Testifies before the House Agriculture Committee wednesday. This is two hours, 15 minutes. Good morning. This is a hearing on the committee of agriculture for oversight by the u. S. Department of agriculture will come to order. Ive asked Rick Crawford to open us with a prayer. Thank you mr. Chairman. Father, i bow humbling before you. Thankful for this country youve given us and, father, mindful of the great responsibility that youve charged us with. Father, just ask that everything that is said and done here today be pleasing in your sight and we ask that you help us to be civil in our discourse and discerning in our comments and dialogue. Father, i just pray it all in jesus name. Amen. Thank you, rick. I want to thank the secretary vilsack for coming to be with us this morning. He has a horde stop at 12 15. He has cabinet responsibilities to do. Mr. Secretary, thanks very much for being here this morning. Be careful on your knee there on your on the table. I want to say at the start
Commissioner bridges has indicated she is on her way. Commissioner driscoll. Commissioner makras will not be present. Commissioner meiberger is out of the country. Commissioner paskin jordan. Present mpt commissioner stansbury item 3 general Public Comment. Thank you. Speak into the m ic. Sorry i couldnt help myself, you always say it, i had to say it to you. [inaudible] good afternoon commissioners. Im patrick [inaudible]. Executive director hish to hand a verbatim transscript of last months meeting. [inaudible] i testified july 8, [inaudible] should table the [inaudible] investment. Mrs. [inaudible] noted the proposal doesnt meet guidelines. Commissioner driscoll asked whether it involves a prohibited [inaudible] commissioner stansbury asked [inaudible] regarding ers investment staff and whether they have experience with asset back liability securitization. Loan obligations and a finding Credit Ratings to individual securities noting they go hand in hend hand with a potential [inaudi
System and what the options are to fix it if you can find on my person policy. Org. Today were here with steve and carried them so lucky to be joined by them because they are both people who i have long admired it is so secure the policy space. Very few people who know more about the program and the two of david vitter working on it for a number of years. What i love about both of them is that they are walks at heart and actuaries of the mind, and so you can ask of what percent do i need to increase the payroll tax by in order to solve half of the substituted problems . They will give you the answer like that. But if they tried really, really hard they condemn it down enough for the rest of us so we can actually understand whats going on in this policy issue. You can find their full bios in the package that you have but steve is a chief actuary, has been for many years at the Social Security administration. He is responsible for scoring all of the proposals that members of congress, ou
The speaker pro tempore the house will be in order. The prayer will be offered by the guest chaplain, pastor Kenneth Codner, great baptist church, bellefonte, pennsylvania. The chaplain please bow with me in prayer. Heavenly father, i am humbled to be able to stand before you on behalf of this assembly here today. Lord, we are sinners, deserving none of your favor. But, father, i come to you in the merit of the lord and savior, jesus christ, who washed me from my sins in his shed blood. Father, we are aware more than any of the bitterness and bitter divisiveness throughout this room and across this nation of ours. I know that this grieves your heart, father. And i pray that we would repent of our sins, that you might forgive them and heal this land of ours. I pray that youll work in the hearts of the members of congress, that they be willing to put aside their political expedience and partisan politics and personal agendas, that they would strive to do what is best for our nation as a
The speaker pro tempore the house will be the speaker pro tempore pursuant to House Resolution 600, the amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be considered as adopted and the bill as amended shall be considered read. The bill shall be debatable for one hour, equally divided among and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the committee on energy and commerce and the chair and ranking minority member on the committee on ways and means. The gentleman from minnesota, mr. Paulsen, and the gentleman from michigan, mr. Levin, will each control 15 minutes. The chair recognizes the gentleman from minnesota. Mr. Paulsen i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extrages you materials on the bill into the record. The speaker pro tempore without objection, so ordered. Mr. Paulsen i rise in support of h. R. 849, the protecting seniors access to medicare act this discussion is not new, members. Republica