Gerry Connolly

With the dramatic rise in volume and value of contracts, we must enhance our management and oversight capacity so we are maximizing return for the taxpayer.

We cannot put a price on a child's life; however, we can recognize that it is far more cost effective to proactively treat the symptoms of appendicitis rather than treat the results of a burst appendix.

I urge you to come up with a number that reminds the American people of what that would be if we in fact do not have health care reform.

But Dr. Romer, you don't have any study that says, hey, that is the one variable that somehow would get our handles around the cost of rising health care?

It is the fact that a child with appendicitis is five times more likely to die without health insurance, than if he or she was covered.

The human face of health care reform is real; it is 46 million Americans and rising without any health insurance.

I think the other way that the two go together is just in a practical sense, that at a time when you are thinking about doing an expansion of care to the millions of Americans that are not covered now, that is a very natural time to do the…

To begin with, in terms of health care costs you outlined the President's goals.

It sounds to me like this may be one of those areas that needs to be clarified in the law.

I had an experience locally, here at the Lorton Prisonsite that was transferred to Fairfax County.

If you could get it back to the committee for the record, that would be very helpful because we need to look at the scope of the problem.

I particularly want to thank the chairman for holding these hearings that are clearly of importance to all of us in the National Capital Region, especially those who live in the District of Columbia.

Chairman Bernanke, would you agree that the municipal credit market is still in distress?

There is, however, one critical area in which I believe the Fed has failed to act--the municipal bond market.

I respect the Federal Reserve's various efforts to stabilize the current crisis.

If we do not want to see this economy contract further, we need to help municipalities and States access credit.

The Social Darwinism espoused there would basically throw municipalities and States in the United States into the ditch.

I would hope that this committee would act to intervene to help municipalities in a time of need.

The future is not going to look like the past with respect to postal services.

We have to create a business model for the Post Office that is viable.

The future of the Post Office is at stake.

I applaud this legislation. I particularly applaud the leadership of our colleague Mr. Van Hollen from Maryland.

If I may interrupt you there, that is contradictory to the evidence presented to this committee.

Well, that is good to know, Mr. Chairman. And I am sure it will come as a relief to the work force.

We must seize this opportunity to explore steps that we can take to protect the Nation from this or future pandemics.