Diana DeGette

I worry that the bills that are under discussion today will actually increase costs and also harm access to insurance.

Medicare is stronger now after the Affordable Care Act.

Now you heard a lot of concerns on both sides of the aisle today, Dr. Agrawal, about this increasing number for the inaccurate or improper payments.

Frequently here in Congress we try to get our government agencies to act like private businesses and it doesn't always translate a hundred percent.

I find it very abusive of the witnesses and I just, I think that is really objectionable.

If there is something your agency thinks Congress can be doing to help this nudge this along we are happy to do it.

Keeping fraudulent and unscrupulous providers out of the program has been a longstanding challenge.

Today's hearing is an important opportunity to discuss ways to strengthen two critically important government programs that serve over 100 million Americans: Medicare and Medicaid.

Earlier this year the House passed H.R. 3716, the Ensuring Access to Quality Medicaid Providers Act which our own Representative Bucshon and Welch co-sponsored.

One of the problems that we have had as we heard from the OIG is that the states with respect to Medicaid have not fully implemented provider screening tools.

I think we all agree we need to reduce waste, fraud and abuse.

The idea that error rates or improper payments are associated with these programs is not new.

We must be vigilant in our efforts to fight fraud and abuse in these programs.

This hearing is really an important opportunity to discuss ways to strengthen two critically important government programs that serve over a hundred million Americans: Medicare and Medicaid.

Athletes at the professional college levels, they can make their own decisions about undertaking the risks associated with certain sports.

We need to ensure that children and their parents have enough data to make informed decisions about participation in youth contact sports.

I support evidenced-based policy making and am very encouraged that we are having ongoing research to better understand brain trauma.

If we can facilitate that meeting in any way, I am sure the chairman and I would be more than happy to do that.

I believe, as most members of this panel believe, that strong encryption is really critical to our national security.

Mr. Chairman, I would ask unanimous consent that all of the members of the committee, as well as the members of the full committee who have been asked to sit in be allowed to supplement their verbal questions with written questions of the…

The problem really isn't default encryption because if you eliminated default encryption, criminals could still get encryption, and they do, isn't that correct, Ms. Hess?

While encryption does provide these invaluable protections, it can also be used to obscure the communications and plots of criminals and terrorists and increasingly at great risk.

Let me state unequivocally that I, like you, and I think the rest of us here today recognize and appreciate the benefits of strong encryption in today's digital world.

The problem is that criminals can have easy access to encryption. And I think we can stipulate that encryption is really great for people like me who have bank accounts who don't want them to be hacked, but it is just really a horrible…

I think it is time to have a productive conversation about improving the ACA.