Lawmakers are working to improve services and programs at the Veterans Affairs department. From the American Enterprise institute, this is one hour and 40 minutes. All right. Lets try to get started here. Good morning. Welcome to aei, and welcome to our program today, the value of our veterans, a conversation with mike levin and bread when strip. Im gary schmitt, im a senior scholar here s in strategic studies at the American Enterprise institute and director of the program on american citizenship. Im going to skip the introduction since were trying to pack in quite a bit in the next two hours, less than two hours. So for those joining us here and or online or watching on cspan, if you want lengthier buyers please go to aeis website and go to the link for the events page and you will see everybodys biographies. So it may begin by just giving a quick overview of the proceedings today. From representative mike levin, the recent elected congressman from californias 49th district, a distri