The lack of affordable health insurance plagues families throughout our country.

I thank you both, and we are not beating a hasty departure based on your testimony, but based on the fact we have run out of time on the vote on the floor.

I am glad to see the administration taking antitrust enforcement so seriously.

Health insurance monopolies should not be making health care decisions for patients--and for doctors.

Excuse me, Mr. Powell. You understand this bill would do nothing to stop removing the McCarran-Ferguson exemption in this context.

addressing this problem is crucial to health care reform and does require legislative action

But as Assistant Attorney General Varney testified, this kind of sharing, blind sharing, would be allowed.

The legislation I introduced, the Health Insurance Industry Antitrust Enforcement Act, only repeals the McCarran-Ferguson exemption for what I think we would all agree are egregious violations of the antitrust laws--price fixing and bid…

Last month, I introduced the Health Insurance Industry Antitrust Enforcement Act of 2009, and that would repeal the antitrust exemption for health insurance and medical malpractice insurance providers.

So I urge all of my colleagues on this Committee and in the Senate to get this out of Committee as quickly as possible and let us pass it.

the insurance industry's exemption from the Federal antitrust laws... has served the financial interests of the insurance industry, but I do not see where it has helped the consumers at all.

I will also ask consent to put in the record a resolution from the National Association of Attorneys General...

I know at the time I was pretty surprised with such an activist court.

I will need to get over there a few minutes early.

It puts both sides pretty much at a disadvantage unless they have already made up their mind to rule for one side.

the ball is in Congress' court.

Don't worry about being delicate with the Senate.

I've never heard that done by either party, for a President of either party.

We've had a very activist Supreme Court, especially in the last 10 or 15 years.

In my view that's a resounding yes in these cases they misinterpreted Congressional intent and they distort the purposes of these laws.

It's even more unfortunate they followed through on that threat by obstructing and stalling the process.

Congress never intended the law to become a hammer for corporations to use against their employees.

The recommendation means a great deal.

It is very clear that Congress did not intend age discrimination to be treated differently from any of the other types of discrimination.

I think that they have a special duty to the American people, especially the people who have the least amount of power and least amount of protection.