Covid19, let me say that employers sponsored covered, at least before the crisis, 178 million americans and their families got coverage from their employers. If youre talking about the trend, Health Care Cost was a top concern even before the crisis. Right now this economic and Public Health crisis has raised questions and concerns about making sure that that system can still provide affordable coverage to millions of americans including those who have just lost their job. Kaiserccording to the Family Foundation and cnbc, the average annual premiums for coverage in 2019 are over 7,000, and 20,000 four family coverage for workers covered by their employer plan. That is a 45 increase over 2018. 3. 4 ines increased by inflation by two percent. Before this pandemic, how were people making ends meet and covering their Health Care Costs . Guest we know that before the pandemic, Health Care Costs were a top concern for working families. Indeed, all individuals. Our Member Companies and employ
Were really down. I said, are you kidding me . We got 2900 people to think we ought to run the country. Year after year, and then john sununu came, and we have really gathered momentum. In 1994 we elected a class of republicans who just did not give a whit about their election. They came to balance the budget. It was remarkable. And then after 10 long years in 1997, i was one of the chief architects of allen saying that federal budget. First time we have done it since man walked on the moon. We have not done it since. We paid down the largest amount of the publicly held debt in modern history, and the economy was doing great. Some of you might remember i was a giants Television Star on fox news. [laughter] you are right back, how great i was on fox news. I also worked at Lehman Brothers and learned an awful lot about this, which is so critical in terms of understanding what motivates ceos. So i left. 10 years i was out. Im a believer that if we are really not here to serve others, i do
If we can understand place where is people think those arent working, we do want to understand that so we can work to improve. The gao shared their methodology with you, and those examples we are waiting for that, correct . We are looking forward to gao coming out with recommendations which is the part that has not yet occurred. Thank you. The president s commitment to Early Childhood education, its reflected in the Budget Proposal 1. 5 billion extra for early headstart and for headstart itself. Briefly, if you can tell us the budget levels and spending caps established by the majority, whats that going to do to the fact that you are trying to build capacity you are trying to stress quality and accountability for providers for these children . And what does that do to capacity . With regard to the levels i think that if you are going the meet those levels and you want to fully fund headstart, what it will mean are dramatic cuts to things like nih or cdc in terms of other places. I thin
Projections and also hear it from the private sector. The belief is, having come from the private sector and actually having come from a company that is known for its negotiating on price, walmart, the idea that we use Market Mechanisms to try and put downward pressure on price is something we think is important. Thats why weve asked for those authorities, so that we can try and work with the pharmaceuticals and negotiate to keep downward pressure on that price. Thats what we hope we can do. We see it as part of the overall issues that we are being asked about how we transform the system for the long term. We believe there are things we need to do and pressure we need to future. What do you see as some of the key problems that you are going to be having as you try and move forward with this . I think with regard to this particular issue its not one you know, it is a elect lative and a statutory issue. It will take a statutory change to grant the authorities to be able to negotiate. Tha
It has become standard. I agree with you. That was the intent of the 90s act. Use a different model. That is what this proposed rule is going to do as well. Use it in a way that accomplishes the goal that will be very flexible. Let me ask you this question. The constitutionality of the epa setting standards has been published before. He upheld approaching the the 19 night independent in whitman versus American Trucking in 2001. In 2011 the Supreme Court ruled the epa has the authority to set standards for Carbon Pollution under section 111 d. And eight connecting opinion versus connecticut. We believe the epa can consider as it is undertaking to do with regulating existing nonauthorized versus under section 111 of the Clean Air Act. Is there any constitutional question about epas approach or the Legal Authority to regulate Carbon Pollution under section 111 of the Clean Air Act . No, i dont think so. The constitutional issues have been a distraction. Theyve been used to make people wor