For more than four decades, Medicare has been a critical program for ensuring the health and also the financial well-being of seniors and people with disabilities.

It is clear, however, in my opinion, that program integrity provisions alone will not provide a sustainable Medicare program for the future.

The Administration's proposed Part D regulation would make a number of changes to the program to strengthen program management and integrity.

We know from past experience that without strong oversight from CMS, contractors have not always performed adequately and have the potential to abuse the public trust.

This idea that utter disbelief that Putin would take the action he's just taken in Crimea, a total and fundamental misreading of Putin and his ambition has been characterized this administration.

We are the world leader, we cannot abandon that responsibility. It does not mean putting boots on the ground. But it means as Ronald Reagan did, peace and restraint. That's what I'm afraid has very been missing in this administration.

But we can -- there's a lots of range of economic issues, political issues, and frankly comments and statements that can be made, which would help to maybe make Vladimir Putin pay a price for what he's done.

We need to accelerate Georgia's membership into NATO. We need to have a Magnitski bill expanded that would apply to Russians who are responsible for this invasion.

I don't see any military option at this time although, we can be doing some planning for further contingencies, particularly if Vladimir Putin puts pressure on other countries, such as Poland or the Baltics who are members of NATO.

I think he loves to strut on the world stage, and I think it could have some impact on him psychologically.

We strongly support legislation introduced by Representative Scott Tipton (H.R. 3189), which passed the House of Representatives on March 3, 2014.

Mr. Speaker, these are interesting times in America. For most of us who went to law school, we were taught that for an adversarial system of justice of law to work, there has to be active participation on both sides of an issue, of a…

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to an issue that affects millions of American citizens. A rare disease is defined as a disease that affects fewer than 200,000 people. There are over 7,000 rare diseases that affect close to 30…

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Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 86 on the Cummings amendment on H.R. 899, I am not recorded because I was absent due to illness. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.'' On rollcall No. 87 on the Connolly amendment on H.R. 899, I am…

Mr. Speaker, I think this is a good time to reflect on a couple of things. One is certainly Iran. The other is certainly Ukraine. I think that the American people obviously have a very important stake in what is going on in both countries…

Mr. Chairman, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly), a member of our committee.