Susan Collins

One thing is clear to me, and that is that our Maine fishermen are struggling now, and they're very worried about what the future is going to bring.

Waiving that match was absolutely critical given the constraints that the States have and to ensuring that the funding will be used in ways that have both immediate impacts and constructive long-term effects.

It's difficult for me to understand how he possibly could have met the burden of proving a credible fear of persecution.

I believe that this system is seriously broken.

I hope that--if you don't do so in your testimony, I will be asking you for an update on the Department of Justice's activities to bring to justice the attackers in the Benghazi case.

I'm concerned that the honesty and the integrity of the whole Department could be called into question.

I'm opposed to the legalization of marijuana the way that Colorado has done.

I think the FDA's approach is a perfect example of a solution in search of a problem.

I know that you're also aware, well aware, of my strong interest in the development and approval of an artificial pancreas.

I want to just second the concerns that Senator Blunt has raised and urge you to take a really hard look at what the impact of that rule is.

If you really fulfilled their needs and met their requirements, we would actually need 450 ships.

If we don't have the certainty of the 10-ship buy, we end up paying more per ship and getting fewer ships.

I am very concerned that sequestration--those indiscriminate, automatic cuts--are going to kick back in in 2016 if we don't act.

I am concerned that we continue to move further away from the number of ships we actually need to protect our national security.

I have some serious concerns about the proposed way forward from a strategic global force standpoint.

I am hopeful that we can again produce a bipartisan funding bill to support our military.

I will submit my opening statement for the record. But I just want to welcome all of our witnesses

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for calling this hearing to highlight both the human and financial costs associated with fraud in the Medicare program and to examine ways that Medicare can work with private insurers and other stakeholders to…

Well, let me just say that there was nothing that would have prevented CMS from implementing those provisions prior to the passage of the ACA.

The IG's Office and GAO have been telling us for years that Medicare was a high-risk agency, extremely vulnerable to fraud.

I held a series of hearings on Medicare fraud in which we heard the Inspector General testify that there were billions of dollars lost to Medicare fraud.

I think when we contemplate Medicare fraud we tend to think of it in terms of dollars lost, but in your case you were subjected to grueling, unnecessary infusions that could have really harmed your health had they continued.

I am convinced, from the inspector general's report that the misuse of unneeded prescription drugs is a major contributor to veteran suicide.

I am curious why the administration decided to create a brand new fund instead of working through existing programs.

It strikes me, as a provision, when I see a 60 percent increase for transit and only a 17 percent increase for highways, that it is really biased toward urban States that have mass transit as opposed to more rural States.