it is irresponsible to just decide that we should cut any of these programs in the name of poverty reduction.

Saying it does not make it true.

I think we still have negative job growth.

this seems like a very political attempt to undermine the implementation of the Affordable Care Act

Mr. Chairman, thank you very much.

I appreciate that, and appreciate your diligence.

I might argue with you that the benefits under the Affordable Care Act are not more robust for a Native American community.

I am stymied that so far in this hearing we are more concerned about background checks and those qualifications for people who would be navigators and outreach specialists, than we are for people who would, today, buy a firearm.

We are going to need navigators and assisters and outreach and education efforts to facilitate enrollment to the highest degree.

if you don't do this outreach, people don't know.

Even in that tough economic time, the president understood that it was essential to invest in infrastructure.

there is still a federal role, there is a national interest in investing in our economy, in keeping the country together, in policy priorities

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I, too, appreciate this discussion, because having critical investments and having as a priority, both publicly and privately, transportation infrastructure certainly is not something new.

I love the village post office concept in many ways, and I am very fearful about whether or not you are going to get the kind of quality and relationship building between those folks and their constituents.

I appreciate your responses about moving the economy and investing in jobs.

I actually proposed an amendment to the Republican budget that would fund HIS, which is woefully under-funded.

I want to just highlight a couple. So we have got 63.5 billion for the Administration.

We have got the highest suicide rate by veterans that we have ever seen before in this country.

I am in a state that has got negative job growth, and I think the only state in the country.

The first principle is we have a sacred obligation to our veterans who have put their lives on the line to protect our country.

I could not agree more that this has to be an investment in outcome and quality.

I have to talk to the 2,000 people who have already been furloughed, and the countless number of defense contractors and related research businesses that are not hiring.

Stopping the sequester is a clear and direct productive impact in a state that does not have any other opportunities for fiscal growth.

I would urge you to be clear and careful about those kinds of proposals.

With a 14 year low in production of natural gas happening right now, that is a lot of jobs sitting on the sideline that turn around almost immediately if production begins to increase for export if there is some sort of advance planning…