Interest that is defending itself, that is defending its right to pollute, that is endistinguishing its ability to compromise our atmosphere, compromise our health, compromise our great oceans and waters. This should be an easy struggle. This should be an easy struggle. But its not, and it will be a mark of shame on this generati generation, and it will a mark of shame on this buildin buildit i have goin the choice between the clear information from the that given the choice between the clear frftion from the scientists shall the clear experience of what is happening in all of our states and the power of the special interests, we ignored the first and we yielded to that power of those special interests. Mr. President , i yield the floor. Mr. Whitehouse mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from rhode island. Mr. Whitehouse i ask that the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of calendar number 146, Senate Resolution 156. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk calendar number 146, s. Res. 156, entreesing the sense of the senate on the tenyear anniversary of nato ally command transformation. The presiding officer i is there objection to proceeding the measure . Without objection. Mr. Whitehouse i further ask that the committeereported substitute be agreed to, the resolution as amended be agreed to, the amendment to the preamble be agreed to, the preamble, as amend, be agreed to and the motions to reconsider be laid on the table, with no intervening action or debate. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Whitehouse i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the immediate consideration en bloc of the following resolutions, which were submitted earlier today, Senate Resolutions 207, 208, 209, 210, and 211. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Whitehouse i ask unanimous consent that the resolutions be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid on the table, en bloc, with no intervening action or debate. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Whitehouse i note well, before i i note the absee of a quorum, let me express my appreciation to the senator while we go through the closing script here. I appreciate very much his courtesy in accommodating news this way. I note the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call the presiding officer the senator from rhode island. Mr. Whitehouse may i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be suspended so that senator moran may be recognized and well proceed with the closing at the conclusion of his remarks. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Moran mr. President , thank you, and thank the gentleman from rhode island. Three years ago Congress Passed a Massive Health insurance law, didnt have a single republican vote, and it had significant opposition by the public. In an administration proclaiming to be the most transparent ever, this 2,700page bill was ran through congress in the Early Morning hours on christmas eve. Even then, speaker of the house pelosi said that congress had to pass this bill so that we could find out whats in it. Well, we did. It was passed. And the American People are not liking what theyve discovered. While the president promised the Affordable Care act would Lower Health Care costs and strengthen our health care system, the law instead is increasing Health Insurance premiums, slowing economic recovery and hindering job creation, and we should not allow the administration to continue to ignore this reality. We should, we must permanently delay the Affordable Care act. Since its enactment in 2010, 18 components of the Health Care Law have been changed, canceled, or dlaismed the president downplays the laws substantial defects by characterizing them as glitches and bumps that are to be expected. He also claims that the Affordable Care act critics are responsible for the laws broken promises by arguing that the problem is quote fox folks out there who are actively working to make this law fail. Meanwhile, the Affordable Care act is slowly unraveling. Every day brings new information about missed deadlines, funding shortfalls, soaring Health Insurance premium rates and a technical implementation that is frowndering. It is is it any wonder that this law fins to be publicly unpopular . With the majority of mandates, fees, and taxes taking effect in 2014, we are already beginning to see the alarming effects of the law on our employees, employers, and our commitment of it is a broken promise, one after another. Promise number one in attempting to convince the American People that the a. C. A. Was guide, the president promised it would quote save families 2,500 in coming years. But since 20508, the average American Family has seen Health Insurance rise more than 3,000. Nonpartisan actuaries estimate that National Health spindz spending will grow at a rate of 6 annually between 2011 and 2021. As National Spending ticks up, American Families will continue to see their monthly premiums go up. States are beginning to release details on the rates consumers will pay for a. C. A. Related Health Insurance starting on january 1. An unfortunate pattern is emergessing. A. C. A. Mandated insurance is going to increase costs for many mens. Recently the state of indiana announced that insurance rates will increase 72 for consumers in their individual market. Consumers in ohio, florida, south carolina, and maryland have also anouned that they are expecting to see their premiums increase significantly. Just yesterday the georgia insurance commissioner asked the department of health and Human Services to extend the deadline to approve mettle plans in their state because some rates were expected to rise in georgia by 198 . In my home state of kansas, i consistently hear concerns from individuals, from business owners, and even local government officials about impending costs of the Affordable Care act. For example, rural Kansas School districts and special education coe ops whose budgets are already stretched thin will now be forced to cover the costsssociated with the law. This has resulted in the reduction of employees hours ants may trigger layoffs in order for districts to avoid significant a. C. A. Related penalties. Its sad to visit with the director of a special education coe op only to learn that less services are going to be provided to specialneeds students because of the costsssociated with the Affordable Care afnlg act. Mr. President , the American People were promised savings and security an and instead were experience ago loss of both. The Affordable Care act is leaving americans are less options and simply unAffordable Care. The second promise promise number two the president said no matter how we Reform Health care, well keep the promise that if you like your doctor, youll be able to keep your doctor, period. Reality has since whittled down this promise dramatically. If you go to the Affordable Care act web site today, you will find this far less confident statement. Depending on the plan you choose and the market plashings you may be able to keep your current doctor. Unquote. Mr. President , even large labor unions have recently criticized the president and Congressional Democrats for breaking their promise. Notably, the National Treasury employees union, the union that represents most i. R. S. Employees, is urging its members to write their elected officials to oppose any effort that would force them to participate in the Health Insurance exchange. Further, several unions stated, when you and the president sought our support for the Affordable Care act, you pledged that if we liked the health plans we have now, we could keep them. Sadly, that promise is under threat. Im quoting the union. And another statement, approximately 3 million laborers, retirees and their families now face the very real prospect of losing their health benefits. This i must remind you, was something you promised would not happen. A third promise, promise number three, the president indicated that the Affordable Care act would quote lower costs forbe the federal government, reducing our deficit by over 1 trillion in the next two decaded. It is paid for, it is fiscally responsible. Unquote. The only way the Affordable Care act will reduce deficits is by grossing increasing the taxes and feesssociated with the law. One wonders how anyone believed at the time that the new Entitlement Program would ever save money. These broken promises are more than just words. The administrations false starts and early failures are just the beginning. The harm this law will do to individuals, families, and businesses will continue to emerge. In less than three months, individuals will be asked to start enrolling in Health Insurance exchanges. When insurance rates, coverage requirements, and subsidy amounts are still rarnlgly unknown. Increasingly, the question is being asked as to what happens to individuals required to buy Health Insurance or face penalties if the exchanges are not ready on time . Im the Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on healt health ann services. I offered two amendments to the fiscal year 2014 bill that would bring some certainty over this to this overreaching excuse me, this overarching issue. First i offered an amendment to codify the administrations decision to delay the employer mandate. While many of my colleagues on the democrat side issued press releases praising the administrations decision to delay, when asked to affirmatively vote in the committee to flai for one year, they all voted no. The amendment failed 207b a straight partyline vote. The Second Amendment i offered delayed the implementation and enforcement of the individual mandate for one year. While i support the delay of the employer mandate, in that disirks like it or not, the administration undermined its own credibility in stating at that the Affordable Care act will be implemented on time, as promised. We should not and cannot require individuals to risk their Health Care Coverage by signing up for an Unworkable Program with a dubious future. Unfortunatelunfortunately, my cs again on the democratic side disagree. They refuse to extend the exemption that the president granted to businesses, to employers, to all americans, to families and to individuals. The evidence continues to show that the Affordable Care act is so large and so quol convolutedt it di cannot be implemented into action. Think tanks have reached the same conclusion. Almost everything we were told about the Affordable Care act is untrue. Mr. President , we were told three years ago that we need to pass the Affordable Care act to nienfind out whats in it. Now we know, and its not good. We dont need to force american frames familiefamilies to endure years to see just how bad it will be. Mr. President , i note the eight absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call the presiding officer the senator from rhode island. Mr. Whitehouse i ask the quorum call be lifted. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Whitehouse i ask unanimous consent when the senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9 30 a. M. On thursday, august 1, 2013. And that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the journal of proceedings be approved to date and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day. And that following any leader remarks, the senate be in a period of morning business until 11 00 a. M. With the time equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees. With senators permitted to speak therein for up to ten minutes each. And that following morning business, the senate proceed to executive session to consider calendar number 96, the chen nomination under the previous order. Finally, that the seconddegree filing deadline for amendments to s. 1243 be 11 00 a. M. Tomorrow. There will be two roll call votes at 12 00 noon tomorrow, confirmation of the chen nomination and cloture on the thud bill. Additionally, there will be a vote in the afternoon on confirmation of the power nomination. If theres no further business to come before the senate, i ask that it adjourn under the previous order. The presiding officer the Senate Stands adjourned until Senate Stands adjourned until you one, i think they serve as a window on the past to what was going on with american women at any given time in our past history, so if you look at the first ladys life you get a few of whats going on with women. The other thing that i find very interesting from a womens history standpoint is that its the conjunction of the public and private lives of women which is a topic that many scholars are very interested in and i think first ladies just epitomize the coming together of the public and the private life of an individual. Up next, a hearing on the implementation of the new Health Care Law. Members of the House Oversight committee debated the legality of provisions in the law that allow tax credits or americans who buy Health Insurance through federally run exchanges. The issue of the tax credits is now the subject of litigation. The Committee Chairman is congressman darrell issa of california. This hearing is about three hours. [inaudible] taxpayers have the right to know what they do for the government. We will work with partnership watchdogs to deliver the vexed American People and and bring genuine reform to the federal bureaucracy. This is the mission of the oversight and government reform commission. We are starting a little bit differently. Our colleagues are having a meeting with the president this morning from tenet ought to 11 00 so they will be joining us in just a moment. They will miss much of the oral testimony at the beginning here. The Ranking Member. Will go last in this order. We will receive the Opening Statement and she will give her Opening Statement as well so the order will be slightly different than what is typical but we are grateful for everyone to be here. These implementation of obamacare. While the substance discussed during todays hearing may be complicated principles involved enough. Congress makes laws. The president executive branch responsible for hearing those laws out as they were written. At issue today is an example of the regretting a lot to me political objectives. 2010 democrats in both chambers of commerce passed a law that expanded the control and waldman over Americans Health care choices through rules taxes and subsidies. To encourage states to set up a statebased exchange the senate and house created a subsidy for individuals only in states that operate their own health exchange. Section 1311 of the Affordable Care to Health Insurance nonprofit entity has established by a state. Section 1401 subsidies provided monthly when the taxpayers were covered by qualified health lan enrolled through an exchange established by the the state under section 1311. As the congressional legal analyst is made clear their language estate straightforward. A stricture lee texel analysis will likely lead to the conclusion that the irss authority to issue the premium tax credits is limited only to situations in which the taxpayers enroll in the state established exchange two therefore nairas interpretinterpret ation that expanded tax credits of those enrolled in those dictated exchanges will be contrary to clear congressional intent. And will likely be deemed invalid. At the time Congress Passed a upon the care the administration did it would be more popular in states would willingly create their own exchanges. However 34 states have refused to participate and left exchanges to the federal government. Therefore the impact of the irs and the treasure ruled extensive tax credits and federal changes is substantial. The cbos established roughly 75 of the cost of subsidies will be new federal spending. As a result this role will add hundreds of billions of dollars of federal spending which was not authorized by congress and the statute. Second the subsidies are tied to the laws employer mandates so employers face large tax penalties if their workers receive subsidies therefore the irs and treasuries willing harms many employees and workers in states which choose not to grade a exchan