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Chain of command will do anything. we should reform the system in a way that creates accountability and makes sure justice is possible. that's how we see more prosecutions and more convictions and change the culture within the military. >> tell me about the victims survivors who are going to be testifying at your hearing tomorrow? >> tomorrow's hearing is unfortunately about a serious issue of suicide. the suicide rate among sexual assault survivors is too high. what we have to look at is why are men and women who are sexually assaulted not getting the services that they need, the mental healt...

Returns to civilian life. we'll keep slashing that back log so our veterans receive the benefits they have earned. and the health care they need, including the mental care they need. >> that address to the nation was president obama with the state of the union address, but when the american legion tried to make sure the promise was kept, they stood in the way. pete, good to see you. so what -- the american legion goes around to the various va's to make sure the benefits are being received. what happened in seattle? >> correct, they went to seattle to review the benefits process, something they...

So, this model, doing right by our veterans, is exactly how we're going to do right by the larger population of people experiencing homelessness. >> it sounds like veterans -- the fact that you are focusing on veterans is a key part of how you were able to tap federal resources here and get some of the federal grants that you got. that's why i played some of that tape from eric shinseki and the president talking about veterans' homelessness specifically. as you move on to apply these lessons to a broader population of homeless people, are you counting on federal assistance or do you think it w...

The backlog to an average of four months by the end of 2015. joining us now, retired colonel jack jacobs, medal after honor recipient, msnbc military analyst, and patrick murphy of pennsylvania, first veteran of the iraq war to serve in congress. welcome to you both. patrick, i want to start with you. just simply, what is causing this backlog? i know there are a number of different factors that the va would cite. what is it? >> well, karen, it's really three things. one, there's more veterans because there are two wars. two, more benefits have been given. and three, they're still not digital. ...

They're still asking for, like i said hard paper work through fax machines. my goodness, when is the last time i used a fax machine or anyone coming from afghanistan, nothing is digital. and it's a process you can't understand from the outside and you have to sit and wait and call once a week and hope somebody picks up the phone and hope the file doesn't get lost. the and there was a floor in the va the literal weight of the paper work was so great it made it structurally unfound. this is bureaucracy, whether it's tips from the private sector to streamline, transform the va bureaucracy to make...