Lisa Murkowski

We are here today to discuss our nation's mineral security or, as I note, the continued lack of mineral security in this country.

President Trump took one of the most concerning steps yet to sabotage health care for families.

President Trump's record is worse. Since day one, President Trump has never wavered in trying to undermine families' health care.

Unfortunately, the President has utterly failed to address the problem of rising health care costs.

There is no real silver bullet here, to go back to Senator King's analogy, maybe some silver buckshot out there, but it is complicated.

It seems to me that there are some areas that we can look to very directly and say, there has to be a better way.

Good morning, everyone. The Committee will come to order.

I think we recognize, clearly, the value of the FERC.

I hope we can get dozens of Senators on both sides to co-sponsor this bill.

I had an opportunity some months ago to be traveling over in the Pacific Islands.

That point I will share with my colleagues.

Hearings like this are a great opportunity to put things on the record.

As you know, your delegation deals with some colleagues that believe they know and understand more than any of you the operations of an ANC and what that means within the 8(a) program.

I think you know, Mr. Chairman, Senator Sullivan has educated you well on this. We are a State where we're all about small business.

Thank you to those who have provided testimony here in person today and the opportunity for us to query you further so that we can build this record out.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I've been around the Senate long enough to know that you don't come into a hearing over an hour late and expect to give an opening, so I'm not going to give one.

I thank the panel for your help. I look forward to following up with you.

Mr. Chairman, thank you. You have been very, very generous.

Small practices just cannot afford to bring on the folks to deal with the billing, to deal with the insurance companies, to deal with Medicare and Medicaid.

I appreciate that and I would like to follow-up with you.

What do people do about out of network providers and these surprise bills?

The rule contributed to anywhere from 8 percent to nearly 25 percent of the annual growth in spending.

Alaska put in place something that is called the 80th percentile rule.

I want to let you know how much I appreciated the panel.

We are still the highest cost energy state. We are struggling but we have so many opportunities that we get very, very excited about.