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"The record of the New Direction Congress on veterans' issues is truly historic: The largest investment in veterans' health care in the 77-year history of the VA. Chairman Chet Edwards of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and the VA helped lead this effort."

"For his living legacy of expanding opportunity and hope, we pause today to honor Lyndon Baines Johnson and thank him for his service to our nation. May God bless his family wonderful family. God certainly did bless America with the life and leadership of Lyndon Baines Johnson."

The Education and Labor Subcommittee on Workforce Protections held a hearing today, "ICE Workplace Raids: Their Impact on U.S. Children, Families, and Communities." Witnesses explored how immigration enforcement could be improved in order to protect children, most of whom are American citizens.

Subcommittee Chairwoman Lynn Woolsey said in her opening statement (pdf):

The news of Senator Kennedy's health has been met with great concern.

Senator Kennedy is a champion for health care for all Americans and a great fighter for America's children, workers and seniors.

This same strength and fighting spirit will serve him well in this challenge.

Our thoughts and prayers are with him, with his wife Vicki, and with our colleague Patrick, and the entire Kennedy family.

The Oversight Committee is currently holding a hearing, "EPA's New Ozone Standards," to examine the new ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) and the process the Environmental Protection Agency used in setting them. A Committee investigation has uncovered details of White House involvement in EPA's regulation of ozone on the eve of a court imposed deadline, forcing EPA staff to scrap a standard supported by its independent panel and to perform "emergency rewrites" to the regulation. Documents obtained by the Committee show that EPA staff raised serious concerns about the merits and legality of the decision.