John Dingell

This fee will lower insurance premiums in the individual market because insurers will not have to factor in the costs of disproportionate high costs of enrollment of high-risk patients.

the value of what we are trying to do here is to see to it that everybody has health care, to see to it that the health care of this country is affordable and available to all of our people and to see to it that the people of this country…

In my entire career, I have fought to secure the affordable, quality health care our citizens deserve and need.

So we can call this a fee as opposed to a tax. Is that right?

the hard and simple fact of the matter is that the health care costs in this country are running away from us and will destitute the Nation.

I hope you will keep that in mind as you go forward.

I ask your kindness in just one thing, and that is to commend Commissioner Clyburn for her work on prison calling petitions before the Commission.

We in the border States are very much concerned about what could or will happen to us in this process, losing service, seeing stations go dark, seeing additional confusion and conflict with our neighbors to the north and south.

The law requires you to do it.

We need to do what we are doing, and I commend you for that.

It is clear that the New England Compounding Center...was not properly regulated by either Federal or State authorities.

Would you please submit to us the authority that you require?

Please submit to us your suggestions for that authority to be given.

Would you please submit to us what authorities you need so that we can see to it that it is done?

It does not sound to me like FDA has authorities to oversee compounding pharmacies.

When will you submit to us a response to those letters so that we can have that information available to us as the committee proceeds?

I am fearful, Mr. Chairman, that this problem is something which will require fairly strong legislation.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Please submit to us the authorities that are needed so that we can address that problem.

We are going to try, I think you can sense from the committee and its questions to proceed towards a legislative solution, and it may very well be that we have to do so, and I think we are determined to do so.

These individuals and their families deserve answers as to how this was able to occur.

I want to look at how to resolve the problem.

To me, that is the definition of 'manufacturing.'

If you need some reform of that authority, please submit that information to us.

I think that is at the heart of us trying to figure out where our jurisdiction lies or doesn't lie with the FDA and our role.