Politician in terms of the consequences that we make here. While there is partisanship and too much back and forth that resolves around health care, what i do know that people who visit with me in so many instances, my friends, neighbors, kids teachers, and people i go to church with, and in many instances as they have a conversation with me as to what we will do with regard to health care, tears stream down their cheeks as they worry about themselves, but more importantly, as they worry about their daughters, wives, inlaws and parents. What we might do is sincere and real. I also know the Affordable Care act, the laws that in existence today, is failing Many Americans as well. And, in fact, just this week, yesterday, we learned that the Company Blue Cross and blueshield of kansas city is exiting the market and will no longer provide the product in kansas city, which means that in most instances individuals will no longer have more options with regard to the Affordable Care act. What we have in place will not work. I also know what we have coming from the house is not a solution to this problem either. The work that we have to do, you and i, madam president , and our colleagues is serious and will have real consequences to every american and we must take our responsibilities serious. Ive indicated to my colleagues that neither the Affordable Care act, which i voted against nor what the house has passed is anything i would vote for. I really wish we were doing Something Different than either one of those things. As i thought about my remarks today, i was about to say i suppose i come too late to get my ideas adopted by congress, but really i came to this issue early. And i think it was twowr, maybe 2004, maybe 2006, where i penned on paper and worked on drafting legislation what i called a tenpoint plan for the affordability of health care. My ideas, which predate president obama, were nothing like the Affordable Care act and they were really nothing like the conversation that were having today. I wish we would address the underlying reasons that Health Care Costs so much rather than focusing so much attention on the issue of Health Insurance and its premiums. If we can drive the things out of health care that unnecessarily raise the price, the cost of access to health care, we could make a tremendous difference in Health Care Premiums and the affordability of health care for all americans, not just trying to figure out what kind of plan we can develop, what kind of insurance program, what kind of subsidy or tax credit we can provide. But we would be treating the underlying problem, not just the symptoms. I i suppose that to give a little understanding of what im talking about, the things that we ought to consider, in my view, is allow more competition in the market, more Free Enterprise opportunities, allowing people to purchase insurance from coast to coast, expanding the support for Community Health centers, places that people that these centers are already in existence. They need to be more available in more places. Were a very rural state and it is hard it to find those services but it provides Health Care Services for people who have no ability to pay and no insurance. We should be more supportive to Community Health centers especially for those who provide health care for those in difficult circumstances. We should help them to create larger pools so they can negotiate for better premiums. We need to utilize Health Savings accounts. We need to support medical research. If we can find the cure for cancer, the delay of onset of alzheimers, we can save billions of dollars in the Health Care System as well as saving lives and improving the quality of life for those who are suffer from those diseases. We need to address Prescription Drug costs. How do we make certain that no drug company corners the market or utilize our current laws to extend the life of the patent and stop generic prescriptions from coming in. We need to look at wellness and diet probably give us the biggest bang for our buck and dont need to be a government program, but people need to work at living healthier healthier lives and prevent diseases from occurring in the first place. We need additional physicians and other health care providers, nurses and others, and we have not put the attention into not put the attention into we have not put the attention sr into developed programs to educate and train the next generation medical providers and we need to make sure medicareth and medicaid pay for the cost of services they promise to pay on how to citizens of low income as well as seniors instead of the Cost Shifting that occurs as a result of the system we have today in which medicare doesnt pay sufficient amounts of money to pay for the services that a patient receives under those programs. Again, those are things i would think would be beneficial to every american and it wouldnt be spending our time trying to figure out how we modify the insurance system figure out about subsidies or tax credits for people within the system and again i dont come late to this issue, but it doesnt seem to be made to be the direction we are going. One of the items i mentioned before my time expires that i want to highlight is the value of medical research. Im proud this Congress Pass appropriation bill including an additional 2 billion for use in medical research for the National Institute of health and perhaps something we can even be additionally proud of is that we did that without spending more money. On t im on the appropriation subcommittee responsible for funding of nih and we really allocated money that was being spent someplace else in support of medical research and again, if we find a two or for cancer, if we reduce the onset, time in which people suffer fromr alzheimers, if we can find a tour for diabetes and other diseases the lifesaving changes that are being made through that medical research and the cost that will accrue to our Healthcare Delivery system are hugely important and i want to particularly commend ther director of National Institute of health for working so closely with members of congress and the American People in support of medical research. Doctor Francis Collins is a national resource. Im not a scientist. I dont understand the constant concepts spoke about medical research. Are you a long that, but one of the things doctor collins has been able to do is explain to mo in my colleagues and others across the country the value of medical Research Without getting be lost in the details of the actual science. Someone who can talk to a layperson about medical research and science in a way that captures my attention, but i dont get lost in the medical or technical or scientific words and jargon that so often Scientists Use and have the conversations and doctor collins has been so bipartisan in his approach. I smiled when i read the story. He indicated when he was beingo chosen to be the director of the National Institute of health he called his mother home and indicated to her, mom, going to become that director the National Institute of health and she said, but we are republican. I dont want you working for government and here is a man who has used his time, not working for government perhaps working p in government, but working for the American People and really s for Worldwide Solutions to problems we all face in our families. Theres no one in this chamber whose family has not been affected by the disease as i have described in the other long list of afflictions we have as human beings that nih is not working to make a difference in their lives and so we need to continue that support for the National Institute of health as we pursue appropriation bills in the future and our ability to do that together is important and a source of satisfaction that can come. I have indicated from time to time that it is sometimes difficult to find the things in the jobs that we have as United States senators in which you get the sense of. The theres a lot of challenges in getting things done, but the idea that we have come together to support medical research and find lifesaving tours gives us something to take great satisfaction and gives us hope of what we have been able to accomplish in this regard is hen publicans and democrats, but a really as americans and be a role model as we find solutions to other problems. Hope we try to find solutions as how we help the American People. Uni, madam president , come from rural states and in any kind of Healthcare Solution we find we need to make certain we increase the chances that hospital doors remain open in Rural Communities across our state and make certain there are more physicians, not less, more Healthcare Providers that Nursing Homes are more available , pharmacies remain onai main street and in fact in our cases of our state you can findt ways i suppose that reduce the cost of healthcare only to discover you no longer have a provider, no longer have a hospital or physician or pharmacy in your hometown and so sometimes when you talk about the affordability you must quickly couple that with availability. Whatever its price is, if it is not in your community, in your county, your region of the state it doesnt necessarily matter what it costs