Hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee - Executive Session

Hearing

"Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thanks to you and your staff for your cooperation with me and my staff on the items before us today.

"I intend to support each of the items on today's agenda and urge my colleagues to do so as well. I'd like to say a few brief words about the first few items of business today.

"First, I am glad we could come together in a bipartisan way to organize the committee for the new Congress and move forward on both the funding resolution and on the continuation of the Committee's Rules.

"I also want to thank my Members for their cooperation and their willingness to serve on the committee's three subcommittees. In particular I want congratulate the three ranking members, Senators Sanders, Franken, and Casey, as well as the three Chairmen, Senators Enzi, Isakson, and Paul.

"I think today shows that if we open a dialogue and work together in a bipartisan way, this Committee can get a lot done. I hope we can continue to make that the norm in the 114th Congress on this Committee, so we can accomplish more for the American people.

"As we move through this agenda, we will be marking up the Older Americans Act and the Strengthening Education through Research Act today. And I'll have more to say about those particular bills as they come up. But from the outset, I'd like to say this process is an example of how the HELP committee can and should work together in a bipartisan way for future mark-ups.

"I'm looking forward to continuing to meet my Republican counterparts at the table to work on a truly bipartisan process going forward. Thank you, Mr. Chairman."

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