Transcripts For CSPAN3 HHS Secretary Tom Price Pressed On Budget Cuts 20170404

Achieve that balance in the budgets that you crafted, and in some cases, i think with appropriate balance between entitlement spending and discretionary spending. I think thats probably one of the committees chief concerns. I think the president is absolutely correct that we need to spend more on defense. I dont have any doubt about it at all, and i think hes absolutely correct as well that it needs to be done in a fiscally responsible way with offsetting reductions elsewhere in the budget. Where we would disagree, and i cut the administration considerable latitude because this had little time to craft a budget. Were operating off a skinny budget. We may see Something Different in may and may see Something Different in the years ahead, but my personal view, these are focused too tightly on nondefense discretionary offsets, particularly with respect to your agency. I take considerable pride in the fact, and i know my colleagues on both sides of the aisle do, that in the late 90s and early part of the 21st century, congress, a republican congress, frankly, but with democratic support, was able to double the budget at nih, and our predecessor, speaker gingrich, deserves credit, and mr. Porter, my good friend, Ranking Member, of both the full committee and the subcommittee often point out they did a tremendous job, i think, for the American People. We then had about a dozen years of flat funding, and i take considerable pride that it was Republican House and senate again in 2016 that restarted the cycle of increasing funding at the nih, and when i say flat funding, i know my colleagues would be the first to point out flat funding means reduced funding because youre, obviously, losing on the account of inflation. I can give you numbers in terms of numbers for grants for research we funded in 2003 versus what we funded in 2015. It was from one in three to one in six. Thats good science that was left on the table, and so im pleased that we were able to restart that, what i call a Virtuous Cycle in 2016. I take considerable pride, honestly, that was it was a republican senate, a Republican House that did that, but, again, with the support of the friends on the other side of the aisle. We did that again in 2017 budget, which im very hopeful you will get to operate without a continuing resolution before the end of next month, and youll see theyll be another very substantial increase for the National Institute of health. Going forward, and, also, for the center for Disease Control, and youve hearingimpaird me s before, and i believe it, these two institutions in particular, and theres lots of good things in your budget, but these two in particular are every bit as important for the National Defense and National Security to the American People as the pentagon is because, frankly, youre much more likely to die in a pandemic than a terrorist attack, so maintaining the ability to respond to terrorist attacks, to respond to unexpected things like a ebola and zika, extraordinarily important for the country, and i know you see it that way as well. Again, youre in a tough position. You have to make tough decisions, and i respect that. This committee, and certainly, me, personally, will be very hesitant about looking at cuts to the nature that were talking about. Frankly, pretty insistent in finding a way to spread them broadly across the full budget, but in ways we can continue this investment in what i think is really cutting edge and important Biomedical Research and, certainly, at the center for Disease Control whats literally the front line of defense. Id rather fight ebola in west africa than west dallas. I think we recognize the extraordinary contributions that were made by that agency and the nih working together in that particular fight, so i just say that out there just up front because we will have differences, but i want to make it clear, they are not differences in the basic thrusts of what the president s trying to do. It is just doing what congress was supposed to do in trying to think maybe more broadly across the entire budget that i know youve done before. Ive seen you do it. Try to make sure that we prioritize whats genuinely important, and defense is genuinely important. These things are part of the defense to the country and its development too. I really look forward to our discussion. I know itll be thoughtful. I know you will make good decisions on behalf of the American People Going Forward because i know who you are, and i had the opportunity to serve with you, and this committee looks forward to working with you fully and openly and transparentally. We had an excellent relationship. Your predecessor, secretary burwell, who i think highly of, but well have an excellent relationship with you, and i know how well youll serve the American People, so this committee, republican and democrat alike, look forward to working with you to achieve a common goal. This is the beginning of a process. My hope is we get to an end of a process where all of us can take a great deal of satisfaction to achieve objectives that i know we all share, and, frankly, discharge the duties were obligated to discharge. With that i turn to my good friend for opening remarks. Thank you very much, mr. Chairman. Welcome, mr. Secretary, welcome to the subcommittee and your first appropriations hearing, certainly, not welcome to the congress, which is a place that you know well. We meet during perilous times for the future of health care in our country. With the threat of rising premiums, rising deductibles, and the uninsured, americans were protected last week when speaker ryan pulled a bill from the floor that would have repealed the Affordable Care act. The fate of their health care really now lies in your administrations hands. I have been deeply disturbed by President Trumps recent threats to sabotage Health Insurance for the millions of americans that rely on the Affordable Care act every day. Last week from the oval office he said, and i quote, the best thing we can do politically speaking is let obamacare ex, end quote. On february 27th, he told the National Governors association, and again i quote, let it be a disaster because we can blame the democrats. Politically, it would be a great solution. I find this to be insulting to the millions of workers, children, and Older Americans whose futures are on the line. The health care of the American People is not a political bargaining chip. The idea that the president of the United States would intentionally undermine the health and the Financial Security of millions of americans for personal political gain, my view is malicious. Mr. Secretary, i hope that you will assure us today that you intend to use your position to strengthen the individual marketplace thats used by millions of americans instead of sabotaging it for any political gain. I hope that you will tell us today that you concur with speaker ryan when he says that the Affordable Care act is the law of the land, and that we will there will be no further attempts to repeal it, but rather take a look at the ways in which we can improve and strengthen the Affordable Care act. Moving from the failed repeal of the Affordable Care act to the budget proposal, i think you know what my response is for the budget proposal. Unfortunately, i dont have anything complimentary to say about the budget request. In fact, a disaster that well have little life and death consequences for american families, 15 billion in cuts to hhs is unattainable. Much like speaker ryans Health Care Bill that failed last week, the Trumps Administration budget request for the department of health and Human Services would eliminate Critical Resources and programs for low income and working families. It would also decimate the National Institutes of health so formal Biomedical Research institutions, severe negative consequences for Public Health departments across our country. To be clear, President Trump is proposing to cut nih funding by 6 billion. This is really an understatement since we just saw that the administration wants to cut an additional 1. 2 billion from nih in 2017 as well, and i hope you will tell us whether or not you agree or disagree with that additional cut. Cutting billions from nih would be devastating. Cancer research, al tizheimers research, research for any cures of any other disease that is causing misery for millions of americans and their families. Make no mistake. This cut will turn back the clock on life saving Biomedical Research that you know and i know and the chairman knows and everyone on this committee knows has the power to save lives. Mr. Secretary, we know today, we need to know today, do you agree that we should cut 6 billion from the nih . And i would just add that 6 billion below what you voted for last december. We are choosing to hamper our progress as a nation. We are choosing to ravage our medical community. President trump is proposing to eliminate the low Income Energy Assistance Program that allocated 3. 4 billion each year to pay heating and cooling bills for nearly 7 million low income households. Earlier this week, i heard from constituents who depend on this. Let question quote for you, from connecticut, this is a news report. Tears flowed, pleas for help filled the room. They came from people like amanda diaz who works 40 hours a week and takes care of two Young Children and a sick mother. A former nurse left disabled, another who recently graduated from a hospital training program. These programs are vital. Amanda diaz, said, saying people like me dont stay home. I work. I have a 5yearold daughter who has asthma, and my mom has lupus. Minimal heating assistance she received probably kept her daughter and mother from getting sick last winter. Another said, and i quote, how does this government think we can just cast people aside, a disabled former nurse, wiped tears from her eyesing and sa i they are putting numbers down, but we are talking about humans. These are the words of folks who rely on this program to keep their kids healthy and keep their families safe, and President Trump is proposing to e limb gnat the Community Service block grant program, a Critical Program that connects people with job trainings, nutrition programs, and more. He would propose slashing funding for the centers for Disease Control, giving to state Public Health departments, drastically reduces surveil lapse, laboratory testing, as well as immunizations, and Emergency Preparedness activities in the state, and i was pleased to read in your testimony about your commitment to Emergency Preparedness and how we need to foster that effort. In each of these cases, President Trump is proposing to eliminate programs that help low income, working class families, often the same families that put their faith in him in last years campaign. Or hes proposing to cut programs like the nih, cdc that benefits all americans, and at the same time, preparing to introduce a massive tax cut for corporations and millionaires just as he did in the failed Health Care Bill last week. For decades, republicans advocated massive cuts to health and education funding, such as with hr1, the very first thing that republicans did when they took the majority, which proposed cutting the nih by 1. 6 billion and the cdc by 10 . Unfortunately, President Trumps budget is finally showing the destructive impact that those cuts would have on our community. Cuts to medical research. Cuts to Public Health departments. Cuts to home heating and cooling for low income families. Cuts to meals on wheels for Older Americans. Cuts to nurses training. Cuts to family care givers. Cuts to Family Planning services. The list goes on. My sincere hope is that President Trumps budget is dead on arrival. This budget is cynical. Its vindictive. It will cause real harm to millions of american families. Mr. Secretary, i look forward to finding out whether you support these reckless cuts. I sincerely and truly hope not. Additionally, i read your testimony, and i know you do not have all the numbers yet, and i would ask the chairman if we could have the secretary return in may to testify when we know the full extent of this budget when it comes around to may. I thank you. I look forward to your testimony and to our discussion. I thank the gentle lady. We had the privilege of having the Ranking Member of the full committee here as well, and just for the record, i want to say i was very privileged last night to be with her when she received a lifetime award from the Alzheimers Association for the distinguished work shes done over the course of her careerment career me ment. We have some of the folks associated with that effort here, and thank you for your good work for advocates and honoring our colleague and dear friend, with that, youre recognized for whatever remarks you care to make. Youre being so very gracious, but i think we should tell the group that i was honored to be honored with you, my friend. I also want to say i was hoping youd bring it up. [ laughter ] and i do want to say because i was glad you referenced it in your opening remarks, i was part of this committee when a republican doubled the money for the nih, and i know of chairman coles commitment to alzheimers, the whole range of diseases which we focus our efforts and find cures and prevent the terrible pain that these diseases cause