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The Honorable Harriet Hageman
The committee will come to order and the chair recognizes himself for five minutes for an opening statement and good morning to everyone. Welcome to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. Our hearing today is the committee's member day hearing and it's an opportunity to hear from our friends and our colleagues across the House of Representatives who have legislative priorities that fall within our committee's broad jurisdiction. The Committee on Energy and Commerce, the oldest authorizing committee in Congress, last Monday marked the 230th year of the committee and another opportunity to reflect and celebrate its rich legislative history. In just the last year alone, we have had 53 bills passed out of the House and 10 bills signed into law by the President. Much of our committee's work is done in a bipartisan manner. In fact, we held an important subcommittee markup yesterday discussing bills to keep our children safe online. I want to thank Ranking Member Pallone and his members We're working with us on that important legislation. But also, despite some of our disagreements, Reagan member Pallone and I have found several ways to work together on committee priorities to deliver solutions for the American people. And this is bipartisan, is a deep tradition of our committee. I wanna thank my colleagues before us today for coming before the committee to share your ideas and your perspectives and your legislative ideas. We know the matters you are presenting to the committee are not only important to you, but also to the hundreds of thousands of people you represent. The committee looks forward to listening and learning from you today as we all work together. On behalf of the American people, I thank you and I will recognize vice member of the full committee, Representative Fletcher, for five minutes for an opening statement.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and welcome to all the members who are joining us this morning here in the Energy and Commerce Committee. This committee, as the chairman said, has a long history of working together to address the issues that matter most to the American people and will make a meaningful difference in their lives. It's what this committee does at its best, and it's why it's so important that we hear from our colleagues today that represent communities across the country to learn more about what they're hearing and what the people that they represent need from us. I know when I go back home, what I hear most from people in my district are deep concerns about the cost of living, the cost of healthcare, and the cost of energy and electricity. In short, we are in a national affordability crisis and people need our help. Addressing rising costs shouldn't be a partisan issue. In fact, on the campaign trail, President Trump promised over and over and over again that he was going to lower costs. Nearly a year into this administration, costs are higher than ever. Now, President Trump, as I think we all know, recently dismissed affordability as a democratic hoax. But from what I'm hearing from my constituents at home, it's not. And it's fear. Fear that they won't be able to afford their electric bill. Fear that they're not going to be able to keep their health insurance. Fear that they're not going to be able to see a doctor when they need to. Fear that they're not going to be able to afford groceries this Christmas or presents for their families for the holidays. Fear that they are not going to be able to do the things that they need to do. This is fear. This is not a hoax. It's people's lives and they need our help. Unfortunately, much of this Congress has been spent making things worse for hardworking American families rather than helping them. We have spent the vast majority of this year addressing budget
Issues that have made things worse, not better for families across the country and have taken away health care from nearly 15 million people, leaving millions more with premiums and costs that they cannot afford. People need to come together and they need Congress to come together to lower costs with common sense proposals like extending the Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, which would help lower premiums for millions of families. Instead, this Congress is choosing to spend its time taking healthcare away and making it more expensive for those who manage their care to keep their coverage. Today, we have an opportunity to listen to our colleagues about rising costs and how they're a real threat to American families. And I hope that we will work together, the majority and the minority, to work together to address those concerns and that no one in Congress will dismiss them as a hoax. So I look forward to hearing from the members who are joining us today. And I thank you all for taking the time to be here. And with that, Mr. Chairman, I will yield back.
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The Honorable Harriet Hageman
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