Committee met for a second day to examine and consider amendments to the bill. The committee will come to order. The purpose of this afternoon session is to discuss the details of the chairmans mark. We are not here to speculate about items that may or may not end up in the house will. We are not here to debate items that are not currently part of the chairmans mark. As of now there is no official or final version of the modification. So i made clear this morning we are still working to finalize the details of the modification. When that work is done, the details will be provided to the committee with ample time to go through them and after that, most likely tomorrow morning we will have another walkthrough that gives members an opportunity to discuss and ask questions about the modification. Long story short, no one needs to be talking about the individual mandate at this point. It is not part of the mark. Arguments, questions or statements about the individual mandate or a distractio
Well, i was sort of in the middle of that one. Because john chafee, i never had a more valued friend in my life. He was an 18yearold marine grunt. He was sent off to school and was the platoon leader at okinawa. And then he stayed in the reserves like i did and we all got called up again for another conflict, korea. He was a wonderful man. But ive got to be really careful here. He had a little bit of a liberal streak in him. Mel laird had a little bit of a liberal streak in him, that wisconsin water, you know. It produces we call that beer. And string cheese and so forth. And i was very strongly and i was three months away from taking over from chafee. We take the plane back to the center of france. We get on that plane and fly back. All the way over were writing a memo to the president of what happened at the meeting, beginning to type up the transcripts of the meeting. We get back to washington, at which point it was about 6 00 am paris time but midnight washington time. We go to sle
Well, the committee will come to order. The purpose of this afternoons session is to discuss the details of the chairmans mark. Were not here to speculate about items that may or may not end up in the house bill. Were not here to debate items that are not currently part of the chairmans mark. Because as of now there is no official or final version of the modification. As i made clear this morning, we are still working to finalize the details of the modification. When that work is done, the details will be provided to the committee with ample time to go through them. After that, most likely tomorrow morning we will have another walk through that gives members an opportunity to discuss and ask questions about the modification. Long story short no one needs to be talking about the individual mandate at this point. Its not part of the mark. Arguments, questions, or statements about the individual mandate are a distraction from the meeting were having now and, frankly, a waste of this commi
Committee with ample time to go through them. And after that, most likely tomorrow morning, we will have another walkthrough and give members an opportunity to discuss and ask questions about the modification. Long story short, no one needs to be talking about the individual mandate at this point. Its not part of the mark. Arguments, questions, or statements about the individual mandate are a distraction from the meet weerg having nre havi frankly theyre a west of this committees time. Members have told me they have additional questions about the mark, and i want to be reasonable, accommodating. So i ask, do any members have any questions or comments about anything other than obamacare or the individual mandate . I do, mr. Chairman. I do. Mr. Chairman . Yes, yes. Lots. Thank you, mr. Chairman. First, the press is reporting that what will be offered tomorrow will contain a repeal of the individual mandate under the Affordable Care act. Are those press reports correct . It quotes mitch m
Who has to go to another committee hearing. But i welcome everybody to this mornings hearing on the president s proposed budget for fiscal year 2018 with specific intention to the department of health and Human Services. So let me and i want to thank secretary price for being here. These hearings are an annual event for the finance committee. Secretary price, since this is your first time around, ill just warn you that these hearings can be a little grueling. So of course you already know that. Im grateful that the president and h. H. S. Are eager to work with congress to fix our Health Care System in order to ensure americans are able to access Affordable Health coverage. And with that i am going to turn to the Ranking Member who needs to get to another hearing and well show that deference. Senator wyden mr. Chairman, thank you very much for this courtesy. I know this is a businessy morning and im grateful for you doing this. I want to say thank you to senator stabenow who in my absen