Floor Statements

Mr. President, as the son of an Air Force master sergeant and a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I take very seriously my responsibility to represent the interests of those who have served our country in uniform. When it comes to our Nation's veterans, their commitment to country is without question, and our country's commitment to them should be the same.

Put simply, our veterans deserve better. That is why I am pleased to see that we have come together to address this crisis in the Senate. These men and women have served and sacrificed on behalf of a grateful nation. We need to ensure that they are getting the high-quality services they have earned. Our veterans deserve a system that proves their care is our top priority.

Unfortunately, the VA is struggling to meet the health demands for our veterans. The VA inspector general is currently investigating misconduct throughout the VA health system. In order to ensure accountability, we have to give the VA the ability to fire and demote senior executive service employees who are responsible for these types of abuses.

Under current law, senior VA employees are nearly untouchable. That means the very people responsible for hiding the true extent of wait times, for instance, and other abuses cannot be fired. That is incredible when you think about it.

We cannot tolerate bad actors who abuse their power and put our veterans in danger. That is why a key component of this bill gives the Secretary of Veterans Affairs the authority to fire or demote senior VA employees for poor performance.

Accountability is the goal here. However, that goes beyond individual employees. The Department itself needs to be held accountable for its shortcomings. So it is time we shine a light on the VA.

This bill would also establish an electronic waiting list that would be made available to veterans on the Department's Web site so everyone can see the average waiting time for an appointment at each VA medical center for specific types of care and services. New wait time goals would also be published on the Department's Web site and in the Federal Register within 90 days of the bill's enactment.

Earlier this week we saw an audit which revealed that veterans seeking care for the first time waited an average of 60 days in the Little Rock VA hospital and 52 days in the Fayetteville hospital. Clearly, these results need to be improved and indicate the failure of the VA to meet its goal of seeing new patients within 14 days.

I am committed to ensuring that the VA uses every available option it has to deliver on its mission for all veterans who have earned this care. And if it cannot, this bill gives our veterans the ability to seek that care elsewhere.

The bill we are considering today would establish a 2-year program that allows veterans who have been unable to obtain care from the VA for providing service to seek care from private providers. This option would also be provided to those who live more than 40 miles from a VA facility, including a community-based outpatient clinic. The government would be obligated to reimburse the non-VA health care provider for the services provided to the veteran.

Wait times and secret lists are not the only problem within the VA health system. We are learning now that quality-of-care issues on a range of critical care outcomes, including mortality and infection rates, are willingly being ignored by senior VA management.

We need to restore faith in the VA health care system, and that begins with accountability and following through with our promises.

The crisis surrounding the VA health care system shows an immediate need to improve timely access to medical care for our veterans. The VA needs to correct the systemic problems that are preventing our veterans from accessing the high-quality health care services offered.

I am pleased we are taking action on this important issue, and I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation before us because we need to improve the health services our veterans earned and deserve.

I thank the Chair.

Mr. President, I wish to offer my thoughts and prayers to the victims of the April 27, 2014, tornadoes that devastated a number of communities in central Arkansas.

The tornadoes that spawned from the storm system that left a trail of destruction across the south took the lives of 16 Arkansans in Pulaski, White and Faulkner Counties.

The Arkansas victims include an Iraq veteran who died while protecting his 5-year-old daughter, two children who had just started school in Vilonia, and an unborn child who died as a result of the injuries to the baby's mother.

While others escaped the tornadoes with their lives, many lost everything else they had. From homes to businesses, entire communities were wiped out leaving many residents homeless and without livelihood.

However, our actions in a time of crisis are a reflection of us as a society and despite the tragic stories we saw many uplifting acts before, during, and after the tornadoes hit. As the storm approached, Christian Gunther acted to save ten disabled veterans from a long-term care facility by making sure they reached safety before the tornado hit. During the storm, MSG Daniel Wassom, gave his life using his body to shield his daughter from a falling beam. And, in the immediate aftermath of the storm, Arkansas's first responders rushed to the hardest hit communities, saving lives in the aftermath of the tornadoes.

During this time where many have to sift through the rubble and rebuild their lives, we are grateful for those who have reached out to their neighbors and provided assistance. Volunteers from all across the State have come to ravaged areas to help. This disaster serves as a testament to the compassionate character of the people of Arkansas. Rebuilding is never easy, but I know that Arkansans do not give up.

I am pleased the President quickly responded to the situation by designating four Arkansas counties as major disaster areas, making Federal funding available to people in these counties impacted by the storm. However, more work remains to be done. I am committed to ensuring that relief comes to the families and communities affected by this disaster.

Again, our thoughts and prayers go out to those who endured the storms, who need to rebuild, and especially to those who have lost relatives and loved ones. I ask that my colleagues continue to keep them in their thoughts and prayers.

Mr. President, I wish to recognize the life and career of Dr. Thomas Holland who has spent the past 22 years finding and identifying the remains of American servicemen. His efforts have helped bring peace and closure to the families of our fallen soldiers.

With over 83,000 American servicemen who have been listed as missing in action, Dr. Holland's vision and insights have helped find and identify the remains of soldiers who would otherwise be unaccounted for and unknown. He has led recovery missions to numerous countries such as North and South Korea, China, Iraq, and Cambodia. Most notably in 1995, Dr. Holland led the classified mission in Iraq to recover the only serviceman missing from the First Gulf War.

Originally from Fort Smith, AR, Dr. Holland received his bachelor's degree in fine art from the University of Missouri-Columbia where he continued his post graduate studies and earned his master's degree and his doctorate degree in anthropology. Currently, Dr. Holland serves on the graduate faculty at the University of Hawaii. As a world renowned expert, he has been published in many journals and has presented papers at numerous national and international meetings. During his tenure at the Central Identification Laboratory and Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, he held positions as an anthropologist, senior anthropologist, and scientific director.

While his academic and professional achievements are outstanding, his most admirable accomplishment has been his great service that honors American prisoners of war and those missing in action. Since 1992, Dr. Holland has diligently performed the solemn task of finding and identifying lost soldiers, sailors, and airmen using the science of human identification.

Dr. Holland has displayed dedication, perseverance, and commitment to excellence. I am grateful for his years of service and efforts devoted to those who fought and died for our freedom.

Mr. President, today I wish to honor a friend to all Arkansans, Frank Broyles, an icon in Arkansas athletics, the former head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks football team and former Athletic Director who is retiring from the University of Arkansas at the end of June.

This legendary football coach spent his life serving Arkansas and laying the foundation and building the dynamic athletic department at the University of Arkansas. His hard work, dedication and commitment to Arkansas and its athletes is clear. As an offensive tackle for the Razorbacks in the late 1960s, I played under Coach Broyles. He had a great influence on my life and I know that to be true for many other Arkansas athletes.

Coach Broyles' influence extends well beyond Arkansas into college athletics. The Broyles Award was established in 1996 to honor the work of assistant football coaches. Honoring Coach Broyles, the award recognizes his history of producing some of the most successful assistant coaches in college football.

He has been successful on and off the field. After his wife Barbara lost her battle with Alzheimer's, Coach Broyles made it his life's mission to advocate for a cure and educate Americans on caring for loved ones suffering with Alzheimer's. He wrote the Alzheimer's Playbook based on his family's experience caring for Barbara which is a great resource for all caregivers.

Despite retiring as the Arkansas Athletic Director in 2007 he continued his service to Arkansas on the Razorback Foundation. This will truly be the end of an era when he leaves at the end of the month.

The Arkansas Razorbacks are blessed to have the leadership of Coach Broyles in the many roles he assumed for the university. His vision for the Razorbacks is what we recognize today and support today. I am honored to have had the opportunity to play for Coach Broyles and call him a friend and wish him the best of luck in retirement.

Mr. President, on June 6th, 1944, the brave men and women of the Allied Forces began the opening phase of Operation Overlord in an effort to break the Nazi stranglehold on Western Europe. On that early morning, 31,000 members of the United States Armed Forces, and 153,000 of their counterparts in the Allied Expeditionary Force, stormed ashore five landing areas on the beaches of Normandy, France, in what is known as D-Day. In that first day alone, approximately 10,000 allied soldiers were wounded or killed, including 6,000 Americans. Now, 70 years later, it remains our duty to remember the sacrifices made by the members of the ``greatest generation'' who answered the call of those being oppressed by the Nazi and Fascist regimes. In recognition of the incredible feats achieved by our veterans, the Parliament of the French Republic has asked to join us in the passage of an identical resolution in both bodies, honoring these sacrifices made in the name of liberty. As co-chairs of the Senate French Caucus, I have joined with Senator Landrieu to introduce this resolution to recognize the upcoming 70th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings and to express our gratitude and appreciation to the members of the U.S. Armed Forces who participated in these operations.

Mr. President, I wish to honor a larger than life personality and a true American hero, Buddy Brown Spivey, who was recently interred at Arlington National Cemetery.

Buddy's story is truly inspirational. While serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, he was deployed to Vietnam. On December 7, 1966, he was severely injured by an explosion that led most of his

unit to believe he died that day. The explosion took Buddy's eyesight, his right leg, and caused brain damage. He refused to allow it to take his spirit.

After years of rehabilitation, Buddy returned to Arkansas with the intention of helping his fellow veterans live happy, productive lives after service. That was the thing about Buddy, he never stopped thinking of others despite the difficult circumstances he found himself in after his own military service.

After earning his master's degree at the University of Arkansas, Buddy went to work for the Blinded Veterans Association, where he served as field representative for 10 years. He later worked as a counseling psychologist and social worker at the VA hospital in Little Rock.

It has been said that he rarely missed a day of work. Helping his fellow veterans was a job he was paid to do until he retired in 2007, but continued to do long after that. That is how dedicated he was to his fellow veterans.

Spivey family members will regale you with stories about Buddy's captivating personality. He was known as a sharp, at times flashy, dresser who wore a suit and tie to work long after business casual became the norm. He was a masterful storyteller, but he also listened to others' stories with the same intensity. After repeat meetings, people were often amazed that Buddy remembered every detail of a person's story from the last time they met.

Most importantly, Buddy inspired people. His sacrifices on the battlefield earned him two Purple Hearts and two Bronze Stars. His sacrifices after service earned him accolades of another sort. The lives he touched, the people he helped, will always remember that sharply dressed man who put others first.

Mr. President, recently, we tragically lost Monticello, AR Mayor Allen Maxwell very suddenly and unexpectedly. He did a tremendous job as mayor. No one valued his family and community more than Mayor Maxwell.

After a successful career in the private sector, Allen embarked on a second career in public service that included a stint as U.S. Representative Jay Dickey's chief of staff in the 1990's. Six years later, he was motivated to run for an elected office of his own. It was an excellent decision that ended with a successful election to the Arkansas House of Representatives where he represented district 10 for 3 terms and focused on creating jobs in Arkansas's manufacturing sector before being term-limited out.

Committed to making Arkansas a better place to live and do business, Allen knew he could still contribute and decided to run for mayor of Monticello. He won with 70 percent of the vote, focused his energies on infrastructure and capital improvements, and left his mark on Monticello before his sudden and untimely passing.

Mayor Maxwell was a great example for us all. A humble public servant who entered this field for the right reasons--he truly wanted to help Arkansans and make the State that he loved better. My staff and I greatly missed his presence at the annual meeting with legislators in Washington. We continue to pray that his family and friends are comforted by the fact that major efforts for his community and region and concern for his fellow man will continue to live on.

Madam President, I very much appreciate the importance of the discussion going on, but I would like to talk about another very important issue that is facing us. One of the

biggest problems our country faces at the current time is one Washington has created--the out-of-control spending and our lack of fiscal discipline to put our country back on a path to fiscal responsibly.

Last week President Obama released his budget proposal for fiscal year 2015. That proposal continues Washington's reckless spending. It offers little in the way of real help to the millions of Americans struggling to get by in this very stagnant economy, which has not been helped by the President's policies.

What is worse is that the President finds a way to support the projects and priorities of his base but can't continue our country's commitment to our men and women who served and are serving our Nation in uniform.

The defense budget proposes to slash even more benefits our military families need. The Military Officers Association of America is rightfully highlighting these proposed cuts to military compensation and health care benefits.

The Washington Times published a story on this topic yesterday, saying retired servicemembers weighed in with frustration and anger, and rightfully so.

The proposal again caps the military pay raise at 1 percent, although the private sector wage growth is 1.8 percent. MOAA, the Military Officers Association, calculated what these cuts would mean to the bottom line of our active-duty military. An Army sergeant stands to lose nearly $5,000 in benefits annually and an Army captain will lose nearly $6,000 in benefits annually. This is certainly the wrong message to send to our men and women who put their lives on the line for this country.

When the President was elected, he promised to go through the budget with a scalpel; however, the only thing he seems capable of dissecting is military pay and benefits.

I am here today to say that these cuts on our military families are unacceptable. I will fight to preserve the benefits our military families were promised. Fortunately, as has been the case with the President's budgets from the past few years, this proposal will likely never see the light of day. Even the majority in the Senate doesn't have the desire to bring that proposal up for a vote. But this does not excuse those who continue to propose savings that come at the expense of our men and women in uniform or those who have served us in the past.

Our military members, their families, and our veterans should not have to bear the burden for Washington's irresponsible spending. Taking away benefits from our servicemembers has become a recurring problem. This is very troubling.

I stood here less than 2 months ago talking about our need to restore military retiree cuts that were unjustly taken away to help rein in spending. I opposed the budget agreement that cut the retirement benefit of our veterans and reducing the cost-of-living adjustment because it unfairly aimed to balance the budget on the backs of our retired military. Now the President seems determined to continue down that path.

We were able to restore most of those misguided military retirement cuts, but these benefits should have never been a target. Now the President wants to target servicemembers again. It is unconscionable considering he is intent on interjecting the Federal Government into private sector labor issues. He wants to force private entities to raise wages and increase benefits in a poor economy that his policies have created. When it comes to our men and women in uniform, he is all for stripping away their hard-earned benefits so he can continue to redistribute wealth, raise taxes, and increase Federal spending another $1 trillion.

We need to keep the promise we made to our servicemembers and maintain these benefits. Washington needs to find savings somewhere else. It can and must be done.

With that, I yield back.

Mr. President, I share my support for the nominee on whom we are about to vote.

Judge Timothy Brooks has the experience, background, and temperament to unanimously qualify him for the position of district judge. I am proud to stand before my colleagues and offer my support of his confirmation. I am pleased that we have been able to act on this vacancy and hope that Judge Brooks will be easily confirmed much like Judge Moody was for the Eastern District of Arkansas seat last week.

Again, these are highly qualified nominees. Judge Moody is a great fit for the Eastern District. I am confident Judge Brooks will complement him well in the Western District. One of the most important aspects of what we do in the Senate is the confirmation of judges, the process of selecting people with the right temperament and qualifications. I believe both Judge Moody and Judge Brooks will make excellent Federal judges and will make Arkansas proud.

I yield the floor.

Cloture Motion

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Madam President, I stand here as someone who is very interested in our Nation's veterans. We owe the men and women who stood in defense of our Nation the care and services they deserve for the sacrifices they have made for our country.

My dad served in the Air Force for over 20 years, and his service and sacrifice is in no small part why I am a Member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, and previously the House Veterans' Affairs Committee. I requested to be a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committees in both Chambers because we made a commitment to take care of those who put their lives on the line for our safety and ideals, and I believe in carrying out the promise.

During my days as a Member of the House of Representatives, my mom would routinely ask me when I would see her: What have you done for our veterans lately? I was happy to talk about the programs and services we promoted, supported, and passed--and certainly in a very bipartisan way. There is a long list of accomplishments of which we can be very proud, from modernizing the GI bill so our veterans can get the education they need to succeed in life after the military, to helping our veterans pursue their dreams of owning a business, to improving the medical services our veterans need for the wounds they have suffered while serving our country.

Unfortunately, problems exist. In my Arkansas office--and I think this is true of most congressional offices--we have a number of dedicated staffers. In fact, we have three dedicated staffers who handle veterans-related issues. They help cut through the redtape of the Department of Veterans Affairs to get the care and attention our veterans have earned. Last year, more than 40 percent of the assistance we provided to Arkansans that involved Federal agencies focused on veterans' issues.

Increasing funding doesn't necessarily mean we will have better outcomes. Take for instance the claims backlog. This is a huge problem impacting hundreds of thousands of veterans nationwide. Even some of the simplest claims are stuck in the process. Since 2009, the number of claims pending for over 1 year has grown, despite a 40 percent increase in the VA's budget. The most recent statistics for the Little Rock VA Regional Office showed 7,663 total claims are pending. Nearly 54 percent have been in the process for more than 125 days. The regional office averages nearly 217 days to complete a claim.

Thanks to the hard work and commitment of Arkansans who work at the VA, we are making progress on the backlog at the Little Rock office, but there is still work to be done for our veterans. Take, for instance, the retired lieutenant colonel in Arkansas who is eligible for benefits he earned for his service in the military. He is not receiving the correct pay. The Defense Finance and Accounting Service approved his paperwork in August and sent it to the VA. It has been 6 months and still no decision has been made. This is an easy case, and it simply shouldn't take that long.

Retired CSM Richard Green lives in Sherwood and has already received his

retirement benefits, but he filed for benefits for his wife the month after they married in October 2012. It took 16 months to process that paperwork--much longer than he was used to during active military service when this sort of paperwork was fixed within one or two paychecks. Every part of the claims process is overwhelmed and bogged down.

Paul Cupp from Fort Smith, AR, has been working on his VA appeal since 2009. He was happy to get part of it approved in 2013, after 4 years of waiting. However, months later, he is still waiting for his rating to get updated and to see the actual benefits from that decision.

And the widows of our veterans are not exempt from this backlog. One Arkansan in her seventies has been working on her claim since 2005, and is still awaiting a decision on appeal. Nine years is certainly unacceptable.

Instead of fixing the existing challenges our veterans are facing through fully implementing what we have committed ourselves to, increasing accountability and improving efficiency, some of my colleagues think the best way to tackle this is by expanding programs and increasing the responsibility of the VA. The problem is we are putting more people in a system which is clearly overwhelmed and needs improvement.

This isn't the fault of the VA, which I believe is fully committed to meeting all the demands our veterans and Congress expect from them. However, the VA can only do so much. As the number of veterans and the complicated nature of their needs increases, we must not pile on additional responsibilities which overwhelm the agency. With the announcement by Senator Hagel of a potentially significant drawdown in the military, many more individuals will come into the VA system.

While the bill before us has worthwhile programs which I support and have championed, we should not expect a massive mandate imposed on VA to change the outcomes we experience. We need a measured approach to changes. They must be done over time and include oversight to make sure our veterans are receiving the attention they deserve in a timely manner.

Madam President, I yield the floor.

I yield back the remainder of our time.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, in last year's budget agreement our retired servicemembers were unjustly targeted to bear the burden of irresponsible spending. Balancing the budget on the backs of our servicemembers is a reckless move which violates the responsibility we have to those who wear our Nation's uniform, which is why I voted against the budget agreement.

Numerous Arkansans have reached out to me urging Congress to correct these misguided cuts. I have been encouraging my colleagues to restore these cuts at the earliest opportunity in order to provide certainty for our military retirees' financial future. I, working with others in this body, have worked hard to bring this to a vote.

Yesterday, the House took action. I am pleased to be able to stand here today and tell those Arkansans and all veterans that the Senate has followed suit and corrected this injustice.

However, we must continue working to fully repeal the section of the Bipartisan Budget Act which reduces retirement pay for those who enlist after January 1, 2014. Any changes which Congress may consider to our military compensation system should be done in a thoughtful and responsible manner in the context of a broader compensation system.

I supported this bill before the Senate today to restore the full cost of living adjustment for those enlisted prior to 2014, but I will continue working to fully repeal this cut which singles out current military enlistments to bear the burden of wasteful Washington spending. We need to right this wrong so our veterans, servicemembers, and their families have one less thing to worry about. However, this overwhelmingly bipartisan vote today was certainly a step in the right direction.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that I be able to speak as in morning business.

Madam President, I am here today as a voice for our veterans and career military servicemembers.

Since I came to Congress in 2001, I have served on the Veterans' Affairs Committee, both in the House and the

Senate, and have continuously fought to uphold the promises we have made with the men and women who served on behalf of our Nation. I am continually looking for opportunities to improve the lives of our veterans who have served honorably and have sacrificed, sometimes with their lives, in support of our country.

They deserve every benefit they earned and what we have promised them, but they have suffered a grave injustice in this body. Late last year the Senate, without my support, agreed to a budget that cut retirement benefits of our veterans, reducing the cost-of-living adjustment. I certainly could not support this provision.

Veterans and the American people are rightly upset. I want to share some of the letters I have received from our veterans and other Arkansans. David Mullins from Jonesboro wrote:

I am a 20 year veteran of the United States Army. I retired

as a Sergeant First Class and I am currently drawing military

retirement. I joined the Army when I was 18 years old and I

wouldn't do anything different. Even though it was very hard

at times, I know that was what I was supposed to be doing.

Less than 1% of the American population serves in the

military and of those only about 13% actually retire with 20

years or more of service. So we are talking about less than

.02 percent of the population. It is really appalling that,

after sacrificing my freedoms to protect those of my fellow

citizens, this is how we are treated. America is out of

touch.

I agree with David. In a letter I sent to the Armed Services Committee leadership in the House and Senate, I equated retirement compensation cuts to reaching into these individuals' retirement accounts and taking that money from them. This is unconscionable.

Diane from Hot Springs, AR, said in a letter:

I am truly disgusted by the new deal that cuts military

pensions but doesn't touch benefits for any of the

politicians. I would have no problems if it was an across the

board cut. This is the best example of what is wrong with our

government. Cut benefits for those that make real sacrifices

for their country. They take lower pay and separation from

family.

I agree with Diane. It is not fair. Our veterans should not be the ones bearing the burden for irresponsible spending. We need to cut spending and put our country on the path of fiscal responsibility, but it should not come at the expense of our Nation's military retirees. These are the only Americans who are being asked to sacrifice under the budget agreement. It is wrong to single out our servicemembers for what amounts to $6 billion over 10 years, representing a .02-percent reduction. We need to right this wrong so our military retirees and their families have one less thing to worry about.

Terry Williamson from Jacksonville, AR, wrote:

I just retired from 26 years of active duty serving my

country in the Air Force. I must say I was shocked and

disappointed to learn that the pay of retirees are being

offered up to be reduced by 1% cost of living as part of the

budget deal. I feel that I have lived up to and beyond my

part in serving my country. I have not even received my first

retirement check and yet already my government is short

changing my and all veterans who have served and fulfilled

their end of the deal, defending this great nation. I ask you

to do what you can to not allow this to happen to a small

portion of society that gave more to their country than most.

Terry, we are working to make sure you get the full retirement you earned. We are seeking ways to undo this cut and fully restore military pay.

In January Congress took the first step toward restoring veterans' COLAs with the passage of the Omnibus appropriations bill. This exempted medically retired disabled veterans and survivors from the COLA reductions. But there is more work to do. The good news is we are on your side.

Senator Ayotte introduced the Keeping Our Promises to Our Military Heroes Act that repeals the COLA reduction for all military retirees. I am certainly proud to support that legislation.

Arkansans want Congress to fully restore military retiree benefits as soon as possible. I am committed to raising this priority at every possible opportunity until justice is realized for these military families. While there has been much discussion about restoring these benefits in future legislation, this should be done at the earliest opportunity in order to provide certainty for our military retirees' financial future.

To our Nation's military retirees, I am committed to this fight. You have earned these benefits. Congress must correct the wrong and restore your full retirement pay. As always, thank you for your service to our country.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, surprisingly, the President didn't talk much about ObamaCare, his signature achievement. The people of Arkansas, the people of America certainly are talking a great deal about it and they are writing a great deal about it also. The reason is because they are so concerned that health care has become an absolute mess.

The President talked about a single mom who was able to resolve the problem of her preexisting conditions. I think we all agree that is something that was desperately needed. I am an optometrist, an eye doctor, and very much aware of the situations people have been put in, in the past. Although the reality is we can fix this problem--problems such as this--without creating a massive bureaucracy, without creating a situation where we have thousands of pages of regulations, and the reality is the unintended consequences of the situation we are in now with ObamaCare is that we have made it unaffordable. We have made it such that millions of Americans simply cannot afford the health insurance they are being offered.

Let me talk about a few people who have written to me to talk about their situation. Jack from Springdale writes:

I just found out recently from my current health insurance

provider that my current health insurance policy will be

discontinued effective the first of next year, and a

replacement policy will be approximately double which will be

around $1,200 per month. My question is, is this what

ObamaCare was supposed to do? And if not, what can be done

about it?

Leonard and JoAnne write:

This letter comes to you to ask for your needed support to

defeat/defund the Affordable Care Act in any way possible.

We recently received notification from Health Advantage of

Arkansas that our 2014 monthly premiums increased $173.70 for

a total of $1,360.06. Our out of pocket max increased from

$3,000 to $5,000, the primary care physician co-pay increased

from $25 to $35 and the specialist co-pay increased from $35

to $70. If either of us has to visit the ER, that co-pay

increased from $100 to $250 dollars. The drug co-pay also

increased. We are insulted to have to pay for benefits such

as maternity, pediatric dental, and drug rehab which we have

no need for since we are in our 60s and do not use drugs or

alcohol. Health Advantage of Arkansas explained that these

changes to our policy and increased costs were due to

compliance to ACA.

We have supported you in the past and would like to know

what your plan is to relieve Arkansans and other Americans

from these additional financial burdens imposed upon us by

the Affordable Care Act.

Mary in Little Rock writes that she received a notice that her Medi- Pak Advantage plan was canceled at the end of last year. She explains:

I had no idea that Obamacare was going to also affect

Medicare. Now, to receive comparable coverage for 2014, I

will have to pay an additional $500+ in premiums. This

additional cost will definitely place an unfair burden on my

finances. What are you & the Senate going to do to correct

this situation?

I think Mary asks a very fair question. What are we going to do to correct her situation and the situation of so many others? I think the answer is we need to repeal ObamaCare. We need to put in place a system that does take care of the problems we have but without the bureaucracy, without the tremendous expense, and make health care affordable for all Americans.

I yield back.

Madam President, as a result of ObamaCare, millions will be forced to use money that they would have used to pay rent, help their children attend college, or invest in a business. Instead, they are going to have to use that money to pay for higher premiums and skyrocketing deductibles. Here is one such example from Huntsville, AR, which is in a congressional district which I used to represent when I was in the House. This constituent writes about how he and his family must have to take drastic steps to be able to afford the cost of ObamaCare, not the least of which includes returning to work after retiring last year. The email reads:

I have never before contacted a Senator until today. Sir, I

am outraged about the ObamaCare issue and the Affordable Care

Act. Because of recent developments over the affordable

health care act, and the obvious problematic issues related

to its operation, policy and implementation, we are selling

two of our vehicles to save money.

This is due to the direct impact of this legislation and

due to the broken promises of President Barack Obama that

have been repeated over and over to us for 3 years.

We are also canceling our cable TV, and will save about

$1,500 per year. We are cutting back on Internet, switching

to save another $1,000 per year. We are Christmas shopping in

January. Our purchase of a new vehicle is now delayed for

another 3 years. Our planned vacation trips for 2014 and

beyond are being pared back.

This is the No. 1 issue I am hearing from Arkansans, the high cost, in some cases the unaffordable cost, of ObamaCare.

It is interesting, as we hear other Members of the Senate come and read the same types of emails, the same types of letters that they are getting, they all have the same thing--they are put in positions that are simply untenable. They simply do not have the money to afford the so-called new insurance that they needed as their old insurance was dropped from them.

We need health care reform, but ObamaCare certainly is not the answer. We need to transition the employer-based private insurance market toward one that allows for flexibility, choice, portability, and fairness. Let's allow small business owners to pool together to purchase group insurance, introduce portability into the market. These are things that we need to do, and continue--some of these things are actually in the Affordable Care Act. Yet the reality is we can do that without $1 trillion of increased taxes, and rapidly, because of the way that the business community is responding, making us a nation of part- time employees.

We need to allow individuals to purchase insurance across State lines. We need to expand health savings accounts and flexible savings accounts. These are free market reforms that would drive down costs.

The problem that we had prior to introducing the Affordable Care Act was affordability. What has happened is, instead of driving down costs, we have driven up costs dramatically because of the way the bill was structured.

We also need medical malpractice reform. I am an optometrist by training. I can tell you in the course of taking care of patients that there are people all over the country who have to do things that are above and beyond, sometimes, the things they believe they need to do in order to protect themselves. As a result, there are no ifs, ands, or buts, that definitely drives costs.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I appreciate the efforts and concerns of my colleagues in the Senate and the House who are unwavering in their support for our military retirees. We need to correct this grave injustice that was made and continue our promise to the men and women who serve our Nation by restoring their retirement benefits. We need to cut spending and put our country on the path to fiscal responsibility, but it should not come at the expense of our nation's military retirees. I could never support a budget deal that contained this provision. That is why I opposed the deal that was approved by the Senate this week. I will work with my colleagues to make sure our servicemembers receive the benefits they earned. I am confident that we can find a solution to this error before any retirees are impacted by a reduction in their future retirement pay.