Rosa DeLauro

I think we have to educate our way to a better economy.

That is an 11 percent cut.

If we do not invest now, we will not be able to benefit from scientific discoveries 5, 10, even 20 years from now.

Sequestration is terrible policy for any budget. It is especially cruel where there are literally lives at stake.

This is a project that we really received great bipartisan support on, and we came in under budget and ahead of schedule.

We need a qualified and a trained workforce in this effort.

I would like to work on that.

I think it is just outrageous of trying to game the system in Social Security.

I would like to work with you on the issue of hunger, which is an issue that is very, very important to me.

You have asked in the budget for $60,000,000 to increase nutrition programs.

For me, it would be catastrophic. We already have over a million cases backlog with the 2015 budget.

Worst-case scenario in which sequestration remains in effect and discretionary appropriations remain flat, what would happen to the hearing backlog and average processing if SSA is level funded next year?

The cuts have consequences, real consequences.

I think your attention to this issue is critical, and we need to really uncover those places and take them really more than to task, you know? Put them out of business, I swear, if they are abusing elderly, elderly people.

We should not be surprised if we see growing backlogs, more cuts to seniors, and additional field office closings.

I do believe that that is the strength, which ought to be preserved.

Now Social Security turns 80 years old this year, and before 1935, what old age meant, economic insecurity for practically all seniors.

I just want to say this because I think it is important.

So we can conclude that if the ACA continues to constrain the growth of healthcare costs, will that not wipe out a significant portion of the projected future deficits?

Just a couple points. You know, I will just mention medical loss ratio, which has really worked to make sure insurance companies are spending 80 percent of their collections on the premiums, and that has resulted in billions of dollars in…

Score one for single payer.

I believe that it really is Labor, HHS has taken one of the biggest hits of any of the appropriation subcommittees, and we need to remedy that.

We need to eliminate the sequester caps once and for all, return to adequate levels of funding to support our Nation's health.

Nearly 20 million more Americans will have health insurance this year, thanks to the Affordable Care Act.

As a result, 9.4 million people on Medicare have saved over $15,000,000,000 since 2010.