general shinseki, we face problems with those veterans living in rural and remote areas and this is especially true in places like alaska and hawaii where you can't get to some places by jumping in a car and driving there. i know that you're working on on with the indian health services to help provide services to the native american veterans, and i commend you and all your -- all your involvement in these efforts. ms. secretary, can i get your commitment to look into possible ways of working with the native hawaiian healthcare systems and native american veteran systems to provide services for this case, native hawaiian veterans who live in the rural parts of the state of hawaii? >> senator, you have my assurance that we will do our utmost to provide for my of our veterans, wherever they live. the most rural and remote areas. the same access and quality to healthcare and services as we provide to someone living in a more urban area. there is a challenge with that, but we are not insensitive to that challenge and we're working hard to provide v.a. provided services and where we can't to make a

general shinseki is joined by other members of the department of veterans affairs at this two and a half hour hearing chaired by senator patty murray. >> good morning and welcome to this morning's hearing on the fiscal year 2013 budget and the fiscal year 2014 advanced appropriations request for the department of veterans affairs. i want to thank all of the panelists for coming and help work out critical issues for our veterans. last week i convened a roundtable discussion with veterans from across my home state of washington. i heard from the very men and women whose lives this budget is actually going to touch. while some of the veterans as always praise the care and access they were receiving from the va, many of them did lay out concerns that must be addressed in this budget and in future budgets. i heard from veterans who still face unacceptably long wait times for mental health care or are still not getting the type of mental health care that they need in their own community. i heard from women veterans who were struggling to receive specialized care, and i heard from veterans who

after that, va secretary general eric shinseki testifies at the veterans affairs committee. later from the national press foundation we'll hear from eric schmidt of google and chris wallace of fox news. >>> this weekend on the presidency on american history tv -- >> think of the fdr memorial. it wasn't just three redesigns. it was three-plus designs before they got to a final plan. and so i think that we shouldn't be afraid of looking at this issue because we are building something for the centuries. and we want to get it right. >> with the eisenhower memorial designed by frank gehry opposed by the family, a house subcommittee discussed the planned memorial to our 34th president. watch sunday at 7:30 p.m. eastern and pacific. part of american history tv this weekend on c-span3. >>> epa administrator lisa jackson testifies next on her agency's 2013 budget request. the epa is asking for $8.3 billion. that's a 1.2% decrease from current levels. senator barbara boxer of california chairs this 90-minute environment committee hearing. >> good morning. i'd like to begin by welcomin

general shinseki, as you know, we often face challenges in treating our veterans who live in many rural and remote areas. this is especially true in places like alaska and hawaii, where you just cannot get to some places by jumping in a car and driving there. i know that you're working on an mour with the indian -- mou to find solutions to help provide services to our native american veterans, and i commend you and all your involvement in these efforts. mr. secretary, can i get your commitment to look into possible ways of working with the native hawaii in health care systems and the native american veteran systems to provide services for native and hawaiian veterans whom -- who live in many of the rural parts of the state of hawaii? >> senator, you have my assurance that we will do our utmost to provide for any of our veterans wherever they live, the most rural and remote areas. the same access and quality to health care and services has we provide to someone living in a more urban area. there is a challenge with that, but we're not in sensitive to that challenge, and we're working har

general shin shinseki, as you k, we often face challenges in treating our veterans who live in many rural and remote areas. this is especially true in places like alaska and hawaii where you just can't get to some places by jumping in a car and driving there. i know that you're working on an mou with the indian health service to find solutions to help provide services to our native american veterans, and i commend you and all your, all your involvement in these efforts. many secretary, can -- mr. secretary, can i get your commitment to look into possible ways of working with the native hawaiian health care systems and the native american veterans systems to provide services for in this case native hawaiian veterans who live in many rural points of the state of hawaii? >> senator, you have my assurance that we will do our utmost to provide for any of our veterans, wherever they live, the most rural and remote areas the same access and quality to health care and services as we provide to someone live anything a more urban area. there is a challenge with that, but we are not insensitive to t

general shinseki, as you know we often face challenges in treating our veterans who live in mainly ruralte areas. this is especially true in places like alaska and hawaii, where you just can't get to some places by jumping in the car and driving there. i know that you are working on an ammo do with the indian health service to find solutions for -- to help provide services to our native american veterans. and i commend you and all your involvement in these areas. mr. secretary, can i get your commitment to look into possible ways of working with the native hawaiian health care system and the native americans system to provide services for in this case native hawaiian veterans who live in many of the. [roll call] parts of the state of whole why he? >> senator, you have my assurance that we will do our utmost to provide for any of our veterans, wherever they live from the most rural in remote areas, the same access and quality to health care and services as we provided to someone living in a more urban area. there is a challenge with that but we are not insensitive to that challenge and we

i appreciate seeing secretary shinseki and all the folks on the panel today. a special thank you to you, general, for coming to montana last summer where the initiatives are appreciative of that. and you too, bob. thank you very much for being there and listening and hearing. thank you very, very much. i want to talk about what senator kaka talked about. and this isn't an gp area, but an area that's much more difficult. and gp is not easy. that is the need for mental health professionals. we have as you know secretary -- mr. petzel, you were there when we opened up the facility in helena, and we need -- it's a great facility. we don't have staffing at this point in time as far as from the psychiatric standpoint. do you have the adequate amount of flexibility to be able to go out and recruit and it can go to the secretary or to mr. petzel, to be able to go out and recruit and get folks in? because i'm not sure we're there yet. >> thank you, mr. secretary, and thank you, senator. i am aware of the issues at ft. harrison. we have four psychiatric psychiatrists vacancies. in general, we can recruit

shinseki with this update. a new battle brewing as killed the two your budget. not sharingare power in the equally divided chamber. budget could be approved the generalarch 10. not, they will be called to special century. governor martin o'malley will maryland the a state to legalize same-sex marriage today. same-sex weddings will not be allowed to begin until january, 2013. opponents are gathering referendumto force a on the issue this fall. our sister station will have coming up in a few minutes. up, let us check on the .ommute with lisa >> it has been very busy. have had our shares of accidents. pavement and a lot fog. creating a lot of morning.for us this a tractor-trailer turnover in county between warrenton -- lorton and route 1. i will take you to a picture of i 70. virginia, 95, 66 loaded up. look at 366. better news now with adam .skey off.e fog is burning l be on to a lot of sunshine. fairweather clouds developing later on. 54 in the district. three degrees above our average afternoon high. it will be mild. northwest. 38 in martinsburg. closer to 70 south of town. cooler in western maryland. rain friday night into saturday. >> thank you. >>

i appreciate seeing secretary shinseki and all the folks on the panel today. a special thank you to you general for coming to montana last summer. our veterans are very appreciative that as myself and thank you very much for being there and listening and hearing so thank you buried very much. i want to talk a little bit about what the senator talked about very quickly and that is the kind of strategies that va is using to recruit folks. this is in an area that is much more difficult to my opinion and gp is not easy and that is the need for mental health professionals. we have as you know mr. petzel you were there i'd at think when we opened up the facility and we need, it's a great facility, but we don't have staffing at this point in time as far as from a psychiatric standpoint. do you have the adequate amount of flexibility to be able to go out and recruit and it can go to the secretary or mr. petzel, to be able to go at them recruit and get folks and because i am not sure we are there yet. >> thank you mr. secretary and thank you senator tester. i am aware of the issues at fort harrison. we