The nuclear deal and those who do not to introduce an act you can watch the rest of this program on our website cspan. Org. Leaving it here as health and Human Services dr. Tom price testifies on the president s 2018 budget request. The budget could cut funding by 18 or 15 billion. Good morning, mr. Secretary, its genuinely my pleasure to welcome you to the subcommittee on labor, health and Human Services and education. Were looking forward to hearing your testimony. Mr. Secretary, your responsibilities are many. Your departments responsible for insuring proper payment, overseeing medical search, helping families break the cycle of poverty and protecting our nation against bioterror and pandemic events. The cuts proposed in the budget blueprint are extensive and span the reach of your agency. I believe theres always fat that can be trimmed and priorities that can be reordered. But i will ask you some questions this morning about whether this budget leaves america sufficiently prepared to respond to a pandemic, a new disease like zika or bioterrorism event. Ill ask questions about how youll fulfill your mission of enhancing the health and wellbeing of americans at these levels of funding. Ill ask how youll work to solve some of the challenges in your agency, including those related to the Indian Health service. Ultimately, this subcommittee needs to know in detail what cuts you propose and what missions youre down grading or eliminating. Some of the details will be forthcoming in the weeks ahead. We look forward to hearing what youre able to share with us today. We recognize our limitations in that regard. As a reminder, the subcommittee and our witness will abide by the five minute rule so everybody will have a chance to get their questions asked and answered. Now im going to go off script for a minute. I want to begin also welcoming you here as our former colleague, 12 years, and not only had the privilege of serving with you, and obviously, in congress, but in the same conference and on your committee which you chaired. And i couldnt have been more pleased with your selection by the president. I think you are not only a very good person and extraordinarily wellqualified for this job, i have no doubt youre going to do a brilliant job for the American People. Having worked with you on the Budget Committee i know you know how to balance a budget and bring it into budget and make the tough decisions that have to be made for the country going forward. And, you know, we achieved that balance in the budgets that you were you crafted. In some cases, i think with appropriate balance between entitlement spending and discretionary spending. And i think thats probably one of this committees chief concerns. I think the president is absolutely correct that we need to spend more on defense. Dont have any doubt about it at all. I think hes absolutely correct as well that it needs to be done in a fiscally responsible way with offsetting reductions else where in the budget. Where we would disagree and i cut the administration considerably latitude because its had little time to craft a budget. We may see Something Different in may and someway see Something Different in the years ahead. But in my personal view, these are focused too tightly on nondefense discretionary offsets, particularly with respect to your agency. I take considerable pride in the fact i know my colleagues on both sides of the aisle do that in the late 90s and early part of the 21st century, congress, a republican congress, frankly but with democratic support was able to double the budget at nih. And our predecessors, speaker gingrich deserves considerable credit. We often point out they did a tremendous job i think for the American People. We then had about a dozen years of flat funding. I take considerable pride that it was a Republican House and senate again in 2016 that restarted the cycle of increasing funding at the nih. And when i say flat funding, i know my colleagues would be the first to point out, flat funding means reduced funding because you obviously lose on account of inflation. I can give you the numbers in terms of number grants for research we were funding in 2003 versus what we were funding in 2015. We went down from one in three to one and six. That was a lot of good signs i think left on the table. So im pleased that we were able to restart that what i call virtuous cycle. Again, with the support of our friends on the other side of the aisle. And we did that again in a 2017 budget which im very hopeful youll get to operate without a continuing resolution before the end of next month. And youll see that will be another very substantial increase for the National Institute of health. Going forward also for the senator for disease control. And youve heard me say this before, but i really believe it. These two institutions in particular theres lots of good things in your budget. These two in particular are every bit as important for the National Defense and National Security of the American People as the pentagon is. Frankly, youre much more likely to die in a pandemic than you are a terrorist attack. Maintaining the ability to respond to terrorist attacks, to respond to unexpected things like ebola and zika, extraordinarily important for the country. And i know you see it that way as well. Again, youre in a tough position, you have to make tough decisions. And i respect that. This committee and me personally will be very hesitant about looking at cuts to the nature that were talking about. Frankly, pretty insistent on finding a way in the total budget to not only maintain the offsets that the president wants to, but spread them more broadly across the full budget. But do it in ways we can continue this investment in what i think is really cutting edge and important Biomedical Research and certainly at the center for disease control, whats literally the front line of defense. Id much rather fight ebola in west africa than west dallas. I think youd recognize the extraordinary contributions that were made by that agency and the nih working together in that particular fight. So i just i say that out there just up front because we will have some differences, but i want to make it clear theyre not differences in the basic thrust of what the president s trying to do. Its just doing what congress is supposed to do in trying to think maybe more broadly across the entire budget. I know youve done before. Ive seen you do it. And try to make sure that we prioritize whats genuinely important and defense is genuinely important. These things are part of the defense to the country and its development, too. I really look forward to our discussion. I know it will be thoughtful. I know you will make good decisions on behalf of the American People going forward. Because i know who you are. Ive had the opportunity to serve with you. And this committee looks forward to working with you fully and openly and transparently. We had an excellent relationship with your predecessor, someone i think very highly up. Well have an excellent relationship with you. I know how youre serve the American People. This committee, republican and democrat alike looks forward to working with you to achieve a common goal. I know thats the president s goal. This is the beginning of a process. My hope is well get to an end of a process where we can take a great deal of satisfaction and we have achieved the objectives that i know we all share. And, frankly discharge the duties that were all obligated to discharge. And with that i want to turn to the Ranking Member from connecticut for any opening remarks she cares to make. Thank you very much mr. Chairman. Welcome mr. Secretary. Welcome to the subcommittee and your first appropriations committee. This is a place you know well. We meet during perilous times for the future of healthcare in our country. With the threat of rising premiums, rising deductibles, and the uninsured, americans were protected last week when speaker ryan pulled a bill from the floor that would have repealed the Affordable Care act. The fate of their healthcare really now lies in your administrations hands. I have been deeply disturbed by President Trumps recent threats to sabotage Health Insurance for the millions of americans that rely on the Affordable Care act every day. And last week, from the oval office he said and i quote, the best thing we can do politically speaking is let obamacare explode. End quote. On february 27th he told the National Governors association, let it be a disaster because we can blame the democrats. Politically it would be a great solution. I find this speech to be insulting to the millions of workers, children and Older Americans whose futures are on the line. The healthcare of the American People is not a political bargaining chip. The idea that the president of the United States would intentionally undermine the health and the Financial Security of millions of americans for personal and political gain, my view is malicious. Mr. Secretary, i hope that you will assure us today that you intend to use your position to strengthen the individual marketplace thats used by millions of americans. Instead of sabotaging it for any political gain. I hope youll tell us today that you concur with speaker ryan when he says that the Affordable Care act is the law of the land. And that there will be no further attempts to repeal it. But rather, take a look at the ways in which we can improve and strengthen the Affordable Care act. Moving from the failed repeal of the Affordable Care act to the Budget Proposal. I think you know what my response is on the Budget Proposal. Unfortunately, i do not have anything complimentary to say about your budget request. In fact, i think it is a disaster that will have literal life and death consequences for american families. 15 billion in cuts to hhs is untenable. Much like speaker ryans healthcare bill that failed, the Trump Administrations budget request for the department of health and Human Services would eliminate Critical Resources and programs for low income and working families. It would also decimate the National Institutes of health. The worlds foremost Biomedical Research institution. Severe negative consequences for Public Health departments across our country. To be clear, President Trump is proposing to cut nih funding by 6 billion. This is really an understatement, since we just saw that the administration wants to cut an additional 1. 2 billion from nih in 2017 as well. And i hope you will tell us whether or not you agree or disagree with that additional cut. Cutting billions from nih would be devastating, cancer research, alzheimers research, hiv aids research as well as research to prevent cure of any other disease that is causing misery for millions of americans and their families. Make no mistake, this cut will turn back the clock on life saving Biomedical Research that you know and i know and the chairman knows and everyone on this committee knows has the power to save lives. Mr. Secretary, we know today, we need to know today do you agree that we should cut 6 billion from the nih. And i just might add its 6 billion below what you voted for in the omnibus last december. We are choosing to hamper our progressive as a nation. President trump is proposing to eliminate the low Income Home Energy assistance program, which allocated 3. 4 billion each year to help pay heating and cooling bills for nearly seven million low income households. Earlier this week i heard from constituents who depend on it. Let me just quote this from you. This was in derby connecticut. Tears flowed, anguished creased faces and pleas for help filled the room. They came from people like amanda diaz who works 40 hours a week while taking care of two Young Children and a sick mother. Chris, a former nurse left disabled. Evan and her recently graduated from a Griffin Hospital training program. These programs are vital, amanda diaz said. She said people like me dont just stay home, i work. I have a 5yearold daughter who has asthma and my mom has lupus. She says minimal heating assistance she received kept her daughter and mother from getting 6 la last weekend. How does this government think we can cast people aside . She wiped tears from her eyes and said they are putting numbers down but we are talking about humans. These are the words of folks. They rely on this program to keep their kids healthy. To keep their families safe. And President Trump is also proposing to eliminate the Community Service block grant program. A Critical Program that connects people with job training, nutrition programs and more. He would propose slashing funding for the centers for disease control, drastically reduces surveillance, epidemiology, Laboratory Testing as well as immunizations and Emergency Preparedness activities in the states. I was pleased to read in your testimony about your commitment to Emergency Preparedness and how we need to foster that effort. In each of these cases, President Trump is proposing to eliminate programs that help low income, working class families, often the same families that put their faith in him during last years campaign. Or hes proposing to cut programs like the nih, the cdc that benefit all americans. At the same time, he is preparing to introduce a massive tax cut for corporations and millionaires, just as he did in the failed healthcare bill last week. For decades, republicans have advocated massive cuts to health and education funding. Such as with hr1, the very first thing that republicans did when they took the majority. Which proposed cutting the ni by 1. 4 billion and cdc by 10 . It is showing the impact those cuts would have on our communities. Cuts to Public Health departments, cuts to home heating and cooling for low income families. Cuts to meals on wheels, cuts to nurses training, cuts to family care givers and Family Planning service and the list goes on. My sincere hope is that the budget is dead on arrival. Its cynical, vindictive and will cause real harm to millions of american families. I look forward to finding out whether you support these reckless cuts, i sincerely and truly hope not. Additionally i read your testimony, and i know that you do not have all the numbers yet. And i would ask the chairman, if we could have the secretary return in may to testify when we know the full extent of this budget when it comes around to may. I thank you and look forward to your testimony and to our discussion. Thank the gentle lady. We have the privilege of having the Ranking Member of the full committee here as well. Just for the record, i want to say i was privileged last night to be with her when she received a lifetime award from the Alzheimers Association for the distinguished work shes done over the course of her career. We have some of those folks associated with that effort here. We thank you for your good work and honoring our colleague and dear friend. The gentle lady is recognized for whatever remarks she cares to make. Now, youre being so very gracious. But i think we should tell the group that i was honored to be honored with you, my friend. And i always want to say kind of hoping youd bring it up. And i do want to say because i was glad you referenced it in your opening remarks, i was part of this committee when the republican, john porter doubled the money for the nih. And i know of chairman coles commitment to alzheimers, to the whole range of diseases which we focus our efforts and find cures and prevent the terrible pain that these illnesses cause. I also remember, mr. Chairman, when we used to say there are democrats, republicans and appropriaters and we have to get our work done. Im very optimistic that at the end of this process well make major changes to the budgets. The skinny budgets that have been submitted to us. So with that, my friend, i want to join you in welcoming our guest today, secretary price. This really is a strange hearing. You come before us with a quote, a skinny budget, that doesnt contain many numbers. And the few clear details would have catastrophic results for americans. Heres what we know about President Trumps budget. The nih would be cut by as much as 5. 8 billion. Resulting in 3,000 to 5,000 fewer annual Research Grants. Nursing Training Programs would be eliminated. Without liheap vulnerable americans would be left without heating assistance in the winter and cooling assistance in the scorching summer heat. And the department of health and Human Services would be cut by 18 putting critical priorities at risk. T