Jim McDermott

The long-term problems in this country really are about health care costs.

For years we have had to listen to the Republicans lighting their hair on fire on cable TV about the temporary large deficits we have.

What Republicans want to do is end the guarantees on Medicare and Social Security.

The biggest problem with the Republican arguments that are before us--and we just heard it again--is that spending and debt are problems.

The Republicans are taking the economy hostage every single time they get a chance.

Today we are talking about a crisis manufactured by the Republicans, a crisis they have manufactured to achieve policies that the voters wouldn't vote for at the ballot box.

It is typical of you that you would put this announcement of your leaving at the end when there is nobody here except me.

Let me ask Dr. Schwab or Dr. Tallent, what do you intend to cut because of these changes in Medicare that will make people get out of your program or leave?

When somebody said, I forgot which one of the witness, that this pressure on Medicare with the cuts is going to make them more efficient, does that mean you won't get good medical care, if it is efficient?

When we talk about cuts, everybody here thinks they know what we are talking about, but I have no idea what the average American thinks when we say we are making cuts in Medicare.

You have done a good job for your people in California and for the committee.

I think about patients rather than product and numbers and trends and graphs.

Dust is the best political defense you have--make people confused.

Isn't it true that the ACA actually eliminated costs and gave new benefits to people that are in place now?

I want to hear about Japan Post.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Before I read my statement I would like to acknowledge Viji's leaving.

I would like to hear your feeling about the negotiation, what it does to the whole WTO to have one set willing to negotiate and another set sitting out sort of waiting for I don't know what, Godot I suppose.

So we got to make sure we get this to them so they can trace these fraudulent operators who are operating these places down in Florida and Texas, where they are just rolling in dough with people who aren't receiving benefits.

Do you know that there is an election some--are you aware of that?

Do you think it is possible in this electronic world we have today to give people 100 percent certainty that they are not going to lose their identity through this method?

So you think that the chairman is thinking about the providers when they are talking about changing this number?

I would like to see the standard. If you would send us the standard you use for determining social welfare.

Do you think those are unreasonable questions?

I think emulation is the high pride of authorship.

One of the things we did here in this Committee, and it frustrated me then and it still frustrates me, Sandy Levin and I put an amendment into a bill in 1990, I believe it was, that would require Medicare to give final directive…