Bernie Sanders

But I am happy to testify in support of a bill that weakens my own argument for that cynical rule.

The 'Open Source Dividend Prize' described in section 9 of Senator Sanders' bill is an innovative way to support this more general need.

This too is an important change which I strongly agree with.

The problem is that the medicines are very costly.

The bottom line is that the goal of our laws and policies for medicines must be to develop drugs as quickly as possible, drugs that are the most effective we can find for the diseases people are facing.

40 percent of Americans reported experiencing, quote, 'at least one of three cost-related concerns in their family: 16 percent say it is a serious problem to pay for prescription drugs.'

The United States has today, as I think most Americans know or should know, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs.

I start my approach to healthcare from a very basic premise--and it's something that I have believed throughout my entire life--that health care is a right, not a privilege, and that poverty--the inability to pay for medicine or healthcare…

I appreciate the opportunity to be here. I want to thank you for holding these hearings, and I'm honored to be here to testify in support of your bill, S. 1138.

The legislation we are discussing today... would eliminate today's high-priced marketing monopolies.

So for $200, roughly speaking, for the HIV/AIDS cocktail--by not providing that $200, somebody will end up at the hospital.

We want a cure, and I'm here to tell you that the HIV community will not rest until we have one.

We applaud you, Senator Sanders, for thinking creatively to figure out new incentives that could result in faster results.

I think the bigger issue, Senator Reed, is that, as I said, 14 programs plus the Administration is pushing for principal write-downs.

I agree with you 100 percent. That is, in fact, what I was saying.

My theme was the joint effect.

I have to reread my testimony because that is not what I said.

The reason we are doing an energy hearing with the military is you guys are the largest consumers of energy in the United States of America and I think the largest single entity in the world.

When we talk about externalities, let us not forget that may not be within your jurisdiction, but externalities have a lot to do with whether or not we should have been in Iraq in the first place, a war many thought might be a war for oil.

It is enormously important issue.

I think we all concur with that. Thank you, Senator Carper.

I think what we are seeing in California with the cost of power, in addition to the production tax credits which do have an impact on that, we are seeing solar being competitive in those markets.

We have talked to people in the geothermal industry who think there is huge potential in geothermal. Do you agree with that?

I just wanted to a take a moment and thank the people from Cooley Group who are here and thank all of you again.

Do you have any concerns about the safety of this fuel?