The Governor of Texas decided he didn't want health care coverage for 1.2 million or 1,314,000 people.

the buck stops at your desk, more or less, is how it would be put in Harry Truman's terms, correct?

The witch hunt that is going on here is really about discrediting the IRS.

I appreciate your public service.

To make that a reality we have to move the conversation in Congress away from harmful ideas like privatizing the program and cutting seniors' benefits.

I intend to carefully scrutinize ideas that may not be in the best interests of the program or the beneficiaries.

One of the largest holes in the Medicare system is that it does not currently cover most dental, vision, or hearing expenses.

Patients who have poor or no dental care often find themselves suffering from costly and potentially fatal conditions such as cardio-vascular disease and oral cancers.

A strong Medicare doesn't mean we turn the program over to the insurance industry, and it doesn't mean we shift more costs on to the beneficiaries.

I intend to discuss legislation I have recently introduced which will provide beneficiaries with access to comprehensive dental, vision, and hearing services.

Thank you for holding this Member Day hearing to improve and sustain Medicare.