James Lankford

Each one has not slowed the flow down on it.

Obviously we have hundreds of thousands, up to millions of people that are current in the country awaiting a hearing, that are traveling at will around the country right now, that we do not know the criminal history of those individuals…

Thank you. Secretary Mayorkas, thank you again for being here. We have obviously got lots of questions.

The challenge that we have is, obviously, the consumer is paying a higher price, and we all know it.

I am grateful to the Biden administration and CMS in some of the things that they are currently doing on DIR fees to step in, but it is not far enough.

I think CMS should look hard at this tiering issue you talked about.

What PBMs are doing, I believe, is actually driving our independent pharmacies and our rural pharmacies into submission.

You are no longer going to do VA benefits. You have to do mail order through our PBM to be able to do it.

The challenge that we have is, obviously, the consumer is paying a higher price, and we all know it.

I am grateful to the Biden administration and CMS in some of the things that they are currently doing on DIR fees to step in, but it is not far enough.

What PBMs are doing, I believe, is actually driving our independent pharmacies and our rural pharmacies into submission.

I think CMS should look hard at this tiering issue you talked about.

You are no longer going to do VA benefits. You have to do mail order through our PBM to be able to do it.

From my perspective, you should look at it.

The challenge that we have is, obviously, the consumer is paying a higher price, and we all know it.

What PBMs are doing, I believe, is actually driving our independent pharmacies and our rural pharmacies into submission.

I am grateful to the Biden administration and CMS in some of the things that they are currently doing on DIR fees to step in, but it is not far enough.

You are no longer going to do VA benefits. You have to do mail order through our PBM to be able to do it.

I think CMS should look hard at this tiering issue you talked about.

Let me just say, from my perspective, you should look at it.

I think you need to have that in place because as Liza has indicated--and I have many examples that I can share with the Committee--the classification system has been repeatedly misused to conceal those very kinds of things.

We have had a new designation show up recently on documents that get brought over to our staff.

I appreciate your engagement and your thoughtfulness on this.

I recently introduced the Quad Critical Minerals Partnership Act with Senators Warner, Cornyn, and King in order to make those investments alongside Japan, India, and Australia.

What are we doing actively right now to expand our input and trade relationships with those in the Abraham Accords?