Ron Wyden

For the most part, I was very pleased with CMS' proposed rule.

Not surprisingly, because it happens so often around this town, not only with CMS but with so many other bureaucracies, on the eve of the hearing CMS finally issued the proposed rule.

I think, as you and I have talked about, the question of taxation on the business side is absolutely crucial to doing tax reform right.

I think you are not going to get relief to the overwhelming majority of Americans, and that was the linchpin in 1986.

Will you commit to me today that before these projects go forward, you will work with us on a long-term solution on the Klamath Basin?

In our State, in our part of the world, it is absolutely essential that we get a long-term solution to the Klamath.

I want to characterize this... as working for a long-term solution because when you are out listening... that is what they want.

Will you also work with us to help reduce the cost of a long-term solution?

The Resolution, which was introduced by Senator Wyden and Senator Ayotte, calls for policies to maintain the principle that small businesses should not be held to the same standard as large retail businesses.

I am going to listen to the rest of my colleague's remarks, and I will have my own. But I just want to thank the Senator from Washington for her leadership. This is such an important issue. It is not about dollars and cents, and it is not…

I think the Senator from Washington has made an extraordinary presentation in terms of outlining the facts of the abuse women face. Having done a series of forums around my home State--as my colleague knows, in our part of the country in…

Senator Rubio and I have introduced a bill called the Student Right to Know Before You Go Act.

I continue to think that that is hugely important, and I want to keep that focus.

The question is, can we go further and put a new focus on value as part of the tax reform debate?

Let me make one last point. I know my time has run out here. I'd love to work with any and all of you on trying to expand the definition of 'meaningful use' for health information technology purposes, at least on a pilot basis to include…

Very often I come to hearings now on this committee and on the Finance Committee and I walk out saying the discussion isn't very different than the kind of discussion I participated in when I was co-director of the Oregon Gray Panthers…

I want to make sure that 10 years from now, 15 years from now, we have dramatically increased the number of folks, particularly the dual eligibles, that are treated at home.

As you know, Oregon has the highest percentage of seniors participating in Medicare Advantage in the country.

My view is--and we've talked about this in the past, and I'd just like to get this on the record--that the Independence at Home model is just about the best way to make sure that you coordinate care for these very vulnerable people.

I know we can get more of those seniors care where they want to be, which is at home, at less cost to taxpayers.

We were talking then about demonstration projects, then, and here we are 30 years later still, day in and day out, seeing vulnerable seniors, dual eligibles, those who have chronic diseases, heart, stroke, cancer, diabetes, going off to…

I wish I had a nickel for every time I heard about how health care was going to be better coordinated.

Instead of relying solely on a model that relies on multiple state efforts, CMS should also test models that bring care for duals under the Federal umbrella.

Why don't you get back to me, if you would, on that point?

I pushed very hard to get that into the Affordable Care Act. We were able to get that in.