Ron Wyden

I see a big opportunity for Democrats and Republicans in Congress, the Treasury Department, and the IRS to work together now.

Two-thirds of a trillion dollars owed in corporate taxes goes unpaid every decade.

When you can convert earned income into unearned income to get a lower tax rate, it creates a real problem.

The system does not look fair to working people who just pay tax on every dollar that comes in.

Those corners are loaded with byzantine rules that accountants and lawyers from white-shoe firms can use to pry open loopholes.

There is a big difference between the tax on wages and the tax on investment income.

Every policymaker ought to be doing more to figure out why and how you are going to fix this.

I do see a major opportunity for Democrats and Republicans in the Congress, working with the Treasury and the IRS, to work together right now.

The budget does quite a number of things.

Does the IRS, in working with the Treasury, have a modern database to track the major sources of the corporate tax gap?

There are a number of smart proposals that could be a huge help to working-class families and small businesses across the country.

It is a mind-numbing system. And it is no wonder why somebody who works the line at a factory or has a gig at a mom-and-pop business would believe the tax code is stacked against them.

Right now in America, there are two different tax systems. The one that most working people deal with is mandatory.

I think it is worth noting, here in the Finance Committee, Chairman Hatch has scheduled three hearings for us to come together on a bipartisan basis.

It's pretty hard to mischaracterize word for word quotes. They used the words 'improper access.'

My point is, in our system of government we have responsibilities to do vigorous oversight and we can't do vigorous oversight if there are improper procedures used to access our files.

In my view that undermines the very checks and balances that protect our democracy, and it's unacceptable in a free society.

I have recently raised conflict of interest concerns with Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell regarding Myra Christopher.

It is clear you want to play offense on tele-medicine, and I think that can be a key component of the bipartisan strategy we envision with respect to chronic care legislation.

I'm glad that most of those mistakes have been rectified and that this year enrollment numbers are high.

I see tele-medicine playing a hugely important role in improving chronic care for older people in rural areas.

One of the things that is most exciting about the work ahead in this committee is the chance to, in health care, make some extraordinarily important advances.

I look forward to discussing that with Chairman Hatch and with our colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

Chairman Conrad would have been a wonderful chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, thank you for scheduling this hearing.