Joe Pitts

I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn), the vice chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

And I think we need to be able to figure out on the front end who are these vulnerable populations and prevent the trafficking so that we are not constantly doing the cleanup that we have been doing over the past 10, 15 years.

I would like to commend my colleague from North Carolina, Renee Ellmers, for her concern for the women and children involved in this illegal and harmful industry.

Trafficking is an issue that many people believe only happens abroad, in a Third World country, not in America.

The United States has become one of the largest markets for trafficking with profits in the billions of dollars.

Today's hearing focuses on H.R. 5411, The Trafficking Awareness Training for Health Care Act of 2014.

While I do have some concerns about the process by which FDA is proposing this new regulatory approach, patient groups have questioned whether there are gaps in the current system that are jeopardizing patients' safety.

I urge all of my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. McClintock). The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts)…

I am pleased to yield such time as he may consume to my friend, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Marino), the leader on this issue.

I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn), vice chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee and another leader on this issue.

The very idea of risk corridors assumes that there will be 'winners' in the insurance industry.

So that bill to say that, yes, in the small group market and the individual market, those 2013 policies, the people that like them can keep them, that is a very appropriate legislation.

The Lance-Cassidy bill ensures the risk-corridor program does not become a vehicle for ignoring the Constitution by the administration.

Clearly the President's promise was, to put it euphemistically, inaccurate.

The President promised numerous times that if you liked your healthcare plan, you could keep it.

Regardless of payments and receipts, HHS will remit payments as required under Section 1342 of the Affordable Care Act

Today's hearing is once again about protecting taxpayers and consumers from the consequences of the Affordable Care Act.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I think it is imperative that we provide a 21st century regulatory framework for 21st century technology and a framework that is going to encourage innovation while providing safe, effective, and new therapies.

The ability of patients, physicians, and developers to communicate effectively is so important for the future of cures in this country.

The subcommittee will come to order. The chair will recognize himself for an opening statement.

This Cures Initiative is in part focused on using technology to relieve administrative burdens for agencies such as FDA.

We have electronic health records that can be shared among various providers to help better coordinate the care we receive, if we can ensure they are interoperable.

We now have mobile medical apps that can make health care more personalized if we don't overregulate them.

The question before us: How do we ensure that our health care system can take advantage of the innovation going on in the tech world?