I recognize that there is a need to maintain and keep talent in these institutions...

I believe such outsourcing of defense contracts runs against both U.S. national security and economic interests, eroding our defense industrial base, costing jobs and stunting economic growth.

If you have ways to suggest that we could change that to make those reviews more effective, I know I would be open to hear those thoughts.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Chairman Volcker, for not only your testimony, but for your service on this G-30 Commission as well as so many other commissions.

If something is going to change, we in Congress have to change it. We need to do it now and we need to do it in a way that sticks.

Would an issue of this magnitude or this repetition or this seriousness be brought to the attention of individual Commissioners or the Commission?

Thirty-plus trillion dollars is an astonishing liability to have to face, and I believe that there are only two ways to face it.

We are on a very bad glide slope for health care in this country with a $30-plus trillion liability just for Federal health care benefits that is totally unfunded.

One is with a very bloody toolbox comprised of benefits cuts, throwing people off coverage, paying providers less, and raising taxes.

Those of us who have been watching this thing for a while have seen this number move.

I could not agree with you more about that.

The success of that Chronic Care Model is completely dependent upon payment reform.

it is going to be a nightmare.

One of the things that I come across pretty frequently...is that when people have chronic or multiple illnesses...their appetite for electronic health records is very high.

Take diabetes alone. I think that is probably a chronic illness for which having good tools for patients would clearly benefit patients and reduce costs and improve quality of life.

Now the model is Thelma and Louise, and we are all in the car, and the cliff is right in front of us.

if we do not get this solved through technology, through systems reform, through better quality care, through a more rational payment system, then we will get to the edge of that cliff.

This is an interagency effort, that military action will buy time, but without effective economic development, political institution capacity-building, it will be a very difficult challenge ahead.