Dave Reichert

I thank the gentleman for yielding. The question is whether or not this study is tied to the passage of the bill. No, the study is not tied to the passage of the bill. The study will begin upon passage of the bill, and the report must be…

This we see as an economic opportunity for areas like North Bend.

This has been extensive consultation, consensus building with local stakeholders.

This is an opportunity for us on the west side of the Cascades in Washington to add some wilderness area that has been abused in the past.

I think more than anything, Americans across this country recognize that we have a spending problem.

I agree with Mr. Blumenauer, we must find a bipartisan solution to this.

We applaud Representative Reichert's initiative to protect wilderness-quality lands and the Pratt River in his district.

And Members of this great body, this week is Law Enforcement Memorial Week. We have thousands of police officers from across the Nation here in Washington, D.C., to honor those fallen officers of last year and years before. Last year we…

What you see here are people that really want to work with you in solving this problem and making America great again and bringing confidence back into our economy.

Let's sell American, sell American, sell American.

This is really all about jobs in America. And I think all of us here in this committee recognize that.

I do want to say for the record that an income tax and a consumption tax is the worst of both worlds, which I strongly oppose.

This is all about selling American products. And so, we should all in America be about selling American.

We want to sell American. I mean that is the goal, right? Sell American across the world.

So, I think everyone is recognizing the value there, the possible loss of jobs if we do not pass these agreements.

We have an obligation to do oversight to make sure that no one abuses the opportunity to be treated differently in the Tax Code than any other American who is paying his or her full share of taxes.

I hope that we get down to the real business, which I thought and I remember on both sides of the aisle, people campaigning back in November talking about job creation; jobs, jobs, jobs.

I don't believe this is any way to run the largest economy in the world or the smallest business on Main Street.

Hopefully today you will be, and we will be able to get to the bottom of this and make sure together that our seniors are cared for properly.

We just wanted to know on behalf of the seniors what the truth was. And we couldn't get it.

I was very puzzled, to be honest with you, sir, as to why AARP would support a $200 million cut to Medicare Advantage.

With all due respect, the notion somehow that they focus on Medicare Advantage that is rocky and is a draconian cut, Medicare Advantage means that 75 percent of your members who are senior citizens in fee-for-service pay $90 a year more.

I remember that when some Members of Congress who used to support helping seniors with end-of-life care, when the big lie about death panels, and they retreated, AARP was part of 400 individuals and groups that came forward to tell the…

I for one am sorry that you are subjected to something of this nature because I truly think, reading through a 25 and a half page pamphlet with 243 footnotes, to try to dress it up to try to make it look official and authoritative and…

AARP, you are not suggesting, I hope, that the half trillion dollars in Medicare cuts that will jeopardize seniors' access to health care is good for seniors, are you?