Right here. I think were all pretty familiar with this new virtual setting. But because this is our First Virtual hearing of this subcommittee, i want to take a moment to provide members with a few reminders before we begin. We will proceed in the same fashion as this committee always has. We will begin with Opening Statements by the chair and Ranking Member. Followed by testimony from our witnesses and an opportunity for every member to inquire for five minutes. We will dispense with our practice of observing the gibbons rule and instead go in in order of seniority for questioning, alternating between minority and majority members. Members are advised that the clerk may mute those who are not speaking in order to limit background noise and feedback. All members are responsible for unmuting themselves. When they are recognized for their five minutes or when they otherwise seek recognition. I want to thank you all for your patience as we navigate this new technology. In order to continu
Response efforts have not instilled much confidence either. Testing kits were notg probaby sent to the hospitals, and medical labs around the country, political personnel has overruled the recommendations for the cdc. In the administration was slow to appoint any single official for the Public Health expertise to coordinated our governments response. Even now, President Trump seems to be spending one of us time blaming commedia and blaming the democrats and being constructi constructive. Infective blades everyone. He is downplaying, the virus to a dangerous degree. His chief of staff amazingly said to americans, turn off your televisions. They know the history of how these viruses spread and work. Winnie to deny them, you dont let people know what is happening and what to do about it. Things getd worse. And if the president , being self centered as is only cares about himself and his image any tribes uas usual instead of solving te problem, blame somebody else. The deflection and finge
Coronas outbreak and the federal government coronavirus outbreak in the federal governments preparedness. And the federal governments preparedness. The appropriations subcommittee on labor, health, and Human Services, education and related agencies will come to order. Thank you, secretary azar, for being here. It has turned out to be a more eventful week than we anticipated, but we are grateful you have shown up as we asked to at the time we asked you to. The budget you suggested, the request, many of the same kinds of cuts that occurred in 2020, and i am sure we will have questions about that. It is not unexpected. I think you will recall when i called you with the final budget numbers from the 2020 budget. My first comment was, the good news is you didnt get what you asked for. Hopefully, that will be the case again this time. But you propose a 10 cut, similar cut you proposed in the past in programs that we would be very reluctant in the Health Care Workforces and preparedness progr
The appropriations subcommittee on labor, health, and Human Services, education and related agencies will come to order. Thank you, secretary azar, for being here. It has turned out to be a more eventful week than we anticipated, but we are grateful you have shown up as we asked to at the time we asked you to. The budget you suggested, the request, many of the same kinds of cuts that occurred in 2020, and i am sure we will have questions about that. It is not unexpected. I think you will recall when i called you with the final budget numbers from the 2020 budget. My first comment was, the good news is you didnt get what you asked for. Hopefully, that will be the case again this time. But you propose a 10 cut, similar cut you proposed in the past in programs that we would be very reluctant in the Health Care Workforces and preparedness programs and research programs, all that we have been about earlier today at the members reading on the current virus. Home energy, rural programs we wou
Health care costs. And much like that partisan lawsuit, President Trumps partisan budget exposes the truth behind that spin. Despite the promise to the contrary, this budget would slash 500 billion from medicare and medicaid. In fact, on seemingly every page of this, it takes huge steps backward on our nations most urgent challenges, proposing a small step forward with hiv pans but takesnsmissions, an enormously backwards with medicaid, which covers more than 2 5 of patients with hiv care, not to mention slashing investments in combating hiv overseas. These medicaid cuts would take us in the wrong direction when it comes to addressing mental and Behavioral Health challenges, like the ongoing Drug Overdose crisis or the increasing suicide rate by making it harder for people to get the care they need. In some states that have expanded medicaid, the Program Covers four out of five people receiving treatment for opioid addictions. To make matters worse for Behavioral Health, the budget eli