So the President's budget request does not take money from the prevention fund to create the exchange, only to provide money necessary to educate people about the exchange.

I am concerned that the Department of Health and Human Services' discretionary budget request is 10.5 percent, or $6.9 billion, above current spending levels.

This decision takes public health dollars and workforce development funding supported by the prevention fund and diverts it toward what I believe to be the administration's political priority, implementing the exchanges.

I have been concerned that the Administration creates budgets that rely on these Prevention Fund dollars to backfill critical public health programs.

If I could add one concern to that, and it is essentially this, that we are in the process now of rolling out a really nice sophisticated new program.

Could you explain why you made such a significant reduction to critical public health programs in order to fund your other priorities?

I'm going to first start with the question that I indicated I would raise, which is the authority by which you can transfer the funds to pay for the federally created exchanges.

What I have seen over the time I have been in the Department of Labor is that there has been a lot of activity among everybody to try to solve the problem, if you will, of veteran unemployment.

At least according to the National Rural Health Association, 41 percent of all critical access hospitals are in the red now.

I think it is critically important that Washington recognize that healthcare access is essential to the survival and success of rural communities across the country.

So the number is what, 20-something?

I am pleased to see that the administration's budget request increases the funding for NIH.

I would guess that as Governor, you granted some hospital waivers.

I have a significant emphasis on rural. And I'm concerned with the proposals within the Department's budget that would disproportionately affect Kansas and other rural States.

I just would indicate to you that it seems to me, and Senator Boozman pointed this out, it's a Washington Post article this morning in which the State of Washington is looking for ways to have more part-time employees and get their…

I can see that being prospective, how do you take away the critical access hospital designation for both hospitals, which in my view means that neither succeed.

I am concerned, as I am sure many on this subcommittee are, that we still do not know the true costs or effects of the Affordable Care Act.

I would love to continue that discussion.