, especially our care systems where funding

illegal aliens. healthcare. would you please look into that when you take this office? >> yes, senator, i will. i don't believe any money taken out of the mission as a worthy cause of the money that is been appropriated for the veteran and we will not be doing that. >> we were given a budget shortfall back july where we were called and told by the administration that we were 3 billion short and we had to come up with it very, very quickly or we were going to default in the va. you can imagine how frustrated we all got without when we found out that we actually had a surplus. i would hope that we take better care of what we do with our money and we know where it is at also, one thing before i go off here and i did not get a chance to talk you about this back when we met, electronic healthcare,

nobody has told you this, $20 billion on updating the va's electronic healthcare records over the last decade, the department of defense completed their update yet the va has nothing to show for the $20 billion. houston, we've got a problem. >> houston, atlanta, d.c., everywhere else we have a problem. that is not acceptable. as we said earlier we talked about this earlier, we want to get into it very quickly. every player on the table to make sure we are getting it right from the va perspective and from the oracle perspective. dod and va are very different. as i said before we are special and not unique. what we can do can be done in their ways we can look at that. i think senator talked about ways. we will get that right even up here. eight years and that much money and no results only five places i believe do that still and that's unacceptable. >> senator sanders. >> thank you, mr. chairman and congratulations on your new

position. >> former mr. chairman. the job that you have been nominated for is an impossibly difficult job. i just want to say, for the record, that i think dennis met donna, the gentleman that came before you has done a very good job in the context of what he had to deal with. mr. collins, and two independent assessments last year, the va outperformed non-va hospitals in terms of patient satisfaction and hospital quality. i can tell you that in vermont, utah to the average veteran that accesses va. that care is pretty good. i think that that is probably true in most parts of the country and that takes place within the healthcare system which is broken, a private healthcare system which is largely broken and dysfunctional it strikes me, from what i have

heard, re- approaches to the va. there are some folks, extremists who say get rid of the va completely, send veterans out into the private sector, others including the nominee for defense secretary who have indicated that the va should be specialized care. people ptsd, people with amputations, the problems that veterans have geared specialized care and there are those including myself that when people are asked to put their lives on the line to defend this country, you know what, all veterans are entitled to all of the health care that they need. that is my view. where do you come out on that? >> senator, it is great to sit in an office and talk with you. we come out very similar. there will always be a va health system for the veteran. like we talked about in your office, what we will do is make

sure that the va centers are strong and can get better. i've had states that i've talked to another senators that have maybe one facility that is doing well in another facility that is not. we cannot paint with a broad stroke even on the private sector that you mentioned. to say that anyone in particular is the rule for all. i am forgetting that in making sure that we have it. >> okay, here is the problem. there is a limited amount of money. community care spending went from $8 billion in 2014 to $31 billion in 2024. ideally what we could say is your veteran you want to go into a private, you want to go to the va, no problem. do not have enough money to do that. so, in fact, what it comes down to is not whether somebody should be able to access community care, but where are we going to put our resources? will we allow the va to wither

on the vine, so to speak? do you understand where i'm coming from? are you willing to tell us they will fight for strong va in every state in this country. >> senator, that is a nonnegotiable. we will fight for strong va. i understand your perspective you did not vote for the mission act, i understand your perspective. i also understand the will of the body of and the law. i believe you can have both. i believe you have a strong va as it currently exists in the community care aspect. >> okay. vermont issue. you are inheriting and incredible bureaucracy that is very slow-moving at times. there are 2 c blocks in the vermont area. one in our most populated area. one of the southern part of the state probably located in the new hampshire higher area. access to both vermont and new hampshire higher. it has been moving along rather slowly. what do you assure me that you

will take a hard look to make sure that those get moving rapidly. >> talking about with the senator as well, those are issues that we have to look at and make sure that the priorities and the monies are there. it is not just the va. the va works with the gsa. >> i understand. >> and it is a problem. take a hard look at that one. there are massive staff shortages in the va. i am concerned about the hiring freeze that president trump has initiated. will you stand up publicly and say, you know what, we need every healthcare, every va health facility in this country to be adequately staffed. we will not accept staff shortages and make sure that we have the people that we need. >> i will advocate to make sure that our veterans are taken care but i will also support the fact

that we will take a look at the current levels of employees that we have and where they are properly located. coming to the executive order that he has given. >> in english, inefficiencies in the va. on the other hand, the va in general, and my view, does an excellent job. they need the support. you want to go after inefficiencies, do it, but make sure that we have the quality of doctors, nurses, staffing that we need to take care of every veteran in this country. >> thank you, sir. >> senator tillis. >> thank you, chairman. thank you for being here. you and i have a lot in common. we were both born in august, we both entered state legislature at the same time in 2007 in two different states and you have a sister that was born in the same hospital that both of my babies were born in. you also have the benefit of me

tracking since i lived in it, atlanta, tracking georgia politics. you were a very good solid, reasonable congressmen. i know that you have said multiple times that you will not privatize the va. you are not forcing veterans out you have done that, i think you are sworn in and testimony. would you just do a pinky swear, too, that you will not privatize a va. [laughter] >> okay. the reason that is important is that some people, not everybody, i think senator sanders is genuine and has concerns, but, folks, there is no, let me just say again what i have said every time pride of laid eyes asian and forcing veterans out of the va to see why they care, there is no serious discussion among lawmakers to do that.

by serious discussion, i mean that could ever see the light of day. i have very few skills. one of them is counting votes. there is simply not enough to even consider it a threat. the reason why i had this head-on is they are veterans who could believe that that is a risk and it is not a risk. you do not have to come to washington because a vote is imminent. the va is one of the largest healthcare systems in the united states. it does a lot of things good and in many cases, it does it better than the private care providers could ever imagine because of the unique status that it has, in many cases, veteran serving veterans. again, thank you for that pinky swear. now let's move on to the unpleasant art of my discussion. has nothing to do with you. i have supported every va nominee that has come before this committee. and i supported the secretary of the va when i came in and the

obama administration. i have had a great working relationship up to and including secretary. i have concerns. some that date back to va secretary my mla before he went on to be a va secretary. the implementation of the health record is a bipartisan multi- administration disaster. there is no way on god's green earth that we should have spent $10 billion to have only a fraction of the visits even touched. do i have your commitment to go through that program, to quickly get it moving again and get an integrated health chart that can also integrate with the dod so that we can finally have a seamless transition from active status or reserve status to veteran status and provide premium care at the va?

>> what you just said about seamless care is actually a safety and security issue for more veterans. >> it absolutely is. i have got a real problem. we need to have a review. i don't know if it's an inspector general's report or something else, but, folks, i did large-scale implementation work or the vast majority of my career. i have done that more than i have done being a u.s. senator or state representative. this is a disaster. i would like the people involved , not only the contractors, having been the contractor before, my guess is rooted in bureaucracy and people responsible for the implementation within the va, not doing it right. you commit to me to doing a project review, i will come to your turf to do it. >> this for me first looking at it, only up here will this allow the going as long as it had. i am putting on notice that i'm

committed to everyone here. we will bring everyone to the table, vendor, va, everyone in the middle and figure out what this problem is because it is time to fix it. >> i would love to be at the table when you have some of those discussions to be honest with you. offer some free consulting advice. last thing i want to leave you with, i did not vote for the pact act. despite the fact that my office was responsible for the formulation of the team act in that bill which was to provide care to warriors who were exposed to toxins and also the camp act which my colleague, senator sullivan has been trying to work to reduce the compensation. i did not work for because i was absolutely convinced it would be where it is today. a $700 billion between mandatory and discretionary spending unfunded bill that god out of the oven too soon. now we know you have shortfalls that you have to fix in the billions of dollars because we

did not take the time to actually get the pact act right. i hated not being able to vote for that bill, but i voted against it because we promised out of this committee that we would fix it before we got a vote on the floor. now we have to fix it and you can count me as somebody that will be helpful. >> i look forward to that because that will be one of the first issues we have to tackle. also, and i will say to the committee, we talked about this in many of your offices, i am looking ahead to the elizabeth will act in the implementation. i think that it is something that we have to take care of but it has implementation costs as well. >> thank you. >> thank you, mr. tear. congratulations on your chairmanship. i look forward to working with you. congressman collins, it's good to see you, good to sit down with you the other day. congratulations on your nomination. thank you for your service to

our nation into your family as well for their sacrifices. we know when an individual serves the whole family serves and i welcome them here today as well. one quick comment to follow up on what senator was asking you about. i appreciated your expression that you would be willing to let the president know or anyone else in the administration no if you thought budget cuts would hurt service to veterans. i will just say, having done this work at the state level and now here, it is tempting for people in your position to tell their bosses whatever budget you give me will get the job done because that is what you want to be able to deal. but cutting direct care people in the healthcare system, cutting people that coordinate care so that veterans could get integrated care can really, really harm veterans. i will halt you to your statement that you will stand up for veterans in the budget discussions because it will be real important.

>> thank you. it is true. as we have said, it brings uniquenesses. i've been on that side. they are only limited dollars. there is a big thought up here on capitol hill that we vote on ids. we do not vote on ids. we vote on words on paper. look, the president has made it very clear to take care of veterans. we look for efficiencies and we look for things to run those agencies. here is the cost benefit of that and we will move forward without making sure were taking care of the veterans. >> i appreciate that. i want to move on to a topic that i know senator sullivan touched on. supporting a full-service va hospital when he was on the campaign hospital. i supported one in our state for years and will gladly work with you in the president to make that happen. in the meantime, though, the current va medical centers almost 75 years old and it needs significant upgrades. the facilities age is showing the price over the past eight

years, pipes have burst. temporarily closing parts of the medical center. when i say temporarily, we are talking months. we scheduled surgeries, the whole 9 yards. it has been terrible. following a push from the new hampshire delegation to prioritize improvements for the medical center, the va has presented a multiyear plan. will you commit to continuing these upgrades to make sure that veterans have the best possible medical facility to receive their care at and what you come up to new hampshire to visit the facility and meet our veterans. >> i will take the last one first, yes. they will be taken care of in looking at our needs. the infrastructure needs, i am glad we are talking about them today. it is not just the new facilities. taking these older facilities as you said once they are shut down then the bureaucratic process to get it fixed. also, president trumps commitment, look, i will support the president.

i think you have brought up a bigger issue that i hope all of the committee members will understand. as i said before, this rose colored all pixie dust, construction issues will be one of our hardest because of age of bacillus -- age of facilities. >> rural veterans. they face several challenges in accessing va healthcare. for example they have to travel long distances to access their va healthcare facilities and that usually means they will want to schedule multiple appointments on the same day so they don't have to do all the travel back and forth. some va medical appointments can only be scheduled by calling the individual clinic directly meaning veterans often have to make several calls to multiple disconnected offices just to try to coordinate and schedule their appointments. they schedule one and then they call back the other find out the slop they had was gone. that is why the senator and i introduced the bipartisan improving access to care act

which would require the va to create a streamlined scheduling system where veterans can either call or go online to view or schedule appointments for all of their va healthcare. congressman collins, will you support this effort and work with us to pass this bill and implement its change to help our veterans? >> i will tell you from a conceptual standpoint, the better question for me is why have we not almost got there anyway. i am not, to reduce to a nap, but when you can order five people's food to five different places at the same time on your phone, why can i not go to one place. i think for younger veterans, we talked about this in our office, the older veterans they need it. my dad wants to be on the phone. the rest of them, pick up the phone. let me get my free appointments and be done with it. >> i will follow-up in writing with you about the one last question. i wanted to talk about the implementation of the dole act.

homecare is incredibly up or did it should be the wave of the future because most people want to age at home or get their care of their chronic illness or disabilities at home. something near and dear to my heart and the heart of veterans and i look forward to working with you on that. >> just briefly, mr. chairman, i am very proud of what you will have accomplished there. taking implementation to make sure that we do it right. if i'm confirmed you will have my commitment. >> senator cassidy. >> k. great job in the chair. you will be a fabulous secretary at the va and you have my support. you are a georgia bulldog fan, but that is okay. not everyone can be a go tiger. >> go dogs. >> listen, i have been concerned because there is such a backlog in terms of people applying for va disability benefits for whatever program there is geared it just does not happen.

when it finally happened sometimes a person is dead. when i spot -- speak to people and read about the use of artificial intelligence, someone says it is a perfect bureaucrat. once you sit on the facts, it can process a tremendous amount of information. next to you instantaneously. coming up with the same decision based on the same set of facts over and over and over. now, also learning that it is only something that happens if you lean into it. if you just say it is really great, we will get there when it happens, if it never happens. if you say we will set up a system in which we read team it and we will compare it to our best reviewers, we will then compare the best reviewers to the ai, whichever is different, we will figure out why it is different in different the ai is not as good we will continue to refine it until we can scale it in a va, veteran does not need

to wait for his or her benefits. what do you think about that? >> i wish it was not being presented as such a novel concept because it is really true. why are we not using ai in the benefits of it to actually take, especially from the benefit perspective and take the ones that are easy. the ones that match the box and we can get out of the way so we can actually hands-on those that are little bit more difficult. i am sure that you are familiar with it. i am proud under president trump and the previous administration the backlog on the benefits cases getting down to 65,000 i believe. in the past four years 130,000 billion added to the budget and almost 70,000 employees and right now there's a 265,000 backlog down from almost i believe double that. we have gone up with everything else. why are we not able to get out some of these ways? that means doing efficiency, looking at ai, looking at other

technology, not from the benefit perspective but the medical perspective as well. a healthcare system that is nonexistent right now. doing that read team approach, your wording was. i am looking for every possible way that i can make it better. why would i be satisfied for a system that is old and outdated or nonexistent when my goal and my purpose in my mission is to take care of a veteran. >> let me suggest, because one thing that happens here is that the agency says give us the money and we will come up with the system and then two years later and then two years later and then two years later until you finally pull the plug. so, somebody once said you should go out on your bed and say, we want the system at least to be run on a pilot method within six months. because what you are getting is people that already know how to do it are already doing it in one form and they are adapting their system to yours. i would suggest, as we work as a

team, we come up with something that we would say you have six months to do it and then we will do it. if we see veterans that are waiting forever to get their stuff, getting it quickly, getting it appropriately, then we can take it to scale. other agencies have just said taken the money taken the money and it's been a black hole. thoughts about that. >> my main thought about that is someone who's been on this hill dealing with budgets, the very thing that most of us go home and do town halls they do not understand how we do appropriations appear. they do not understand how we spend money appear. they do not get a do it all home , they do not get to do it with their own budget. it is something that is a foreign concept. it has fostered the distress that we see. for me, setting deadlines is only way that you get done. appropriate measures and metrics is the way that you get things done. i will be one that says here are the defining aspects of what we have been given. let's use the best results.

let's use the best processes, let's use the best employees that we have in the people. >> here is a chunk of money. if you can show you can do it will take it to scale but if not were pulling the plug and taking it somewhere else. anyway, thank you. >> thank you, doctor cassidy. >> thank you, mr. chairman. congratulations on your chairmanship. good to be on another committee with you. congressman, welcome. i have really enjoyed our conversation. i will not speak further on privatization of the ami opposition to it. you know that i think you would agree, would you not that the egg is uniquely suited to provide the highest quality of healthcare to veterans and privatizing va would create a significant challenge wherein veteran care would be outsourced to providers are not equipped with specialized training directly impacting the quality of care for veterans. >> good to talk to you. you would not believe how many times i've used our conversation and discussions.

of course. i think when you look at this issue, the va is uniquely positioned to deal with veterans and has the data that we talked about. not only hope for veterans currently in the system but even outside the system. using that data to help others outside. we have a unique control group, if you would be at someone that could definitely continue to work on it. as i've said before there will always be a va healthcare center >> keep the medical center home and if they need care they can go somewhere else. i think that it is really important for the veterans best health. >> making sure that the veteran is essential for that. the issue of women's veterans coming in which are large population of our veterans coming in now making sure they will not ever receive that care in the va. depending on discussion, lack of

mammogram equipment. those are things that large pas who satisfy a large number of e-mail veterans, they are having to do that. i think working at both ways is where we need to be. >> i think what is the best medical treatment is where we need to go. in the case of mammograms, you know, you need somebody that reads thousands and thousands of mammograms and if you only take care of a small number of female veterans, i would not want to have my mammogram read by someone that only reads 100 as opposed to a partner organization like that rural hospital or someone that reads thousands of mammograms so they can better spot many problems. >> exactly. i will maybe jump ahead of you a little bit. going back to the discussion about the rural hospital issue. what you made was a very good point. i will take it a step further. the sharpening of skills. for those of us who have been to iraq and have been to

afghanistan, we saw trauma and emergency care at its finest. if they came through the heroes highway, 90% of those made it back alive. there were some that did not, but they got back home. i remember the time that i sat with the young man who, i was with him and prayed with them. i will never forget him because he had blonde hair and blue eyes and i went back later that evening and he was gone. they had already had him on a plane. a week and a half later and i looked at the stars & stripes and saw his picture but i was comforted knowing he was back home when he passed. that is sharpening of skills. in the va, we need to have that. make sure that our veterans are getting the same kind of treatment so that their skills are matching. >> wonderful. thank you. you commit to working with myself and colleagues to refine policies that improve wait times and access to va healthcare? rather than resorting to paradise asian. >> i think that that is one we are looking at right now.

a.d.a. that has a va healthcare system. i said it again and i will say it before and i will say it again. they had to call my office when i was in congress are your office now, that is a failure from the va. not a failure on the people, for anyone trying to trust what i'm saying, that is not what i'm saying. the va has a mission to try to take care of veterans. we need to step up and make sure they answer why. trimming down wait times. some of the things we are missing are preventative care that could help us long-term in our cost perspective if we are catching it early. >> thank you. i'm glad you mentioned preventative care. right now something that patients in the affordable care act or other places do not have to pay for their preventative care. prostate cancer screening, your mammograms, breast cancer, : cancer screening, cholesterol medication you do not pay a co-pay for that, but veterans do

would you support making a noncontroversial fix to making sure that the coverage aligns with the commercial healthcare and tricare and help you eliminate the co-pays for veterans for preventative healthcare? >> i look forward to working on this committee. the preventive aspect of that is very important. >> thank you. >> senator blackburn. >> thank you. mr. chairman and mr. collins, always good to see you. appreciate that. as we served in the house, you are known as being a consensus builder and a problem solver. i think that as we look at the va and the situation that is there, we need someone that can build consensus among the employees and solve some problems that are existing in the va. you made a comment about it was important to get the right people doing the right job and i

agree with that. as we have been overseeing the va, something that has been a consistent problem is the return to work policy and the lack of individuals that are working full-time at one point had a va benefit they were only required, according to secretary mcdonough they only had to work in person two out of 10 days. and then in healthcare, they had to work in person five out of the 10 days. so, that is a problem. i fully believe that is why the backlog, as you mentioned, that long term backlog 265,000. if you put those under 120 days on that list, you are at 956,000 this is because people do not go

to work. so, where are you on that and having that return to work policy. >> thank you, senator. good to see also good to see you back over here as we have worked together many times. i do pride myself in the opening statement on the things that we work on bipartisan. things you are such a great champion of as well. i do believe people need to come to work. the president has made it very clear. people need to come to work. certain issues and times and before the question was asked that we have a large portion of the va workforce that is unionized. we will work together to get people back to work. >> 80. >> 80% of 488,000. we will encourage them to come back to work. we will follow the president's directive and that. at the end of the day, my hospital employees, they have to show up every day.

>> okay. >> that is encouraging. we talked about the health records, dea chars and the fumbling, the $15 billion that has been spent on that not to have those records. the way that there is no transfer, data transfer from dod to the va on those health records. this is a problem that we can fix. we've got a lot of the good experts in nashville that could six this. when they hear from people that are in the va system about they cannot get any care, the wait times, and we talked a little bit about the backlog. at the fort campbell facility, though wait to get a primary care ointment today, and we just checked our numbers, 81 days.

in chattanooga, 100 days. in murphy's rural 54 days. that is completely unacceptable. if people will not talk to where , if they are beholden to the union and say that it is about them and not about the vet , that is something that is just completely unacceptable and is one of the reasons that we need to strengthen community care. the suicide rate, 34.7 individuals per 100,000 of our vets that choose suicide. the mental health components and having that community care where they can access it in their community without having to travel, having neh are that they are carrying with them to the doctor. that will be helpful.

.... >> we are going to have a brief second round. i want to -- i'm going to turn to senator blumenthal to begin that but i want to ask unanimous consent at this point to add to the hearing record letters of support for congressman collins' nomination. they come from wounded warrior and vets, military veterans advocacy, avalon national alliance, mission roll call, jewish war veterans, military order of the purpose forel heart, luke's wings and the

valor mission project. without objection, those letters of support are entered into the record. senator blue then that will i recognize you for five minutes. >> thanks, mr. chairman. as we were talking a little bit earlier, last night the white house issued various executive orders, some of them dealt with the federal hiring freeze, freeze on regulations and other issues. we are still reviewing them in my offense. the workforce hiring freeze memorandum claims that it will not, quote, adversely impact the provision of social security medicare or veterans benefit fors, end quote. i would like to know from you what does that mean in practical terms of employees who deliver

veterans healthcare or work in cemeteries, does this language exempt va from hiring freeze? >> i think, senator, are like you analyzing that and support freeze and also i take as far as it says i take it as word on the paper and not affect it. right now we have people working at that and the implication would be adding more people would fix whatever the problem s. i'm convinced -- i will support that. >> that's not reensuring to me. i'm not asking about the va employees that work on benefits, i'm asking about the folks that are in the hospitals, in the care facilities at the cemeteries. they're not dispersing benefits,

they are providing care and as you well know, there are extraordinary problems in recruiting and retaining, the doctors, the nurses and filling their ranks where there are openings right now, so explicit language of that memorandum seems to include them in the firing freeze? >> in the wording that you use, i do not have it before me and i will not comment, we are going through memory, we are still examining as well. get assessment of where we are and not to take away from anything that is currently there in the future and the way your question worded implying is they would not be there to do veterans, that's going to continue, new freeze, new hire freeze is not there.

>> you and i are trading a lot of words. let me come right to the point. i'm asking you to fight to fill the openings, not a hiring freeze in the ranks of the doctors, the nurses, the attendants rather than leaving the positions open because they are needed to take care of veterans. will you do hiring freeze for those positions that concern veterans care including the veterans crisis line? >> i will take everything that you said in consideration and understand that the freeze executive order while at the same time be willing to make sure there's nothing missing in

the process. i think we are saying the same thing. >> well, no, we are not. >> i respect that. >> this is going to be first test of your leadership. whether you fight for exemption in the hiring freeze for the nonveterans benefits employees who are needed to care for veterans at medical facilities and other places including the veterans crisis line rather than have them covered by that hiring freeze. >> senator i view this not as a test of what i will do, i believe it's a test of different assumptions and because there's opening there's an actual need at that point that makes a veteran miss their benefits of health care. >> i think the two are coming from two separate perspectives. there may be openings but there were openings yesterday. this is simply looking to say where we are at this point. i think we are coming at two separate -- i think what we are

going to see is no one on the veteran healthcare side is going to miss their healthcare provider because of this new hiring freeze. the president is doing a prudent step as he comes into office to make sure we have a good handle on what we've got and going forward. i will always fight, senator, i told you in your office and i will tell you here for what we need in facilities but i'm not going to fight for issues that aye not had a chaps to study and make sure that this issue is taken care of. i do not believe will have impact that you're having because i think we are coming from two different perspectives. >> well, i will just say, i don't want to get into an argument mere, but there is -- there are possible openings where let's say the head of the west heaven va facility says, we don't need to fill that position, but there are openings that the director of the facility is saying, we need more nurses. we need more doctors, we need more mental health care.

you and i have talked about this issue. >> yes. >> you can't provide veterans healthcare without the people, skilled professionals to do it and i hear you saying if there's an opening, it means that we don't need somebody for that opening. >> no. i think, senator, just a general reminder, last week secretary mcdonald could have filled those positions. he chose not to. he couldn't find anybody. >> he may have wanted to and you may have talked to him about it but it's not easy to fill those positions. >> again, i appreciate it, we will work on this together but i also i respect what the president has done, it's a prudent step looking forward and the health care will not be compromised in the process, i support that. >> let me move on. will you commit to expanding effort and every dollar to reach every veteran at risk of suicide

including those who are not now enrolled in the va system? >> senator, that's the easiest question you asked all day and i appreciate it, no, yes, i will do everything possible. this from my heart and you've heard it mention, there's nothing more sacred to me than my faith that serve made in the image of god and deserves life encouragement for that. i think we need to have more any way we can to reach that person and as somebody has been at the other end of the line, i'm ready -- there's no -- i'm not willing to let anybody go by because i believe in life and the grace it was given to me. >> as you know, the rate of firearm suicides significantly higher among veterans than nonveterans. and so will you commit to looking for ways that firearms related suicide can be released?

>> i'm committed to look at any instrumentality that takes the life of our veterans. >> on the issue of homelessness, is there more that can be done to prevent or address veterans homelessness? >> yes. there's many things that need to be done and i think we need to look at it from across government approach not only with the va but with hud and also hhs, there's many aspects i don't think we are touching at this point so for me it is about how we make the best resources with the limited funds that come from our government? >> you've been asked and i think you've answered and i don't want to repeat this issue what you will continue to abide by the va rule concerning abortion, counseling and cases of rape, incest, pregnant veteran, will you commit that you will inform this committee if and when you

begin reconsideration of the present rule. >> i will give this committee informed the chairman and the ranking member will know any discussions and decisions we get forward that decision. >> as you begin consideration you'll let us know. >> we will get into that when we get -- i have to get in there first if confirm bid this the committee, we will see what we have when we get there. >> let me just ask you finally and i appreciate the chairman indulging this additional time. >> dispute your earlier commentary about me. >> well, i don't see anyone waiting to -- i'm sorry. i apologize to senator king. just one more quick question. pact act exposed fund to pay for extended and expanded benefits without impacting other

nondecibelsary funding, if cob b confirmed, undoing the toxic exposure fund and consider it -- continue it in its present form? >> i think any changes to any program, i think we will look at it, the intent of congress will be carried out. i know there's discretionary with the funding issues with that from the va, we are going to look at that as we look forward. at this point i want to see where we are at because there's concern that we make proper implementation and we have another program right on top of it that i promise and commit to you that we will make sure we look at so we can properly implement your intent. just for the record, i hope that you will continue this fund because for it provides for a solid source of benefits for those veterans who are suffering from diseases related to toxic

exposures and continue to outreach program that secretary mcdunn has started. thank you, mr. chairman. >> senator king. >> thank you, mr. chairman i'm not willing to have -- to be put in a position where ai is randomly in a situation especially with benefits and others that are more difficult, there's always a person to oversee the problem. >> the experience with ai in the insurance industry is not positive and i don't want our veterans having to go through

claims, litigation in order to overturn the decision of a machine somewhere, so i understand you're not willing to take it off the table but for i certainly hope it will be handled with great care. >> i respect your positions, senator. look, they'll always be in my mind especially when it comes to veterans benefits someone that overlooks and oversees that and make sure it's working properly. >> if it went that way -- >> thank you. you are under tremendous pressure as we look into budgetary situation, one of the largest pots of money in the federal government.

it's very easy to focus on bureaucracy which carries negative connotation but i would point out that in many cases staff cuts equal benefit cuts because if there's nobody there to answer the phone, process is delay today the point where the veteran dies or just gives up, that's in effect benefits cut. i believe you will be, i hope you will take care to balance necessary efficiencies against the loss of services. you said repeatedly and you said in my office and i love it, you don't wants us to be advocating for our veterans because they ought to get benefits from the congressional office. well, if staff cuts end up having nobody answer the phone or answer the phone after only a hundred rings or say we will have to talk to you six days

from now, six months from now, that's going to only aggravate the problem, you are going to be hearing from us on a daily basis instead of every other day. >> i think, senator, your point is taken and i think the interesting question is things arise at the staffing levels, i think there's more of an issue here, are we doing things as efficiently processing with the staffing that we currently have more or less staff. i think sometimes you have to look at the process. i mean, why is it that we are back for at 250,000 backlog of benefits when we've had 130 billion in increase in funds and 70,000 employees? something is broken about that. >> i agree and i commend you for wanting to follow up on that, again, i have no problem with efficiency and i think i can't complain about a hiring freeze. i actually signed a hiring freeze in my inaugural address as governor. so i understand that, on the other hand, i think the point that senator blumenthal was making, the hiring freeze should not apply to direct care

workers. if my this hiring freeze should not prohibit them if continue to go search for and if they can find a cardiologist to sign them up. i hope you will distinguish between direct care workers and other who is serve veterans behind the scenes. >> thank you, senator. many times before no matter what the issue is, i will always fight for making sure our veterans are getting the care in the proper way they need to. >> final point, no answer necessary for this, but one of the things you're going to be having to face is increasing demands for mental health services and long-term care. long-term care as our veterans age is going to become greater and greater issue, i commend that to your thought process and perhaps you can have people thinking about this, how are we going to provide those services that are going to become more and more necessary as time goes

on. >> thank you, senator, i appreciate the things that are already keeping me up at night if confirmed about this job, i appreciate you giving me more. >> thank you, i commend you for your participation this morning look forward to sporting your nomination. >> thank you very much, appreciate it. >> senator king, thank you very much. let me wrap up my thoughts and questions to you and it's just miscellaneous of things. first of all, i would tell you that we work closely with the inspector general at the department of veterans affairs. i find him valuable, both to me and to this committee but should be valuable to the department of veterans affairs, anything you want to the say with utilization? >> but also know the committees

i served on. inspector generals play a vital role. we are not always going to agree with the outcome but we can come to a conclusion because they are always having other eyes on the situation is provided. i'm one of those that employee in gathering a lot of input and making decisions. >> i do think that extra set of eyes in the professional way that investigation conducted has value, certainly gives us a greater opportunity for oversight but that oversight, the department of veterans affairs should be looking for. >> yes, sir. >> we have a habit here of passing legislation, there's lots of bills that are introduced certainly. some of them actually become law and one of the things that i think it's important for this committee to try to assure is that we don't just take the

applause, the pat on the back with our veterans or veteran organization because we introduced piece of legislation or we passed piece of legislation, the real goal is to make sure that the legislative efforts when a bill becomes law that it actually benefits veterans. you and the department of veterans affairs have a lot to say, a lot to determine whether that is the outcome but i see it as our responsibility, this committee's responsibility to see that the laws that we pass actually have the outcome, the intended consequence that we were seeking when we decided by a majority vote in the house and super majority vote in the senate that this is something that matters will make a difference in veterans lives and well-being so implementation, i'm saying this perhaps for the benefit of the committee more than you, but we ought not be satisfied with the outcome of our work with the passage of a piece of legislation. i don't know that that requires any response from you.

>> could i respond? >> please. >> it's easy to go around, we passed this, i was privileged enough to have 19 red lines actually pass into law. big stuff, first stepbacks, criminal justice reform. i have some of the former staff that were with me that i literally stand on their shoulders and the staff behind you do good work and now hopefully with the confirmation of this the body be able to step into a role in which i get to see the other end of it. i believe that caring that out is one of the highest callings. working for the president that has trust in me and his administration and what he's done before, i look forward to this opportunity. >> i thank you for that response. >> roughly so you complement and highlight the value and importance of their work.

we have staff inquiries to the department of veterans affairs that go back six months with no response. we've worked with the previous staff at the va, the press secretary and there was a great intent to see that the answers come, it will mean that it has to be prioritized and so you have indicated earlier that you're going to be very responsive to congress, those two like introducing a piece of legislation or words that you should say and i hope that you can find every method possible to give us the information that we need to respond to what's going on at the department of veterans affairs and most importantly and accurately and timely. >> mr. chairman, there's many things that i talked about today and there's one thing that will be true, the way that we interact with this hill as of my

confirmation and my ability to seat in the seat will change. the legislative affairs office will be much more on the hill, they'll be much more involved and get you answers. six months is not -- again, i go back to the fact that i've written the letters too and it's not going to happen. >> it has taken way too long in many instances and qfr's in hearing in which we ask for members the opportunity to ask additional questions at the end of the hearing, those responses are terribly, terribly slow and again impedes the capability, the committee doing its work. one of my experiences is that bring a problem to the department of veterans affairs and at least on a number of occasion and successful in changing policy or approach at the department. so, again, much of what i know about what is going on with

veterans is because they tell me what's going on with veterans and we discovered there's a problem, we highlight that problem for the department but on many, many occasions and the answer comes back from the department, the central office of the department of veterans affairs, we've changed it, you're right, this needs to be different than it's been for and we are going to conduct ourselves differently. so we can have a few high-five moments, we solved the problem but when we get to the field, they've never heard of what we've been told from washington, d.c. and the department. >> high five in washington, d.c. is a nothing in kansas if it's not implemented. i've been doing this -- i've been a part of the hill but also media and social media. look at the applications that

are out there now that we can tell the good. you are going to see -- the department is going to hear from me directly. it's not going to come through memos, it's not going to come through me sitting behind the desk. it's going to come through me through videos on social media. it's going to be through emails encouraging them to know, this is my direction. they'll hear from me, if we are still getting that the idea that a veteran has to call congresswoman for help, we are missing the mark somehow. they are going the hear directly from me. they are going to see me and wonder what i'm thinking because all of a sudden i may show up at the hospital, i may show up and we will talk about it and we will make sure the veterans are taken care of. but i will tell you this, they are going to know who the secretary is, they are going to know who the secretary -- it's the veteran in the system now and the veteran it is to come and veteran has gotten out and for some reason flipped through the cracks and does not know

that they have benefits, if they chose to take them, they have them waiting for them. >> i appreciate that. my point, your response the assurance from the department of veterans affairs, the problem has been solved, often not the circumstance, one of the things that this is in the management aspect, maybe this is an issue or a challenge because of employment agreements, but it is not infrequent in which we bring a specific instance in which bad for behavior, malfeasance, malpractice, a list could be listening of errors and mistakes made by someone at the veterans affairs in the field and the

response ultimately if you ever hear about what happened to that person, that employee, we transfer thed them to another hospital. that can't be reassuring. that shouldn't be reassuring to anyone. maybe there's some impediment that makes it difficult to actually fire someone and the -- the instances here are not like employee grievances. it's not like mismanagement in the sense of how do we get along here. these are egregious circumstances in which terrible things have happened to veterans and the response is never the you're out of here, at least if that's the response it rarely happens in the end. so my point i don't think explained very well but the point is there has to be a better disciplinary circumstance in those extreme cases other than you are transferred to

another facility and that is for the well-being safety and importance of the veterans who were served by the department of veterans affairs. >> senator, i couldn't agree with you more. the concept of failing up is not what i abide for by. i'm a military person, employ people outside the government as well. failing up is in the an option. you don't fail up. if you're put health and safety at harm, i will make sure the department will get rid of you and we are willing to do whatever it takes to do that. if that happens, you shouldn't be there. we will do everything in the agreement to make sure the process is as follows. i will not tolerate it, that in turn makes veteran employees even better. >> you highlighted that point and i was going to complement you on it. the culture, well-being of the employee, that it's a safe and

valuable job, and that you've doing good work is hugely important to the department of veterans affairs and other employees see that some employees get away with bad behavior it diminishes the value and joy of working there. >> senator, i agree. two ones that i look at, one will be in my desk if it goes wrong it's my fault, if it's okay, everybody if it's all all right, is everybody else's. when you have employees that come to work every day doing it right and they feel like they have to carry a coworker along after a while they don't want to carry the coworker, we are not going to tolerate that. >> mr. collins it's almost always my practice give witnesses opportunity to correct the record, witness before the committee the stance to restate or make clear something they

felt like they didn't do in the first set of hearings, in the first two rounds of questioning. anything that you would like to add to the record today? >> no, senator, i want to appreciate the time, i've enjoyed the answers, i've enjoyed the questions. we are not always going to agree, i will always listen and take the job very seriously to make sure at the tend to have day our veterans are taken care of. if anything, i will say the only addition i will have i'm thankful for the ones sitting mind me, let the veterans, the va know that we are coming to make a difference and we are going to be there to support you. >> mr. collins, let me see anything that we are missing. okay. each member will have five legislative days to revise and extend remarks. in addition, any member who would like to send a question to the record to congressman

collins should do so, i don't know why we say as soon as possible. we actually need it by the tend of business today, we have a executive session of this committee scheduled for thursday and so if there's something that you want to make sure that -- we need you, mr. collins so our process can continue with the consideration of your nomination, we need you to respond immediately. >> yes, sir. >> thank you. >> i would just join, mr. chairman, in thanking you for the hearing and thanking congressman collins for your testimony here today which i think has been very frank and forthright and very helpful to us and really appreciate your candor and look forward to working relationship where we are always candid with each other and, again, thank you for

your service to our nation. >> again, look forward to working with you in the next two years on this committee and see if we can accomplish good thing for those who served our country. the meeting is adjourned.

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