Mike Enzi

The gross debt increases $17.2 trillion to $25.4 trillion. That does not sound like a lot of belt tightening to me.

I want to ensure that we all do not leave this hearing thinking that there is a direct link between increased revenues through tax hikes and increased economic growth.

I really appreciate the portability.

I also have a bill that would allow pooling of small businesses so they can have one administrator for a number of them.

Well, I am hoping both stay in effect as possibilities.

I appreciate the emphasis on auto enrollment versus perhaps a mandate.

What needs to be done to enhance and improve the coordination and collaboration between the Federal Government and the State government agencies to most effectively deploy the resources?

What needs to be done at the Federal level to improve that grant process, and what can we do to make the process better?

We greatly appreciate the recent subcommittee hearing, '30 Million New Patients and 11 Months to Go: Who Will Provide Their Primary Care?'

One provider per 3,500 people in an urban setting is entirely different than 3,500 people living in a county that is almost 10,500 miles of land mass.

There are serious access challenges in Wyoming that require creative solutions to resolve.

What needs to be done to ensure that effective oversight and financial controls are in place to ensure that Federal funding is being used effectively?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for holding this hearing, and I am glad to be joining you for my first hearing as Ranking Member of this subcommittee, and I look forward to working with you.

The issue of improving access to primary care services, and aligning our health care workforce, is one that is important to all of us, but one that is especially significant given the obstacles that people face in Wyoming.

Employers should look at the scope of coverage they offer to make sure it is comprehensive.

We must do a better job with prevention.

The single biggest thing we could do in the short term is to make sure that basic mental health care is a core element of primary care.

The Federal Government is trying to help, but much more needs to be done.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I want to congratulate Senator Alexander, who gave up a leadership position on our side in order to be the Ranking Member on this committee.

Yes, just a couple more minutes. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Brown of Ohio). The Senator from Wyoming.

This case represents a catastrophic failure by the regulatory agencies that are charged with protecting patients from unsafe drugs.

I think having leadership involves resisting the arguments that because other countries do it...

We should not just try and go back and rebuild Subpart F from 1962.

We do not have to let this occur, and I think we should exercise leadership to prevent it.

We need it. And we also need to be a leader to the other countries in the world.