Hal Rogers

We also want to hear about Obamacare. As predicted since its passage, there have been many hiccups and issues with its implementation.

I have long advocated that treatment and education need to play a critical role in this unique public health challenge.

Unfortunately, we have seen no leadership from the White House on your agency to address the billion-dollar elephant in the room, and that is mandatory spending.

The rollout of the President's healthcare law has been undeniably underwhelming.

Our healthcare costs remain among the highest in the developed world.

I am concerned by the size of the budget request before us.

We support you in this important mission.

I first want to pay tribute to the Commissioner for six years of service at this chore, which I think is a modern-day record if not an all-time record tenure.

Each of these industries is fighting every day to manage the onslaught of federal regulations promulgated by the EPA.

It's important that we get things right here in Washington. That starts with setting the right priorities in the budget.

So we disagree in the strongest possible terms with the agenda this administration has adopted for your regulatory programs.

The proceeds of that ought to be going back to those areas where it came from, but if it is only for reforestation, it would not provide that many jobs.

I wish we could free up that money for economic development to bring in the new jobs of this world that we live in today.

I have got able-bodied young men with families formerly making $70,000, $80,000 a year in the mining business now trying to find a job at McDonalds, unsuccessfully I might add.

I have got 9,000 miners in my district laid off in the last few years.

The States, as I said, are primarily responsible for most of the regulatory work, but yet OSM is asking for a $5.5 million increase for itself and cutting the States' grants by more than $3 million.

The few times when OSM has asked for the States for comments on draft documents, the timeframes they are given to answer are unrealistic, some less than 5 days to respond to OSM.

The States have the premier authority in regulating mining operations, and yet they tell me that it is like talking to a brick wall with your Department.

I also appreciate that the Department has finally observed this committee's strong insistence that you would refrain from cutting the Office of Surface Mining State Grant Programs.

I appreciate the expeditious manner in which your Department handled those issues.

I am hopeful that this subcommittee can continue its track record of working collaboratively under regular order, to draft thoughtful and responsible bills to fund our Federal Government.

Well, majority rules in this country, right?

The EPA's regulations, which are constitutionally dubious, have brought coal mining to a screeching halt and coal-fired power plants to their knees.

I have serious concerns about the administration's position on coal-fired power generation in developing countries.

Our contributions to international financial institutions must be targeted to ensure that we are promoting what Secretary Kerry called 'the best enhancement of our values and our interests.'