The house will consider several important bills for the Veterans Affairs committee during first, hr 1181 khamenei veterans Second Amendment protection act, which ensures that the Second Amendment rights of the a efficient areas will not be restricted without due process. Asked, hr 1259, the epa accountability first act, also sponsored by chairman rowe, which grants dvi secretary increased discretion to remove or suspend v. A. Employees due to poor for performance. Finally, hr 1367 sponsored by representative bad brad wenstrup, which enhances the v. A. s ability to recruit and retain highly qualified employees. The failures at the v. A. Are well documented and completely unacceptable. These bills are a step in the right direction towards creating greater accountability come and keeping our promise to American Veterans who have sacrificed so much for us. I thank the gentleman and deal back. Think the gentleman for that information, and i would like to dodhim we passed the appropriation bill sent after the senate, mr. Leader. We have artie done the know we have already done the milk on bill. I know theyre are 10 remaining bills, whether the majority leader could give us some idea in light of the fact that the thathich goes to april 28, we will either have to do those bills individually or in some sort of on the bus, whether the gentleman has any idea as to how soon we might be considering the balance of the years appropriation to september 30. I yield to my friend. Gentleman for yielding. Im pleased that we were able to pass the fy 17 defense operation bill on a bipartisan basis this week. It is my hope that we can continue to pass the Appropriations Bills on a bipartisan basis as well trade for future legislation, i would refer my friend to the appropriation committee. I will keep members posted with scheduling updates. Haha. I think the gentleman for that insightful comment. [laughter] let me say this, mr. Leader. Yes. If, as we did in the defense bill, operation bill, if we template where we will reach bipartisan agreement on those bills and committee, i think without any poison pills point which in them, which you did on the appropriations bill, and as you so we appreciated that and we overwhelmingly supported that effort. I would hope that mr. Leader, you would urge, and i think very frankly i am a big fan of mr. Freeling highs in who is the chair of the committee. He is a member i have worked well with over the years and i think he is somebody who is going to do the committee proud as its chairman, but i am hopeful that we can do as we did the appropriation bill for the defense department, a similar procedure. So, i think that the majority leader will be pleased with our support if in fact that can happen. Tristan chairman friedman highs in. Just showing his ability to manage in the short time that he is chairman, i think you will continue to see that you have your. I yield back. On a less happy collegial note, it comes as no suppressed to the majority leader the height of our displeasure and disappointment as it relates to what is going on with respect to the consideration of the for theiation process repeal or modification of the Affordable Care act for the American Health care act. The bill was posted this monday night. It was marked up on wednesday. There were no hearings, there were no opportunities for witnesses to come forward, and is the gentleman knows, he is absolutely correct on these quotes. But like these quotes because they point out theoretically what i would have great agreement with in terms of process. Particularly, i call your attention to a quote from speaker paul ryan, quoting, congress is moving fast to russia through a Health Care Overhaul that lacks a key ingredient the full participation of you, the American People. ,hat quote was july 19, 2009 referring to the process involved in the adoption of the Affordable Care act. As the gentleman knows, the Affordable Care act had 79 hearings. As the gentleman knows, there were 181 witnesses. , who testified about the informal care act. Knows, thateman process took approximately a , eight months of which was waiting to see whether senator grassley would participate in a bipartisan way and forging healthcare reform in this country. The gentleman is well aware, not only have we had which really hundreds of thousands of people around the country may come to town meetings, many met that his members have held and expressed their deep concern about the loss of health care security, if the Affordable Care act is repealed. There is no doubt that the American Public im not saying it is 100 , but a large number are very concerned. The gentleman further knows i am sure, as i am sure he has seen the letters, the american letter medical association, American Nurses association, even the consumer union, and hundreds of other groups representing providers, patients, even insurance companies, have concernd deep, deep about the adverse consequences of the passage of the American Health care act that was marked up in the dead of night we were, we were criticized the gentleman, apparently doesnt agree with that. But, the facts are the facts. They are not alternative facts. He started marking them up on wednesday morning. There was some delay during the day as you know, because we were very concerned about how fast you are moving that. Less than 48 hours after it was introduced it was marked up. , noearings, no witnesses ability to read the bill. Shockingly,of fact, mr. Brady voted against an amendment which said, read the bill. What was shocking about that is that that was mr. Bradys amendment that he offered back in 2010. He voted against the amendment that said read the bill. Think anybody cap us opportunity to read the bill before it marked up. Greg walden, chairman of the Energy Commerce committee, also in july of 2009, the bill of this significance you would think it would at least allow people to come and who are affected by the extraordinary changes in this bill and have a chance to let us know how to fix them. That was greg walden, now the chairman of the Energy Commerce committee, july 9, 2009. He is now in charge of that committee agreed not to single witness testified on the bill that was marked up in his committee, and it was marked up ,hrough the dead of the night if we want to parse our words, because it started in the morning on wednesday. It did not end until the morning, 26 hours later, thursday. This meant that mr. Walden kept and their seats marking up a bill except when they were voting coming over here, for 26 hours straight. 1 on one of the most consequential bills this house will consider. And that the senate will consider, affecting as i said, millions and millions and millions of people. Now i understand the Budget Committee is scheduled to market bill up on wednesday, just a week later. Again, i do not know whether there will be hearings. Or, if those hearings will be open to the witnesses that should be called to testify on a bill such impact. So ask the majority leader let me do one additional quote because the chairman of the ways and Means Committee had an interesting quote as well. He said, the Democratic Congress and the white house simply arent listening democrats are rimming it through to the publics objections. That was on march 20 march 17, 2010, some year after the bill had been introduced. Thousands of meeting have been held by democrats and republicans around the country on the bill. As i said, 79 hearings, 181 witnesses later, that is what chairman brady said. Of course, chairman brady in most than 48 hours at a markup. Now he, he, did not have quite as long a markup. Am in theat 4 30 morning, that was the dead of night. Or if you want to parse words, perhaps the date of the early morning. Nevertheless, most of my public was not up watching. 1 30 for even at 4 30, your public, they were not up watching. So this was done out of the site of thepublic sight public, and inconsistent, mr. Speaker, majority leader, with the pledge of transparency, openness, and those three quotes i just read you that said, the should have the opportunity to express their opinion on legislation generally, but certainly on legislation is consequential. I yield to my friend. I think the tournament for yielding, i was look forward to these discussions. I know there about the schedule but it was look forward to what quotes will bring up next. What we see if i can answer all those questions that you raised. First, my friend did inform me last week and again today that the democrats have failed have held 79 hearings over two years on obamacare. Weve spent the last six years so i went up and back i promised you i would see how many hearings we had. When i went back and checked, the republicans have held one hundred 13 seat 113 hearings on the waste to repeal and replace obamacare. We had expert witnesses on both sides of the aisle on everything from the individual mandate and medicaid sustainability, to the medical device tax that obamacare failing coops. We have been committing just committed to replacing this law for years and im sure you will find love quotes from everybody on this side of the aisle saying that same thing. We have done the work and listened to the American People, and we believe now it is time to act. You did bring up about the committees, reading the bill. So what we put forth is, we put a website together for the patient centered health care bill, available online. Hebill. Gop. This is only 123 pages. That is the difference from your bill of 2700 pages for obamacare. We remember what democrats said when they were passing it, that you had to pass the bill to see what is in it. So i went back and checked, how many people were able to visit the website even . 350,000 visitors in just 36 hours 100,000 downloaded the legislative text. When you talk about dead of night, i was on this floor, you are on this floor trade i know people on both sides of the aisle used before, but the activity on the other side of the aisle to slow this process down put an end to nighttime. Lets think about how this process went. It was an open process, why did it go so long . We debated hours of democrats amendments, because we were not going to shut it down. Whenever called the question, we kept as long as people wanted to go. We spent hours on one amendment that just wanted to change it to a of a different name, that was the democrat amendment to somehow change the bill. We did not stop with that, we left everybody talk, let everybody talk, because we believe in regular order. Yes, we spent 27 hours on his because we were not going on it, because we would not tonight anybody the ability to talk. That is what we did and what the American People expect. Hearings, i congratulate you on your 79. Hundred 23 pages compared to 2700. I believe this is a great first step. For too long, this health care of obamacares failed. And that 2700 pages, they created 23 coops and provided more than 2 billion. In the short amount of time, 18 of them have collapsed created they have the court that if you like your health care you can keep it, but millions of americans found out that was not true. Will god, your premiums down, millions of americans found out that is not true either trade now across this country, one third of the country only has one provider. The very sad part of this just within the last month, amend announced paula, leaving 16 counties mr. Speaker, i see my good friend from tennessee with no provider at all we can do so much better. That is why we spent the years, the hearings, we had the witnesses. I know it is your right to come and ask to adjourn for somehow we could not get to the bill. It is your right to continue to ask to adjourn some members cannot offer their amendments. But you know what . If we had to spend through the dead of night and stay up till we made sure even if it is on the other side of the aisle, a democrat can offer an amendment, just a to change the name, that is your right and we would spend the time and do it, and we spent hours at it. Usb personally . I do not think that changed anybodys health care in america. You have a right to do it in we made sure we kept about right and had regular order. I think the judgment for his quotes and yield back. I thank the gentleman for his comments. Mr. Speaker, we have had literally tens of thousands of hearings that have dealt with almost every issue that this house considers. I suppose i should take from the majority leaders discussion that if weve had those hearings, and previous congresses, in the last congress, the congress before that, before that. And, we have a substantial number of new members in this millions ofe have millions of voters counting on this and we will not tell them, or the transcript of 2002 2009 sure if or 2013. That is not regular order, mr. Speaker. Regular order is, you introduce a bill. It is referred to a committee, which in turn refers it to a subcommittee. Or, keeps it in the bosom of the full committee. It has a hearing, it posts the bill, it tells citizens throughout this country, if you interest, come in and tell us what it is, what your perspective is, what do you think the ramifications of this bill is. Up,subcommittee marked it then the full committee marked it up. Then it is referred to the floor. That is regular order, mr. Speaker. A procedure which has a bill introduced monday , and is subjected to 26 hours straight of markup on the following wednesday, less than 48 hours later, no matter how you dress it up, that is not, mr. Speaker, regular, order. What it is is trying to jam before theill American Public has an opportunity to tell us what they think about the bill. Is jamming through a bill and not allowing the providers, doctors, patients, insurance companies, all of the stakeholders, to have an opportunity to read the bill, now,duced 72 hours ago closer to 96. That, mr. Speaker, is not, regular order. Tell my friend for whom i have a great deal of respect, i think he puts the best face on believed they republicans had a bill, mr. Speaker, until monday night. Will i believe they had a bill plus colloquy, i looked forgo this capital and could not find it. It was not posted. The Ranking Member on the committee did not have it. No Committee Democrat had the bill. They could not read it. So, to pretend, mr. Speaker, bill atrings some other some other time in some other the regularfices order for regular order, something, mr. Speaker, i cannot agree with. Reversed,ions were as ive experienced over the last 36 years, that side of the aisle would have torn this place apart. While i think that . Because i have seen it. Yes, we had some delay in delaying, for motion to adjourn to adjourn so we had time to figure out what this bill was about, and some time to hear from the American People. It certainly was not enough time. We will be hearing more from the American People i think, mr. Speaker, and i appreciate the gentleman trying to say that. Ell, we only had 48 hours sometimes mr. Speaker, we do that in a hurry. The reason is because we are about to go on a break. We are about to go on an august break, or a recess, or something of that nature. That is not the case. These committees did not have to meet through the night. They couldve met thursday, today they could meet next week but this bill is being rushed fast, with two, much, adverse consequence to the American People. I would hope the majority leader. Ould slow this bill down i hope the rules committee has full hearings on this though. And, that it does not have attenuated hearings with few witnesses. A lot of people want to tell us, their representatives, what their view is of this bill. Are you yielding . Another speaker said there would be three phases to this bill, the majority leader said so as well. There will be additional legislation. I hope that legislation, mr. Speaker, and my friend the majority leader, will urge the committees not to consider additional legislation, either in the middle of the night or with no notice and opportunity for witnesses and no hearings. Previous hearings will not suffice suffice, mr. Speaker. Other congresses had hearings. This congress has a responsibility to hear from the American People. That is what speaker ryan said, which mr. Brady said, what mr. Walden said. They said it at a time when they were in the minority. But it it doesnt apply when they are in the majority trade if we are the majority will apply ought to apply to us as well. I hope that happens, mr. Speaker. , forhe countries of sake our peoples. I will yield to the majority leader, mr. Speaker, if he wants to think the judgment for yieldi and appreciate his comments. Ng i want to remind people, we use reconciliation, what is the process . The process states you have the offers and committee vote, they markup. We did that. Markup, theytee will do the next week. Rules committee will meet then it comes to the house floor. I will never apologize for on repealingarings and replacing obamacare. I will never apologize for having all the witnesses and trade i love that you bring a lot of quotes that people inside that our elected. But i will be very frank. Quotes i love and care most about the ones that come from a constituents. That this isreason a complex issue, but you had hearings before and will forget all about this hearings, why do we have committees . Why do you keep members on your own side of the aisle on the same committee to build expertise . To solve the problems . They do not forget what they learned in those hearings. But let me read your quotes from a few constituents. Dear kevin, thank you for your diligence in this disrupting political times, i have several concerns. Obamacare blew us out of the water. I retired early as an rn to to Health Problems so i have to pay for my entire Health Insurance. I am not complaining about that, but i am tired of having premiums go through the roof. I lost my doctor and plan. In 2017, there were few options without a 5,000 deductible. If i have to pay that much first, then why pay for insurance . Our income is not huge, we cannot afford this. Or, from another constituent dear kevin, i wanted to convey that legislative action is needed to fix the aca. My family deductible has increased over 3000 a year, he is to be 1000 eight years ago. I practically only have Health Insurance in case of a catastrophic accident were to occur. Also my sisterinlaw no longer can work more than 29 hours a week since her employer does not want to have to provide insurance, that is ridiculous. Kevin, just got my 2017 Health Insurance renewal notice, 600 a month, up a lot. I am 60 years old, have worked and saved all my life so i do not qualify for subsidies. I cannot go without insurance, but i cannot pay for it either. Something needs to be done, i am so upset that im crying right. But my friend mr. Speaker on the other side of the heil says come away to help these people. Forget about the 113 hearings, even those more than the 70 some that obamacare had. Is too much and set of 2700. I will never apologize for having the wisdom to listen and now the courage to lead. But i promise you this mr. Speaker, i have never come to to adjournto offer just to disrupt the process. And the act, i had members on our side of the isle that would get frustrated that democrats would not offer an amendment that just dont with a. We let them have their say. If they feel that is important for American Health care to put a change name, then lets spend hours on it. We believe in the process. Will defend your rights to have that process, even though it will not help one constituent of mine, nor yours. But you wanted to spend your time doing that, we will do that. And we did do that. That is why we were in through the night. But we will not give up on the American People. That is why we are doing what we are doing, and thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, i appreciate the remarks of the majority leader. I presume that he has heard from, but i do not have the course in front of me but maybe i will bring the next week, of the thousands of people who have said their lives have been saved by the Affordable Care act. Thousands of parents had a child with a preexisting condition that if the republicans had succeeded in their 65 votes repeal it, would not have been protected. The millions of seniors paying less for their Prescription Drugs because of the Affordable Care act, i could read all those letters. Why do i letters of mr. Walden and mr. Brady and speaker ryan . As they are in charge. All of our constituents on either side had no opportunity to testify on this bill. But mr. Ryan the speaker and mr. Walden and mr. Brady could have given them that opportunity and they chose not to. And they rationalize it apparently because, while we had hearings in the past thethis bill was offered on subject matter of the aca, it does. This bill was offered just some, as a said, 90 or so hours ago. Ok,ter says, well, that is it is all based on all of those hearings we had. But the fact is, this bill has not been brought forward for the last seven years. While there was a repeal for aca, why, because we all know why. , the majority cannot come to an agreement and they are not in agreement now. Perhaps if this bill stands out there a little bit, it is so flawed that they want be able to get the votes on their side of the floor. I am not sure, i do not think the majority was late leader was here, i was here when we adopted the part d Prescription Drug program. It was called up by the majority, republican party, at the evening our, and we voted 6 00am. When itil say we voted , that was kept open for three hours, while the opportunity of members, you have to vote for this, president bush wants it, you have to vote for us. We voted against it. But the vote was held open three hours i tell my friend that was not regular order. Now our side has held the vote open from time to time, never for three hours, but from time to time. That is why it is being rushed, not because they had a lot of hearings before, not because theysses have testified did not like the Affordable Care act, we understand that. The issue is not whether people like or dislike the Affordable Care act, how are we going to provide the president access for everybody to cost andre, at a lower a better price. Leader lastajority weekend i repeat my comments, mr. Speaker, the majority leader, this week they bring such a bill to the floor i will support it. This bill does, not, do that. Obama trumpnt promised during the election and what he promised on that podium just a few days ago is not what this bill represents. It is not what they promised the American People. Ask the majority leader, apparently will have additional business, of whether or not they will be also rushed through your without hearings, on the premise that there were hearings in the past. Repeat, there are a lot of new members of this body that did not have the opportunity to have those hearings. The people elected by the American People to do their job, who have the power to open up the doors and windows and back the curtains so the American People could come in and testify. All those witnesses that testified in the last congress, the congress before that, im talking about the people who testified during a conversation which we consider the bill. We have not had an open rule this year, mr. Speaker. Weve had structured rules, we have no open rule. So in terms of the minority leader telling me mr. Speaker, that we want everybody to have their opportunity, and he caricatures one amendment, i think i would agree with him more to show that not a single republican vote, and mr. Brady as i have pointed out did not vote for his own amendments that he offered when the Affordable Care act was marked up to say, read the bill. Time was not given to read the bill. Speaker, we are not going to come to any conclusion, i understand today, but im hopeful that the process that was perpetrated on not only the minority, but also the majority this week, will not be repeated, and that the representations debated by the speaker, by the young guns, and by so many others, would be a process that is in fact, open, thoughtful, and democratic. Unless this majority leader wants to speak, i will deal back in balance of my time. They Republican Health care bill now moves on to the house Budget Committee, which means next week. For more details we spoke to a capitol hill reporter. Joe williams is cq Roll Call Health care reporter. What is the Budget Committees role in the process, what are some of the key issues they will be discussing on wednesday . The Budget Committees job is to put together two aspects of the bill, the one within the energy and commerce jurisdiction , which deals with medicaid and other provisions, and, the part of the legislation and the ways and Means Committee which deals with taxes and tax credits
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