Ron Wyden

I believe deeply in the benefits of trade.

In this country, there is a longstanding principle of pension law that says you don't take away benefits that workers have earned. But unless Congress acts soon, that guarantee is about to be broken.

To me, in our country, you just do not snatch away pension rights from Americans who never did anything but the right thing.

I do not need a justification. You just made the justification why we owe it to retirees to correct this and not just leave Wall Street with all the cash.

Part of the reason why I think the law is necessary is because I do not see another way to keep the plan from running out of money entirely.

If they decide that they are met, they will say so.

The very first time was after Congress passed this ill-advised law that I was so strongly opposed to.

My hope is--and your Senators and others have been constantly bringing this up with the chairman--that the wakeup call that you have delivered this morning really results in a bipartisan solution, and fast.

But it is like all of this was just dumped on us overnight like a tsunami.

There was never any doubt that our money was going to be there.

The Finance Committee is a place where Democrats and Republicans can come together to find solutions to the enormous retirement challenge in America.

Thousands of coal miners' pensions are hanging in the balance, and the clock is ticking down to disaster for retired coal miners in the coming months.

We ought to be looking, for example, at reforming the common bond provision, which has been a vital part of retirement policy debates in the past.

You cannot turn your back on the workers and retirees in these communities when times get tough.

It is so important that the committee move and move quickly.

It is my view that this committee and the Congress should move on this bill as soon as possible.

We need to get over that illusion.

What this is really about is making sure that Congress ensures that the promise that pension benefits are all about is protected.

In this country, that is not the way it is supposed to work.

This is an extraordinarily important time for our country, colleagues, because there is a longstanding principal of pension law that says you do not take away benefits that our workers have earned.

The Family First Act would allow states the flexibility to use title IV-E dollars for substance abuse treatment that works.

As the committee that's required to pay for the most important health programs in the nation, the Finance Committee needs to do its part to address the opioid crisis.

Oregon has the dubious distinction of ranking fourth worst for abuse and misuse of opioids in the country.

AMCP supports a holistic, comprehensive, and multi-stakeholder approach among health care providers and patients that truly addresses the opioid epidemic.

My own view on what's needed is a better approach that includes three things: more prevention, better treatment, and tougher enforcement.