Serviceconnected disability compensation, safe and High Quality Health Care and prompt access to earned benefits. It demands that in dealing with the department of Veterans Affairs, veterans be treated with the dignity and professionalism that is earned through Honorable Service to our nation. The need for oversight is crucial. But it is the need for accountability that is paramount. Speaking directly to th must set the example. True leaders lay out clear expectations, putst others in positions to succeed, they follow through, and most importantly hold themselvess accountable for their actions of the follow me. That is the motto of the infantry. Yet those word can be easily translated to okayizational leadership at va. When there is a mission to be accomplished those who put themselves on the line are the leaders that others want to follow. And, it iacs a lack of accountability that corrodes trust within a chain of command. That said, an undeniable, widespread, simtic lack of accountab
In a side arbucarticle that the Washington Post report on the fiscal cliff this morning. Heres an article from Washington Times now this is from politico. A situation that was in the paper couple weeks ago. Looks li finally, before we go to phone calls, this article from the daily caller again, that is reported in the daily caller. We begin with a call from diane in julian, california, on our democratic line. Caller good morning, peter. My prediction came true, reelecting a president. Women against violence acts, being held up by the house. John boehner and the Republican House majority leader eric cantor. I tweeted last night quiet late saying the republicans are going to gang up on john boehner. There is an article in the New York Times showing they feel he is dragging his feet and waiting until january 3. I also understand that the chairman of the government oversight and Reform Committee darrell issa, which is from our district here, is holding up the vote on the women against viol
Request i want to thank you, mr. Chairman, for allowing me to ask that question in case i have to leave. Thank you. Senator heller. Thank you for your testimony and everybody thats here today. Its good to see you here. At 4 30 this afternoon i have the secretary coming into my office and im going to ask him a lot of questions. Im going to ask him obviously about the veterans backlog issue and progress if any are being made. The issue of lack of communication between my office and reno will be another question that im going to ask and hopefully get a good answer for. But there are other questions that you might think that i should ask him. Are there any questions, if you were talking to the secretary today, what question would that be, and im going to take notes and this is your chance to advocate. I wouldnt presume, sir, to tell you what to ask the secretary, although the secretary is an Airborne Ranger like me, so he is my friend. He has told me that he will reduce the backlog by 2015
Get a fully develop the claim . I would make just a general comment before i turn this over to my staff. We believe that the reduction of the backlog is a combination of a claim process and dbqs and then also accountability thats passed onto the review officers. We think those three things are exactly the types of answers to not only reduce the claims but to a manageable level but then reduce the backlog entirely. Let me if i can ask a followup question, i know they work hard to encourage veterans be served to file as complete a claim as possible, but i also recognize they need options to file any way they want. Whether that is on that forum or perhaps on paper. Is that accurate and can you explain why its important that veterans still have the option to file a claim any way they want . Ill defer that to the staff. Its important that veterans still have the opportunity to file a claim, paper on the standard or regular form. Currently they can take that regular piece of paper or as many
House majority leader eric cantor announced an hour and a half ago that hes stepping down from his majority post. A stunning defeat at the hands of a tea party backed economic professor. Thethe republicans will choose his successor next week. I said it three or four times now, an unprecedented loss. We heard from cantor about 90 minutes or so ago. What did he have to say . Reporter first of all he thanked his constituents for their support for his term of service for the past 13 and a half years. He was elected in 2001. He refused to speculate as to the reasons of his defeat. He said he would leave that up to the analysis. He would resign his post effective july 31st. None of the analysts saw this coming. It was a shock. Here is a seventerm congressman with a wellfunded war chest, 5 million. He goes down in defeat to an unknown College Professor who spent 120,000 to win the primary election. The first time in history that sit a sitting majority leader of any party has gone down in defe