Jim Risch

We go around the world criticizing other countries who don't obey their own laws that they're not nations of laws.

This particular bill recognizes those facilities, extends to them the grandfather rights that they should have had.

I rise today on behalf of myself and Senator Crapo to give recognition to U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge, the longest serving jurist in the great State of Idaho. This month, Judge Lodge marked 50 years on the bench in combined State…

The problem is, it turns out that we were singing off of two different sheets of music.

That was a joke, I guess, at the time it was promoted.

It is a shame and really an embarrassment for the United States of America when the Federal Government passes laws that create winners and losers in the marketplace.

Do you want to be shot or do you want to be hung, either way, you are going to have an Exchange.

Well, if it is such a good thing, why do we not go the other 4 percent of the way and exempt all business, 100 percent of businesses, from Obamacare?

Thank you for trying to diminish the tremendous damage that has been done by this law.

Madam Chairman, I cannot tell you how much I am an advocate for exactly what the Teamsters have said.

At the end of the day, I hope, Madam Chairman, that you and your party will join us as we attempt to go back to the fundamental principle of this and that is to do no harm.

Senator Landrieu will be interested to hear that they are talking about a 28.6 percent increase in Louisiana.

And this business about being able to keep your policy if you like your policy, that is all out the window.

I cannot apologize for the Federal Government. If I could, I would.

When I first ran for this job back in 2008, America was focused on a real need to reform our health care system.

The situation in America today is that it is just disgusting that the Federal Government having botched this as badly as it has.

One of the difficulties I have is that we keep getting reports that the cost of health care keeps going up, notwithstanding the fact that everybody was promised it would go down.

I think that that particular provision of the law that allows the small businesses to pool was a good idea, and I think we probably would have gotten the bipartisan support to actually pass that here.

96 percent of businesses, is that correct, are exempted from Obamacare?

Only in Washington, D.C. would we think receiving 100 percent of nothing is better than receiving 62.5 percent of something.

I urge the committee to look at this possibility as part of a larger offshore energy policy.

If our country can level the playing field, unlock private sector investment in clean energy, and continue investing in innovation, this is also a challenge that America can meet.

I hope you have taken away from this that there are people up here that actually care about what you do.

Thanks all, and I want to thank all of you for coming today on what is a serious subject.

I would think that the research credit you are going to have trouble getting rid of.