Political Quotes

“Mr. President, so far during the 111th Congress, the Finance Committee, of which I serve as the ranking Republican member, has held over 50 hearings. At those hearings, around 200 witnesses offered their testimony and answered members' questions. The witnesses who testify at our hearings are considered to be some of the most qualified experts in their field and their participation is critical to the legislative process. Because of their influence on legislation, it is important that Congress knows to what extent the witness' testimony is objective and if the witness has any significant interest in the outcome of potential legislation. Three of the hearings held by the Finance Committee this Congress were roundtable discussions on health care reform. These discussions brought 41 witnesses, including industry stakeholders and academic leaders, before the committee to share their expert knowledge on policy options for health reform. At one of these roundtables, Dr. Jonathan Gruber, a health care economist and professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, testified before the committee on health care reform. I thought he was an unbiased expert, but was later disappointed to hear that he had been paid over $400,000 by the administration to help advance the president's health care proposals. At the very least, he should have been straightforward with the committee and disclosed this financial interest. In addition to his testimony before the Finance Committee, Dr.…”