This Committee Hearing is 2 15. The hearing will come to order. Todays hearing will examine the need for fiscal or Debt Commission and hear from a panel of experts including current and former colleagues that have been through these battles and lived to talk about them. In fact, its a little extra special to have my mentor and friend steve womack who i am serving as chairman in the shadow of this beautiful portrait behind us and honor to have you back here in your chamber. Senator rob portman, ambassador portman is from ohio and delighted that youre hear. And he was a member of the bicameral Super Committee established as part of the budget control act of 2011 and served as director of o. M. B. During the Bush Administration which is where i got to know him. And he has given a lot of these issues over the years. Ambassador, thank you for your time and welcome you here. And alumni of the peoples house. Our friend from north dakota has worked on issues from 2001 to 2003, 2007 and 2013 an
Get informed straight from the source on cspan. Unfiltered, unbiased, word for word. From the Nations Capital to wherever you are. To get the opinion that matters most. This is what democracy looks like. Cspan, powered by cable. House and Senate Lawmakers testify on the potential for a Bipartisan Fiscal Commission to address the National Debt and Government Spending. They also talk about the need to protect Social Security and medicare from becoming insolvent and why its important for congress to Work Together to fix the countrys debt problem. This House Budget Committee hearing is about two hours 15 minutes. [background noises] the hearing will come to order break todays hearing will examine the need for a fiscal or Debt Commission. Well hear from a panel of experts including current and former colleagues that have been through these battles and have lived to talk about them. In fact extra special to have my mentor and friend steve who i am now literally serving as chairman and the sh
[background noises] the hearing will come to order break todays hearing will examine the need for a fiscal or Debt Commission. Well hear from a panel of experts including current and former colleagues that have been through these battles and have lived to talk about them. In fact extra special to have my mentor and friend steve who i am now literally serving as chairman and the shadow of his beautiful portrait behind us. And so it is an honor to have you back here in your chamber. Sender rob portman, ambassador portman is from ohio. We are delighted that you are here. He was a member of the bipartisan bicameral Super Committee established by the budget control act of 2011. He also served as director of omb during the Bush Administration which is where i got to know him. He has given a lot of thought to these issues over the years. Ambassador, thank you for your time we welcome you here. What is he . An alumni of the peoples house. That is why we have you here because you are one senato
Congress to Work Together to fix the countrys debt problem. This Committee Hearing is about two hours 15 minutes. [background noises] the hearing will come to order break todays hearing will examine the need for a fiscal or Debt Commission. Well hear from a panel of experts including current and former colleagues that have been through these battles and have lived to talk about them. In fact extra special to have my mentor and friend steve who i am now literally serving as chairman and the shadow of his beautiful portrait behind us. And so it is an honor to have you back here in your chamber. Sender rob portman, ambassador portman is from ohio. We are delighted that you are here. He was a member of the bipartisan bicameral Super Committee established by the budget control act of 2011. He also served as director of omb during the Bush Administration which is where i got to know him. He has given a lot of thought to these issues over the years. Ambassador, thank you for your time we welc
[inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] the cynic in me to help education labor and pensions will please come at order. Im usually on time, especially for an education hearing and excuse me for being late. This is the first in his his appearance as we finished our consideration of proposals to reauthorize the Higher Education act. Today we look at ways to simplify the free application for student aid, or fafsa, to make it easier for students to apply for federal Financial Aid. Senator murray and i will each have an Opening Statement and then well introduce the witnesses, and after your testimony senators will have five minutes of questions. A lot going on today so senators may be coming and going because of the tax bill. Nearly four years ago, in a hearing before this committee, an unusual thing happened. For witnesses from diverse backgrounds agreed that almost all of the 108 questions on the free application for federal student aid, or fafsa, are