Diane Black

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 105, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chair, our Nation is $19 trillion in debt. That is more than $58,000 for every man, woman, and child. Now, Tennesseeans know that mounting debt burden in Washington is not just an economic concern. This is a national security issue and it is a moral issue, one that the President is willfully choosing to ignore. His latest budget would cause our debt to spike to more than $27 trillion over the next 10 years, and when the government maxes out its credit cards to pay for this runaway spending, the Obama administration routinely insists on a so-called clean debt limit hike, a blank check with no strings attached. Mr. Chair, our constituents deserve better than that. They expect the Congress would assert its role as a coequal branch of government and leverage these opportunities to demand real cuts and to engage the administration in an honest conversation about Washington's spending addiction. And that is why I support the Debt Management and Fiscal Responsibility Act. This commonsense piece of legislation would require that the administration come to here--yes, the people's House--before any potential debt limit increase and testify about the drivers of our debt and a plan to fix it. The Treasury Department would then be required to post this information on their Web site so that the American people can see the facts for themselves. After all, it is their money that we are spending. Mr. Chair, this is about injecting some basic accountability into a budgeting process. Taxpayers and the next generation of Americans who will inherit this debt burden that we are accumulating today are owed at least that much. I urge a ``yes'' vote on the Debt Management and Fiscal Responsibility Act.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, on roll call no. 46 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted yes.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, minority leader Nancy Pelosi famously called ObamaCare a jobs bill, yet the Congressional Budget Office says it will cost our economy the equivalent of 2 million jobs. The President himself promised that ObamaCare would save families an average of $2,500 in healthcare costs per year, yet the largest insurer in my State just upped premiums by 36 percent. Mr. Speaker, this law was built on a grand deception. Nearly 6 years later, the lofty promises have faded, and what is left behind are real stories and real people whose lives and livelihoods are impacted by the government-knows-best law they continue to reject. The President's veto of our reconciliation bill to repeal ObamaCare may be what is in his best interest for his political legacy, but my constituents have told me loud and clear it is not what is best for them. Today, let's call his bluff, and let's override this veto.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, I hold in my hand Planned Parenthood's annual report, and in these pages, you will find the true war on women. By their own numbers, taxpayer funding for this organization is up, while preventative healthcare services are down and abortions continue to stand at over 320,000 a year. I am proud to support today's reconciliation bill to defund Planned Parenthood and to redirect those dollars to true preventative healthcare services for women, because Americans, and women, in particular, deserve better than this. We may not be able to change the President's heart on this issue-- goodness knows we have tried--but we can put him on record. If this President truly thinks that my constituents' tax dollars should fund this scandal-ridden abortion giant, that is on his conscience, but he should at least be forced to put a pen on paper and explain the belief to the American people.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act, which includes a permanent extension of the sales tax deduction that is so critical for Tennessee. We are proud to be one of only nine States in the Union without an income tax on wages. Taxpayers in other States are able to deduct their State income tax on their Federal returns. It only makes sense that a similar deduction would be made available in States like mine that exercise our right not to pile on additional income tax on our own. As the only Member of the Committee on Ways and Means from the State of Tennessee, I was proud to work with Chairman Brady to ensure the inclusion of this much-needed provision in today's bill. I am also pleased that this legislation includes language to combat educational tax fraud. Specifically, this bill requires that individuals claiming the American Opportunity Tax Credit provide the employer identification number of the educational institution they are attending, in turn, saving our tax system an estimated $837 million in fraudulent payments. I urge passage of the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, just this past week the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office confirmed again what we already knew: ObamaCare is costing jobs. Yes, 2 million of them over the next 10 years, to be exact. But those aren't just numbers. Represented within this study are real people whose lives and livelihoods are being upended by a Government- knows-best law that, more than 5 years later, still remains underwater with the American public. We saw a real-life picture of the damage of ObamaCare in my home State of Tennessee when a Music City institution, the Noshville Deli, announced this week that it would close its doors after 19 years because of the onerous mandates and high cost of this law. The restaurant's owner, Tom Loventhal, said this: The administrative time and cost of managing a mandated healthcare insurance in the restaurant industry create an untenable burden, and that's before the cost of premiums. He goes on to say: I've spent many hours, including some sleepless nights, trying to find a solution, but I can't find one. Mr. Speaker, the Noshville Deli is one of a kind, but, sadly, its story is not. It is being repeated across the country every single day. While I continue to believe that the only real solution to the damage of ObamaCare is to repeal this law, root and branch, I am pleased that the House and the Senate have passed a reconciliation bill combating the most onerous portions of this law. When we put this bill on the President's desk, I hope he will think of the real people, like Tom and the employees there at the restaurant, who are being hurt by ObamaCare. The next time that my colleagues across the aisle want to call ObamaCare a jobs bill, as Leader Pelosi infamously said, I would invite them to come to the Noshville Deli, where they can get a good meal and a healthy dose of reality. But they had better do it quickly because, thanks to their votes, time for this beloved Nashville icon is running out.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. I thank the gentleman from North Carolina, my good friend, Congressman Walker, for bringing us together for this very important conversation. Mr. Speaker, a lot of Americans worked very hard to deliver these historic majorities to Congress, but, today, there is a feeling that the more things change, the more they stay the same. We billed this as the ``New American Congress.'' Yet, like last year and the year before and the year before that, too many House-passed bills remain trapped in the U.S. Senate. The House passed the REINS Act in July, which would prevent the Obama administration from legislating in the form of government rule and would give Congress the final say over the major Federal regulations just like our Founding Fathers intended. But where is it today? Nearly 4 months later, it continues to languish in the upper Chamber, awaiting for a chance for debate. More recently, the House passed the Justice for Victims of Iranian Terrorism Act, requiring Iran to make good on its $43 billion of delinquent payments to the victims of its state-sponsored terrorism. Once again, this good and decent bill is collecting dust in the Senate. Mr. Speaker, I understand the challenges that our Senate leadership faces. The do-nothing Senate majority of the last Congress is now the do-nothing Senate minority of this Congress. They are filibustering countless House-passed bills and bringing the wheels of government to a grinding halt, but we cannot let that stop us from bringing up these bills for full debate in the light of day and putting our priorities in front of the American people. While we are at it, it is time to change the rules of engagement in the upper Chamber. In a body of 100 people, a majority is 51. It really is that simple. The cloture rule is nowhere to be found in the U.S. Constitution. It is an antiquated Senate rule that is not effectively serving the institution today. I call on the Senate leaders to turn the page and break the logjam so that we can put the American people's priorities on the President's desk. I don't doubt that the President will veto many of these measures. For goodness sake, he vetoed a bill to fund our troops, so I put nothing past him. Let's put him on record. Let's ensure that President Obama is required to accept or to reject our ideas and to defend that decision to the American people. Mr. Speaker, the bottom line is this: The American people delivered us this majority, and they expect us to use it. Again, I thank my colleague from North Carolina.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a Tennessee giant: Senator Fred Thompson. Whether Fred Thompson was speaking on the Senate floor, canvassing the State in his red pickup truck, or entertaining us on the big screen, he always did the Volunteer State proud. In his lifetime, Fred saw many accomplishments, but he remained the same: a proud product of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, the son of a car salesman, and the first person in his family to earn a college degree. Fred was a statesman who led with conviction. He was a visionary who helped bring Tennessee from a Democratic stronghold to the conservative success story that it is today. He was a loving husband and father. He was a man of faith, who I know has found ultimate healing today from the cancer that gripped his earthly body. Tennessee shines brighter because of Fred Thompson's service. We will miss him deeply, but we know that his legacy lives on.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. I thank the chairman and also Chairman Price for bringing this bill to the floor. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of today's budget reconciliation to address the heinous abuses of life at Planned Parenthood. To date, we have seen 10 undercover videos implicating the abortion giant in the trafficking of unborn babies' tissue and organs. Planned Parenthood and their enablers could not defend the conversations on these tapes--which many here in Washington still have not watched--so they tried to discredit the source. The House minority leader even said: ``I don't stipulate that these videos are real.'' Well, Mr. Speaker, that is my colleague's prerogative, but the facts--and specifically this forensic report--say differently. Since these revelations were uncovered, the House has voted twice now to cut Federal funding to Planned Parenthood and reallocate those dollars to other providers that better serve women and families. But Senate Democrats repeatedly blocked these solutions. In fact, only two Senators from the minority party could muster the compassion to vote for this proposal. I refuse to let the callousness and obstructionism of a select few stop this worthwhile effort. That is why I am voting today for the reconciliation bill to freeze Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood. This is our best opportunity, to date, to put a bill on the President's desk and show the American people where his priorities lie. Mr. Speaker, we face many challenges in Washington today, but nothing--nothing--could be more important than how we treat an innocent human life. This is a fight worth having, and it is a fight I will continue to have until the very end. I urge a ``yes'' vote on the budget reconciliation bill.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3495, the Women's Public Health and Safety Act, legislation empowering States to terminate Medicaid contracts with providers that disrespect innocent human life by performing abortions. As we debate this bill today, the big abortion industry is in crisis mode. They have seen the same videos I have implicating Planned Parenthood, the Nation's largest abortion provider, in the trafficking of fetal tissue and organs, and they have seen the same nonpartisan government report I have indicating that Planned Parenthood received $1.2 billion in Medicaid funding over a 3-year period. So, knowing that they are losing the public opinion battle, they are taking their fight to the courts, suing States that dare to protect taxpayer dollars by exercising their right to terminate contracts with this abortion giant. Tennessee saw this tactic before when Planned Parenthood took our State to court over an abortion law back in 2000. We defeated them, but it took 14 years to do it. Madam Speaker, let's not let that happen again. If President Obama and the congressional Democrats are so intent on blocking this legislation to combat taxpayer funding of abortion providers at the Federal level, then they should at least let States use their 10th Amendment rights to take action within their own borders without the threat of costly, politically motivated lawsuits. The Women's Public Health and Safety Act will do just that. I urge a ``yes'' vote on this compassionate, pro-life, pro-woman legislation.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Madam Speaker, as a nurse for more than 40 years and a believer in the God-given purpose of every human being, I am passionately pro-life. But do you know what? You don't have to agree with me to support this bill. No matter our views on abortion or the party label beside our name, we should all have an interest in ensuring that laws are followed and that the taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly. If a law is broken, particularly by those receiving government money, that should be remedied. That is not a political statement. That, quite literally, is our job here in Congress. Two months ago, Madam Speaker, a series of undercover videos were released implicating Planned Parenthood in the illegal trafficking of aborted baby tissue and organs. Now, some of my colleagues have tried to dismiss these videos even without ever watching them. I get it. It is easier to try to discredit the source than to defend what is happening on these tapes. Well, Madam Speaker, I did watch these videos, and I saw full conversations of Planned Parenthood employees in their own words discussing potentially lawbreaking activities. Congressional investigations are underway, but there are more than enough lingering questions to stop the flow of money--taxpayer dollars--to this abortion giant until our work is complete. For this reason, I have introduced the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015. This legislation enacts a 1-year moratorium on all Federal money going to Planned Parenthood. It does not reduce women's health funding by a single dime. As a matter of fact, we actually increase women's healthcare funding by over $200 million. Instead, this legislation reallocates the funding to more than 13,500 facilities nationwide that provide true preventative care to those who need it the most, and they do not perform abortions. What is more, Planned Parenthood can get their money back. Read the bill. They can get their money back if they fully commit to what they talk about in doing women's health care and stop performing abortions for this year. Madam Speaker, if there exists even a possibility that Planned Parenthood violated our laws, as I believe they did, then pro-life and pro-choice Members of Congress alike must act to reallocate the funds now so that we are not trying to chase down the taxpayer dollars that already went out the door later on. This is ensuring that our laws are followed, that Americans know how their money is being spent, and that the conscience rights of taxpayers are respected. Madam Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on H.R. 3134.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, this nuclear deal isn't much of a deal at all. It is a gift to the Iranian regime. For starters, we gave them permanent sanctions relief to the tune of $150 billion in exchange for temporary enrichment restrictions. Mr. Speaker, the Ayatollah calls the United States the Great Satan, and just this week he said that Israel will not exist in 25 years. Imagine the evil that this regime can carry out when they cash in their billions. Under this agreement, Iran will undoubtedly become the central bank of terror. What is more, with this deal, we shrugged off the opportunity for true ``anytime, anywhere'' inspections. Instead, we gave Iran an opportunity of at least 24 days to slow-walk investigations of their nuclear sites and conceal signs of noncompliance. Even worse, under a secretive side deal that was not transmitted here to Congress, we have learned that Iran will be allowed to self-inspect a key military base. So to be clear, Members of this body who vote for this agreement will be voting for a deal that they have not seen in full. Mr. Speaker, I am not prepared to tell the Tennesseans that I represent that I voted for an agreement with the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism without knowing every last detail. We cannot and should not leave anything to chance when it comes to the security of America and our allies. I will be casting my vote on behalf of Tennessee's Sixth District against this dangerous deal, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, I stand here profoundly disappointed that the House will leave town today without taking a vote on my legislation to defund Planned Parenthood. Over the past 2 weeks, we have all seen the gruesome videos showing the heartless depravity of this organization. We have issued statements; we have made passionate floor speeches; and we have pledged action. Now our constituents would like to know when we are going to follow through on that promise. Today, I am reminded of the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer: ``Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.'' Mr. Speaker, we have a moral obligation to defund Planned Parenthood, and we must do it now--not when politicians and pundits think it is most politically expedient.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, Planned Parenthood has blood on its hands. Over the last week, we have seen multiple videos showing its employees brazenly discussing the harvesting of aborted babies' tissues and organs, but the truth is Planned Parenthood's culture of depravity runs much deeper than these couple of videos. In my home State of Tennessee, Planned Parenthood, the supposed champion of safe abortions, sued to overturn our State's informed consent and mandatory licensing laws, measures that were put in place to protect women's health and safety. When I authored an amendment to our State constitution allowing legislators to reinstate these protections, Planned Parenthood ran an ill-fated smear campaign attempting to confuse the facts and turn Tennesseans against the measure. You see, Planned Parenthood doesn't empower women; it deceives them at their most difficult and vulnerable moments. It values convenience over truth and profit over life. As a nurse, I have seen the big abortion industry's shameful tactics with my own eyes. That is why, for 2 years now, I have sponsored the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act to address one of Planned Parenthood's largest government revenue streams. I continue to urge passage of this legislation, but in light of these videos, we must take the fight a step further. For these reasons, I have just introduced the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015, legislation that would enact an immediate moratorium on all Federal funding for Planned Parenthood while Congress carries out a full investigation. I eagerly await the findings of this forthcoming investigation, but do you know what, Mr. Speaker, no matter what it reveals, here is the truth: Planned Parenthood has made a business out of destroying that which God has created. It performs over 327,000 abortions a year, all while receiving roughly $500 million in annual funding from the taxpayer dollar. The one-sided relationship between Planned Parenthood's ever-growing bank account and American taxpayers must be severed.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that my name be removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 2722.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Madam Speaker, it is an honor to be here and to be a part of today's Republican Women's Policy Committee on this Special Order on national security, and I want to thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina for bringing us together on this very important topic. I rise today to specifically address the President's attempts to strike a deal with both Iran and Cuba. First, Iran--after four missed deadlines, President Obama announced a deal this morning with Iran, the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism and a nation whose Ayatollah famously called the United States ``the Great Satan.'' It was a deal praised by the likes of Syria and Russia and condemned by our allies, such as Israel. What is more, under the agreement, international inspectors must ask Iran's permission before reviewing its nuclear sites, by the way, after which, Iran has 2 weeks to decide whether to even grant it. All told, Iran would have 24 days to drag out this process and conceal signs of noncompliance. Instead of peace through strength, this agreement amounts to unrest through appeasement. Under the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, Congress does have the power to vote down a bad deal that threatens our national security. I believe this is a bad deal, and I intend to use what we can to show the President we do not support this deal. Unfortunately, the President's efforts to cozy up to rogue nations doesn't end there. President Obama is attempting to normalize relations with Cuba. Here again, the President is clearly more interested in striking a deal--any deal--rather than knowing the details of the deal. Consider this: Cuba was listed as a state sponsor of terrorism until the end of May, and now the President wants to open up an embassy on the shores of Havana. So can you tell me what has changed? Just last week I led nearly 20 of my colleagues in sending a letter to the President, citing a report from the Department of Homeland Security which found more than 21,000 Cuban nationals with felony convictions living within our borders. These individuals are rated by our Department of Homeland Security as a threat level 1, meaning that they are the worst of the worst. They have no legal status as they have been given orders to be removed, but they are roaming our streets because Cuba will not take back its criminals. Madam Speaker, if the President insists on opening the door to negotiations with tyrants like Raul Castro, the very least he could do is to force this nation to follow the law on this simple matter and take back these criminals into his own country. Listen, when it comes to Iran and Cuba, the President must put national security and the well-being of the United States before his political legacy. Again, I thank my colleague and friend from North Carolina for this Special Order today in order to bring these very important issues to the American people.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. BLACK. I yield to the gentleman from California.

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment to protect Tennessee workers and small manufacturing businesses from the EPA's latest overreach. Last month, the EPA released its Phase 2 fuel-efficiency and emissions standards for new medium-and heavy-duty trucks. While many in the trucking industry are not opposed to this rule as a whole, one section in the proposal wrongly applies these new standards to what is known as glider kits. I recently toured a business in my district that manufactures these kits. For those who don't know, a glider kit is a group of truck parts that can include a brand-new frame, cab, or axles, but does not include an engine or transmission. Since a glider kit is less expensive than buying a new truck and can extend the working life of a truck, businesses and drivers with damaged or older vehicles may choose to purchase one of these kits instead of buying a completely new vehicle. Unfortunately, the EPA is proposing to apply the new Phase 2 standards to glider kits, even though the gliders are not really new vehicles. Mr. Chairman, this directly impacts my district where we have glider kits being manufactured and purchased by companies in places like Byrdstown, Sparta, and Jamestown, communities that are already struggling with an above average unemployment and would see job opportunities put further out of reach if this misguided rule goes into effect. It is also unclear whether the EPA even has the authority to regulate replacement parts like gliders in the first place. Once more, while the EPA's stated goal with Phase 2 is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Agency has not studied the emissions impact of remanufactured engines and gliders compared to new vehicles. Mr. Chairman, if the EPA is going to promulgate rules that raise costs and hurt jobs in districts like mine, the least they could do is to have a few facts prepared to back them up. Under this ill-advised rule, businesses and drivers that wish to use glider kits would be effectively forced to buy a completely new vehicle instead. Reducing glider sales would also end up limiting consumer choice in the marketplace. That is why my amendment protects businesses, jobs, and consumers by prohibiting the EPA from moving forward with this Phase 2 standard on glider kits. To be clear, this amendment would not--would not--bar the EPA from implementing the whole Phase 2 rule for new medium- and heavy-duty trucks. It would simply clarify that glider kits and glider vehicles are not new trucks as the EPA wrongly claims. I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense amendment to help support American manufacturing and stop the EPA from attempting to shut down the glider industry.

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Chairman, I want to once again reiterate that this is a very narrow amendment. It does not apply to new trucks, as the EPA rule indicates. I also want to reiterate one more time that they have not studied the emissions impact of these remanufactured engines and the gliders compared to new vehicles, so we would like to have that information as well. I also want to add that the military also uses glider kits, and this rule would not apply to them. Once again, we are putting into place something where we say this is what the government can do, but this is what the private sector can do. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, in 2010, President Obama described his signature healthcare law as ``a new set of rules that treats everyone fairly and honestly.'' But under President Obama's Independent Payment Advisory Board, also known as IPAB, a panel of 15 unelected bureaucrats would be tasked with cutting Medicare costs in a way that could deny care to seniors who need it the most. Now, I have been a nurse for over 40 years, but you don't have to be in health care as a professional to understand that there is nothing fair about that. Even Democrat Governor Howard Dean called IPAB ``a healthcare rationing board'' that should be scrapped. Mr. Speaker, no senior needs a Washington bureaucrat standing between them and their doctor. Vote ``yes'' on H.R. 1190, and let's repeal IPAB today.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, as a nurse for over 40 years, I understand the challenge of helping Americans find affordable healthcare coverage, but the sad truth is, even for those who do have health coverage, high deductibles and out-of-pocket costs can leave too many Americans functionally uninsured. When families are forced to choose between buying groceries and filling a prescription, their health is sidelined, and they risk facing even higher medical costs down the road. That is why I authored H.R. 2570, the Strengthening Medicare Advantage Through Innovation and Transparency for Seniors Act. Our bill directs CMS to set up a pilot project for what is known as Value-Based Insurance Design, or otherwise known as VBID. Instead of the current one-size-fits-all approach to cost sharing, VBID embraces the idea that by lowering a patient's out-of-pocket costs for essential prescription drugs and services, customers will then be motivated to stick with their regimen and stay healthier. This will, in turn, decrease the overall long-term costs to our healthcare system and provide a higher quality of care for our patients. My bill also helps our providers by offering ambulatory surgical centers relief from the electronic health records' meaningful use mandate. While this recordkeeping system may make sense in a hospital setting, it doesn't always work for a small, outpatient surgical facility. Providers who practice medicine in these settings should not be penalized as a result. I thank Congressman Blumenauer and Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers for their strong commitment to VBID policy. I urge a ``yes'' vote on H.R. 2570.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2582, the Seniors' Health Care Plan Protection Act. I am pleased that this legislation includes the language of my bill, the Securing Care for Seniors Act; and I thank Congressman Buchanan for his efforts to bring this important policy solution to the floor of the House today. Across the country, 16 million seniors enjoy the flexibility of the Medicare Advantage plan. When we make changes to this program, seniors are the ones impacted. It just makes sense that they would have a place at the table when these changes are discussed. Recently, CMS revised the Medicare Advantage risk adjustment model under the shroud of secrecy with little input from Congress and, most importantly, from Medicare beneficiaries. Members of both parties have concerns that these modifications could discourage plans to detect and care for the chronic conditions in their early stages. That is why, today, we are calling for a timeout on CMS' changes. We are instructing the agency to reevaluate their risk adjustment model and to move forward with metrics that are accurate, evidence- based, and are transparent. This will ensure that seniors pay a fair cost for their healthcare plans, and that the MA program remains sustainable in the long term. I urge a ``yes'' vote on H.R. 2582.