Good afternoon.  Thank you for joining us today for the first full committee hearing  of the 113th Congress.   The topic of today’s hearing is the debt limit, which has increased higher and faster under President Obama than any President in our nation’s history.  Since the President first took office in 2009, there have been four increases in the statutory debt… Read more

The purpose of our hearing today is to discuss a proposal designed to reduce the number of children who die from abuse and neglect.   I would like to thank our colleague Mr. Doggett as well as Chairman Camp for their work on the important proposal we will consider today. There are tragically too many examples, like Devin Drake, of why this is an important issue.… Read more

Today we will hear testimony regarding the current role of Medicare health plans, and look to the future of how these plans can continue to effectively serve Medicare beneficiaries. Medicare has allowed private health care plans to deliver care to beneficiaries since the 1970s.  Significant and numerous changes have been made to these plans over the years, some good and some… Read more

(Remarks as Prepared) Good morning.  Thank you for joining us today for the third joint hearing this Congress of the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee.  Prior to this Congress, our two committees had not met together for tax-related hearings in more than 70 years. Through this series of hearings, as well as ones we have held on our… Read more

I want to welcome everyone and extend a special welcome to Ambassador Michael Punke and our private sector witnesses. Let me also recognize Bob Vastine, the longtime President of the Coalition of Service Industries, who stepped down yesterday, and Ambassador Peter Allgeier, CSI’s newly installed President.  These are two great leaders.  Bob has had a long and… Read more

On July 12 of this year, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued an “information memorandum” saying they would accept and approve applications from States seeking to waive the work requirement that has been central to the success of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or TANF cash welfare program.   The Administration issued its memorandum despite the fact… Read more

Good morning and welcome to the fifth and last hearing in our series on securing the future of the Social Security Disability Insurance program.    Over the course of the series we’ve heard about the program’s striking and continuing growth: at a time when workers paying into the system have increased nearly 70 percent between 1970 and today, the number of people… Read more

Good morning. We are meeting today to consider H.J.Res. 118, a resolution to block the Obama Administration from waiving work requirements in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) welfare program. Americans strongly believe that those who are able should work in exchange for receiving federal benefits.  A recent survey revealed that 83 percent support a work… Read more

Good morning and welcome to our hearing on the direct deposit of Social Security benefits. Back in 1996, Congress passed the Debt Collection Improvement Act, which required electronic payment of federal benefits, including Social Security benefits.   Not only does the direct deposit of benefits help seniors avoid delayed, lost, or stolen checks, it saves taxpayers… Read more

Let me first say that our thoughts are with Health Subcommittee Chairman Wally Herger as he continues to recover in California from hip replacement surgery and a recent case of the flu.  I know I speak for all of us when I say that we wish him well and hope for a speedy recovery. We are here today to discuss implementation of the ObamaCare health insurance exchanges and related… Read more