Tom Price

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, it is expected that the United States Senate will vote on my nomination to serve our nation as the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services shortly after midnight tonight. Due to the schedule, if I am confirmed, this is the last opportunity for me to address the House. The opportunity to serve as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives has truly been one of the greatest honors of my life. Respectfully, allow me to take this opportunity to reflect on my time in Congress over the past 12 years. Mr. Speaker, first and foremost, I wish to thank my wife of 33 years, Betty. Her love, support, encouragement, and advice means more than I could ever say. In addition, as all here know, these jobs are family affairs--and our son, Robert, allowed his dad to be absent more than either of us desired. We're so very proud of the adult he has become. Furthermore, this job and my passion for serving would not have been possible without the support and friendship of my colleagues, community, family, constituents, and staff throughout the years. It has been a blessing to work with such talented and bright minds to advance positive solutions to some of our nation's toughest issues and challenges. As Members of Congress, our first priority is to be accessible and accountable to those we serve, and to help support those living and working in our communities. That is why I am proud to say that since 2005, 164 of Georgia 6th's most bright and dedicated young people received an appointment to one of our nation's military academies. In addition, we have responded to nearly 600,000 letters, calls, and emails. Our caseworkers and team have had the privilege of helping over 11,000 constituents with federal agencies. Throughout the years, as just one part of our outreach efforts, we've made contact with over a million constituents via telephone town halls. To all the hardworking, decent citizens of Georgia's 6th District who have given me the privilege of representing them in Congress--I will be forever grateful. Mr. Speaker, as you know, constituents are the reason that we're given this honor to serve and I know that my Georgia colleagues understand and appreciate this immense responsibility. Over the years, my Georgia colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives and Georgia's Senators, including Senators Isakson, Perdue, and Chambliss, and I have worked together to secure wins for our great state. We've worked in a bipartisan fashion to help advance the necessary expansion of the Savannah Harbor, key to promoting our state's commerce and a critical component to helping grow our economy and create jobs. We've also worked together to preserve and safeguard Georgia and the Atlanta area's access to a reliable water source, so that our local communities and state can continue to grow and prosper. More recently, we succeeded in enacting a law to rename a Marietta Post Office in honor of a true hero, Marietta's Marine Lance Corporal Skip Wells, a proud Marine who made the ultimate sacrifice and selflessly gave his life to protect his fellow servicemembers and to protect our nation. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have served and to have experienced firsthand our representative democracy in action, and alongside such honorable, dedicated public servants who have offered me both their friendship and counsel during my time in Congress. Over the past twelve years, I have had the honor to be chosen by my colleagues to serve as Chairman of the Republican Study Committee in the 111th Congress and in the 112th Congress as a member of the House Republican Leadership as Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee. In these leadership roles, my House colleagues and I have helped advance conservative Republican principles and solutions aimed at tackling the challenges facing America. Additionally, during the 114th Congress, it was an honor to be chosen to serve as the Chairman of the House Budget Committee where we succeeded in passing the first joint ten-year balanced budget agreement in over a decade. That success was due in large part to the tremendous staff on the committee as well as my colleagues who served on this committee in both the House and Senate. Together, we have much to be proud of, especially the work done to advance a real reform of the Congressional Budget Process. We must fix our broken budget process in order to enhance constitutional authority, strengthen budget enforcement, reverse the higher spending bias in Congress, control automatic spending, increase transparency, and ensure fiscal sustainability. Our budget resolutions have provided blueprints for how we can put our nation's fiscal house in order while saving and strengthening vital health and retirement programs as well as ensuring needed resources for those who protect and defend our great nation; solutions that will ensure taxpayer dollars from American families and businesses are spent in an accountable and effective way. It is through the budget process that Congress has begun an important effort to put in place positive, patient-centered solutions to fix our nation's broken health care system. The status quo is harming Americans and their families. Mr. Speaker, as my colleagues know, helping achieve access to quality, affordable health care for all Americans has long been a driving force behind my legislative efforts in Congress. My first professional calling was to care for patients, following in the footsteps of both my father and grandfather who were also physicians. That's why we authored and introduced the Empowering Patients First Act, an alternative to Obamacare with real, patient-centered reforms to build a more innovative and responsive health care system--one that empowers patients and ensures they and their doctor have the freedom to make health care decisions without bureaucratic interference or influence. Mr. Speaker, it is my goal and commitment to the American people that I will work as Secretary of HHS to ensure that our health care system adheres to what I call the six principles of health care: affordability, accessibility, quality, choices, innovation, and responsiveness. The new administration and HHS will work together with the Congress to get Washington out of the way, to protect and strengthen our country's health care system to help improve the lives of the American people, to help heal individuals and whole communities across our beloved nation. It is truly an honor to accept President Trump's nomination to serve our nation as the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. My obligation will be to carry to the Department both an appreciation for bipartisan, team-driven policymaking and what has been a lifetime commitment to improving the health and well-being of the American people. I am humbled by the incredible challenges that lay ahead and enthusiastic for the opportunity to be a part of solving them on behalf of all Americans. There is much work to be done to ensure we have a health care system that works for patients, families, and doctors; that leads the world in the cure and prevention of illness; and that is based on sensible rules to protect the well-being of the country while embracing its innovative spirit. With a healthy dose of humility and appreciation for the scope of the challenges before us, with the assistance of my fellow Americans and with God's will, we can make it happen. Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today and once again, thank you to the constellation of individuals who have given me this great honor to serve as the Congressman for Georgia's 6th District. May God continue to bless you and our beloved United States of America.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize a remarkable civil servant, Gale McCoy. This year Gale is retiring from the U.S. Department of State after 33 years of service. I want to take this moment to highlight the career of this lifelong public servant. Over the years, Ms. McCoy has served in several capacities. In 2007, she became the director of the Special Issuance Agency, which is charged with the task of processing diplomatic and official passport applications for the Department of Defense, the White House, and Congress. In 2011, Gale McCoy opened the Atlanta Passport Agency, which serves as the central hub for citizens across southeast. In 2016, the Agency issued over 38,000 passports. Under the leadership of Director McCoy the Atlanta Passport Agency has streamlined operations and put customer service at the forefront of their mission. Mr. Speaker, as a result of the hard work of Director McCoy and her staff, families are able to visit loved ones overseas, local business are able to grow internationally, and diplomatic work can continue without any impediments to travel. On behalf of the citizens of the Sixth District of Georgia, I would like to thank Gale McCoy for the foundation she created that will ensure the Atlanta Passport Agency will continue serving the people of the Southeast. I would like to wish Gale and her family many more years of health and happiness.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to speak in honor of a good friend, Dr. John Harvey. Dr. Harvey is the outgoing President of the Medical Association of Georgia (MAG), which has close to 8,000 members spanning the entire state of Georgia focused on enhancing patient care and advancing the art and science of medicine. Dr. Harvey has served Georgians for more than 25 years as a general and trauma surgeon in the Atlanta area. During his tenure with MAG, Dr. Harvey started the Medical Reserve Corp. The Medical Reserve Corp assists the state in times of disaster by having trained physicians ready to respond. Before serving as the President, Dr. Harvey was the Speaker of the House of Delegates, the primary legislative and policymaking body for the association, for five years. Mr. Speaker, despite his full schedule, Dr. Harvey still takes time to teach residents in the transitional year at Gwinnett Medical Center and travels across the state to testify on the behalf of patients and physicians. He is a man I am glad to call a friend and a colleague in medicine. I would like to thank Dr. Harvey on behalf of citizens of the Sixth District of Georgia and the entire state for his service to patients and physicians and his commitment to public health.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a fallen hero from Georgia's Sixth Congressional District, Marine Lance Corporal Squire Wells from Marietta, Georgia. Known by his friends and family as Skip, Lance Corporal Wells was one of five servicemembers tragically murdered in a terrorist attack at the Naval and Marine Reserve Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on July 16, 2015. Skip Wells graduated from Sprayberry High School in Cobb County in 2012. In high school, he played clarinet in the marching band, was active in Junior ROTC, and was regarded by his classmates as a ``protector''--someone who ``looked at everyone with love'' and would ``go anywhere to protect anybody.'' After graduation, he studied history at Georgia Southern University before going on to enlist in the Marine Corps in 2014. Mr. Speaker, his family had a long tradition of military service, and Skip Wells felt a strong calling to defend his country. While in the Marines, Skip Wells distinguished himself as a proud field artillery cannoneer. His desire to put the well-being of his fellow marines and the mission before that of his own was famous among fellow servicemembers. Once, while on a training exercise, a sledge hammer badly damaged his hand while attempting to drive a stake into the ground. Seeing the damage to his hand, his commanding officer ordered Wells to seek immediate medical attention for his injuries, but Lance Corporal Wells refused. He said: First Sergeant, I will not leave my gun. I'll refuse medical treatment, but I am not leaving my position. Such was his resolve to serve and his commitment to his fellow marines, that he would not abandon them, not even during a training exercise. Mr. Speaker, this was one remarkable man. On July 16, 2015, Skip Wells was completing 2 weeks of training at the Naval and Marine Reserve Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee, when a terrorist opened fire on the facility. Disregarding his own safety, Skip Wells was last seen running to warn colleagues in the motor pool of the attack. He was 21 years old at the time of his death. Mr. Speaker, the valor of this young man's action and the tragedy surrounding the taking of his life at the hands of a terrorist moved people in my district deeply. At a memorial service that was held at his high school, more than 4,000 mourners filled the stadium to remember Skip Wells. Thousands more stood around the periphery of the field. Skip Wells was a proud marine and a true hero. He made the ultimate sacrifice and selflessly gave his life to protect his fellow servicemembers and to protect our Nation. There is nothing we could do that would be too much to honor this young hero's memory. Thus, I urge the House to pass this legislation to designate this facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2886 Sandy Plains Road in Marietta, Georgia, the post office closest to his high school, Sprayberry High School, as the Marine Lance Corporal Squire ``Skip'' Wells Post Office Building. It is my hope, Mr. Speaker, that, for generations to come, young children and others at the post office will see that post office's name and ask: Who is Skip Wells? Mr. Speaker, that answer will be very, very clear. He was a valiant defender, a hero, and a patriot. He was truly the very best of us. To his mom, Cathy, and his family, we extend our deepest appreciation for his service and his sacrifice. May God bless his memory, the Wells family, and the United States of America.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, today, the House will consider H.R. 5936, the Veterans Care Agreement and West Los Angeles Leasing Act of 2016. H.R. 5936 authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to lease underused Federal property at the Department's medical campus in Los Angeles to developers who would construct supportive housing and rehabilitation facilities for homeless veterans. Congressional Budget Office [CBO] estimates of the budgetary effects of VA's enhanced-use leases have evolved over time. Dating back to the first VA enhanced-use lease in 1999, CBO believed that VA enhanced-use leasing arrangements were a quid pro quo exchange of equal value which would not have any scoring implications. As CBO continued to gather more information on these leases, in addition to monitoring and evaluating VA's behavior regarding these lease agreements, it changed its scoring practices and today scores enhanced-use leases with an upfront, direct spending cost. The evolution of CBO's VA enhanced-use lease scoring came about from agreements and contracts that assured non-Federal lessees would be able to recover their capital costs invested in leased facilities through guaranteed payments from the Federal Government. CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 5936 would provide borrowing authority of $44 million over fiscal years 2017 through 2026, which would result in new direct spending. Notwithstanding CBO's conclusion, the House Committee on the Budget believes new mandatory spending will not be provided by H.R. 5936 as amended. The Committee, working closely with the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, has included section 4 in H.R. 5936 that would do the following: (1) ensure the Department of Veterans Affairs and third-party enhanced-use leasing agreements do not include either an explicit or implicit Federal Government loan guarantee; (2) prevent the Federal government from abrogating its sovereign immunity with respect to any loan, or other financial agreement; and, (3) require greater transparency, accountability, and congressional oversight of VA's enhanced-use lease program. If the Department of Veterans Affairs fails to faithfully execute the requirements in H.R. 5936, the House Committee on the Budget will revisit this issue in the context of future requests for enhanced-use leasing authority. With these fiscal protections in place, I support H.R. 5936, the Veterans Care Agreement and West Los Angeles Leasing Act of 2016, which ensures America's homeless veterans are provided quality access to care and services, and brings our Nation one step closer to ending veteran homelessness.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Well, thank you, because this only happens when people get out there and say this is the solution. These are the kind of positive solutions that we can put forward, and if we were to adopt them, then it's ``Katy, bar the door.'' Thanks so much for your great work.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. I thank the gentleman, and let me add my voice to the echo and chorus of those who are commending him for his work on the FairTax. This is incredibly important. And the gentleman is right. I have the privilege of chairing the Budget Committee, which is sometimes a blessing, sometimes a curse. But you put your finger on the thing that I want to talk about today because the FairTax, as you well know, our current tax system is punishing all the things that we say that we want. So we want hard work, we want success, we want entrepreneurship, we want savings, we want investment, we want all those things that people talk about that. They say: Why are we not getting those things that allow for that growth that has to happen? And one of the reasons, I believe--and I know you do, too--is because our current tax system punishes each and every one them. Every one of those things that we say we want, our tax system punishes. So people make their equation and they say: Well, should I do this? Well, no. I am taxed more if I do that. I am taxed more if I work hard. I am taxed more if I succeed. I am taxed more if I hire more people, on and on and on. So when you look at where we are, from a growth standpoint, which is incredibly important because we can't tax our way out of the challenge that we have got. We can't even cut spending to the degree that we need to to get out of the challenge that we have from a fiscal standpoint. We need to grow the economy. And the growth rate that we have had over the last 40 to 50 years in this Nation, average growth rate has been about 3.2 percent. Your constituents and my constituents and people all across this great country know that over the past 6 months we have seen a growth rate of 1 percent, and over the past 8 years we have seen a growth rate in the neighborhood of 2 percent. So we have had a 33 to 65 percent reduction in the level of growth in this country. What does that mean to folks back home? It means the jobs aren't being created. It means that there is part- time work instead of full-time work. It means that you have a son or a daughter that graduates from college and they can't find a job in the endeavor that they have chosen. All these things that make it so that the economy is tamped down, harmed by our current system. So the FairTax does all sorts of wonderful things, but one of the things that it does that would just reinvigorate and enlighten this economy is to incentivize the things that we say that we want: incentivizing savings, incentivize investment, incentivize hard work, incentivize entrepreneurship, incentivize risk-taking. Incentivize individuals who are out there trying to build a better mouse trap and we are going to reward them for trying to build that better mouse trap. So I am enthusiastic about H.R. 25, enthusiastic about the support that you have continued to generate for this. I want to commend John Linder, who is a dear friend of yours and mine, and the work that he did to begin this project. I know that we will ultimately get to this point of a FairTax, of a consumption tax, because it is the right thing to do and it is the only thing that we can do that actually solves many of the challenges that we have got. So let me commend you for what you are doing. God bless you. It is a wonderful, wonderful work. And if you keep at it and we keep at it, I know that the American people will ensure that they invigorate men and women in this Chamber so that they support this commonsense, logical, exciting solution to the challenges that we face from a fiscal standpoint.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, this is the sister or cousin amendment to the one just adopted by the House, and it requires the inspector general of each Federal agency to provide an annual report to the House and Senate Committees on the Judiciary, Appropriations, and the Budget concerning any settlement agreements that may violate section 2(a) of H.R. 5063. The previous amendment identified all those settlements made consistent with H.R. 5063, and this is a report that would be required that would identify those settlements outside the agreements under H.R. 5063. This information is vital to help ensure that the Federal agencies are not usurping Congress' power of the purse by continuing past practices and to confirm Federal agencies are fulfilling the requirements of the underlying bill. It also includes, once again, language to ensure that no additional funds are appropriated for the administrative reporting requirement and makes sure that it is budget- neutral. I urge the adoption of the amendment. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, let me first commend Chairman Goodlatte for his work on the underlying bill. I want to thank him and the staff of the Judiciary Committee for their support and assistance on crafting this and the following amendment. I also want to thank the chairman, staff, and members of the Rules Committee for their help as well. This amendment, Mr. Chairman, requires the head of each Federal agency to provide an annual electronic report to the Congressional Budget Office of any settlement agreements entered into by an official or agency during the previous year, consistent with the limitations of the underlying bill, H.R. 5063. This annual submission to CBO is critical to ensure the transparency of these settlements and to provide Congress an opportunity to obtain the information on these from the agencies. Further, with this information, CBO can begin building a database of these settlements, which is essential for Congress to track and to monitor the size and number of these agreements made by the Federal Government. I should point out that it also includes language to ensure that no additional funds are appropriated for this administrative reporting requirement to make certain that the amendment has no budgetary impact. I want to also state, finally, that this amendment includes a 7-year sunset provision to comply with the House's CutGo provision. I want to once again thank the chairman of the Judiciary Committee. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk made in order under the rule.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, once again, I thank the Chairman for his support and for his assistance in this, and I urge adoption of the amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk made in order under the rule.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the chairman once again. I urge adoption of the amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for his work on this and his interest and passion for healthcare issues and the work that we do in this House. I also want to thank the gentleman from Vermont for his kind words and the work he has done on this; and the gentleman from Iowa as well, who has been instrumental in moving this legislation forward. Mr. Speaker, many Medicare beneficiaries rely on a set of healthcare products and services that are classified as durable medical equipment, or DME. DME is often life-improving or lifesaving; things like blood sugar monitors, canes, crutches, hospital beds, power wheelchairs, and even things like oxygen supplies and tanks. Without access to these items, many Medicare beneficiaries would not be able to survive or would see their quality of life greatly diminished. In January 2016, Medicare started to slash reimbursement rates for these products and services as part of a nationwide rollout of their Competitive Bidding Program. Mr. Speaker, I would suggest that this program is neither competitive nor is it a real bidding process. CMS now wants to extend these substandard rates and this substandard program to other areas, as you have heard, including rural regions of our Nation, where these new rates will oftentimes not even cover the cost of the delivery of the item or the service, which means they just won't happen. In addition, this CMS program has failed to hold bidders to account. It has failed to produce rates that are financially sustainable for those who are trying to provide these service and items to patients. The National Minority Quality Forum has data that demonstrates this program is driving up costs through avoidable hospital bills and inpatient admissions, increasing out-of-pocket payments by patients, and has led to increased mortality rates. Mr. Speaker, that is more people dying in our Nation because of this program. In just my home State of Georgia, there has been a 20 percent decrease in the number of DME suppliers between 2013 and 2016. The number of medical equipment supply stores in our State has similarly decreased by nearly 40 percent. The legislation we have before us today, H.R. 5210, would provide a 3-month delay in the cuts, hopefully allowing for work to be done to come up with a real solution. This legislation represents a bipartisan commitment to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries continue receiving critical care provided through durable medical equipment, particularly those living in the rural areas of our Nation who would be disproportionately harmed by cuts in reimbursements. Again, this delay will, hopefully, provide policymakers additional time to come up with a consensus on a long-term solution. Every effort must be made to protect access to quality health care for seniors. I want to thank, again, my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their work on this issue. I want to, once again, commend Chairman Pitts for his work on this issue. I urge adoption of the bill.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Georgia's Sixth Congressional District, I rise today to recognize the amazing works of Roswell, Georgia's World Harvest Church and their 15th annual Honor Our Heroes event scheduled for July 3 of this year. The World Harvest Church has made a truly meaningful difference in people's lives by going into communities and ministering to all, young and old, with messages of hope and demonstrating the true love of Jesus Christ. Mr. Speaker, part of this service is their annual Honor Our Heroes event, which is a wonderful opportunity for our local community to honor our veterans whose selfless acts of heroism have helped maintain our most fundamental freedoms: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The World Harvest Church also serves as headquarters for missionary teams that travel internationally and administer help to those in dire need by building churches and centers of refuge. Mr. Speaker, I offer our deepest appreciation for the World Harvest Church's pastor, Mirek Hufton, a faithful follower of God and a man of the highest compassion. Our Nation is made better by, and we are truly blessed by, World Harvest Church.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am so pleased to join my colleagues today to honor Major Greg Barney, who was tragically shot and killed, as has been defined, in the line of duty on February 11, this year, while serving in the city of Riverdale, Georgia. Major Barney was a United States Navy veteran and had served with the Riverdale Police Department for over 25 years, including as a school resource officer at Riverdale High School. We all know what a selfless role that is, a true labor of love. Major Barney embodied the kind of courageous and valiant men and women we all want on our police forces. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Georgia's Sixth District, I offer our deepest condolences to his wife, Lisa, and their 15-year-old twin boys, Robert and Greg, and their family and friends. I offer our heartfelt gratitude for his service and sacrifice. It is because of his type of heroism that we all feel protected in our communities. So this is a fitting tribute, Mr. Speaker, and I ask my colleagues to join us in support of H.R. 4747, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located on Church Street in Riverdale, Georgia, as the Major Gregory E. Barney Post Office Building. My colleague David Scott has worked tirelessly on this bill, and I am proud to be a cosponsor. I thank Congressman Scott for his efforts and this House for your support.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 109, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' Personal Explanation

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to speak in honor of Dixie Whitman. The organization she cofounded, Military Working Dog Team Support Association, Inc., supports American military working canines and their handlers. Ms. Whitman started the organization ten years ago in her garage, back when it was only a group of a few neighbors and friends in Georgia. Under Ms. Whitman's leadership and through her tireless work the non-profit has expanded to eight more states. All of the workers are volunteers who are united in the common good of serving both human and canine soldiers. Since the founding in 2006, MWDTSA has sent over 3,500 care packages to currently deployed Military Working Dog teams. These packages contain everything from dog treats and boots for the dogs to DVDs for the handlers. Mr. Speaker, Dixie had to step down from the organization that she poured her heart and soul into this year but she will continue to be the heartbeat of the Military Working Dog Team Support Association. On behalf of the Sixth District of Georgia, I would like to thank Ms. Whitman for supporting and being a voice for human and canine soldiers alike.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I thank Mr. Marchant, my good friend, for introducing this legislation. Before I address the legislation, I want to talk very briefly about the President's budget. The President has, indeed, introduced a budget. It raises over $3 trillion over a 10-year period of time. It increases spending. It increases the interest payments on the debt so that they approach $1 trillion at the end of 10 years. We thought it was appropriate to save the President the embarrassment of bringing him before our committee, because when you put that budget on the floor, which we have done in the past, the President gets two votes from his own party. Just two. So we thought it was appropriate to save the President that embarrassment. I want to commend my friend, Mr. Marchant from Texas, for introducing this legislation, H.R. 3442, today. This is really a simple and straightforward piece of legislation. The bill enhances accountability, reduces potentially disruptive risks to our economy, and would help Congress reach real debt reduction solutions that the American people so clearly desire and deserve. Under this act, as we approach any debt limit, the administration would have to appear before Congress and provide testimony on what is driving that national debt so that we know that they actually appreciate the drivers of that debt; relate a clear, unambiguous series of proposals on deficit and debt reduction, which they don't do--by the way, the President's budget never balances--and update Congress on progress being made toward debt reduction, which is a principle that we believe and the American people believe is important, but, apparently, this administration does not. As Budget chairman, I can tell you there is nothing more troubling than the ever-increasing spending that happens around here, especially in the automatic programs. That is why I am heartened that this bill would require the administration to project the fiscal health and the long-term sustainability of major programs like Medicare and Social Security, that, by the way, are going broke unless something is done. This bill will help further educate the American people on the dire need to save and strengthen and secure these programs. Our budget--the proposal that we put forward--has proposed positive solutions. We need the administration to be a cooperative partner in getting solutions enacted. Forcing them to confront these challenges will be helpful. This bill will do that. It is pretty simple, Mr. Chairman. House Republicans have been proposing action our Nation needs to take in order to get spending under control and reduce our debt. It seems only fitting and proper that the administration should have to do the same. That is why I am urging a ``yes'' vote on this bill.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question. The previous question was ordered.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I think it is important to appreciate the numbers of individuals who are supporting our work on this issue, the folks who support repealing this legislation: Associated Builders and Contractors, Christian Coalition of America, Concerned Women of America, the Family Research Council, FreedomWorks, National Right to Life, American Center for Law and Justice, American Commitment, American Conservative Union, American Principles Project, Americans for Prosperity, Americans for Tax Reform, Americans United for Life, Conservative Women for America, Focus on the Family, Heritage Action for America, Independent Women's Voice, Liberty Counsel Action, March for Life, the National Center for Policy Analysis, National Institute of Family and Life Advocates, National Taxpayers Union, Population Research Institute, Priests for Life, Students for Life, Susan B. Anthony, The Justice Foundation, Tradition, Family, Property, Incorporated, and Traditional Values Coalition. Mr. Speaker, the majority of the American people oppose the law in place. As I close, the remarks that we make today, this is the time to try to set the record straight. We have heard from our friends on the other side what the Congressional Budget Office says. I will tell you what the Congressional Budget Office says about jobs. It says that this law will decrease the equivalent of over 2 million jobs in this Nation. Over 2 million jobs in this Nation lost because of this law. Our friends talk about the CBO saying that 22 million individuals are going to lose their insurance. That is because CBO scores things in a way that doesn't recognize the other action that will occur, which is why we have in this bill a transition period to phase in to patient- centered health care; again, health care where patients and families and doctors are making decisions, not Washington, D.C. We have a government of, by, and for the people, and we take that very, very seriously. When the President is standing in the way of the desires and the wishes of the American people as it relates to something as personal as health care, our responsibility is to stand up for the American people, and that is precisely what we are doing today. As it relates to women's health care, our bill actually would increase spending--increase spending--on women's health care across this great land and allow greater opportunity for access to community health centers by women to receive the kind of health care that they need. Our friends on the other side talk about premiums going up only a little bit more than they had been in the past. Mr. Speaker, what that ignores is that the President of the United States promised--promised-- the American people that premiums would go down on average $2500 for a family of four. In fact, what they have done is gone up by nearly $3,000 for a family of four. Mr. Speaker, that is not comparing it to anything else. That is comparing it to what the President promised the American people, and the American people expect their Representatives and the President to keep their promises. Deductibles have gone up incredibly. Our friends on the other side don't talk about that because what that means is that folks have health coverage out there, but they don't have health care. If you are a family of four, if you are an individual out there making $40,000, $50,000, $60,000 a year, and your deductible is $10,000 a year or $12,000 a year, which is not unusual given this law, Mr. Speaker, you may have health coverage, but you don't have any health care. As a formerly practicing physician, I can tell you I hear from my colleagues all the time about folks across this land who are making decisions, financial decisions because of this law, denying themselves and their family the ability to care for themselves and their family because of this law. Mr. Speaker, the fact of the matter is, we believe that the principles of health care that we all hold dear ought to be adhered to. We believe in a system that ought to be accessible for folks-- everybody. We believe in a system that ought to be affordable for everybody, that is of the highest quality, and that expands choices for the American people. The American people ought to be the ones who are deciding who is taking care of them when and where and the like. Mr. Speaker, the fact of the matter is that this law violates every one of those principles. Accessibility is going down across this great land. Affordability is going down. Costs are going up. Quality is decreasing. All you have to do is talk to the men and women who are charged with caring for the American people. Choices have been destroyed in our health care system. The principles that the American people hold dear, regardless of their political stripe, have been violated by this law. That is why we are standing here today, standing up and representing the American people, standing up on behalf of the American people and demonstrating once again that the only thing that stands in the way of what the American people want and what is occurring right now is that the President of the United States refuses--refuses--to follow the will of the people. I urge a vote in favor of this veto override. We can get on then with the hard work of making certain that we move in the direction of patient-centered health care where patients and families and doctors are making medical decisions and not Washington, D.C.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I share with my colleague that, unless the Speaker shows up, I am prepared to close.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, may I ask how much time remains on each side?

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I think this is the chart that gets to the issue that is before us today the most, and that is what is our responsibility to our constituents. As I mentioned earlier, when this bill passed on the floor of the House in March of 2010 in a hyperpartisan vote, the American people opposed it. The fact of the matter is the American people oppose it by greater numbers now than they did back then. It is because they have seen its implementation. They know that their premiums have gone up. They know that their healthcare costs more. They know that they can't see the doctor that they want to see. They know that they can't go to the hospital or the clinic that they want to go to. They know that the quality of their health care is actually decreasing if they talk to their doctor, and they know that their choices have been harmed in so many ways. So this is a little chart here that demonstrates that 52 percent, according to Gallup in November of last year, oppose this bill. According to Fox, in August of last year, 54 percent opposed this bill. According to Quinnipiac, in July of last year, 52 percent opposed this bill. Those numbers only increase. Our responsibility, as Representatives of the people, is to represent them. That is what we are doing today. The President is standing in the way of the people's wishes on this piece of legislation. The President is standing in the way of patient-centered health care. It is our job and our responsibility to stand up for the American people and the will of the American people. We will vote today to override this veto. I urge my colleagues to join in that activity. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman), a fellow member of the Committee on the Budget.