we are going to talk about long term, but we can't deal with the immediate.

it is a little bit ironic that we are having it at a time this body hasn't had a national budget, our country hasn't for the last 4 years.

we are going to have a real good conversation about the long-term.

It seems to me that one solution is to include more long-term care costs within Medicare, perhaps raising premiums, raising taxes, raising payroll taxes.

It's one of the key issues that we need to grapple with if we are going to transform to a high-quality and lower-cost healthcare system.

That would be something I would like to find out. It is kind of a key point.

How will students benefit from changes that we are discussing today?

If so, it would be bankrupt. That is what the accounting tells you.

But basically the $7,000 pays for the entire health care cost where the $4,500 is a wrap-around plan around Medicare.

I appreciate your providing a number of hearings on the draft legislation that you and the Ranking Member have introduced.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

A century ago, Wisconsin passed the Nation's first workers' compensation program. Interestingly, it was under Governor Robert M. LaFollette, Sr., who at one point was a U.S. Senator in the seat that I now have the distinct honor of holding.

I learn a lot, and these are important issues.

isn't that the main driver in terms of the financial situation of--again, I think it is----

We agree that Medicare needs to be fixed. All we are asking for is a level playing field.

I would really suggest you take a look at that GAO report.

So that is why the focus going forward has to be not the timing of this agreed-upon decision to honor the retiree health costs.

What are they talking about there? I have never understood that.