Lamar Alexander

My request to this committee this morning is that you do two things: first, that you move quickly to stabilize the individual insurance marketplace; then second, that you would undertake a serious effort to work together to address the…

I hope we can begin to spend most of our time on the larger issue of healthcare costs.

I am hopeful that maybe some combination of continuing cost sharing for a period of time... might provide a basis for action we could take this month.

We can make certain that health insurance is available in every county and lay the groundwork for future premiums decreases.

Tennessee's Insurance Commissioner, who is here today, has described the State's individual market as, 'Very near collapse.'

She ought not to have to pay one fifth of her income for health insurance.

If we do act, we can limit increases in premiums next year, 2018.

This committee, which is the Senate's health committee, will hold hearings beginning the week of September 4, 2017 on the actions Congress should take to stabilize and strengthen the individual health insurance market.

I especially appreciate Senator Murray's agreeing that we will mark-up these nominees, or we will consider them for mark-up, tomorrow.

I think the best way to lower the cost of energy, clean the air, improve health, increase family incomes, and produce jobs is double the funding for basic energy research.

Our next generation of reactors will not likely be possible without government funding, research, and support at the outset.

I think we need to do something about nuclear power.

Thank you, Madam Chairman and Senator Whitehouse.

Why not ask the Secretary to appoint a red team, somebody who knows a lot about parks, conservation service, these programs, assemble a group of 12 or 15 people informally, to take a look at it and recommend what to do and get it done in…

I would appreciate your taking back to the Secretary the suggestion of, number one, red teams, and number two, pilot programs and broad, bipartisan support for both these ideas.

My point is the normal government way of solving problems takes a long time, but in those examples they were able to move quickly, like within two or three months.

Each will help the President meet his goal of eliminating job-crushing rules and regulations, keeping government agencies accountable and restoring fairness and balance to Federal labor law.

Their confirmation will help return the Board to its traditional position of fairness to ensure that the rights of workers, employers and unions are protected.

The National Labor Relations Act is designed to create a level playing field, favoring neither employers nor unions.

On behalf of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), I write in strong support of President Trump's nominations of Patrick Pizzella to be Deputy Labor Secretary; and Marvin Kaplan and William Emanuel to be Members of the National…

In my experience, these have been enormously helpful laws to raising family incomes in our State.

I like the idea of user fees, but before we have a user fee appropriated, we need, (A), to have a plan and (B), we need to spend what we are already collecting in taxes for the purpose for which it is collected.

We have that problem, Senator Feinstein, with the Harbor Management Trust Fund.

But for the last 3 years, Mr. Lamont, we have prioritized the waterways, one through four or more.

Well, look, I am interested in rivers too, which is why I am wondering why you are collecting $105 million from the barge owners and then not spending the money for the purpose you collect it for.