Pat Roberts

The proposed budget never balances. Deficits continue, which means that the debt as a share of the economy would remain at levels not seen in our Nation's history.

How can you explain how you went from hoping it never had to be used to now doubling down on IPAB?

I do not want rationing. I am very worried about the Independent Payment Advisory Board, the CMS Innovation Center, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, all well-intended.

During your confirmation hearing, we talked a lot about the Affordable Care Act's Independent Payment Advisory Board.

You said, and I will paraphrase here, that you were hopeful IPAB never needs to be used.

It seems to me they do not trust the hospital administrator or the doctors, or the whole delivery system.

We do not want to go back to that.

Our job as Senators is to try to narrow the issues.

You can't do that from here.

Yet No Child Left Behind is about a lot of other things, as Senator Murphy talked about, making sure that we don't leave kids behind.

I'm really proud that my State and our country have a history of leadership in innovation, and we need to find ways to continue bringing that leadership into our classrooms.

We want to work in a bipartisan way.

I do not know who is rich. Who is rich? Is that $250,000? I mean, is there a number there?

Well, what I am worried about is, everybody wants to talk middle class and class warfare.

I hope you do not go down the path of trying to limit political speech.

It is important to provide certainty to our citizens that the IRS is not going to select for audit gift tax assessments based on politics.

Going forward, we need to provide adequate and effective support for teachers and school leaders.

I think we have a unique opportunity here and you have done some excellent work, and I thank you for that.

I appreciate that. Let me bring up the biotech situation.

the best way to do that is with a highly effective teacher.

effective school leaders play a really critical and important role in students' academic success, especially in our high-need schools.

the probability is lower that minority students and economically disadvantaged students are likely to have access to those more experienced, more effective teachers.

So at the Federal level, if we don't have a dedicated source of funding for funds to support and retain effective principals, what would happen?

I am a very strong supporter of free speech, and it's certainly an honor for the University of Kansas to host the President of the United States.

The 30-hour rule is clearly one of the more harmful provisions of Obamacare for many of our workers.