Good afternoon, Madame Chair. It is an honor to join you and the other distinguished members of the subcommittee.

We are all here today at this particular hearing because under your stewardship, the subcommittee led a grand coalition of bi-partisan support in both houses and pushed through the greatest overhaul of the GI Bill since 1984.

When Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the original GI Bill, he stated forcefully that “it [gave] emphatic notice to the men and women in our armed forces that the American people do not intend to let them down.” Through the work of this subcommittee, I believe that we have kept that promise alive.

As I begin work with this subcommittee, I vow to take seriously the responsibility of turning the promise that this new GI Bill offers into a fully functioning reality for America’s heroes.

Madame Chair, I look forward to working with you and learning from my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to help improve the care and service our veterans deserve.