each individual v.a. has their budget and it's up to them to deem what they consider appropriate or necessary for their care and that's where we step in. >> new technologies and medicines are really elongated in the process for us to use them, and when you mention batteries about -- how new batteries will probably help in many of the challenges that we face or for helping the disabled, let mow just note that there are new batteries on the way, and the inventor of the lithium battery has had a major breakthrough that should have an incredible impact on the things that we're talking about, but then, again, we have to make sure that the fda approves the use of these batteries and everybody else approves the innovation all the way down, so i'm very pleased that you alerted us to the bureaucratic problems that have to be overcome in utilizing new technologies for oureteran thank you very much. >> thank you. and i now recognize miss esty for five minutes. >> thank you, madam chairwoman. i want to thank the chai

the culture of v.a. is you change to be able to accommodate the specific needs of the veterans of today, yesterday, and anticipate what will be the needs tomorrow. you all will help shape that need of tomorrow. especially in the realm of the homeless veteran and their families. be aggressive about it. don't be timid. make it personal. if you take anything away from my remarks today, your mission, make it personal. because the more personal it is to you as individuals, as well as an organization, the greater clarity and the greater impact you're going to have in the congress as well as in the department. make it personal. i don't know how many of you have heard of the speech by admiral mcraven, make your bed. let me see a show of hands of people who have seen it. a little less than half the room. i strongly recommend. just google, make your bed. a 19-minute set of remarks in 2014 by admiral mcraven who was the head of u.s. special operations command at the point that he was retiring. shortly after he made

the v.a. is a step in the right direction to ensure our veterans receive the best possible care. this legislation increases funding to the v.a. to the highest level ever. that funding will go towards providing for america's heroes. we are increasing funding for homeless veteran services, mental health care, suicide prevention, opioid abuse, traumatic brain injury research and treatments, and rural health initiatives just to name a few. mr. dunn: as the son of an army family and army surgeon, i have issues that d many our veterans face. as chairman of the v.a. subcommittee on health, i'm working to instill real changes at the v.a. this means better care for our men and women who have served our nation. funding these important initiatives is a crucial part of repaying those who fought for our freedoms. i urge all of my colleagues to support this important legislation. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from oregon seek recognition

the v.a. and my conversation was doing everything they could to ascertain everything that led up to this incident. and everything that they had done and everything that could have been done. i'm satisfied for the information i have to date. their response has been thorough and complete. obviously, saving the veteran's life is the number one goal and priority. and we hope and pray that will happen. the reason i bring it up is this. we've had a situation for my last four years here on the committee. for every headline i saw about the v.a. was something that happened five years ago that was wrong or bad. never about something that happened good. we've had so much good stuff happen, chairman, myself and the ranking member of my town, that i just thought it was time to say this. we want to make good headlines. we want to confront every tragedy when it happens and put every resource behind it and see to it that it never happens again. we want to uplift those that are making a better v.a. today than

if the v.a. can't meet the needs of a veteran in a timely manner, the veteran will have the right to go outside to a private doctor, so simple, yet so complex. this legislation also expands access to the caregiver program for seriously injured veterans. no matter where you served or when you fought, if you were in then yout some point, deserve our absolute best. that is what we are doing. [applause] this bill speeds up the claims process, increases the health services, expand access to walk in clinic's, and fights opioid addiction. these are sweeping historic changes, there has never been anything like this in the history of the v.a.. we will not rest until the job is fully done. my administration has also taken action to ensure veterans can seamlessly transition their medical records from the department of defense into the v.a.. stories,ard so many how difficult it is, almost impossible. it was almost impossible to do, it would take years. we will do it immediately now. we have the right systems

i werethat when pete and at v.a., when summit he said v.a. health care, what first came to mind was v.a. hospitals, outpatient clinic, the vet. centers and -- the vet centers. needed, then veterans go to the community. but that community provider system was not looked at as an veterans health care, it was a default, what we would look to because we couldn't provided inside the campus. years down, 15, 18 the timeline, and i think where we are now is giving greater definition, ritter clarity as to what we expect of health care -- greater definition, greater expect of to what we health care in the community, and funding it. and homeless veterans are a part of the knee. and in this organization helps -- helps define the focus for that particular cohort of the veterans and their families. 18 years ago, when people set a said as veteran -- homeless veteran, a homeless veteran was living in tents. i spent a number of years living in florida, in hernando county, and there were tent villages for homeless. tentnnovated in those villages were veterans,

is youture of v.a. change to be ableo accommodate specific needs of the veteran of anticipateday, and the needs of tomorrow. [applause] mr. bowman: you will will help shape that need of tomorrow. especially in the realm of the homeless veteran and their families. be aggressive. don't be timid. make it personal. if you take anything away from my remarks today, it is your mission -- make it personal. the more personal it is to you as an individual as well as an organization, the greater clarity and impact you will have in congress as well as in court. make it personal. i do not know how many of you have heardf thispeech by bed."l craven "make your let's have a show of hands. i strongly recommend it. all you have to do is google "make your bed." it is about a 19-minute set of res by admiral the craven, who was the head of u.s. special operations command at the point he was retiring. shortly after he made that speech he retired and became the chancellor of the university of texas. i'm a graduate of the univ

as you know, the v.a. doesn't provide these blue water veterans the disability benefits they deserve. after being exposed and experiencing these harmful effects. i think we can agree that this isn't right. how do you plan on helping the blue water veterans, as well as the veterans exposed to agent orange? >> well, i'll speak to agent orange first. i'm from the generation who saw the effects of that on those who have come back from vietnam. so that is an experience from adolescence that remains with me. on the blue water issue, the house has spoken. and it is my understanding that the issue will be taken up by the senate, and i stand ready to answer any questions or go down any avenue that this committee wants in terms of how we address blue water. >> mr. wilkie, thank you. and to the chairman, thank you for the time. >> thank you, senator heller. senator brown. >> thank you very much, mr. chairman. >> last but not least. >> thank you very much for saying that, mr. chairman. thank you, mr. wilkie. i enjoyed

if the v.a.an't meet the needs of the veteran in a timely manner, that veteran will have the right to go right outside to a private doctor. so simple. yet so complex. this legislation also expands access to the care-giver program for seriously injured veterans. because no matter where you served or when you fought, if you were in uniform, at some point if you wore that uniform, then you deserve our absolute best. that is what we are doing. [applause] this bill speeds up the claims process. increases the health services, expands access to walk-in clinics. and fights opioid addiction. these are sweeping historic changes. there has never been anything like this in the history of the v.a. never been anything close. we will not rest until the job is fully done. my administration has also taken action to ensure veterans can seamlessly transition the medical records from the department of defense into the v.a. i have heard so many stories how difficult it is, almost impossible. how is that possible? it

the v.a. health care system continues to grow it's critical that the v.a. programs are prefire department meet their needs. the peer support counseling program recruits veterans to serve on a volunteer basis to assist their fellow veterans struggling with mental health or readjustment issue and to conduct outreach to inform veterans and their families -- families of the resors available to them. peer support counselors are overseen by the v.a. and as peers are able to communicate on a more personal and effective basis than nonveteran clinicians, particularly for veterans hesitant to seek treat due to stigma. i'm grateful to mike for his leadership on the committee and sponsoring this bill to ensure that v.a. recruits a sufficient number of women veteran volunteers to support the needs of women veterans through the peer support counseling program. i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 4635 as amended. mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves.

the act will now allow v.a. doctors to use telemedicine to see patients in any state or location including the comfort of their own homes. this is especially helpful for brain injury, who have had a hard time traveling to a v.a. facility or live in rural areas. our veteran december serve the best care available to them and the vets act is one of the provisions of the v.a. mission act that will advance this care. i commend the president for signing this bill into law. telemedicine is better access, better care and true health care reform. thank you, mr. speaker, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman s recognized for one minute. mr. veasey: i rise to honor the incredible life and legacy of pauline valenciano. she was raised in fort worth and was able to observe diversity and traditions embraced in our community. i knew pauline when i first got started in politics in th

the v.a. or when it's in now when it's in their best interest to have care in their community and it's necessary to provide the funding to accomplish that. we have an opportunity to provide veterans and the v.a. with appropriations for 2019 that builds on the momentum that the v.a. missions act provides. i want to make sure we do the right things because i want the v.a. mission act to work. on june 6, we paid tribute to one of our nation's heroes who bravely stormed the beaches of normandy in november of 1944. in addition two weeks ago, june 6, senator boozman and many of my colleagues were at the white house when he signed the v.a. mission act into law. the v.a. mission act represents a significant achievement in providing our nation's veterans with the access to the care that they are entitled to and that they deserve. just as i urge my colleagues to support that v.a. mission act, i call on my colleagues to support the implementation of those reforms contained in that legislation. it is crit

the v.a. nursing facility in reno need improvement and, unfortunately, the veterans suicide issues remain quite a challenge nevada. several times as i mentioned doctor shortages have been raised, but i think nevada has really felt the impact, especially in our urban areas like las vegas and rural areas. let me give you an example. in 2016 i was at the ribbon-cut considering of a v.a. clinic in parump and with all the pomp and circumstances and other we are in 2018, and they still don't have a full-time doctor. 2016, here we are two years later, all the pomp and circumstance for that community. they have been waiting years to get this done. the work by my office, myself, this committee, this congress to get that clinic into that town, and they still don't have -- two years later they still don't have a full-time doctor. can i get your commitment to work with me to get a full-time doctor into that clinic by the end of the year? >> absolutely i will work with you on that. >> we have problems in s

president trump today signed the v.a. mission act into law. veteran choice program for one year as the department works to consolidate seven community programs into one. this is about 20 minutes. >> ladies and gentlemen, the president of the united states. [applause] president trump: thank you very much, this is a very big day. we have been looking for choice for a long time. today is the day. it is very important. very happy. thank you for being here. moment.truly historic the historic time for our country. i will be signing the landmark legislation to provide health care choice. what a beautiful word that is, choice. freedom to our amazing veterans. i want to welcome our veterans. we have many here today. e giver and servicemember who has joined us. during the campaign, i said, why can't a just go see a doctor? w they can ge it is going to be great. you fulfilled your duty to our nation with tremendous loyalty and courage. with the signing of this legislation, we take one more crucial step in fulfilling our duty to you. we are pleased to be

the v.a. reimburses the employer for up to half of a veteran's salary. this is a program that matches veterans with apprenticeship, with the expectation of being hired upon completion. i know from experience that our veterans bring unique perspective and skills to the workplace. i've hired, as i've said in previous conversations, multiple veterans working in my office, including a wounded warrior, fellow and a hill vets fellow. we should ensure we're supporting programs that connect veterans with employers. my amendment would also ensure funding for the v.a. to expand its veterans economic communities initiative, a program in which nonprofits and educational institutions build supportive networks for veterans. this is exactly the kind of long-term support that we should have had in place years ago, before launching into these conflicts. for many americans, the american dream is owning your own business and being your own boss. the vocation rehabilitation and employment account includes program

v.a. only extends the presumption of exposure to agent orange to vietnam veterans who actually set foot in vietnam or served in the inland waterways of the brown water navy, we call it. blue water navy veterans who served off-shore of vietnam precks clueded from the presumption -- were excluded from the presumption. v.a. denies these benefits because they claim there is not enough scientific information where blue water navy veterans came in contact with herbicides to cause disease. mr. speaker, i read the science and unfortunately we will never be able to prove whether blue water navy veterans were harmed by herbicides but i said this before and i'll say it again, too many years have passed, over four decades in this case, to meaningfully determine the science, the presumption should be heavily in favor of the veteran. moreover, i am pleased that the bill would help veterans who may have been harmed by exposure to herbicides while serving in areas outside the republic of vietnam. h.r. 299

we agree that the v.a. community partners are essential to serving veterans and access especially in rural areas. but privately provided care cannot come at the experience of v.a.'s in-house medical services or other programs core to v.a. and that's where the administration is to recognize to take us. without budgetary relief, there will be a $38 million hole at v.a. and will undermine serving our veterans and their families. i know the vice chairman and chairman are working with the leadership and chairman and ranking member of the authorizing committee so we can fulfill our commitment to veterans. they will have my full support on that. i want to thank senator boosman and my staff for helping to craft this bipartisan bill. i will have more to say, in the meantime i encourage any of our colleagues, if they have amendments to file those as soon as possible so we have sufficient time to review them. i ask unanimous consent that olivia harris, brendon mcgovern and jack plunkett with granted floor privileges f

you don't have to stay within the v.a. system unless you want to stay within the v.a. system. let's make sure we don't continue to delay the provision of healthcare for these people who have served our country so valiantly. it is inexcuseable. it is something i will work very hard to change to make sure people have the kind of alternative paths that dr. kennedy mentioned. moderator: i think you again agree so let's go to lisa riley roche for a question and first to governor romney. >> thank you. i'd like to know, what can you do for utahns that your opponent cannot in a divided and dysfunctional congress? we've already talked about that a little. would you be willing to work with others to find common ground on pressing issues like taxes, immigration, or are you not inclined to compromise on policy differences? governor romney? gov. romney: lisa, i don't compromise on principles. i look for places to find common ground. i had occasion to serve as governor in a state that was pretty democrat. my legislature was about 89% democrat. and it was obvious to me to get anything done i

can't be seen by a v.a. doctor, did you go out to the private community. the v.a.y control care. this bill consolidates the programs. there were a lot of different programs. and hopefully stream lines the criteria so it makes sense to veterans. they know where to go and how to get it. and the payment process is made more efficient. abby: what about weigh wait lin. >> v.a. has to pay back doctors quickly if they don't it wok won't work very well. center for innovation care and payment. this is a think tank within the bill that's going to allow v.a. to figure out even more efficient ways to do care and payment that means closer to true choice. this is slipped into the bill by some reformers to say hey, this bill does a lot. doesn't go far enough. figure how we get to a try care model. something even more robust choice. very choice focused. the next one is a capital asset review commission. the v.a. has a lot of facilities they don't use or under utilized. like the we'll be right back wher -- brak closed not using.cd based on whether veterans are getting choice in the

they have been trying to get v.a. choice from the beginning. i said whether they use choice? i thought i'm so smart, what a great idea, they said we have been trying to get that for 35 years. got it now. they've been trying for 35

walz in the v.a. authorizing process. that would have preserved the bipartisan budget act deal and prevented cuts to v.a. programs. it also would have held nondefense discretionary caps for v.a. negotiate under the bipartisan budget act harmless, when funding for the veterans choice program is transfered from mandatory to discretionary accounts. another concern i have is that despite calls to return to regular order as many of my colleagues have discussed here today, we are instead taking up completely unnecessarily, because we have plenty of time to do this, three bills at once. this year especially the process should have been better. the bipartisan budget agreement, enacted in february, provided us leaf from unworkable discretion -- relief from unworkable discretionary caps by giving this committee a top line number for f.y. 2018 and 2019, yet here we are doing another minibus. this is extremely disappointing and nowhere close to regular order. if we want to return to regular order, we to know the full 302-b picture at

host: the estimate of the v.a. could save tens of millions of dollars if they did that. marian billings, montana, democrat. that morning. caller: good morning. the other thing as far as accountability to money goes, we should start at the top and how money is -- lead by example. and that means watch how prewitt, zinc he, the president himself and his administration is spending money, foolishly. also with regards to date formion as to how safe fish might b e this is administration is hiring gross polluters. i don't trust any of the data that's coming out of that. thank you. jessica lucas judy, up?hing you want to pick guest: if you name it, the gao has done work on it. we have looked at spending by parts of the presidential theretion and mentioning was a legal opinion recently about secretary prewitt spending and i encourage everyone to go to gao.gov for those particular topics you are interested in and look at one of the gao reports. asked to givewas a legal opinion on how much scott pruitt spent on his office decorations. guest: our attorneys will look ,t whether the la

and v.a. have been hesitant to admit there's sufficient data to quantify this link and to prove the connection between service-related burn pits exposure and the resulting illnesses that some of our troops and veterans are dying from. what's most troubling about this is that these burn pits are still being used today. we cannot continue to repeat the dark stains of our past that we've seen in abandoning our vietnam veterans who suffered illnesses due to their exposure to agent orange. even now, i and many other members of congress, continue to hear from vietnam veterans about their battles with the v.a. to get the benefits and care they need after their exposure to agent orange. burn pits are the agent orange of our generation of veterans. we cannot let this generation go ignored without the care and services they desperately need. our troops didn't hesitate to raise their hands and volunteer to serve their country and put their lives on the line. we cannot turn our backs on them when they ret

he is signing a bill to overhaul the v.a..t trump saying the bill will provide choice and freedom to veterans. you can watch the full event online. this is bloomberg. ♪ pres. trump: it is less expensive for us, it works out better, and it is immediate care. that is what we are doing. that is what we are doing. breaking news on alphabet. shery: the board has voted down on pay that would be tied to congress in workplace diversity. employees had teamed up with investors and a push to tie executive pay to progress and work with diversity recut -- requesting off of it consider those planes. this proposal was presented at wednesday's annual shareholder meeting in mountain view, california on behalf of asset management which submitted the measure. the board has voted down this proposal. toid: we are going to turn mexico. mexico's presidential election is july 1. polls show a widening lead for leftist candidate andrea's manuel. should he win, what will his policy be toward the current after negotiations? his top economic adviser -- ad

it is called v.a. where you bring the person into the office and you say, jim, i'm sorry to tell you, you are fired. get out of here. [cheering] pres. trump: and even more working from ever did or would be saying this so soon, because i would campaign on the spirit i used to go out during the campaigns and you know, because i was in minnesota a lot, but obviously one more trip. that won't happen again. [cheering] pres. trump: but one that is really important to me. i wonder what doctors don't take care of our great that's. -- our great vets. we just passed veterans choice administration. it gives them the care they deserve and the care they earned. so our betterments were waiting online or nine days for 12 days, for three weeks someone online with a minor problem, they ended up having a terminal disease. now, i said it during the campaign before a new too much about it, but there is a lot of common sense in life. i said, instead of them waiting for 2, 3, or, five weeks to why don't we let them go see a

this includes money for v.a. electronic health system to accelerate the progress on this long awaited project. accompanying these funding increases are provisions that would increase accountability at both the pentagon and veterans' administration and dollars go where they areost needed. i want to thank the chairs and ranking members and all the staff who worked on these bills, that all members should be proud to support. these bills received bipartisan support in committee because they focused on universal priority, national security care for our veterans and military families in essential infrastructure. i'm extremely disappointed to read and hear the minority has directed its members to oppose this appropriations practice despite the fact that all of these bills were constructed as they always have been in a bipartisan manner. if there is no minority support for this package, those members will be turning their backs on this house's historic support for our veterans and their families and for modernizing our m

rick -- i thought y we going to the v.a. but we have great people at the v.a. so now we don't have to worrybout the v.a. i always thought -- i put him in the v.a. and you would have done great there too. you're doing a fantastic job at energy. we're the largest in the world at energy, rick. the largest in the world. we're now exporting energy for the first time. never did it. now we're exporting energy. we have become the largest energy producer in the world. who would have thought? we've opened it up and let our people and do their thing. ngecre of t a great job. peter rourke. the combination of you and wille unbeatable combination. thanks for your help. i'm hearing onlyood th secretarynielsen, what do i say about you? you a doing great. the border is coming along and the wall isng h $1.6 billion being spend on phase one of the wall. eek that goes by, people ing and realize more and more we have to have the wall. general john kellys someplace. general, good, general. great job, john. administrator scott pruitt, thank you. epa is doing really well. you know, so

v.a. is here to show his fellow professionals that he's still in the game and is still to be taken seriously. to build up all the automation on a say i probably factors are good but last week and most of. us oh ya feel me oh yes how are you. very. last question. so that was. the man on his cell phone is david no mud. clearly troubled by our camera hebrew v.a. quickly calls his assistant to go reassure him. use it for you that you. need. to treat just like it most of them just to please them it's the bosses. but he has no rights regarding our footage of. the. site that the likes of. david no mud isn't just anyone he's the man with three hundred picasso's the head of one of the most powerful families in the art world the numb odds renowned dealers. here's their stand at art basel by calder mirror who's fontana's because. and also a roy lichtenstein and his own two feet all of them stars of modern art. in the mud collection is valued at almost three billion dollars thousands of works most of

however in the week of the phoenix v.a. scandal, the implementation of this program fragmented veterans care, according to g.a.o. reports and even extended wait times for veterans using the choice program. reform was much needed and i was proud to co-sponsor the bill known as the v.a. mission act that would streamline health care and ensure continuity of care for those who have borne the battle. v.a. has some of the best health care in the country. health care that is specialized for the unique wounds of war, both seen and unseen and health care that is provided by physicians, experienced in understanding veterans. integrating it with the rest of our nation's health care is paramount to improving veterans' quality of life. and yet, despite this historic act of congress, the trump administration has indicated they would not only spurn the will of congress, but undermine the very system of integrated health care that veterans have demanded. this last week, the administration has deemed it necessary to purposely underfund port

good work um here, v.a.ng bad service. having bad wait times it really hurts you. why? >> well, because i wouldn't want to be in their shoes to wait for a long period of time to see someone. i'm sure that it will be straightened out sooner or later, hopefully. does it happen frequently? i don't know. it doesn't happen here. so i can't say it's something that has to be looked at over here. maybe in other places. >> right. >> other places yes it probably has to be looked at. >> even though you are wearing that great flag shirt you are not thrilled with what the president did in regard to the eagles, why? >> to put it nicely, i thought it was foolish, to tell you the truth. what he did. >> i'm going to leave it there also mention he is a jets fan so he doesn't have the same giants animus. i want to go to jack now. a pretty serious topic to talk about. you say whatever happens with the various v.a. mission bills or anything veterans wise you say mental health needs to be a focus, why? >> 23 million veterans kill

reporter: an element is it v.a.ram, you remember in 2014 we started hearing the horror stories of tryin to get a appointment with a doctor. they were allowed to go outside of system. hove this week, the government accountability office put out a statement, saying that program has not done enough in some cases, in someases patients wait nearly 70s days to see a doctor, this new law, got rose garden it fies that v.a. choice program, for example consolidates 7 programs to 1, and expands access for caregive of veterans. looks at current v.a. facilities that might be lag. in an effort to get patients to doctors faster, here is president trump in the rose garden earlier today. >> who risk life and limb for country, who must never be denied care, access or treatment they need. that is why we're -- hereandnint bill, it makes so much sense. reporter: as this was quite literally hands out of nowhere, news that president commuted sentence of alice marie johnson, now 63-year-old great grandmother served 21 years in federal pris

we're pleased to be joined by our great vice president mike pence along with my nominee to lead the v.a. robert wilkey. stand up robert. you're going to do a great job. working along with robert is acting secretary. where's peter? that's a great team. i also want to thank many of our leaders. i call leaders because they are indeed leaders. they said it would be very slow. we have an election coming on november 6th. they said it would be very, very slow this period of time. i was telling mike this hasn't been slow. we pass dodd frank. right to try. we got $700 billion for our military. that's a big one. we needed to get that. military will be stronger, bigger, better than it ever was before. hopefully we won't have to use it very much. the fact we have it so strong means we probably won't have to use it as much. i want to thank all the great people in the audience that helped us so much. on december 22nd, which doesn't quite fit into the january first date but on december 22nd, we signed the biggest tax cuts in the history of our country. that's a big one. we got $1.6 billion we've alrea

two weeks ago we passed v.a.hoice, rather than waiting online for weeks and weeks and that wenthad people in moderately, they had a minor problem. they end up taking so long they are terminal. these are our great veterans. they have been trying to get accountability for four years. they have been trying to get v.a. choice from the beginning. i said whether they use choice? i thought i'm so smart, what a great idea, they said we have been trying to get that for 35 years. got it now. they've been trying for 35 years. we secured a record $700 billion and next year $716 billion to bring our military to the highest level it has ever been. we confirmed more circuit court judges than any administration and we will set the all-time record with judges, including our great new supreme court justice neil gorsuch. true from the horrible one-sided iran deal. that's going to turn out to be very good. that was one of the great embarrassments. and we move the u.s. embassy to jerusalem. -- moved the u.s. and the sea to jerusalem.

but we can't find someone to fix the v.a. that's exactly right there's a great it is and it's when you see these like massive numbers and then your mind merely goes like will who are the people that say this is ok who are the people that like a line up and say hey let's spend more money on nuclear weapons let's do this i mean just a member of a few of them look a lot of these are part of the so-called you know resistance which also doesn't make sense to me because why would you then if you think trumps a maniac why would you then give me more money for the second period so we start world war three great point for the second year in a row you give them more money for more military and more murder the second year in a row but you're resisting but there's a strain of so you've got chuck schumer oh yes lovely tina smith out of minnesota cory booker yes mr big pharma i'm self joe manchin out of wisconsin claire miska mccaskill tim kaine. and then the club which are just the name of the walls that does give more money to the milita

well we can't find someone to fix the v.a. that's exactly right that's exactly it it is and it's when you see these like massive numbers and then your mind immediately goes like will who are the people that say this is ok who are the people that like a line up and say hey let's spend more money on nuclear weapons let's do this i mean just a name a few of them look a lot of these are part of the so-called you know resistance which also doesn't make sense to me because why would you then if you think trump some maniac why would you then give me more money for the second time surely start world war three great point for the second year in a row you give them more money for more military and more murder the second year in a row but you're with us today but there's a strain of so you've got chuck schumer oh yes lovely tina smith out of minnesota cory booker yes mr big pharma i'm self joe manchin out of wisconsin claire miska mccaskill tim kaine. and then the candidates are just to name a few all said yes let's let's give more money

they will resume debate on a spending package for water and energy, military construction, and the v.a. fornal passage vote set 5:30 will be followed by another vote on whether to begin debate on the farm bill. you can see live coverage of the senate on c-span 2. while we wait for the house, look at the week ahead in washington. joining us in a roundtable discussion about topics happening in congress in washington dc -- washington, d.c. is a reporter. also joining us is lisa mascaro, the chief congressional correspondent. thank you for joining us. topic last was a big week, especially in the house. there was some bills voted on and some did not. where are we in the result part of this? bighis is going to be a week for immigration in the house. house republicans have been trying to craft a bill on their own pretty much without democratic input to present something on immigration that president trump could sign into law. they got a little close last week, they voted on, they were set to vote on two bills. one was a more conservative measure and it was supposed to do a compromise measure,

the v.a. -- there was no cap -- no accountability. you have people who were not protected, whether it was civil service, union, they were protected, you could not fire them. they could be reinstated, we had people that would still and rob, -- steal and rob. there was no account -- accountability. for years, they have been trying to get the accountability act passed. i got it past. you say, ken smith, you have done a hell of a lousy job. you are late and you do not treat the vets right. i am sorry, you're fired. get out of here . right? you are fired. >> [ cheering ] >> so, those two things -- just to prove them -- the accountability was a couple of months ago. and john helped so much, i will tell you, john helped so much. >> [ applause ] >> he was a leader . he was a leader on both and everybody said you could not get accountability done. i said why? too much power, talk -- too many unions. arizona great, everybody agreed, they could not fire the people. so now you have accountability -- it is done. even more important, i am not sure,

sweeping measure to improve the care of our veterans with more bold reforms to fix problems at the v.a. anitical resources to help local law enforcementa violent gangse ms-13. next week, the house is going to taken on actio more initiatives to combat the opioid epidet is killing 115 americans a day. all of this isrong people's lives. it is about addressing the things that families and communities deal with each and every day. that's why we are here and that's why we are seeing such success. reporter: mr. speaker, have you convinced rs off on a discharge peon speaker ryan: i think what -- say moderate members, members re running a discharge petition because they re worried we wen't going to ke action. that they weren't going to be t i think members ao or realize a discharge petition will not make law. so i think our members realize it's better to have a process that has a chance of going into law thanot and that's why the conversation we had this morning about the pillars wch has a within it is the most optimistic, plausible chance of getting into law and that's why i tnk ou members --

tell you that because of a bipartisan bill be passed in the senate 1550 people have been fired at the v.afor t taking ce of our veterans. another statistic that i'm proud of, and this affects lives is today african-american unemployment is at the lowest level it's been in the united states history. [applause] and probably most important of all, i think, is when the great recession hit us back in 2008 and 2009, millions of people lost their jobs and lost hope and today because of president trump's agenda, 900,000 people have found work, regained self-confidence and rejoined the workforce. there is no question that we have turned the tide of drift to socialism in america. who would've ever believe that we would have a presidential candidate who had the gall at -- after the soviet union was filled in all the socialism experiments have failed on the world who would have believed we have a presidential candidate talking about it? but we stem that tied with president trump and we can never take that for granted. today, i want to talk about different threat, one we cannot ignore. we are facing a

the v.a. all review in the second half gave nigeria the chance from the spot chelsea's victim oses stepped up kept his nerve and celebrated in style was at this point nigeria had one foot in the knockout stages but center back marcus rocco smashed in the win a full minutes from time i've finished second setting up a heavyweight clash with france in the next round. thanks so much. for. the language courses.

billion in previous spending after the recision bill, the h wl begin work on 2019 spending covering the v.a., the veterans department, military construction, legislative branch, energy and water projects. we will have live coverage when the house comes back in at noon eastern. they are out, members have been -- house republicans, anyway, have been meeting this morning to discuss immigration. that meeting breakingp and here's scott wong, senior reporter of "the hill," the state of play after that meeting saying leadership will put pen to paper and immigratio legislaon today's comments, lawmakers say. could come ithe next week. many believe a discharge n. tion will hold off for he updates that saying lawmakers say leaders neeto write the bill quickly to avert discharge. june 12 is the deadline for the discharge petition, so that's just five days away. asit forpeakern t coe convertion fm this morning's "washington journal" on what's behind the immigration push. a very good thursday morning to u. you can start calling in now. republicans only for this first 30 minutes on the issue of immigratio

this program gives our v.a. employees the necessary tools to reach out to high-risk veterans and offer guidance while providing essential suicide prevention services. i've got three wounded warriors on my district staff, mr. speaker, and we're together dedicated to our veterans. i'm grateful to our veteran service organization that is we work together to spread the word on how we need to help our veterans avoid the crisis that comes with the risk of suicide. vets, are you not alone. all vets believe in the buddy system, and the veteran crisis line keeps that bond. ease, call vets, are you not f you are having a crisis or you know a veteran in crisis. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair can lays before the house a communication. -- the chair lays before the house a communication. the clerk: the honorable the speaker, house of representatives, sir. pursuant to the permission granted in clause 2-h of rule 2 of the rules of the u.s. house of representat

right wing populists and right wingers i mean centrist to the very least in this contest to meet the v.a. all know that they have to continue to claim that they are defending the interests of their respective countries even though that's a mere fiction because if they didn't they might lose their jobs they think and you see that national self-interest is rooted in the system but doesn't it also have to do with disruptive phenomena like digitalisation and globalization always searching for a group identity a sense of homeland doesn't that also contribute to nationalism invokes the not so good. i think that's a pretty shallow explanation for nationalism you can have a sense of belonging and homeland without being a nationalist. if you can through coming here you can have a deep sense of group identity without obstruct idea of having the same passport as certain other people. based in the system. lyden you strike me as a passionate and a nationalist this film is that our hats are rooted in your family history. her father escaped at the age of eighty two in england on a kinda transport a res

from the us page of the online retailer amazon ordering goods from around the world without paying v.a. t. but from july first that will no longer be possible be australian government is set on closing the tax loophole which encourage so-called worldwide shopping from now on orders from abroad will be subject to a value added tax of ten percent. from the first of july anyone in australia trying to access amazon dot com will be automatically retire at two to the retailers australian site there they'll find around sixty million products on offer just a fraction of the total available on the us site. many australians were big fans of the wipes election particularly as goods are tax free now the ten percent online tax means those days are over consumer groups are up in arms but the government says it won't be swayed. why should i large multinational company the second largest in the world in the case of amazon. i'm by the world's richest person not by g.s.t. on what they sell in the struggle when if you go to want to strive even digital online retailer. gets in robertson or something like

caller: yes, i wanted to ask the why would someone a -- of tour of the v.a., why someone does not do a , each veteran administration in each state, and why they have such a problem with doctors. host: caller, appreciate the call. not the topic we are discussing right now. cape canaveral, florida, independent line. caller: hello. my question is, you are talking about the space force. my son served in the army for more than 10 years. he was in afghanistan. he was at the border of north korea. and then he joined the space force one month before president trump took office. the first italian, they were called, spartans. theyn,t space bata were called, spartans. you are talking about a force that already existed. you can go back to ronald reagan . host: got your call. guest: you are absolutely right. there are forces already in our military. -- army, as your son is in the army already has a space and missile defense command. within that, they have space battalions. they're completely separate and independent from the space forces within the air force. the air force, almost all the space f