>> i do. >> do you realize it is now going on for years and we still did not have the i t architecture? you know, i sat with the secretary in his office and gave him an analogy. an analogy that he is familiar with. as a battlefield commander you would not go into a conflict -- i mean, our young people that we are now trying to take care of and their veteran years when they were serving depended upon leaders to make good, strategic decisions and know what the enemy at out in front of us, know what our capabilities or offset those risks and threats. they have the same expectation now of the va to understand what their needs harbor and with the capabilities are that are required to meet them. that va has hundreds and hundreds of i t systems.

you made a statement a little earlier ago. you said, i think, to my colleague, one of the systems you said you would not approve it until it was proven to integrate with auerbach current system. .. as you are looking and investigating into what the problem is. part of the reforms that the va needs to get to is coming into

the 21st century with i.t. not only in terms of systems but in the systematic processes and current state-of-the-art methodologies for managing those systems. mr. murkowski when are we going to see what the va plans to do with its information architecture? >> sir i will have to take that back. >> i heard that three years ago and i'm not trying to be disrespectful but that's the same old question. it's like a dog race. we come out every two years and we chase the rabbit around the circle and then we put the dogs up and so we ask it again. >> i think we have to ask what do we want. in this case for scheduling we want to be able to abide timely accurate information about one veterans want to be seen in what capacity we have in her system. i would rather buy with the industry has an knows it works.

health care industry has something called hl seven which is interface language. most modern systems speak that language so does frankly our old legacy vista system and i would like to add complicated interfaceinterface s but leverage with the industry can show us. >> i would agree with you because i suggested to the secretary in 2012. he said there are three priorities for laminating the homeless problem reducing the backlog and getting an electronic health record. i would not approve a single new dollar of new i.t. spending until someone in that i.d. to -- i.t. department could show me the current architecture and how these systems fit together and how i.t. spending will affect that and make me -- let me make one more point. talked about the electronic health record in the mid- positive comments.

i confess that i don't know where the status is of today but i can tell you at the 2012 we had a joint hearing with secretary shinseki and secretary panetta and they were proudly saying that we were going to have a single transparent electronic health record for military from start to finish within the next five years. he had been working on it for 10 years. this is not a matter of can do. it's a matter of want to and the department does not want that electronic health record because the i.t. technology to get it is there today if they really wanted to do it. mr. chairman i yield back. thanks for giving me the opportunity. >> thank you very much mr. johnson. members the clock says 1010:00 and we will stand in recess for five minutes.

>> you can see more of that hearing online at c-span.com. the senate voted to approve legislation allowing veterans to seek care outside of the v.a. system. it would hold v.a. officials accountable to their performance. the senate's bill was drafted by veterans affair chair bernie sanders. one of the things people don't recognize, during the war of 1812 was fought from 1812 to early 1815. it was about the america reestablishing its independence

against the british. this was sort of our second american revolution. this flag is the object for which francis scott key pinned the words which became air national anthem. >> the image in 1995. the flag was made to look hole and restore. we're not trying to make it look pretty. we're trying to make it look like it endured its history. this year, marks the 200th anniversary of fort mchenry during the war of 1812.

learn more about the flag francis scott key wrote about. tonight at 6:00 and 10:00 p.m. eastern. part of american history tv this weekend on c-span 3. i'm worried a things in government. if you see what happened at the v.a. i think that the same kind of culture exists in other government agencies. not national transportation safety board, not at n.i.h. or cdc. there are a number of other agencies, there's a lack of accountability. i think they don't care about waste. they don't care with efficiency. it's a sad thing when you read the various i.g. reports, agency after agency with the same problem year after year, nothing

gets fixed. just my own anecdotal experience dealing with government. it seems to me the quality -- it's not just the quality -- but the quality of government and the bureaucracy that it's just -- we have incompetent government. we have a few -- we have some great federal employees. that's not the norm. journalist lisa myers is leading washington d.c. behind. find out why on c-span's "q&a." >> on the next "washington journal" former republican congressman tom davis talksñr about the tea party of 2014. associated press reporter alicia

caldwell will examine the resources of the washington border. we'll take the calls on facebook and twitter . "washington journal" live at 7:00 a.m. eastern on c-span. s and senate are in session for business. the house gavels tuesday at noon. for what to expect in both chambers we talk to a capitol hill reporter. >> billy house is the national journal congressional leadership correspondent. house republicans will hold leadership holding elections to replace eric cantor. are there any other challenges.

>> on thursday the conference will vote. >> how about the race for house majority whip. who are the candidates? >> right now there are three candidates. there's a group about 177 conservative members. which gives a heavy lift into the race. there's a late entry from indiana. he is said to be may be eyeing the chairmanship.

>> house and senate scheduled to debate spending bills. do you expect congress to get all 12 of the spending bills passed by the end of fiscal year? >> it's looking more and more doubtful. on tuesday for the first time, the senate will debut senate bills on the floor. to do three bills wrapped into one. version of transportation, housing and urban development bill and science and criminal justice. they may have a third bill, that's not certain yet. over in house this week, they're planning on doing next week -- they planning done doing the defense spending bill. they're a little ahead. as time ticks away, looks like neither chamber will complete

all 12 bills. we probably see the hurry up carryover bill. >> also on capitol hill next week, g.m. ceo mary berra will be back to testify. she will be testifying on gm ignition switch recall. she was there in april. what do they want to hear from her now? >> they want to hear why aren't things going better. she came in with the reputation she will fix things. they want to know details what exactly she's got planned going on from now. >> you write about other issues congress will be looking at this year including the release of sergeant bergdahl.

what's the status? >> they will be long running and never ending until 2016. the benghazi investigation is part of a investigation. another aim and shot at the administration for ill conceived foreign policy. the issue is whether we should make deals like this with terrorists and whether or not this is even the release of five taliban members from guantanamo sort of the nose under the obama administration hopes to shut down that cuba base prison all together. >> you can tweet billy house @house in session and the national journal website is nationaljournal.com. thanks for your time today.

>> you can watch live coverage of the house on c-span and senate c-span two. tomorrow c-span will be live at the state department with opening remarks by secretary of state john kerry. we'll hear from government officials and scientists discussing ocean ecosystems. live starting at 9:30 a.m. eastern on c-span 2. at 10:00 a discussion about european security after recent events in ukraine. live on c-span 3. here on c-span, two former uncle whistleblowers will discuss oversight and efforts to curb corruption at the u.n. beginning live noon eastern. >> came over in the 1990's.

the business has matured. i think, you either have to do two things, you have to lower costs, keep your margins good or find new sources of revenue. looking for new ways. if you look at comcast and its investment in the x1 platform, if you can make video on demand more attractive, number one, don't lose what you have. you also see them taking advantage of broad band. that is a blessed source of new business opportunity for our industry. s it grow -- it is growing much faster. it has good economics and its a good business. >> the rapid change in telecommunication and the future

monday night at 8:00 eastern on the communicators on c-span 2. >> for over 35 years, c-span brings public affairs events from washington, directly to you. putting you in the room at congressional hearings briefings and conferences. all of as a public service of private industry. we're c-span created by the cable tv industry 35 years ago and brought to you as a public service by your local cable and satellite provider. follow us on twitter. coming up next, news makers with california congressman democratic caucus chair xavier becerra. after that house majority leader eric cantor. after thinks primary loss in virginia. at 8:00 p.m. eastern, "q&a" with

investigative reporter lisa myers talking about her career and the state of today's media. i want to begin on something that you set this past week about immigration following eric cantor. he said the question is not ifuw we get it done but when. my question is when will it be done? >> things and not change since last week's election where he lost. it has to do with that which the senate did. the answer to win is you could do it this coming week.e we get it this month. this year.

we are prepared to do it. it is that republicans have to stop blocking the boat. there are enough republicans to join almost every democrat to do it. >> fix it how? >> this has been answered for quite some time. there are three or four major elements to make sure we are not doing this exercise of reform ih another 10 or 15 years. sur that is simply this. you make sure you have the start just security. you use a lot more technology than we have in the back. you continue to keep a strong border control. then more people working on border enforcement than we have in all of the other federal criminal agencies combined.