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Transcripts For CSPAN2 Capitol Hill Hearings 20131002

back our efforts to provide health insurance to folks who don't have it. it's all about rolling back the affordable care act. this more than anything else seems to be with what the republican party stands for these days. i know it's strange but one party would make some people uninsured the centerpiece of their agenda but that apparently is what it is. of course what is stranger still is that shutting down our government and it doesn't accomplish their stated goal. the affordable care care act as a law that passed the house and passed the senate and the supreme court ruled the constitutional. it was a central issue in last year's election. it is settled and it is here to stay. because of its funding sources it's not impacted by a government shutdown. these americans are here with me today because even though the government disclosed part of the affordable care act is now open for business. for them millions like them this is a historic day for a good reason. it's been a long time coming. today americans who have been forced to go without insurance now can visit health care.the gang get a coverage of quality health care coverage. people have six months to sign up. for the next six months people will have the opportunity any time in many cases for the first time in their lives to get affordable coverage that they need. >> today congressional republicans called on the president to sit down with them to negotiate an end to the government shutdown. here is louisiana senator david vitter. >> thanks steve. it's great to be here with my colleagues. just another think harry reid starter will be having a separate press conference immediately following to my left. you may want to cover that as well but it's great to be here with all of my colleagues. i have two simple messages. one is we can't come to a solution unless we are talking and all of us want to be talking that's exactly why the house sent over four different proposed solutions and that is exactly where the house move to go to conference and appoint conferees. you can't come to a solution unless you are talking. not to tell president obama do not negotiate and not to continue to take the floor and say there will be no discussion and not to refuse to go to conference. the second thing all of us are dealing with today and beyond is to fund areas of the government that we can absolutely agree on. president obama yesterday made a speech outlining key priorities of his that he was fearful what would be impacted in the shutdown. we agreed with i believe all of those priorities mentioned in his speech and we are going to be passing or proposing to passed by unanimous consent in the senate a funding bill to address its starting with the b.a.. let's come together and agree where we can including all of those key priorities that president obama mentioned in his speech like starting with the d.a.. i think that's a second reasonable productive way to move forward. that is how we are going to move forward and i urge everybody to move forward in that spirit. >> today was the first day -- their health care exchanges under the affordable care act. democratic party leaders and that is held an event promoting these health care exchanges and touting the benefits of the health care law. it begins with the president of americans united for change brad woodhouse. [inaudible conversations] >> good afternoon everybody. thank you for coming. let me kick things off. my name is brad woodhouse and we have a long program and a lot of people are excited to talk about the kickoff of enrollment for the affordable care act. let me just get things started by welcoming everybody here. i want to thank nancy pelosi's office leader reid's office role of their health. i want to quickly recognize -- by the way i am president of united for jude change also representing americans for care. i want to recognize the first -- organizing this center for american progress action fund health care health care for america and now planned parenthood doctors for america organizing for action and of course we also appreciate the great work of families usa. we are all here. this is an and historic day for a lot of reasons. we are of course excited. this is such an important moment for people in this room and people on this dais and people who will be here later. this is decades and decades and decades to pass a law that would finally bring health security affordable health care to millions of the american people and no effort to defund the government. no government shut down and no right-wing tea party is going to stop it from happening. [applause] this morning the best outcome you could possibly have all across the country web sites are slowing down because people are going on the exchanges to find out what their options are and enroll in the affordable care at no tea party or government shutdown is going to stop that from happening. [applause] we want everyone to enroll. we don't want to make this a partisan issue. they should've never been a partisan issue. democrats need health health cae independents might need health care. tea party people need health care. there is an important contrast today. at 12:01 this morning republicans shut the government down. at 12:01 this morning the democrats brought affordable health care to the american people. [applause] that is it contrast that simply is unavoidable and this government shutdown is reckless. get back to doing the work the american people need. plaid -- passes carp but today what we are talking about here. what we really want to talk about is the opportunity for the the american people that wouldn't have happened without the leadership of unions like all these progressive organizations in our great leadership of congress and of course president obama. with that in mind that want to turn it over to someone who is important to our organization and important to this entire movement. the president of afscme, lee saunders. [applause] >> thank you. good afternoon everybody. before i get into my remarks the aca has the support of the way from hawaii. we have got the hawaii government employees division which is an affiliate of afscme. they are in the house all the way from hawaii. [applause] today should be about how far our nation has come in providing access to affordable health care. but instead the small faction of extreme -- extremists of the united states congress have made it about themselves and their party's agenda. extremists have spent two years trying to do undo health care reform. they have helped more than 40 votes to repeal a challenge to the law in court. their presidential campaign based on -- and because they couldn't stop the loss they did what they could possibly do. they shutdown the united states government. never have so few done so much to hurt so many. they are so determined to have a way that they will grind the recovery to a hault and force america to default on our debts. they don't want to negotiate. they want to dig date. they don't want to move forward. they want more gridlock. they don't want a solution. they want a standoff. they can have as many tantrums as they want but today is not only the first day of their shutdown, today is the first day of the affordable care act. [applause] that is the reality. nothing they can do or say will change that fact. starting today american families without coverage can enroll in exchanges. they can find a plan that fits their budget and their needs. beginning in january low and middle income families will get that chance to make coverage affordable. millions upon millions of others who are at or near the poverty line will have access to medicaid coverage. for these families, working families people no longer be at the mercy of insurance companies or locked out of coverage because of pre-existing conditions. they will no longer seek premiums rise or be kicked off of their plans because they are sick. the aca is already delivering medicine to those who are bound and determined to pursue their ideological agenda. they might admit that aca is good and we all know that, all of us in this room. aca is good for america. they can't let the facts stand in the way. they don't care about the facts and they don't care about being families all over this country. president obama says in the wealthiest nation in the world no family should go broke just because they get sick. aca is the lots of land. let me repeat that. the aca is the law of the land and it is here to stay. [applause] it is here to stay. it's my pleasure to introduce michael bray from the d.c. area who will tell us how the affordable care act will benefit his business. michael. [applause] >> my name is mike gray. i am the president of hobby works that i acquired in 1992 that i have since grown to five locations in maryland and virginia and ice member of the small majority network counsel and the national business advocacy organization that exists and is working to find solutions to the biggest problems facing small businesses today. i joined the council to volunteer my time and expertise to help find pragmatic solutions to problems one of which is the rising cost of health care. because i'm a small-business person i i have a really good memory and i remember that before anybody heard of the affordable care act or obamacare health insurance costs are rising. while my business has been successful and i have been fortunate to grow the ability to keep my workers happy by providing health insurance coverage has included. i remember not so long ago our health plan was covered by the company but over the years of unions have tripled in my employees have seen their costs increase fivefold and they pay more for premium and face a higher deductible deductibles which cause them to avoid seeing a documentary the passage of the affordable care act was the first thing in music gave me hope to spiral escalating costs might run into it i applaud the hard work and i lament the fact that he years of time and money had been wasted on grandstanding instead of working to improve the law. i remember when people called me conservative for supporting the things and ended up in this one i remembered thinking arc of places existed where insurers would compete for my business. if these marketplaces the exchanges that i'm looking -- that i'm almost looking forward to picking maryland we don't have a lot of choice in insurance providers for small groups 50 because i'm a businessman i remember as a small group in maryland for years we had two or three choices for traditional insurance. the shop exchange will allow business owners like me to pull my buying power when buying insurance with a larger pool of businesses. ideally we will have more insurers offering coverage and more options. in fact it looks like this will be the case as 13 providers have announced their intentions to offer coverage. presumably this will make the market more competitive than i expect it will stabilize as a result. simply knowing that i will be able to shop for their plans as cost fluctuates makes me feel more secure that i finally might have the certainty and stability of businesses need when it comes to insurance premiums. the ford will care act is not perfect and will not solve all of our problems overnight that it is the first meaningful law that meets many of small businesses coordinates in regards to rising health care costs implementing strengthestrengthe ning the affordable care act is the only path forward to lowering the overall cost of health care are fighting more options for coverage for small businesses and enabling small businesses to assume our traditional roles as primary job providers. [applause] i would like to introduce mary henry. mary kay is the international president of the service employees international union and in 2010 and correct me if i'm wrong married was unanimously elected to the international president became the first woman in history to -- >> thank you. good afternoon. hello health care champions. i'm so proud to be standing in this room with the people that helped bring this bill into law and that are recommitting ourselves today to make sure that every man woman and child who is eligible to participate in this incredible experience in our nation. today as you know is a day that is nearly a century in the making and despite the fact extremist republicans shut down the government they cannot shut down this law or stop us from telling americans that today is a new day. today we are celebrating the quality of affordable health care is now within reach for 25 million more americans. [applause] i am so proud that the 2.1 million working men and women of seiu stand with each and everyone of you who have worked for decades in congress and labor leaders and health care advocates to make the stay in reality. i would especially like to recognize our other labor brothers and sisters that are with us here today. when the fields jacob and josh from the united auto workers union, ron collins from the communications workers. alongside many other people in the american labor movement have supported the affordable care act from the very beginning. taking an incredibly -- step forward. each day the affordable care act is proving its value to the working poor and middle-class americans and that is especially true for working women all over this country. i want to give a shout-out to my sister's in the pink shirts from planned parenthood. and brothers. i see a brother. i was looking for a brother. i couldn't see a brother. my sisters and brothers who say get ready get covered on their shirts. we are incredibly proud. thinking of the best way to do outreach and explain this incredible lots of people. this law is going to impact women like gladys ariba from houston texas who works as a housekeeper and is the sole breadwinner for her 9-year-old an 18-year-old. gladys lost her brother last year to cancer. he was uninsured as well. she herself waited almost 36 hours in the hospital emergency room when she was sick. gladys is determined to stay healthy for her children and the law will help urge to just been through lower-cost plans that are available today. it's true for women like rose from pennsylvania who is a licensed practical nurse for 20 years until she lost her job. her unemployment compensation has run out and she did not have health insurance. rose also suffers from liver disease. there is a very promising treatment for this type of disease but rose has not been able to afford it. women like rose or why seiu continues to fight to get this law fully implemented in states like amsel thingy where we know the right ring to do is to stay on the medicaid program. women like gladys and rose are white seiu members together with all of our labor and health care partners in this room and our small business owners are doing national outreach to get this law implemented. we are doing outreach with their members in 20 states. there oldest to reach 2 million americans have a thinking gain health care coverage for the first time in their lives. i am proud to report that one of our locals in chicago is incredibly ambitious and just today reached 7000 of their members by phone and discovered some are eligible to sign up in the health care marketplace in illinois. yeah, wow. [applause] ordinary people like those 1300 members in illinois and family childcare work in people like gladys and rose who have been waiting for this day with hope in their hearts. i would urge rational republican members of congress to think about the men women and children that sent them to washington to represent them and stop doing -- using it as a political bargaining chip. start doing the right thing. americans deserve nothing less. but we repeat what lee said. the affordable care act is the law. can you say it with me brothers and sisters? the affordable care act as law and it begins today. we are going to get ready and get covered. thank you so much. [applause] and now i would like to introduce someone who can speak to how critically important this is from first-hand experience. i have had the pleasure of working shoulder-to-shoulder with the executive tractor for doctors for america. a national group of 16,000 medical students who have been incredible advocates for their patience and wonderful allies in promoting the affordable care act. please welcome dr. alex schreck. [applause] >> thank you so much mary kay for for your leadership and the leadership who have fought so long for this law to come to oppression. i am in internal medicine doctor could i take care of patients in los angeles a county with 22 million uninsured people. i am here to tell the nation that coverage is good medicine. today in washington health care reform is a political issue. are my patients for doctors nurses pharmacists hospitals that have been counting down the days until today we all agree that this is and must always be about patients and not politics. [applause] i love being a doctor. i love sitting at a patient's bedside when they are sick injured scared holding their hand and telling them i will do everything i can to take care of them. unfortunately all too often i found myself in a system that isn't working where one in seven people have no health insurance. several years ago i took care of a man named steve. steve had been a successful talent agent who made sure he got good health insurance but times got tough and he couldn't afford his insurance anymore. he showed up in an emergency room a year and a half later on that october day not unlike today. his chronic condition had deteriorated to the point where he could barely walk or breathe. we did everything we could but within five days he had died. it was simply because he had no health insurance. i looked in the mirror and asked myself after that congress is the kind of world i want to live in. if steve's story had happened today coverage would have saved his life. coverage is good medicine for the 35-year-old woman with a severe kidney infection have begged me to let her out of the hospital because she couldn't afford lifesaving lifesaving treatment. i couldn't let her go because i was afraid she wouldn't last a night outside the hospital. today she could sign up for low or no-cost insurance. coverage is good medicine for the 27 alpha others who just became an electrician said it could take care of his wife and 2-month-old daughter but can't afford health insurance. today he can sign up for a brand-name plan at the new health insurance marketplace and starting january 1 he can get the care he needs to take care of his family. coverage is good medicine or the 16,000 doctors and medical students across the country have doctors for america mobilizing the largest grassroots campaign working side-by-side with eric partners in the community in this room to make sure people know about their new health care options handing out flyers in san antonio speaking out and san antonio. we are determined as i know all of you are to get millions of people the coverage they need and together we will. now it is my pleasure to introduce my dear friend and colleague dr. danika clarke who is an extraordinary woman with a big heart who has been fighting for health care for so many years and she is here to tell her story. [applause] >> good afternoon and thank you dr. chen. i stand before you today with an abundance of elation. today is the long-awaited day for me as i have met the challenges of affordable health care head-on. as open enrollment again i am here to tell you i and the face of affordable health care. i and the face of the affordable health care law. let me repeat. i am the face of the affordable health care law. allow me to share my pivotal health care journey with you. as a female college educated student at howard university i serve to make efficacy of part of my well-being. in early 2000 my life came to a catastrophic turn when i was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. i was determined to fight for my life. i embraced the treatment regiment with diligence. i did everything right but the health care costs continue to climb and they climb to astronomical levels. i was uninsured, the underinsured at that time. i successfully completed the cancer treatment but several years later in 2007 my old burying cancer returned. at this time i learned what it meant to be discriminated against for having a pre-existing condition. with that label came the inability to afford affordable health insurance relentless co-payments the gloom of medical insurance caps and alarming prescription costs. my insurance premium in medical costs climbed to over $2000 a month. instead of getting angry, i decided with every ounce of my being that i would not only become a two-time survivor of ovarian cancer but also a health care advocate. i say to you all no one should ever have to go through what i did. throughout my treatment and also today i embodied the opportunity to educate and ignite the underinsured and uninsured by actively participating in various groups. these groups include doctors for america for health care coalition democracy north carolina action north carolina delta sigma beta sorority incorporated and americans united for change. by embodying this efficacy i'm able to empower people about the affordable care law and also to urge people to take responsibility and accountability for health care. exercise your right -- exercise your right to market yourself. market of the people in the marketplace. look at what your options are. go to the market exchange. use the accessible friendly web site. i urge the uninsured and underinsured to visit www.healthcare.gov or call 1-800-3182596. let me repeat that. www.healthcare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596 and gain access to the affordable health care that we have been denied for too long. health care is a human right. thank you. [applause] >> thank you so much. thank you all for helping kick off this program. it is my pleasure now without any further ado to bring out here people who have been so important to this fight bringing the delegation now. house democratic leader your farmer and by god your future speaker of the house nancy pelosi and senate majority harry reid -- senate majority leader harry reid. [applause] [applause] >> good afternoon. and a good afternoon it is on this day when we begin the enrollment of the affordable care act. how exciting. it's an honor to be here with each and every one of you. are some of our colleagues and special guests and of course leader reid. thank you to our friends from organized labor who were here. a few people i want to mention lee saunders from afscme. [applause] and mary kay henry from sci you. [applause] imagine if you had been there when social security was enacted would that not have been so thrilling or to have been there when medicare became the law of the land. actually chairman dingell and senator rangel word. social security and medicare have been our health and economic security transforming the lives of millions of americans who have worked hard to earn the security and the decades of dreaming of health care reform we have added a third pillar of security, the affordable care act. [applause] to make health care a right for all, not just the privilege for the few. unfortunately for our country last night house republicans to responsibly shut down government in a desperate attempt to shut down the affordable care act. we will work together to reach out and try to get government open again to work for the american people. while they have shut america's government they cannot diminish our enthusiasm from the history we are make you today. [applause] the dedicated members of afscme and seiu and our other friends at labor who are here played an integral part in making sure millions of people knew about the patient rights offered by this law. again i think lee saunders and mary kay henry of seiu for your leadership and your dedication your perseverance in making the affordable care act a reality for the american people. thanks also to americans united for change for your leadership. thank you all. [applause] as we speak health insurance marketplaces across the country are open for enrollment. american families are offered more competition more choice and more importantly affordable quality health care. over million people have called in today, much more than 1 million people in different states across the country many more people. it's pretty exciting even though there was an attempt to say we are going to extract everyone from the affordable care act by shutting down government. the american people are over. as we speak health insurance marketplaces are not only that expanded access to those who did not have coverage but better access and more affordable access for those who do. this is about you. anyone in your family who has a pre-existing condition diabetes heart disease cancer asthma. you name it. we will be sure they get the coverage in need. no longer will they be considered a pre-existing medical condition. [applause] no longer will they have annual limits for lifetime limits on the coverage they can use. americans with pre-existing conditions for those predisposed to those conditions will now have definitive care and this is a very important thing to reduce risks. here we are. the affordable care act disorder lowering costs for small businesses and families and individuals in the state local and federal government. it is reducing the deficit as we speak. the law honors our founders. life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. a healthier life. the liberty to pursue your happiness. a photographer, an artist, you want to be self-employed start your own business change jobs, follow your passion and not to be joe blocked by your policy. these values rest of the foundation of our nation's strength. these values drove us to enact the affordable care act. it progress for a country and make progress for the american people so that all of you get covered. [applause] and now i have the great trip which of looking for a person who made the affordable care act possible and have been staunch defenders. some of the same people who opposed social security and medicare were trying to shut down the affordable care act. our champion majority leader harry reid. [applause] >> thank you nancy. thanks everybody. [applause] thank you everybody. thank you very much for being here and bringing some of your troops. as i look for that audience there a lot of friends we have had for a long time here in this audience. america unite for change. we appreciate the direction he gave us when everyone told pelosi and me to give up. the president was just selected and there was a mandate to fight social security. we showed him, didn't we? five decades ago republicans saying the same tune about medicare that they are singing about obamacare. here is what ronald reagan said before he knew washington d.c. existed. he said it in 1961 and this is a quote. if you don't stop medicare one of these days you and i are going to spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was like to live in america when we were free. end of quote. well, i haven't heard anything like that since last night on the house floor. [laughter] republicans predicted the end of the world as we know it during the mission to create medicare and social security. just as they are doing now in our quest to enact obamacare. remember obamacare is the law of the land. it has been for four years and it's been declared constitutional in the united states supreme court so why don't they get a life and figure out something else. [applause] when medicare took effect only half of americans 65 or older had access to health care. now it's much different. back then a third of american seniors lipton poverty. today virtually every american has health insurance and the number of seniors that live below the poverty line has decreased by 75%. 75%. you know my first elective job was from clarke county las vegas to the county hospital board the biggest hospital in nevada. when i was there if you were a senior 40% of the seniors that came to that hospital had no health insurance and we mage or that someone was responsible for that bill. mothers fathers daughters sons neighbors signed for their bill. if they didn't pay we had a large collection agency. it's not that way anymore. every senior citizen has medicare now and they don't have to worry if they are sick or hurt. they can go to a hospital. most importantly since medicare was signed into law american life expectancy has increased by a decade. not bad. medicare is one of the most successful social programs in the history of the world and in years to come when they write history books about obamacare what was seen as a single biggest step for providing quality health care to americans since -- [applause] today. not tomorrow. not the next day. millions of people have already signed up. i was going to say madam speaker. i always do that. i had a meeting less than a year ago out in california in the san francisco area with one of the original founders of google. he told me when they first came on line today have problems. they have problems because too many people wanted to use google. their computers kept crashing. we have a few problems today. why? because in new york alone during the first hour 2.5 million people wanted to sign up. [applause] the biggest challenge we will have today around america the biggest challenge we will have america's keeping our web sites up because of the volume. this doesn't show the hunger the americans have to sign up up for health care don't know what does. they want to sign up the coast 25 to 35 million americans will no longer have to rely on crowded expensive emergency rooms are the without the care they need. millions of seniors is nancy pelosi just said prescription -- what is already in place is just unbelievable. so incredible. i can't believe we have it. this was a team. outside of the capital and that's why the capital. we work together as we do and everything. i take credit along with millions of other people because we got obamacare because people wanted and needed it and all we did was to be a conduit to doing what the american people wanted. [applause] and sadeh this was signed into law republicans have been obsessed with doing something to stop this. we found that last night when they shut down the government tried to kill and injure hurt or destroy obamacare. shutting down the government for a law that does so much good. obamacare is here to stay. [applause] thomas jefferson said this. quote the care of human life and happiness is the first and only object of good government. i'm gratified the affordable care act meets that standard the care of human life and happiness is a thomas jefferson and that is what we see today. i am proud that this law we have worked so hard to pass is -- now i would like to turn it over to one with first-hand experience and not theoretical but a real-life issue on how obamacare can make an positive impact. leslie lloyd. [applause] >> hi. my name is leslie boyd. this is my son mike danforth. he can't be here today because they worth the fact with a pre-existing condition. without insurance he couldn't give any book call and ask if he needed to because he was so horrible to colon cancer. i actually saw written on his medical record patient needs of colonoscopy but cannot afford it. that was what was his life. by the time they did anything for him his cancer with stage iii. it had spread. he was so close to death that took them five days to stabilize him just so they could do surgery. once the cancer was discovered he had to separate from his wife to get medicaid. he applied for disability. it took 37 months. his first check came nine days after he died. this is how we treat people in america. this is what the opponents of the affordable care act want to go back to. i will fight them. i will until my last breath. [applause] they took my child from me. that is the worst thing that can happen to anybody. i fear nothing. i'm not afraid of them are what they might do to me. i don't care. they will not take any more lives by ignoring people by leaving them to die. 45,000 americans died every year before this act became law. 45,000, one every 45 minutes. on april first at 448 p.m. my son was the one that died. i can't get him back but i can fight to make sure that every mother's child survives that a pre-existing condition does not mean you die. i will make sure of this. i thank all of you who have voted for this, supported this and continue to support this and i ask you to continue with me to be grateful for its passage is not to give one single inch. [applause] finally, let me say that i'm here today to celebrate because a friend of north carolina eight evening out that he can't even gone -- get on. the server has crashed. so many people are so eager for what this law offers. the misinformation that is being spread -- i have a very big mouth and i will spread the truth. [applause] one more thing. please remember that the affordable care act is pro-life. if you vote to repeal that tax you are not pro-life and i will call you out on it. thank you. [applause] next is representative george lew who i met 20 some years ago. you have been around it while as have i. he is the senior democrat education and workforce committee and i'm happy to introduce him. [applause] >> a leslie thank you so very much. i am honored to be a part of this team that brought this nation the affordable care act. today is a very exciting day is this laughter what we have gone through in the congress and the american people have gone through in this country walking republicans trying to shut down the government for the sole purpose of thwarting their ability to have access to affordable health care. what they didn't know is we had an app for that. [applause] healthcare.gov and there is freedom for american families. there is access to health care. there is affordability for the first time in the history of this country. i have been here long time. i have been here for half of that 100 year debate and it's so exciting to stand here and note that for these families and for people who are worried about their grandchildren their daughters or sons their spouse can they afford it will be included will they not included will they kick us out? think of those families. think of those families as they go on line and they see they are qualified and they can participate and they are going to have access to affordable care. the key is this. once they get access to it under this law it can never ever be taken away. ever. [applause] you lose your job to keep your health care. somebody dies in your family you keep your health care. somebody gets laid off you keep your health care. you get older you keep your health care. that is what this law does. that is what this law does for the first time in history this country. they're never going to be able to take it away from the american people and we will never let them do that. thank you so much for being here. [applause] it's my honor to introduce my colleague. we have been together in the congress fighting these battles. some senator max baucus who chairs the committee and the senate and brought this bill through the that latte where we could make it a lot the country. [applause] >> thank you george three thank you so much. i don't know anybody who is a better fighter and advocate than you. you have been a real good friend for many years. i don't know anyone that has done a better job than you. you are amazing. 1289 days. 1289 days since president obama signed the affordable care act into law. over those 1000289 days the aca has done more than any in the past half-century to expand health care health care for americans. in that time the aca has provided 71 million americans with preventive services. more than 6 million seniors receive discounts for vital prescription drugs. more than 3 million young people have peace of mind knowing they are allowed to stay on their parents health plan. i am especially proud that now no child, no child will ever be denied health coverage because they are sick or have a pre-existing condition. finally we are providing coverage to those kids who needed the most. just think about that for a second. kids will get all the coverage that they need. [applause] all about in the full benefit of a lot of not taken effect. today the marketplaces are open. open for business and the affordable care act kicks in as millions of americans have begun to sign up. opponents of the aca have thrown every road block in that they could think of. why? misinformation, half-truths. they're making every effort to defeat the affordable care act. i want to be very clear we are not going to let that happen. we are going to go ahead. [applause] we are not going back to approach can system where more than 50 million american struggle without health insurance. we are not going back to a system that allows the cost of medical care to bankrupt our families. we are not going back to a system that allows a simple lack of insurance to contribute to the deaths of thousands of americans each year like leslie lloyd son. you heard leslie. just think a second about what she said and this will do for kids in the future. no we are not going going back. teddy roosevelt, franklin roosevelt, harry truman johnson nixon ford bush for generations presidents and policymakers have tried to rein in health care costs to reform the health insurance program. think of all the presidents that have tried and tried to get to the point where we are today. and here we are. finally with the solution. the affordable care act signed by president barack obama 1289 days ago. thanks to you, thanks to all of you, you, you, you, you, all of you were here. you did it. you did it. this is the law of the land and together we will make sure it stays that way. together we will meet any challenge. we know that. it's in our bones. like mary said she will stand up to anybody and do what's right and speak the truth to anybody who thinks -- [inaudible] we will succeed. we will succeed because this law has real meaning for millions of americans conquer real meaning for americans like loring. she will share her story with us about struggling for years. we will not let maureen down. we will not let maureen and millions like her down. we will succeed. we will succeed. [applause] >> thank you all very much for inviting me to speak at this very exciting event. my name is maureen murphy and i live just over the bridge in alexandria virginia. i have not spoken since the tenth grade and there were never photographers and i wasn't wearing glasses -- reading glasses at the time. i know how momentous this day is. and also they might own life when everything changed quite literally. it was 2010 and i was working and going to graduate school nearly full-time and i had -- it had been a hard few years overall. my father had died after a battle with stomach cancer and my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer six weeks after my father died. in many ways i was still getting back on my feet. at the time of the recession was in full swing and contract work in my field had all but dried up which meant dropping my health insurance for just a little while i couldn't get caught up. that originally was my plan but one night during an exercise class i knew something was really wrong. i had lifted a barbell and something had happened. i couldn't grip the barbell with my left hand and i didn't feel well. i went home and went to bed and the next morning i got up i could clearly see that the left side of my face was dripping i was limping and i couldn't lift my left hand at all. i went to the emergency room and that's told the doctor there that something was really wrong and i also told him i was scared because i didn't have health insurance. he semi-home without an mri and with a diagnosis it turns out of those policy which is a benign condition that would publicly clear up by itself. at the time i was relieved that i was badly shaken. i went home and immediately reapplied for health insurance and i have to tell you -- it did not work. i felt like i had to get the health insurance. a few weeks later i found out that i did not have bell's palsy. i had had a stroke. i found that out on my way to an appointment in areas that i had lived in for months of my life. the stroka turned out was caused by a rare art on the invalid condition and i would keep having strokes until the condition was dealt with. on the same day i also learned i had been rejected for health insurance when i had gotten home and reapplied. i got a letter saying no, we don't want to cover you. a couple of weeks after that i've received more bad news in the mail. it was a $25,000 invoice from the hospital where the stroke was confirmed in brain was treated in the intensive care unit for two days. part of the reason insurance company gave first raising the rates in the complete denial because i had gone for counseling after the death of my parents. combined with the bell's palsy misdiagnosis the insurance companies that i was a bad risk and a big risk for someone to cover. i have to admit at the moment i was desperately ill and entirely on my own. then a friend who was tremendous found the healthcare.gov web site and i found a tool to help me and that was the affordable care act. less than a month after applying it was eligible and received insurance is a high-risk pool and i can honestly tell all of patient i would continue to have small strokes that would destroy my body, senses, memory, and i certainly would not be all the work. i have worked my whole life, and i am very proud of myself of self-sufficiency in strength. it's hard. >> you're doing great. [applause] >> don't be worried. >> i am not and have never been what politicians in this country have sent the -- said to call the ticket. this politicians i can only say, it's over. [applause] was the last important part. i and millions of other americans are filing of health care that they can afford. it's about time. i would like to introduce to representatives from california. thank you. [applause] >> she gave us a very clear picture of what it means to have what the republicans call the freedom not to and be able to access of insurance. they call that freedom. can you imagine? well, today is the beginning of the affordable care act marketplaces where everyone will be able to go and buy insurance and have control over the policy that they will buy, not the insurance companies having the decision making. they will be able to get insurance even if they have had previous medical problems, even if they could not afford it in the past. there will not be denied it command they will not have it taken away from them. [applause] we are here with a great sense of pride that we finally reached this occasion. when we adopted the law when it is to it would come. we have seen the phase-in of other parts of the affordable care act which have already brought enormous benefits. medicare, that preventive services and lower drug prices. for others come the children, they can stay on their parents' policy up to age 26. the insurance companies are prohibited from practices that are denied people coverage, but now is the day when individuals get to decide what insurance policies they want. this is a long time in coming. we're celebrating it. market prices are open. we want americans to go on their lines, go on the web, go talk to people who are there to talk to them about what options are available. they get to shopper insurance policies that members of congress have had while continuing to buy for decades. now, they call it freedom. and it is hard to understand that term when people and not going to be free to get insurance. but the last couple of days they had taken another word. they would like to compromise. in their first idea of a compromise was to defund the affordable care act. thankfully senator reid said no to that. his colleagues rejected it. and next compromise was to the lead for your. that was rejected, as it should have been. they act as a free and initiating a bill. this is not a proposal. this is the law. [applause] and if they're really for law-and-order, of the order is not to let this lotto into effect and that americans be able to buy health insurance. [applause] i am delighted to be with all of you. it's a great day. people the will to get insurance . people will not be denied by insurance companies they cover set the pay for when they get sick. every american will get what they should be able to get, the freedom to buy health insurance. and now i want to recognize the man who took on the job in the senate, senator kennedy started it in this committee to a forward with the important effort of getting the health care for all americans adopted into law. inman has cared about people, the disabled, people a struggling, people who do not have freedom on their own and need help to the will to access what others who can afford to buy have readily available to them. i now want to introduce senator tom harkin. >> thanks, henry. [applause] >> thank you all very much. thank you, henry. i hope you don't mind, and little historical note. i came to the house in 1974 with a group of very progressive coming in democrats. we've worked hard on good, progressive legislation. the huge glass, 49, if i'm not mistaken, democrats. how many? sixty-first 70, i forget. okay. there were a lot of them. and i think a little historical not that out of that huge class there are only four left. george miller, henry waxman, max baucus, and me. we were ford together then, and we are together now, too. [applause] and thanks to all of you, especially to lesley, boy, and ray murphy for your personal stories in bringing it home to us. i just want to focus on one last but to this. have said for many years, gone along time back. we did not have a health care system, we had a sick care system. once you get sick you get care one where the other coming emergency room, if you read a pre-existing condition you could not covered. that is the health care was if you get sick. very little in terms of keeping a healthy and out of the hospital in the first place. and so we work for years. put strong provisions in there for prevention and wellness programs. that's a big part of this bill. even today right now hundreds of thousands of people and getting free colonoscopy is, without copays deductibles. they're getting diabetes screening, circle cancer screening, breast cancer screening, mammograms, all of this without copay or deductible . infant, newborns grains. all of this now in order to get ahead of the curve to keep people healthy in the first place. that's a big part of this bill. americans are taking a advantage of it. because of rearguard to have a new paradigm in this country of getting health care to people not just when they get sick, but to keep them permitting sick in the first place. that is the best. your mother was right. we're finally learning that the health care. that's a big part of the spill and is why it is so important that we also take this prevention one step further. now we know an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. we know prevention in this bill will keep people healthier. one other thing we have to do, prevent the tea party republicans and the people in the house from taking a speck words and turning as backward and getting rid of the affordable health care act. that is an ounce of prevention right there. [applause] william buckley. once said that the role of the conservative is to us stand before history yelling stop. well, that is with their return to do today. what ronald reagan said about medicare, social security, tried to privatize it. pressmen's on. the american people want this law to continue want your readers seen what happened today . this is something that we just cannot miss out. so we're going to move forward aggressively. who get this sent aloft. it will keep the price moving forward. with that i am going to -- another longtime friend of mine. two years and now will be the chairman of the house ways and means committee. [applause] >> well, briefly this is out messes. unfortunately you can temporarily shut down the government. you can never going to be able to shut down health care reform just quickly, and historical note. sixty-eight years ago next month harry truman proposed a national of the insurance plan. we should resolve now that the health of this nation is a national concern. the financial barriers in the way of obtaining health should be removed the health of all of the citizens deserve the help of all the nation. that is what we have been doing. financial barriers in the way of attaining else to be removed. decent health care. so he had in his desk and emblem . because of your lead, madam speaker, because of the efforts of democrats in the house and in the senate, or the effort of the president of the estate's, we stepped up to the plate and pass legislation providing health care for all americans. we're going to keep it pure forever. forever. for now, the ranking on small business. a think who will say a few words about why this is important for the small businesses of this country. [applause] >> right here. this is the real world. is our people who suffered. people who are in pain. today an important message, the affordable care act -- >> we are not hearing you. >> now you're trying to hear me. and now i invite in the media, please, the american people need to understand that the affordable care act is for people like leslie and the rain. you will need a spirit today. you are telling us that we in congress have done what is right for the american people. the affordable care act is not only about families and individuals, it's about small businesses. the drivers of our economy, the affordable care act is pro-business, pro grove, pro job creation. it gives peace of mind to small businesses to be able, when they put in their financial plan together, for the next five years to know that the premium cost will not skyrocket to encourage all% to 20 percent every year and that they instead could use that to hire more people, to invest in purchasing machinery, buy a business, whatever you want. so this is why it's so important. listen to this. businesses today were fewer than 25 employees now qualifying for a tax credit of up to a 35%. 2 million employees, more than 300,000 small businesses ticket vantage of the credit. my friends, when we talk about the lack of health insurance in this country, we talk about small businesses. 62 percent of small businesses in this country, before we enacted the affordable care act did not 22% even as high as 32%. however, in 2011 right after the hca went into effect, something different happened. that year her insurance rate went up by just. 2% she then applied for a small business tax credit which grocer health care costs to rise by 10%. after that she received an insurance trade check for cluster 1,006 of dollars because her insurance company and not spend 80%. the medical care. the same time thanks to the aclu she has been able to keep her 26 year-old daughter on her health insurance. that is -- and starting today small businesses can grow into the small business programs. we will have it in every state. in starting today, the application process and like an overview. yet they will be able to go into that menu, compare there options and see what is better for their businesses. despite the initiative, and powering small businesses, rather than the insurance company calling the shots, that is what this guy is all about. it is about leveling the playing field for individuals in this country, families and small business. and this is the fight were fighting for. thank you very much. [applause] >> what you just heard, the chairs of the committee who helped write the bill. and the senate, senator harkin and senator baucus. in the house, congressman george miller, chairman bachmann cannot miller, 11, and before him, bring go. on the small business piece of it chairwoman velasquez. the history of our country. readers of proud of her. million know why we were so successful. our special guest, we thank them for speaking more eloquently about all of this. [applause] i just want to add the stock. on the night that the bill passed i spoke to president obama. the next day he called again and said, i've been thinking. last night when you all pass this affordable care act on the floor of the house, i was happier than i was then i was elected president of the mistakes. [applause] and said, thank you, mr. president. i was pretty happy that myself, but not happier than i was in the your elected president of the united states because if you were elected president who would not have been able to pass this bill. we simply could not have done it without him, without president obama. [applause] the vision will take determination, but could not have done it without all views of. i think you for that. i want to join in in balancing the person who is with us in spirit and helped had this idea for such a long time, senator kennedy. [applause] from the start, before the start. he went to heaven to help us pass the bill and now he's hoping is implemented. as our members are speaking and was thinking of my kids sang to me one time c'mon, get a life. think we should make a button that says get a healthy life. in order to do have your act to get covered. let us think of who assembled here. thank you very much. thank you all. [applause] [inaudible conversations] >> this house really is smart. all of the little things in this house, the stained-glass windows , the leaded glass by the front door, what would tyler in the fireplaces. and she is bringing her influence of what she has experienced in her life into this marriage into this house. this really is a very, very personal face for them. >> watch our program and they're website. or see it saturday on c-span being a 7:00 p.m. eastern. continue our series live monday. >> rosa parks inspired me to find a way to get in the way. so inspired that in 1956 at the age of 16, some of my brothers and sisters and cousins, who intend to the public library in the little town of puyallup them . and everyone back to the library. >> civil rights leader john lewis on sunday, taking your calls and comments live for three hours starting at noon eastern. also in the months ahead look for a biographer kitty kelley on november 3rd, feminism critic christina sommers on december december 1st and radio talk-show host marc levin, january 5th. >> much of the affordable care act went into effect on tuesday. with it because the details of these new provisions. this is just under an hour. >> we're back. it is opening day for the health-insurance marketplace, far -- part of therefore will care act. thank you bofa this -- turning is for this discussion. we just showed our viewers the website. what can they do on that website? >> they can go in there the national exchange. you get to that website. they will point you toward your state exchange site. if you need to go there. but your insurance with a national stir until the january january 1st. >> over the next six months of this happening of the disaster until january 1st iraq. >> people signing up. @booktv by december 58 you will in rollick you well in the insurance we expected to be glitches. >> the president has said that, secretary sibelius is said that. everyone who has been involved in a pretty complex job of putting together this website believes that they are going to be little things that have happened. we have already seen some of that. some of the state's running their own web sites have had to delay parts of the rollout of the online site. everyone i talked to said this would you expect, crashes. ministration was hoping it would not be a big crash. >> as we said, today is the opening day of the insurance marketplace. the coverage begins january january 201st. consumers must enroll by march 301st 2014 to avoid any penalty. we touch on this a little bit. health insurance exchanges, 17 stay based exchanges, 27 states defaulting to a federal exchange seven partners of the exchanges. can you explain the differences between those? >> from a perspective of the consumer there probably won't be that much difference. the web sites will explain the difference. we were looking at the federal website yesterday. elected the california side which is then up for a little while. there are essentially the same experience. what consumers will see when they go there is there will be asked to enter a lot of personal affirmation about their family, how much money and make, how much they expect to make, their citizens. and then they're taken through a series of choices available off plans for them either family or both. and is essentially going to be the same with the live on marketplace and not. >> if the state has defaulted to the federal government, has it been harder? is it going to be harder for those folks from those days to sign up for this insurance? where the glitch is taking place? >> there have been glitches in both marketplaces run by the states and the ones run by the federal government. i think it is an open question whether not it will be better for the consumer that the federal air man is running it or if the state is running it. if you live in a state where your governor or legislature is high style to this law and want to sign up for health insurance, you might feel better. the obama demonstrations can invest in making this work. on the other hand, because of the way the law is structured their resources available so they can bond call centers to help consumers navigate these new marketplaces. they can find a small army of people who are going out there to help people sign up for some -- health-insurance. quite complicated. it's a little bit of a trade off >> as this day begins in washington prepares for a government shutdown of the affordable care act, kelly kennedy, what are governors saying across the country about the economic? >> well, secretary sibelius is to then mentioned the 62% for work force is going to be furloughed as of today. just along the lines of that issue, you have this big political clash of the top and the rollout of major law. in governors, depending on the politics to market use that as a way to say it's now working for its working. going along with what normal is saying, there has been some concern that the states that don't have state based exchanges but choose to expand medicaid we will have further glitches. the process limit is easy. that's another area where politically governors are politicians to come out and say this is a problem. >> what types of coverage can people get from these insurance exchanges? >> there are several levels of plans. the metals plan. gold, silver, bronze or upon. they're basically more coverage and better coverage and more you pay. all of them have a base to blow things that have to be covered such as prescription medications . >> we are talking about the affordable care at the reopening day. you're up and reporters will take your questions about the affordable character down this fall will work. >> good morning. i am a question. i have been on -- i was of very dark trevor. issues regard to my spine. i have found the going on the street medicare and other than taking a plan, i pick a plan for my party, but not for anything else. going straight medicare has been perfect for me. i don't have to have prior authorization. it covers all medical expenses. i'd to because i live in a poor state, have to pay for my part de premium for error medicaid. i have to pay for that and the code base. i just received a writer this month saying that i do not have to pay that it laundered. i am wondering, is any of that going to change? >> okay. >> he points to an important issue to understand about ala. despite all of the brouhaha over these new marketplaces, it's a relatively small number of people who will be going and shopping for health insurance this fall presumably. remember, about 150, won her 60 million americans get their health insurance through an employer. that part of the system is not to wreck the affected. there'll saw 100 million people rely medicare and medicaid or both, and those are not to wreck the affected by these new marketplaces either. there are other provisions that affect medicare and medicaid, but for the most part those programs are independent of the market places. those people are not going to have to go want to these marketplaces and start shopping for health coverage. >> talking our health care and the new insurance exchanges up and running today. that is your time line for signing up. if you're one of those people that do not have insurance and a required end of the affordable carrot to get insurance from march 35th. it wants a year from you. unanswered, and ensured providers. let me get to chris. republican. >> thank you for taking my call. i tried to get on the government said this morning. you have to open up an account before you commit on, of course. it said cannot process your at the moment. i went to the only health insurance company in new hampshire, blue cross blue shield. they have their set up and running and can tell you, they'd show you the plan interview with the prices and actually have a subsidy calculator. my wife and i have done insurance, but self-employed. we don't qualify for any subsidies. but the cheapest plan that they have is $140 per month more than we pay now with a higher deductible. so hca brought in -- made as pay less than what we're paying, great. we have to pay more, it does not work for us. i am not sure -- next year we already have our policy. it will be in effect for next year. again put it on to this. >> that was an example of one insurance come monkhood call. >> that's eruption. >> right. the least expensive jobs in is a ended $20 a month. >> will with the idea? >> that is -- what is it? and $11,000 deductible. you know, the primary care is 0% , is looking at the chart. that is if you visit 100% paid and so on. the one thing i noticed is on that $820 a month, about $57 our new fees and taxes associated with the dca. >> host: hang on because i want to make sure we get your questions answered. this did not work for him. what happens to the insurance that he has now was the question >> guest: if you have insurance through your employer and it's affordable insurance, it's not going to change. >> host: he self employed. does that matter? >> guest: it does. lacrosse blue shield. i don't know if there were able to tell you. he said there was a subject to regulator. was that is debate? apply that right away? >> yap. they said that basically because we make more than what the subsidies. it does not apply to us. we make too much for the subsidies. >> doesn't fall under the poverty rate to the poverty level. insurance is supposed to be more expensive. basic things that insurance to cover that it did not have to cover before. and to be part of the reason. >> if you have any thoughts? how secure is a health information? >> the heiresses involved in the process. a lot of the subsidies that kelly was talking about are dependent on people's income. the income of people reporting moby verified ultimately to the irs. and so any subsidies that people receive would be returned through a tax process. administered by the irs. it and don't think there would be any difference between the security that we expect already from the irs, or would be happening on these marketplaces. the operation process will not require any medical information to be entered through the application process. so i think it is important to keep in mind that if you are a consumer and you're going on a website to sign up for health coverage under asked about your medical history, you're on probably a fraudulent website and should be careful. the other thing a point of is that anybody who has gone through the process of applying for health insurance on their own now prior to today would have had the experience of actually having to go through an extensive reporting of your medical history to either a broker or an insurance company. that process is actually no longer in place. you could make the case that there is less medical and personal data that will be going over the internet through this shopping experience. >> host: he tweeds and you would be a fool to sign up today. wait to see what happens and do your research. jacksonville, florida. a line with those who have insurance. go ahead. >> caller: yes. i really don't understand what the big fuss is about. the majority of the people who would qualify for this affordable health care and not obamacare, they keep saying it is not obamacare. it's affordable health care. the real people who would qualify of the people who are in my situation once middle-class, because of illness and now in the lower class. the primary income is 1075 per hour. lions and bears for in the 75 just to maintain health care for his wife. i just don't understand what the big fuss is. people don't fuss about the car. when it comes to the body that fell on capitol hill. >> if you need insurance and of the affordable care act and enroll in these insurance exchanges i know it depends on what state your in, but who are you talking to along the way? who are the people or companies that are involved in this? >> as you are choosing? >> as you are choosing. >> right. >> there are several options. i talked to people recently, some organizations like the american lung association, the american blood cancer association. they are getting very specific information to people who have medical issues, maybe the majority of the population does not. it can help you did things like choose a plan the lobby find the medications in need of the doctor you need. those are important people to keep in mind. there are also navigators to explain the process. talking about the website, but you can sign a for insurance over the phone, what can. there are several ways you can do it. and then setting out store fronts where you can go and talk to insurers, right in the first person and ask questions. >> the cross to shield for example. sign people up. why in new hampshire is the cross blue shield the only option? >> i think before the law it was difficult to move into a market. someone who control 95 percent of the market for was just very difficult for any insurer to come in, but if you lack of massachusetts, they have insurance companies before they create perry's change in 2006. now they have to end. it sounds like the tune up the big insurer's anymore. it's a more robust market. >> host: the game has changed a little bit. does that mean this is happening in more than most dates? >> guest: most states, the important thing understand about the way the insurance market is structured is in most states, most kids are like the hampshire the sense that there are just one or two major insurers in the market, for people who need to buy health insurance on their own. there are going to the states like new hampshire were there still will be very few choices. mississippi is another one. other states in the south. their just are not very many people. but the law does actually put in place systems to increase the number of insurers, and you are seeing that across the country. ryland has another option. one. in california you had new entrants into the market. now appears that there will be more competition and choice. ♪ a question on twitter. what exchanges to the members of congress use, washington d.c. where their home district? >> well, members of congress might federal employees used to use a system run by the federal permit that was like a lot of the insurance the most of us get through our employer. they went to the website and selecting among the plans that the federal government operated in a choice based on the premiums. the law is changed a little bit. there's a bit of a car full of washington and why not members of congress and staff will have to go on these exchanges. i think the best thing to say right now is it is a bit unresolved how this is all going to happen because remember, people who get health insurance on their own their employer like members of congress don't pay 100 percent of the premium. most of us to get health insurance they're an employer pay a percent. if members go on to the exchange as the law is envisioned at the moment there would have to pay full freight. you might not like mayors of congress and the beating that they deserve to pay the all health insurance premium, but that would mean that there were treated differently than most employees. >> the only people that they're going to get a foot above care of the ones getting subsidized under the system. let's hear from dan. what he did jacket he work for? >> yes, i actually i own an insurance company called freedom health. i just want to clear up a couple things. here in michigan, blue cross blue shield of michigan, everybody has an individual policy. the policies and no longer going to be active and the end of the year. as well as one plan that was sold, a plan, the value. and it's called the crosswalk. in the crosswalk them over to another plant that dow was comparable as far as the price, they went for naught as nondeductible to a $10,000 deductible. and what will happen because of actuary values and not have insurance companies have to offer plans, i guarantee that everybody's policy will change in sums for. prices of a lot. also, for the last question when asked about the federal government, the federal government is selfish sort. they have a cafeteria plan when they get to choose many different options. yes, we, the people, pick up 75 percent of it. he 7677. the difference is that what they should do, the federal government is not going to be offering a plan, they don't have insurance come to the first of the year. there employees should be able to go through the exchange and the subsidies if they qualify because no longer the the federal government offer health insurance. and that is the way, certified. you know, what i say, hey, if this was such a good plan, let everybody participate. don't delay anything, give levers to anybody, go matt and implement. to qualify. cut down on the honor system in the last you to get what you make in 2014 which i don't see how someone can in this economy. go ahead and implement all thing, no delays, no waivers. give everybody the affordable care act and let them see if they qualify for subsidies. i think that is the only fair thing to do. >> hang on the line. i want to see if our reporters here respond to what you meant to say. go ahead. >> i have not seen that. again, as insurers have to prove in their policies that did not have to include before, it is possible the prices will go up. definitely depends on was to your rand because some states for more highly regulated than others. they can charge people more if they have pre-existing conditions or are older than in other states where it was not allowed. as far as guessing on the salary issue, i talked about that yesterday in a briefing at hhs. you basically could decide or figure out what your salary was going to be based on how much you make by the hour. by the week a year. you could also say you wanted to pay for you wanted a lower subsidy that what they give you automatically and get the rest back on your tax return so that you did not overestimate and have to pay back later. >> i would just make one observation about what the caller said, everybody entering into these changes. there have been debates in this country about whether everybody ought to go out there and buy health insurance on and no john mccain suggested everyone should get a tax credit and go out there and shot like the people on these new marketplaces. americans are wary of that. they like employer coverage. seniors to have medicare and generally like it. low income people generally rely on medicaid. we have many different systems. it was designed to keep those in place which was one of the reasons why it's so complicated. thus further just as not been all that much interest in ditching of those other systems. maybe that will change in the future, but at the moment that is not what the law does. >> host: can i go back to you for a follow-up. what did you think? >> guest: well, i am not saying put everyone into a single payer system, which i do believe will happen as this keeps on getting implemented. what a.m. saying is that why should there be delays for any part of this? groups 51 are over, or should they be delayed? this is a great bill. why don't we let people with preexisting conditions go ahead in good health care. you know, other people are exempted. i just say, you know, let the law -- it was a bill, they keep on changing it. of the original bill just go into place. and then people will see whether they like it or not. picking winners and losers on who is going to participate in two is not going to purchase but based upon an executive order which typically relation not be able to do, i mean, if their brooms of the bell into amendments to the bill that fixes along the way so that people can participate and they don't go through this other kind of craziness. you know, bottom line, tell me which section in the affordable care access that they would go back to your tax returns in 2015 and see whether not your able to guess at what you're going to make. what if you work for company 51 over and start putting you on part-time because the bill they will stop. >> host: all right. >> guest: there are a couple of issues. first of all, the employers, people who have more than 50 employees asked for the delay. there were not ready for the law to take effect. that is why the delay the penalty. some of the exemptions include people in the states that are not expanding medicaid. seven the original law if you make less than 100 percent of the federal poverty level you were automatically going to be included in medicaid. and the supreme court ruled that the individual mandate was stand, they also said that the states to not have to expand medicaid. there is glitch in the law that says that if you make less than one of the% of the federal poverty level you are not eligible for subsidy. people are exempted from having to pay the penalty because they're afraid they will be able to afford the insurance i'll let you handle the last part of the question. >> we can move on. their target of the affordable care act. opening day for the insurance marketplace. that conversation taking place as the government against the shutdown. you're waking up to the news that the midnight deadline was missed by congress. there was no agreement between the house and the senate on a continuing resolution to keep the government-funded. "usa today" had this headline, government shut down. meanwhile today, health care open for business. that is our topic and we're taking your questions to ahead. >> i tried to file for disability. i had back surgery about five years ago and was turned down. i tried to sign up for medicaid and was turned down. i tried to sign up for medicare, but i'm not 65. what is a person like me supposed to do? no computer to get on line until all the stuff. there is not a fun and bracken, no one i can go talk to. when is this government going to start helping the people they said they're going to help. >> there is a telephone number that you can call. i don't know of the top of my head. there is a call center that the federal government is operating that will be available for folks in north carolina. you, if i understand your situation correctly, you're exactly the kind of person who presumably would want to go in the marketplace and not carolina and begin shopping for health insurance options. if you make less than four times the federal poverty level, about 46,000, i think, for a single person, you would qualify for some subsidies to offset the cost of your premiums. so the other option is there are probably organizations in your community, a hospital, for example, many hospitals around the contrary opinion row people in health insurance. they are a place that presumably would help if there are clinics in your community, federally funded clinics. they're oftentimes helping people enroll in health insurance. i would seek out those places. >> oversight of gop with this question, can you explain the removal of annual and lifetime caps for health care? does that apply taw care plans as of january 1st? >> guest: it does except for the catastrophic plans. come january 1st they can no longer charge you more based upon your pre-existing conditions. they cannot tell you that you are done with your medical costs. >> okay. arkansas. on the line. go ahead. >> hello. this is an exciting day. i am so glad that it is finally here. i am 75 years old. this is something i have wanted for years and years and years. and i remember when clinton started on health care plan. i was excited then and really disappointed that they did not make it. now it is here and it is going to be a wonderful thing. in spite of all of the opposition it is going to be a good thing. it back, on course, and on medicare. it won't really affect me, but it is something really get for the country. >> let me show our viewers the washington times this morning in this graphic. here is the average per personal spending since 20007. you can see how, but 8,000. the eyes is about 10,000. so in 2011 the average per person health spending was about $8,680. this is the average per person spending by insurance source in 2011. medicare is a little over 11,000. medicaid, 7400. private health insurance, $4,800. did these numbers change? yeah funnel care act is starting to be implemented. >> there have been a lot of conjecture about that. medicare spending has gone down for the first time in 50 years. overall health spending, and wind up numbers wise, but only. 1% of the national growth rate, so it is actually slow down a few years back. the conjecture is that the economy is -- as people start changing the way the business because of the affordable care act it could cause costs to go down. one of the things they're doing is electronic health records. make sure there are no more duplicate tests caught fewer infections, new rules for nostrils to make sure people are not readmitted. there is some argument that the law is already affecting those costs. >> host: and on twitter, will the old employer based system that we had be sustainable with less people being covered? >> well, at this point the projection is that less people will be covered. the congressional budget office which is the non-partisan agency that congress relies on to estimate the impact of legislation projects that actually more people will be covered through employer based coverage ten years from now than today despite the implementation of the affordable care act. that is in part because of the requirement that kelly mentioned earlier being delayed one year, but presumably employers of more than 50 employees will be required to provide health coverage. i think one of the guiding facts four that projection is that massachusetts which implemented a law under governor romney remarkably similar to the formal care act in 2006 after massachusetts implemented the law employer coverage actually increased as well in massachusetts. now, i mean, no one can predict the future in clearly if the affordable care act works very well then maybe insurance companies -- employers will decide we don't want to provide coverage in more. is cheaper for us to pay a penalty and let our employees shop online for coverage. so we don't know for sure. it is important to understand that the projections at this month pointed the employer based system surviving for a least a few more years. >> what is the number that the obama administration is hoping joins these exchanges? >> 7 million. >> what impact does that have? >> well, the use that for their budget projections make the system work. make it work. >> as we go along, i'm not sure. >> there is no website you can go to nancy. probably release numbers on a monthly basis the best guesses are that october and november will be pretty slow. i think you recorded somebody making the reservation that people should take there time and shop around to see whether works. i'm sure a lot of people will do that toward december. reaping more people will sign up because coverage is going to start january 1st. toward the end of the enrollment can expect another blip. >> at tweet from one of our viewers to as gone to health care. he says the health care website is working for me. it's actually pretty fast. abcaeight corporations that put in their workers into proper exchanges, doing it to cut costs and avoid the fine. uninsured. go ahead. >> you have to turn the television down. go ahead. >> i have pre-existing conditions. i don't qualify for medicaid because of miasma. i cannot afford health insurance because of our income. we're on a fixed income. i would like to know if this program, this insurance well be based on income alone? : also like to be nap -- like to be able to notify can get a plan that will cover specialists because of my cancer. i have to see specialists. .. >> you should be able to find one that includes a special is that you need. >> host: from north carolina also insured. >> caller: i military i have medicare prime can i continue with my medicare insurance or do i have to switch over to the exchange? >> the only way the law affects veterans is if you are disabled or dependents are not covered but if you are receiving benefits through the virginia but if your spouse is not covered you may want to go on to the exchange but better read and military coverage should not change all. >> host: north carolina and insured. >> caller: i would like to know why can't we have universal health care that covers everyone equally? i am a single parent cannot afford any medical coverage is no medicaid how will this affect me? how will the subsidies work? >> if you go on the marketplace a north carolina and make more than the federal poverty line you can select a health plan the web site will take you through a series of questions and will ask you how much money you expect to make next year. you'll enter that information and the web site will tell you how much money you can get from the federal government toward the cost of the available health plan. for example, if you qualify for $100 of subsidies did you look on the web site to see there five health plans that are available to you between 200 and $600 you could apply the subsidy to tell you how much you actually have to pay for the health plan. you can take the subsidy down and pay $100 off or you can say i am not sure i will wait until the end of the year i will pay the full cost and when i do my taxes i will get that back as a refund. it is designed to take to the process. one caveat is you live in north carolina that is the state that has decided not to expand the government medicaid program. mentioned earlier, the supreme court gave states the option whether or not they wanted to expand the medicaid program. some states are doing that and summer not to sooty live in this state like california or maryland you can go on the web site to site up for medicaid if you make less than the poverty line. but north carolina does not you are out of luck for the mold in do not have a lot of options to find health-insurance unfortunately. >> host: florida. >> caller: good morning. thank you for taking my call. a couple of things to clear up the mention of the cbo i think it is the overused saying that the president uses to cover up for all the bad stuff that is about to happen. it is mentioned a forecast the they have 1 million people to sign up everything will be hunky dory if they have 3 billion then the rest of us who carry the load will get slammed when it fails and i think it will. the other thing that is misleading and the media does not cover it coming and it is frustrating is you have to make it look like it will be a panacea of a lot of free stuff and low-cost stuff but you never mentioned what the new co-pay is or what happens if you try to use the video side the network because that is the specialist across the board is you never mentioned the deductibles and think the minimum 2,000 before anything is paid so people say $78 a month but you don't calculate in any of the numbers for the public to see how much the co pay or the deductibles are a and that ads onto the account cost. >> host: three know the answers? >> no. each player is different here is what your co pay will be it is different for every play and. i think all of us have been reporting on the cost and some of the things you mentioned and we see this as often as rekey and. >> host: are they expected to rise under the affordable care act? >> the high deductible plans are included but to put up their more often if you have to think more how much it will cost to go to the doctor's office then maybe you don't go for something you can let it slide or you will compare how much this doctor's office compared to this doctor's office. >> host: what about specialist building outside the network noam levey? >> no question if your health plan has a limited that work you will pay more. i don't know what type of health insurance he has now but that is true with mine and that is my health insurance works in the way it has work to for a number of years. but the thing to understand of health insurance is nothing is free. if people expect they can pay very battle for their health insurance agency would ever doctor they want to and pay a local pay and the low deductible, i would challenge them to look anywhere to find that. unfortunately i have not been able to find that. foul line change people shopping for health insurance under the new marketplace will find they have to have a trade-off if they want to lower co pay or deductible they will have to pay higher premiums. to avoid to buy a car with leather seats in the wintertime and go 100 miles per hour i have to pay more than a basic car and that is the way the world works. >> even though i could not sign up today because of a glitch but my health care costs is going down by $400. >> host: frontpage of "the washington times" the fed's fund abortion. ruling monday that members of congress and the staff can buy health care plans that pay for abortions even though the premiums are funded largely by taxpayer money that conservatives say breaks federal law of sending the lawmakers have required to ditch the insurance although most batters in coster's will have it paid by their employer this is taxpayer that it prevents taxpayers ready to be used for abortions but they say those offered to the exchange's are private. let's go to michigan. >> caller: good morning. i have a couple of comments to make mentioned taking your choosing whether or not to go to the doctor's office and i worked in health care and it must then on a freeze lee to get a job and they they people off because they are fearful of what will happen with the new health care. do you have any comments about that? it is more than just choosing a health plan. >> we have heard from some employers that are worried about what the law of will mean for their hiring the law has a provision that requires with more than 15 employees to provide health insurance coverage. if you are a small business with less than 15 employees you want to avoid having to provide health coverage and you keep your employees below 50. this is a big law and there is a natural amount of anxiety about what will happen with the health care sector and i think we will have to wait one year or two to see if things will continue the world will come to an end. >> host: talking about the insurance marketplace that begins today october 1st october 1st, 2013. cincinnati ohio. >> caller: thank you for taking our calls in been helpful to address all the different concerns around the plants. i am presently covered by medicare due to long-term disability i got my egested medicare -- adjusted medicare but over the last three years i have been hospitalized each time after all it has been paid each time out of pocket has become $3,200. do i have other options that might be available under the affordable care act? >> i don't think so i think it will stay the same so it should not affect you but i don't think it changes. >> host: go-ahead. >> caller: i am calling for a very close friend of mine that was diagnosed with breast cancer 26, and ensured, after she was able to find a doctor who did a pro bono surgery or she would not be here today and since then has been a nightmare to find an insurance carrier because of her pre-existing condition. and now with the affordable care act, what type of insurance plans will be available for her to you join a and could she see the type of doctors that she needs besides having cancer there is underlying circumstances of fight cancer happened to her and that takes a lot of research and we're finding that doctors deal with patients like this cannot spend a lot of time because there is not enough funding for them to be treated correctly. >> host: we're running out of time. >> the marketplace i would say are designed exactly for the patient like your friend if she tried to get health insurance before with a pre-existing condition chances are she could not get it. idle friends who could not get insurance for that reason as well. the important thing to remember when your friend goes to the marketplace is stars looking at health plans it is important she has doctors she likes to check those plans that they include those doctors in the network. that is a caution i would give to everybody. the same would be true if you were shopping for a health plan through your employer. check the network to make sure the doctors are in there. >> host: before we go the back-and-forth over the continuing resolution with obamacare was the medical device excise tax and that is no longer part of the negotiation why was that a big deal? >> a couple of things as they were developing the law they had to come up for a way to pay for it in the medical device tax was away in the industry is huge they make more money than just about any of the industry in the united states and the idea was to tax them and they see if they have to pay that they will lose business that would cause them to go out of business but that is what the debate was about. >> manufacturers pay on medical device is they applied to a wide range of part baum but 10-point 3%? how much revenue was the administration counting on from this tax to pay for the affordable care act? >> i am not sure of the exact number but it is one of the biggest industries in the united states and apply to companies that are exporting devices as well so it would be a significant amount of money. >> host: it is still part of the affordable care act? >> it is. >> host: as of now. any possibility it could come back up again? >> i'm sure it will like many of the taxes the law relies on similar contributions from various sectors drug companies agreed to kick in hospitals are paying in different ways the ada is because he will cover more people that means more customers at the federal government's expense it was fair for those consumers to pay to offset the cost. >> host: katy both for your time. we appreciate the conversation. >> kennedy could not figure out as churchill plays a mind game if he was teasing him or was so drug he forgot from the day before that kennedy could not drink. they disliked one another intensely but though war was over and there was intense suffering and churchill said to kennedy, he held out his he and ian said i am so sorry for your loss. joe, jr. had died during the war and churchill was sincere. if he said what good was it'll? and churchill looked at him and believing, a world war ii had destroyed hitler and mussolini and the dictators and had saved democracy in western civilization, so churchill thought. and kennedy blazed hatred at him. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] and now. >> the committee will come to order. and oversight committee exists to secure to fundamental principles. americans have a right to know the many washington takes from them is well spent. second americans deserve any fishing and effective government that works for them. our duty on the reform committee is to protect these rights. our solemn responsibility is to hold government accountable to taxpayers because they have a right to know what they get a form their government. our obligation is in a partnership a citizen watchdogs including the ig office to deliver the facts to the american people to bring genuine reform to the federal bureaucracy. this is our mission statement and today we are here because a high-ranking epa officials swindled taxpayers. in fact, effectively he embezzled $800,000 or more over most of his career from the taxpayers. he is here with us today not as are most important witness because in fact, what we want to find out in this committee the reason why this has great merit to find out how top officials at the epa under multiple a ministrations for more than a decade never verified a man that said he is a secret agent of the cia never verified that he was. we also want to find out that was compounded with the big lie of an individual who is supposedly working for the cia also got his pay raise to to a level that appears to be above the statutory limit. i repeat it appears as though mr. beale was paid an amount greater than congress allows. just as this committee investigated cms allowing for payments with the statutory limit to the state of new york, we do not hold the york hold accountable loan we do not hold mr. beale accountable loan no individual or their boss should be able to write anything that allows to be paid more than the law allows. the lack of external controls would be the subject not just today but in the days to come. with the top epa officials turning a deaf ear to their concerns how regulations kill jobs with the door of his cost of little or no benefit. that is an issue we will deal with many times as we address the epa. but today there was said death fourier take into somebody not working. evidence shows that even beyond the craziness of somebody saying they had to be done weeks or months at a time because the work for another agency, not doing their job but still being paid and in fact, not being billed back to the cia come over and above that we industry and there was a retirement ceremony in which individual retired then convinced the now director and others say he could continue being paid because he was the retired his retirement from the cia was waiting a replacement but to my understanding there first replacement was killed by the taliban we are sorry for your loss of the non existing replacement of the non existing agents. it is not our desire to call anyone before congress simply to ridiculed but i believe today there is a degree of ridicule of top individuals at the epa and i fear top individuals and lower individuals' throw government if in fact, we cannot make a government-wide search to see if this is happened before. one thing i have found him in the many years that i've manufactured consumer electronics there is no such thing as one defect no such seeing is a readiness perfect except the one that you got or this is the first time we have had a report of this defect. here with the lack of controls at the epa almost a guarantee that others did not do their job and fell to the? we have an agenda and to have union officials keep timecards to show how much time they do union work that has not pass the congress in the main don't. the finding out if people do work should. we have learned deputy director in the administrator rigorously worked extremely close with mr. beale for years actually he was his direct supervisor at the office of air and radiation rekey was senior official this office is responsible for the most sweeping regulation affecting business. as we look at history of working closely with a direct report to people that are in the office today we find interesting if mr. beale could perpetrate out right lies what did he do with his daily work life of those rare days he actually performed work for the epa? we need to get to the bottom of this because we owe it to the american people. we need to discover whether individuals like mr. beale and others not performing worker sitting in retirement collecting paychecks for work they did not do in the retirement they did not learn. finally i want to thank the inspector general for the work done is our report that your investigation began delayed because at a time when he should have been informed the general counsel and others were being consulted around you and for that we want to make sure it is clearly understood that going to a lawyer when you discover something is not a substitute for also going to the id. this committee supports the inspector general's office is in their work with a 12,000 men and women who independently of congress or the executive branch seek to root out waste fraud and abuse is essential to this committee there is no partisan divide the work of the ig we will work and a bipartisan basis to ensure that administration's understand i g are never to be kept in the dark and there is an allegation of even a portion as onerous as this they have to be brought in at the beginning not would it is about to become public. it also is disturbing to me that mr. brenner back in the '70s when you and mr. beale went to princeton you began a friendship that should in fact, should require with your superior of somebody who you help bring into the agency you look with a little more scrutiny if you're more likely to know that somebody says is not true additionally with the investigation with the help of the inspector general we became aware of what appears to be an inappropriate except in $78,000 gift, a discount on the mercedes benz for an outside lobbyists. this was not done with the pre-approval in cooperation with mercedes-benz but our intention to use our power to investigate that the ig has authority. if it was up to me id would've had the authority to interview both of you even as you saw retirement to escape his jurisdiction. one of the reasons you're here today is in fact, that the -- it has certain occasions it cannot compel former members of government to speak to them it cannot go between agencies and is a very stovepipe baby will move legislation to expand the ability of the ig to gain subpoena authority and it should extend to investigations that began within the agencies but have tentacles in other agencies and with former employees in particular when those employees paychecks are in question for i want to thank the raking member for being patient as a red robe on their opening statement and i look forward to the hearing in the work we mr. after words in the yield. >> think you very much. this is a very important hearing that before i discuss the hearing a lot to address our current situation. the first time in 17 years with tea party republicans taking in our country hostage as a part of the ideological crusade to overturn the law of the land to put insurance companies back in the health care decisions of millions of americans. the republican house leadership could have afforded to this by allowing them to go on a continuing resolution. if they put a clean resolution on the floor it would pass and there would be no government shutdown. they refused because they are putting politics ahead of the interest of our nation in the economy to if so this morning 800,000 hard-working middle-class federal workers who would have been at their stations providing vital services to the american people are furloughed. many of them are my constituents i agree or committee has a duty to provide oversight in hearings like this are a key part of that oversight but it seems odd we're here today acting like the thing is stiffer in pretending we are just going about our business as usual. i went to make clear it is not business as usual and we should not treated that way. my colleagues on the other side ask the leadership to put the clean sea are on the floor to end the showdown today. with that said let me turn to today's hearing let me begin by thanking the inspector general mr. elkins and his deputy for investigating the aggressive use of funds also the part of justice for successfully prosecuting mr. beale he pleaded guilty last friday and will be forced to pay back almost $900,000 from the funds that he stole. from the funds,000 from the funds that he stole. from the funds that he stole from the american people. finally revealing this fraud which lasted incredibly for decades and now we will discuss the concern how quickly his office received a referral that had not been for the administrator mccarthy this may have never been uncovered. mr. beale betrayal of the public trust for his own personal enrichment is truly shocking and scope in duration and the sheer audacity is amazing. mr. beale defrauded the epa for decades. under both democratic and republican administrations. by claiming he was a covert operative of the cia. when senior epa official during the bush and mr. shin actually approved at his request to work offsite one day per week so he could participate in the interagency special advisory group working on a project of operations at the cia. give me a break. this was no ordinary reuss. in addition to flying he stole an allied to senior epa officials across multiple of ministrations he also duped his own family members his friends even his own lawyer that is a lot mr. beale did not come clean to his own criminal defense attorney and tell investigators arranged and be the at cia headquarters at langley virginia to finally confronts him about his lies. but that is not all that mr. beale did. that is not all the he lied about. according to the inspector general, the mr. beale also like about contract the malaria and serving in vietnam. call to obtain a handicap parking spot. my god. he also lied on travel vouchers were he was going id why he needed to go there so he could visit his family in california. simply put mr. beale was a con artist in the american taxpayers were his mark. as public servants we must always remember we serve the people. mr. beale flaunted one of the most basic tenets of service. it is not your money. is the taxpayers' money. people that go help there the ones that i saw this morning when i left of the 5:00 on the early bus. it is there money. in you stole it. mr. beale actions are in insults' to the hard-working dedicated service across the country into this the agents around the world. while he was claiming to work at langley in pretending to go on secret missions overseas cover real intelligence agents were hunting down a summit in london -- osama bin nodded and battling al qaeda in the most dangerous places in the world. mr. beale impersonation of a cia agent force and our law enforcement and intelligence officials to spend there scarce time and resources to cover his fraud instead of combating real threats around the globe. this is truly a reprehensible i am glad justice has been served and mr. beale will pay for his lies for his theft. but it does not end there we need to understand how the epa system failed to catch him earlier and four additional reforms. the inspector general and his work is ongoing and i look forward to hearing of his initial recommendations in hearing from the deputy in the district of the epa about steps the agency has already taken him plan to take the safeguard of the taxpayer dollars from this type of fraud in the future. us that these i urge my colleagues to refrain from using mr. beale to make generalizations about government workers. mr. beale add -- is an aberration. he is not the rule. the vast majority of federal employees dedicate their lives to serve the public. they come to work every day, they give it everything they got. because they realize it is bigger than them. it is not about them. it is bigger. they're honest, hard-working , and they would never even contemplate reaching the public trust in this manner. mr. chairman, with that i look forward to the testimony and i yield back. >> i think the gentleman to say in the day of which hundreds of thousands of federal workers are on furlough without pay, we don't take this as an ordinary day by day per blood dash appropriate someone who furloughed himself with a time and again. members have seven days to submit opening statements and will now recognize the first panel of witnesses. the honorable inspector general mr. elkins for the epa. mr. patrick sullivan deputy inspector general in the primary responsibility for this investigation. sitting behind the two is a special agent with the office of the inspector general at epa and maybe call to answer questions because his direct contact in this investigation and will be sworn in with the others are sworn in. and then deputy administrator of the u.s. epa and robert braddish is a former director of policy analyst of review at the air radiation division of the environmental protection agency and john beale in the former senior policy adviser at the environmental protection agency and allegedly the cia. with that in pursuing to the committee rules all of you including you always your right hand to be sworn. do you solemnly swear or affirm that the testimony you're about to give visitors the whole truth and nothing but the truth? please be seated. let the record reflect all witnesses answer in the affirmative. this is a large panel we will consume a lot of time so i asked you to keep their opening statements as close to five minutes as possible to your entire statement will be placed in the record in addition to any comments that you may want to give us afterwards we will hold the record open for a couple of >> good morning chairman and ranking member and members of the committee. i am the inspector general of the u.s. epa i am pleased to appear before you today to discuss their recent important work of the office of inspector general in particular i will highlight the work that ensued as a direct result of the criminal investigation of former epa employee john beale. with the epa assistant general sullivan his testimony will fall line will give more specific details of the investigation that led to the guilty plea on september 27, 2013. think you for letting me the opportunity to share the various efforts to safeguard the epa and the chemical board from fraud, waste, and abuse an independent oversight. hall like to commend the expertise and diligence in the professionalism of the staff that exceptional work serves as a foundation of testimony. once my office learned of the serious allegations made the office of investigations immediately launching completed a successful investigation of what you will agree to be an egregious canada almost unbelievable case. as a result of this investigation we mall mobilize to aggressively assessed the internal control issues that allowed this highly troubling scenario to occur. my testimony will primarily be conducted by the oig office of odd as a result of the investigation and i also received a congressional request that they immediately launch an investigation that facilitate his five. the office requested on assistance to address the following epa systemic weaknesses. the retention bonuses, a statutory annual play -- pay limit, first-class travel, a process of approval of foreign travel, the vetting process for new employees employees, time issues come a time the referrals of criminal allegations to that oig and the authority of office of police security. september 13 oig sentence letter stating your plans to begin preliminary research as a result of recent actions taken against a former epa employee. we also kurtis performing work to address the first part of the congressional request. we have reviewed the oig case files to determine how the fraud took place. what internal controls existed and what controls the need strengthening and what controls were compromised, circumvented or overridden. on completion of this part of the request we will provide a letter to the request your help the fraud occurred. this will be october 31, 2013 party delays of the shutdown of the government or the epa cooperation for the region started the preliminary research hindu keep the committee updated on the completion. this innate and cover other issues. we will have time and attendance and travel. this investigation has resulted in several investigations related to an administrative matters and as these are ongoing investigations i am not unable to discuss them but will do so when they can. i highlight the commitment of the oig to shine a light on the epa to guarantee our tax dollars are being well spent so a scenario such as the john beale case should not happen again. this represents a great value to the american taxpayer please keep in mind additional budget cuts may force us to focus on a statutory work forces discretionary work such as investigating operations. in conclusion i would like to reaffirm that oig commitment to assist the agency to accomplish the mission to safeguard the health of the american people in protecting the environment. we take seriously our mandate to promote effectiveness sim prevent from waste fraud and abuse from the epa programs and operations this concludes my prepared statement in devil be pleased to answer any questions you or the members may have. >> think you mr. sullivan. >> chairman and assistance in committee members the oig investigation has included more than 40 interviews and thousands of documents reviewed, a coronation with many federal law-enforcement agencies. september 27 mr. beale offered a plea of guilty of theft of government funds. beginning in 1988 when he was hired as a consultant to the epa by his close friend then director of the epa office of policy of review and continued until mr. beale retired in april 2013. our investigation revealed kinky stuff falling this conduct. false official statements, a time card fraud, incentive retention bonus fraud fraud, travel voucher fraud fraud, false impersonation of a federal official, and this use of the official government passport. his official personnel file has numerous misstatements including a claim they work for a u.s. senator. for 22 years he received a retention bonus in 1925 percent of his salary he was only authorized to receive this for six years costing the government approximately $500,000. his work on the clean air act in the early 90's gave him a significant prestige started in 1994 he began a false impersonation of a cia employee lying even to his wife and closest friends in addition to his colleagues and told oig investigators that he perpetrated this like to puff up the image of myself" end quote. in investigated found out he was gone for long periods of time between 2000 and 2013 under cover allegedly. he lied to several high ranking epa officials about his work including former system and illustrators -- and ministers. then also the california status were shared then it was an open secret that mr. beale worked undercover with the california. with the assistant administrator came on board at 2,008 she was told during her orientation process and by mr. beale himself he worked for the cia. and also an executive assistant recalled he had told her he needed to stay on until his replacement was captured and tortured in pakistan was covered in she responded'' john, that is what movies are made of an''. with oig investigators he admitted taking off to a half years for nonexistent cia worked at a cost of approximately $300,000 also stated during these periods he was working around the house in reading his bicycle and reading books. he also received a substantial cash reward including a presidential ring toward a 20,000 top of his salary and the incentive bonus. he perpetuated the light he contracted malaria as another reason for his frequent absences and also to obtain the handicapped parking permits. he never served in vietnam or had malaria. overturned a parking spot costa parks will eaton thousand dollars he also committed trouble related fraud for example, we were able to confirm he charge more than $80,000 of trips between 2005 and 2007 to california they were all fraudulent traveling to visit his elderly parents. another example he would stay in a hotel that far exceeded the allowable watching rate he charged the government $1,066 per night for four nights in london even though he had the opportunity to stand a different hotel at $375 per night. when confronted with this outrage mr. beale stated'' mackie and i am outraged at this''. 1998 to his retirement in 2013 he claimed he had a back injury that required first-class airplane accommodations and had documentation from a chiropractors' supporting his claim in the with his other dissections of his health his claim is dubious in one example when he traveled from washington to london his first-class ticket was 14 times higher than the coach fare the government was charged $14,000 as opposed to $1,000. he was never held accountable his spending and when interview those responsible for approving his travel vouchers said the charges he submitted seemed excessive but there never question because he was a highly respected senior official in based on his work with the cia. that concludes my remarks i will be happy to answer questions. >> good morning chairman, a ranking member and distinguished committee members. i served as director of the epa office of policy analysis. >> pull the microphone a little closer. >> 1988 until my retirement two years ago. today i am voluntarily appearing before the committee solely with individual capacity to acquire very proud of my career in public service in my accomplishments and accomplishments of the team was a part of. my career was defined by the opportunity to play a key role of development of the passage and implementation of the bipartisan clean air act amendments of 1990. legislation that has prevented billions of premature deaths and illnesses. during the implementation phase i designed to live programs to provide business opportunities in its economic incentives for u.s. companies technological innovations in to reduce toxic exposures and monitor the clean air act cost of benefit to the taxpayers. i've also fortunate to have been well recognized for his efforts are received a gold medal from day epa and meritorious public service award from three different presidents and a distinguished career service award from the bench administrator gina mccarthy and lisa jackson. of course, those are far from mine alone just as meaningful of the notes of thanks i received from exceptional individuals that i managed and mentored during my 30 years at the e epa. one of those people recruited was mr. beale we met where he was working on a master's degree of public affairs and a law degree as part of a scholarship program. we became good friends and work to identify and recognized leaders in the area of and burned into policy. after graduate school we stayed in touch from the early '80s through 89 we saw each other once you're at a vacation home we call owned in massachusetts and when to take this opportunity what his conviction is so inexplicable for his friends and colleagues, including me. the answer is that period was preceded by more than a decade of effective and highly regarded work. during that time period john code directed the clean air working group cover during the challenging clean-air legislative process. he developed many strong relationships at the epa, of the hill and with stakeholders and became a frequent and well-respected participant in clean-air strategy meetings at the white house. after that he provided strategic advice with several key will makings to implement the clean air act and manage the process that brought together the auto industry and environmental community to create the national low emitting vehicle program played a development in the national health standards he became a highly regarded member and a frequent leader of u.s. teams negotiating energy agreements and protocol. but after 2000 this record turned into one of his pleading guilty of years of deception and hundreds of thousands of dollars of theft based in part on his claim he worked for the cia. the question then becomes how can anyone get epa believe that john was involved with national security work? if it had been anyone else they would not have been credible begin established a track record that made him one of the most highly regarded members of the epa and moreover he served in the military, been an undercover policeman and worked at the u.s. attorney's office in new york with this type of background i would expect somebody to do national-security work. i am no way trying to defend the concept of the guilty plea i am saddened and disappointed by his good works and contributions that epa will be overshadowed by these unfortunate events. at this time i ever appeared to answer any questions. >> you have an opening statement mr. beale? >> thank you, mr. chairman chairman know i do not have an opening statement. >> before i go to the next guest mr. beale is might understand you may assert your constitutional privilege to remain silent. is that correct? >> yes it is. in the letter from september 23rd and 24th my attorneys advise the committee that i will be asserting my fifth amendment privilege this morning. >> is a mind standing you have earlier stated you pled guilty to the charges before you? >> mr. chairman respectfully have to make the same statement i am asserting my fifth amendment privileges this morning mr. beale today's hearing will cover the topics of the u.s. epa epa, inspector general's investigation of your employment at the epa. as a senior policy advisor in the office of air and radiation you recall five to provide testimony that would help the committee better understand your conduct while at the epa as an employee. to that end i must ask the you consult with your attorney recognizing that although you have already pled guilty in and by definition are not subject to prosecution for these areas we are investigating, we do have a need to find out whether not you but other individuals participated or in some way they did in your ability to do this. . .

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