Michael Burgess

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 497 provides for consideration of two bills, one of which addresses the country's worsening health insurance situation due to the Affordable Care Act; the other addresses the Environmental Protection Agency's attempts to cripple our economy with costly regulations which have dubious health benefits. The rule before us today provides for 1 hour of debate for each bill, controlled by the primary committee of jurisdiction. The committee made in order every amendment submitted for consideration to H.R. 3826, the Electricity Security and Affordability Act, including three amendments offered by Democrats and five amendments offered by Republicans. Finally, the minority is afforded the customary motion to recommit on each bill, allowing for yet another opportunity to amend the legislation. This is a straightforward rule for consideration of two very important bills. H.R. 3826, the Electricity Security and Affordability Act is a bipartisan response to the Environmental Protection Agency's wrongheaded approach to our energy future. It was carefully crafted by Democratic Senator Joe Manchin from West Virginia and the Republican chairman of the Energy and Power Subcommittee, Ed Whitfield from Kentucky. The bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency to acknowledge within its greenhouse gas regulations that different sources of fuel--such as natural gas, such as coal--require different approaches to the regulatory sphere. Further, it prevents the Environmental Protection Agency from unilaterally imposing new regulations on existing power plants--those power plants that are already up and running, providing heat to our Nation, which is currently under the throes of a significant cold snap. This limitation exists until Congress has weighed in and passed a law specifying an effective date for the regulations to begin. Finally, as is just good government, the bill requires strengthened reporting requirements from the Environmental Protection Agency. One of the most frustrating parts of the EPA's new venture in regulating our existing energy infrastructure is that the EPA has actively blocked proper congressional oversight from receiving the science and calculations used in crafting these new costly regulations. That simply must end. If the Environmental Protection Agency is proposing new regulations because they believe they will truly make Americans healthier, let them share the data. Let them share the data with the United States Congress so it can be peer reviewed. Both the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Science Committee have continually been ignored when requesting such data. That is unacceptable. That must end. This legislation is a step toward bringing accountability to an agency that for too long has run roughshod over our economy. The second bill contained in this rule, H.R. 4118, Suspending the Individual Mandate Penalty Law Equals Fairness Act, addresses the disparity that President Obama and Secretary Sebelius have created between big businesses, which have been given a reprieve from having to comply with the mandates in the Affordable Care Act, and individual Americans, who have been given no such help by this President. Just this week, the press reported that the administration will delay yet another provision of the Affordable Care Act by allowing insurers to continue offering health plans that do not meet the Affordable Care Act's minimum coverage requirements. It is becoming so commonplace for this administration to waive or ignore provisions--by their own admission, this is their signature law, and they continue to waive provisions. The American people cannot seem to get an even break, and no one even seems to notice anymore. There is little doubt that this is exactly what the President is hoping for. In the last 8 months, the President has delayed or modified overly 22 provisions in his signature health care law. We are all familiar--we have all seen the headlines: delays in the preexisting program; delays in the employer mandate; delays in the reporting requirement; changing the rules under which Congress has to buy insurance; delay, delay, delay, in his own law. The President has been quick to fix parts of the law that have political consequences for his allies and to protect his own talking points. Yet, where is the President's protection for the American people? Under the health care law, Americans who don't have health insurance and refuse to purchase a government-approved insurance policy will face an annual fine--an annual fine--that increases every year. However, purchasing a government-approved plan also means you have to pay big premiums. You are forced to navigate a dysfunctional Web site. You may lose the doctor you like and place your personal information in jeopardy on an unsecure Web site. Today, Republicans are offering a legislative solution to help Americans get out from under the crushing weight of the so-called Affordable Care Act. H.R. 4118, also known as the Simple Fairness Act, will give hardworking Americans the same relief that the President has already given to big businesses across the country. The administration has no problem delaying the employer mandate, not just once for 2014, but a second time for another full year for employers with 51-100 employees. Shouldn't that same relief be provided to rank-and-file Americans? The President has refused to work with Congress to change the law so today, we are moving ahead and doing what is right for the American people. The Simple Fairness Act will eliminate the penalty for 2014 for those individuals who chose not to purchase a government-approved health care plan. It is clear that H.R. 4118 offers the only feasible lifeline to millions of Americans who are faced with purchasing an expensive health care plan that does not meet their needs. It is Congress' job to protect the American people. I urge my colleagues to pass this rule so Washington can stop making decisions about American's health care and instead individuals can be free to decide for themselves. I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the rule and ``yes'' on the underlying bills. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Res. 497.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Slaughter), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, in just a little bit over a month's time, the Nation's physicians will face a 25 percent reduction in payment in the Medicare system. This severely affects access for Medicare patients and is something that could be resolved. Two weeks ago, for the first time, introduced in the House, H.R. 4015 was a compromise agreement between Republicans and Democrats, House and Senate, on a way forward for repealing the sustainable growth rate formula. It does represent a compromise and is not going to please everyone, but it is a significant achievement and was marked by an editorial piece in The Wall Street Journal on February 19 titled ``Fixing the `Doc Fix.' '' In the Journal's editorial, they note that the Senate Finance, House Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce Committees don't agree on much, but they are doing a service by agreeing to end this charade known as the SGR. They go on to note that ``doctors hate the uncertainty of the SGR.'' That is an understatement. Every Member of this House has heard from their physicians back home about how much they hate this formula. They go on to say, ``Absent reform, one way or another the money is going to be spent, and Congress can either continue to do so in incremental doc-fix slices or admit in advance that it was always going to do it.'' In fact, the time has come. It is within our power. We should repeal the SGR and pass H.R. 4015.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Guyer High School football team as Class 4A Division I Texas State champions. With a decisive win over San Antonio Brennan on December 20, 2013, the Guyer Wildcats defended their state title, becoming only the fifth Division I program in Class 4A or 5A to win back-to-back championships since 1996. Guyer began the season with 11 returning starters, including quarterback and 2013 championship game offensive MVP, Jerrod Heard. With the victory over Brennan, the Guyer Wildcats completed a season which tested their ability to overcome both tremendous physical and emotional challenges. Through focused discipline and perseverance, Guyer demonstrated for all the power that exists when preparation, execution and dedication are directed toward a common objective. I am honored to join the team and the entire Guyer community in honoring the team's accomplishment in returning the state football title to Denton, TX. It is my privilege to join in the celebration of their achievement and to represent all of the champions at Guyer High School in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Peterbilt Motors Company as they celebrate their 75th Anniversary. Founded January 16, 1939, Peterbilt has led the commercial vehicle industry in the design and production of innovative and technologically advanced trucks and trailers. With their headquarters and primary manufacturing efforts based in Denton, TX, they are the largest employer in the city. A strong community partner, Peterbilt has supported charitable efforts within their community through organizations such as the United Way. They have also supported higher education through their support of the University of North Texas. Peterbilt's leadership is particularly noteworthy in their development and production of a line of environmentally friendly trucks, including compressed natural gas and electric hybrid engines. Through these products, Peterbilt has continued its legacy as a forward-thinking organization and has generously shared and displayed their efforts with the public at several of my Annual Energy Efficiency Summits. I am honored to join Peterbilt in celebrating this milestone in their history. As a leader in the commercial vehicle industry and a major contributor to the North Texas economy, I am proud to represent the company and their employees in the US House of Representatives.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service of V. Lane Rawlins as the 15th President of the University of North Texas (UNT). Dr. Rawlins joined UNT in 2010 at a critical time in the school's history as it sought to become a tier-one research institution. Under his leadership, great strides have been made in this effort. He remains a strong advocate for students, recognizing that ultimately their success is the measure by which all University accomplishments are made. Since the entry of the fall 2010 freshman class, UNT has emphasized efforts to increase the number of high-quality students by focusing on recruitment, retention, and enrollment. Under his direction, UNT's fall 2013 enrollment reached a record 36,221 students, an 18 percent growth with an average SAT score of 1108, 7 points higher than three years prior. Dr. Rawlins sought to strengthen the culture of research at UNT by attracting distinguished faculty and emphasizing the significance of research activity. Through this focus, UNT has increased research funding across the board, now counting two National Academy of Engineering members and a National Academy of Sciences member among the institution's outstanding faculty. During his tenure, UNT also unveiled its five-year strategic plan: Four Bold Goals for the Future of One Great University, to establish common goals for providing the best educational experience for students and achieving status as a tier-one research institution. Additionally, an updated brand campaign ``A green light to greatness'' was introduced to expand brand awareness, pride, and engagement among the University's various constituencies. Pride for the University has continued to grow as the Mean Green football team earned the right to play in the Heart of Dallas Bowl in 2014. UNT won 36-14, taking the first bowl trophy in over a decade to Denton's Apogee Stadium in the University's inaugural season under the Conference USA banner. At a time when traditional sources of higher education funding are in decline, Dr. Rawlins helped launch the public fundraising campaign, The light is green. The time is now. The Campaign for UNT. As a leading proponent to increase sources of financial support, Dr. Rawlins established an era of strengthened fundraising and greater alumni and stakeholder engagement which helped secure two of UNT's largest pledged gifts in 2011. With Dr. Rawlins' support, UNT opened three of its four LEED- certified environmentally friendly facilities, earning recognition by Princeton Review as a ``Green College''. UNT also achieved the highest rank in the State by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, underscoring UNT' s sense of responsibility through commitment to conservation research and application, and modeling the leadership necessary to support US economic growth in an increasingly competitive worldwide energy market. I am grateful to Dr. Rawlins for bringing his wisdom, boldness, vision, and discipline to the University of North Texas. I am also indebted to his wife Mary Jo as she became an important member of the Denton Community, supporting him through the challenges faced in guiding UNT. I am pleased to hear they will remain in Denton, becoming Texans by choice, as he accepts the title of President Emeritus. It is my continued privilege to represent them, UNT, and the great State of Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to the time remaining?

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I now would like to yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia, Dr. Collins.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 455 provides for the consideration of three important bills which were reported by the Energy and Commerce Committee: H.R. 2279, the Reducing Excessive Deadline Obligations Act of 2013; H.R. 3362, the Exchange Information Disclosure Act; and H.R. 3811, the Health Exchange Security and Transparency Act of 2014. H.R. 2279 is a bill to address the burdensome and outdated deadlines for certain rulemaking activities conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency under the Solid Waste Disposal Act and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. This provides flexibility for the Environmental Protection Agency in order to streamline a process critical to cleaning up sites contaminated with certain toxic or hazardous chemicals. It further requires the Environmental Protection Agency to evaluate existing State or other Federal financial insurance requirements to determine whether additional requirements are, in fact, necessary. Finally, it requires the owner or operator of a chemical storage site to report the presence of such chemicals to the State emergency response commissions. It is a commonsense piece of legislation to help clean up areas that have been polluted and allows for their reclamation or development. This could bring jobs and economic benefits to neighborhoods which have been so affected. As the two health care-related pieces of legislation, these are targeted bills to address just a few of the massive problems the American public has witnessed over the last few months pertaining to the calamitous rollout of the Federal www.healthcare.gov Web site. The data obtained by www.healthcare.gov is one of the largest collections of personal information ever assembled. It links information between seven different Federal agencies, State agencies, and government contractors. In promising lower costs and widespread health coverage for Americans, President Obama failed to mention that the Affordable Care Act's mandates and requirements will create large-scale disruption of the entire health insurance market. The resulting cancelation of insurance plans and high cost for employers to continue providing insurance for their workers has left millions of Americans with no choice other than to purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act's exchanges, subjecting their personal information to the vulnerable security infrastructure. The initial launch of www.healthcare.gov on October 1, 2013, was plagued with glitches and errors. Not only did the administration fail to establish basic functionality of the Web site, but the initial problems really only break the surface of the deeper security threats in the underlying law. A multitude of gaps remain in the Web site's security infrastructure, making the Web site a wide-open target for hackers and identity thieves. These flaws continue to pose a threat to the security of Americans' personal data. Mr. Speaker, it wasn't that the administration was not alerted to these security concerns on the Web site prior to the launch. MITRE Corporation, a contractor for the Department of Health and Human Services, alerted the agency that 19 unaddressed security vulnerabilities plagued the Web site prior to its launch on October 1. Top officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, including the chief information security officer, Teresa Fryer, along with the Web site's project manager, Tony Trenkle, both refused to sign the Authority to Operate license that was necessary to actually launch www.healthcare.gov. Despite these known issues, the director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Marilyn Tavenner, continued to launch the Web site. This is much more than a faulty Web site. This is about the American people, who cannot trust their government to certify that their personal information will be safe on a government-run Web site. The security threat goes beyond just an individual's primary application. Once an individual's personal information is entered into the system, the exchange has the ability to access information within the Department of Homeland Security, the Internal Revenue Service, Social Security, and the Treasury Department. The administration has opened numerous Federal agencies to data breaches and unauthorized access. Just before the holidays, the entire Nation saw firsthand what a massive security breach looks like. Over 40 million Target customers, their personal data was compromised by computer hackers who pilfered personal financial information and identification. Target has gone out of their way to alert customers of the security breach. Unfortunately, the Federal Government has no such obligation under the law. This is a point that I don't think most people are aware of. It is not required. It is not a mandate that you have a Target charge card or that you shop at Target, but it is certainly required and a mandate that you buy your insurance through www.healthcare.gov. This is a coercive Federal policy that now is pulling people into its Web site and refuses to provide them the very same protection that we demand that the private sector do for a voluntary purchase. Instead of following the same requirements placed on the private sector, the Federal Government has gone out of their way to avoid imposing this basic due diligence in their own exchanges. Even when a notification requirement was specifically requested during the rulemaking process on the exchanges, the administration just simply refused. In the March 27, 2012, Federal Register, Department of Health and Human Services responded, stating: We do not plan to include the specific notification procedures in the final rule. Consistent with this approach, we did not include specific policies for investigation of data breaches in this final rule. Furthermore, State laws required that many of the 14 State-run insurance exchanges, that they do disclose such information. No such law exists for the federally run exchange. Mr. Speaker, I would remind you that 36 States rely upon the federally run exchange. Look, we have spent hundreds of millions of dollars, taxpayer dollars. The American people deserve to know that their personal information is protected and to be notified if that protection lapses. Let's be honest: www.healthcare.gov is the most talked about Web site in years. The massive amounts of personal information that is collected through www.healthcare.gov and its ability to access multiple government databases creates the perfect environment for targeting by hackers. Over 16 attempts to hack into the system have already been reported, not to mention the many stories that have been reported in the press on the mishandling and sharing of individuals' data. Identity theft is a threat not only to an individual's credit rating and personal finances but also to overall United States security. Most Americans would be shocked to learn that this level of protection is not already in place for an initiative the size of the Affordable Care Act. Well, today the House is working to correct this injustice, protecting Americans when the administration has refused to do so. The Obama administration has consistently refused to disclose detailed data on how many Americans have actually completed the Obama Care enrollment process. Now it is more than 3 months after the launch of the exchanges, and we just simply do not know how many Americans are enrolled in the exchange plan. It was the administration who initially defined the success of the exchange as the number of Americans who actually enroll in the program. The number of enrollments are the only way to evaluate whether the more than $1 trillion that was spent on this thing by the administration is actually working. The President's commitment to an open and transparent government, repeated so many times during the passage of the Affordable Care Act, represents yet one more broken promise in a long string of broken promises. Where this administration has failed, the bill before us will require the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to provide detailed weekly reports to the American people about the enrollment number on healthcare.gov. The American people deserve to know what they are getting for their hard-earned tax dollars that they have spent on the demands of this administration. It is the American people who are suffering because of the mismanagement and failures of this administration. Today--today--we have the opportunity to provide transparency and protect Americans' personal information. The rule before us today provides for 1 hour of debate equally divided between the majority and the minority for each of the bills contained in the rule. The minority is further afforded the customary motion to recommit on each piece of legislation. I want to encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the rule and ``yes'' on the underlying bills and stand with the millions of Americans who are asking and who are demanding that we protect their privacy. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 455 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute. I would point out this bill before us today does not--does not-- change the Superfund, but it does allow States the flexibility to deal with problems in their States as they see fit. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I tire of going through this history lesson every time we come down to the floor, but may I remind you that when the now-Affordable Care Act was passed into law, this was a bill that came over to the House from the Senate. Sure enough, the House had sent the bill over to the Senate in July of 2009, H.R. 3590. It was a bill that dealt with housing. The bill that dealt with housing was amended. The amendment read, ``Strike all after the enacting clause and insert,'' and the health care language, which was de novo, the health care language was inserted. Now, to be sure, the House had considered a health care reform bill, H.R. 3200. H.R. 3200 has gone to the ether of history. H.R. 3590 passed in the Senate, a 60-vote margin on Christmas Eve in 2009, and then was thrown over to the House of Representatives. Did we have a hearing on H.R. 3590 in the Committee on Energy and Commerce? No, we did not. Did they have a hearing in the appropriate subcommittee of Ways and Means on H.R. 3590, as amended? No, they did not. The bill came to the Rules Committee. It came to the Rules Committee. I attempted to offer amendments. I was told, No, thank you. The bill was perfect the way it is, doesn't need any changes. This bill that affects every man, woman, and child in this country for the next three decades in a very unfavorable way was passed without any input from the then-minority, the Republicans in the House of Representatives. So it is beyond comprehension that we can continue to have these arguments about closed processes. This, after all, is the granddaddy of all closed processes. And the consequence, the drafting errors, the problems embedded in the structure, could not be dealt with during the normal legislative process, which is why so much authority has been transferred to the executive branch, to the agencies, and why they are now essentially writing the laws that affect so many Americans. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes. Mr. Speaker, it is often said those who don't remember their history are doomed to repeat it. The Rules Committee is an important function of this House. It is an important function of this body. Prior to 3 years ago, the Rules Committee was under the jurisdiction of the Democrats. They controlled the Rules Committee throughout the entirety of the 111th Congress. You may recall, that was the first 2 years of the first Obama term. In those 2 years under Speaker Pelosi, this was the first Congress in history--the first Congress in the history of the Republic--not to have a single bill considered under an open rule process. Now, since Republicans resumed the majority at the beginning of 2011, 31 bills have come under an open rule. The track record may not be perfect, but it is inestimably better than what preceded it. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to inquire, does the gentleman have any other speakers? If not, I am prepared to close.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I urge an ``aye'' vote on the previous question. I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, one of the questions for people who have been watching this debate, I'm sure one of the questions that they have, is there any difference as to how the private sector is treated if and when a data breach occurs versus a Federal agency? The simple fact of the matter is there is a difference. The private sector is governed under State laws and, yes, by some Federal regulations as well. In fact, earlier this month, in a publication called The Hill, entitled, ``Target's data breach sparks calls for action,'' there was significant discussion about, perhaps, there being more activity on the part of the Federal Trade Commission in protecting consumers who have been exposed to a data breach. What are the protections for people harmed with a data breach by the Federal Government? In fact, for that, there is not legislation, there is not a law that was signed by any administration, but there is an executive order of the President's, dating from May 22, 2007, a so-called OMB Circular. The OMB Circular dealing with data breaches under the section ``Timeliness of the Notification'' reads: Agencies should provide notification without unreasonable delay following the discovery of a breach, consistent with the needs of law enforcement and national security and any measures necessary for your agency to determine the scope of the breach and, if applicable, to restore the reasonable integrity of the computerized data system compromise. Decisions to delay notification should be made by the agency head. You get the impression that this is, perhaps, a rather open-ended or diffuse or poorly defined timeliness of notification for our constituents who are harmed by a data breach by a Federal agency. So that is one of the problems that we are here today to correct. Today's rule provides for the consideration of a critical jobs bill and critical security bills to clean up our environment and to protect Americans' personal data. I certainly want to thank Mr. Gardner, Mr. Terry and Chairman Pitts for their thoughtful bills. I urge my colleagues to support both the rule and the underlying pieces of legislation.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, 4 or 5 years ago when health care reform was being talked about on the floor of this House, one of the ideas that the Republicans put forth was increasing competition, the sale of health insurance across State lines. We all see with the sale of automobile insurance, 15 minutes can save you 15 percent. Everybody knows that. Why not afford that same cost savings for people buying health insurance? But the Democrats have never accepted it. But now the Affordable Care Act requires that some of my constituents in Texas purchase their insurance on the D.C. exchange; clearly, that is selling across State lines. The problem is it is not lower cost; it is higher cost. And the problem is it doesn't increase your access to a physician; it decreases your access to physicians. High deductible health plans, I have had a high deductible plan for 15 years. One of the highest deductibles I ever had was last year of $3,500. That cost now is almost doubled in the bronze plans that are available in the exchange in my district, and we don't allow constituents to pair that up with a health savings account. If we really wanted to get the correct market incentives, we would allow the pairing of these high deductible plans with the health savings accounts. What about the fact that 47 percent of people are paying higher premiums, according to eHealthInsurance? Why don't we allow them the same deductibility in the small group market that we allow employers in the large group market. These are just a few of the things that could have been done 4 years ago which were omitted by the Democrats in charge.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an inspiring national health care association leader, Mr. Scott Hunt. During the last 25 years, Mr. Scott has served as the Executive Director and CEO of the world's oldest, largest, and most active organization devoted to research on hormones and the clinical practice of endocrinology, The Endocrine Society. During his tenure, Mr. Hunt engineered the organization to become one of Washington Business Journal's top 50 associations. The American Medical Association has recognized and honored Mr. Hunt with the Medical Executive Meritorious Achievement Award. The award is given to a medical association executive who has demonstrated exceptional service and has contributed to the goals and ideals of the medical profession. During the last three decades Mr. Hunt has helped to grow The Society from 6,000 members to more than 16,500 members. The organization represents the majority of endocrinologists, both clinicians and researchers, throughout my home State of Texas, and in more than 100 countries around the world. As you know, endocrinologists play a very important role in the health of our nation. Endocrinologists are on the front lines of research, diagnosis, and treatment in areas such as rare cancers, diabetes, obesity, thyroid, osteoporosis, women's health, and other endocrine related disorders. As a physician and a U.S. Congressman, I have worked closely with The Endocrine Society on public policies to strengthen our nation's health. I once again applaud Scott Hunt for growing and advancing both the association and the field of endocrinology. I wish him well in retirement and thank him for his contributions to the medical profession.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, earlier this fall the President said the Affordable Care Act is more than just a Web site and that the problems with the Web site will soon be fixed. While I don't disagree with either of those two statements, I don't understand the timeline involved because yesterday in the Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee, the deputy chief information officer for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services told us that the Web site was launched, but it wasn't finished upon launch. I have to ask: Why in the world would they proceed with this if they knew it wasn't finished? When asked to give a percentage completion, it was confusing. His answer was either 40 or 60 percent; no one really knows, and here is the kicker. When you get to January and providers, doctors, and hospitals are seeing patients who think they have coverage under the Affordable Care Act, part of the problem with the unfinished Web site is there may be difficulty in delivering provider payments. That is an intolerable situation that must be resolved and must be resolved quickly. It could start with the administration being honest with the committee about where they are in the development of the Web site.