Diseases for those who have run out of other options. It includes the National Institute of health, the fda, the center for medicare and medicaid. Cms is the Largest Health insurer with an annual budget of 800 billion dollars. I believe you have the qualifications to do the job, but there is much that you will need to do in order to assure members of the committee that hhs is heading in the right direction. It is a turbulent time that lies ahead. One of the greatest challenges shoring up the exchanges and making sure that they are operating efficiently. Recent reports of the numerous issues faced by the state exchanges at something to implement the law have been cause for great concern. States are required to have a Healthcare Exchange where citizens can go and shop for Health Insurance. They have the option of starting their own exchange, using the exchange provided by the federal government, or in hybrid will stop they are determining what type of exchange to implement. Were given in
We have seen for the past five years. My question is this. Do you think it is possible for you to change the by any means necessary culture at hhs that some of us in congress of you as bordering on lawless . , thank you. Harkening to my experience at the office of management and budget, there are challenging issues. Ais, iook around this d have had the opportunity to talk with you on a number of things that are positive and difficult. That is something i consider it my responsibility to do. I hope people feel in my role at omb that i have done that. Whether that is moving to more timely responses, the regulatory agenda is sometimes a controversial thing. Since i have been the director of omb, we have been on time getting that out in the spring in the fall. The midsession review, a document with a lot of numbers and some may use this way some may use another. It came out a week early. That is something where i did not wait for congress. I hope that there will be direct communication if
At a point of pause in the direct negotiations that were going on for the last nine months. And we have made clear and my message to both sides was that the only sustainable solution to this tragic conflict is yet a negotiated twostate solution. That is our view. That is the position of both sides. But they are not yet ready to take the steps, i think, to actualize that. And also we have underscored in the meantime as we manage this moment of pause and as they manage this moment of pause more precisely they ought not to take steps either of them that make the circumstances more tense or more fraught. What has happened the last several weeks is that some of the u. S. Officials involved in those negotiations are now saying that it was the israeli governments expansion of settlements, specifically Prime Minister netanyahu to build 14,000 more Housing Units that sabotaged the peace effort. I think you have heard american Officials Say quite directly and what i have said and what others hav
In iraq. The u. S. Supreme court handed down two top decisions on the final day of its session. High court has ruled today, that Certain Companies can refuse to pay with certain types of contraception. Both in their churches and outside their chimps. Clumps. Churches. To deny their employees federally mandated benefits. Lisa stark is in washington for us and lisa this is something of a blow to the president s Signature Health care law. Tell us about the ruling. This was perhaps the most closely watched case of the session, tony. It broke down under ideological lines. Some companies can opt out and object to the religious mandate. Hobby lobby owns Something Like 500 Crafts Stores around the country and has 13,000 employees. The Company Owners say their, beliefs would not allow them to cover plan b which this their view is like having an abortion. The court did find that closely Held Companies like this can claim a religious exemption from the Obamacare Mandate on contraceptives. Laurie
Rightt but this economy now is very, very dependent on oil and gas. I cannot imagine a world where those products were not available to american consumers. [indiscernible] ofost we are running out time here, capitol hill hearings in a moment, but what have you heard from the Obama Administration on when this state Department Report will be finalized . Guest we do not really hear much more than anyone else years, to be honest. Our ceo was meeting with the state Department Last week. What we are looking at is we expect to see a final Environmental Impact Statement Issued by the state department sometime towards the end of the year. If you just look through the process, we are probably looking at something around three months or four months, give or take, is issued. Inal eis sometime in the first quarter, early in the Second Quarter next year, i would expect a decision on this. We want to thank our guest host we want to thank you for joining us for joining us from cushing, oklahoma this m