[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 75 (Thursday, May 12, 2016)]
[House]
[Page H2319]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CMS ON STATE EXCHANGES
(Mr. ALLEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, thanks to a report by the House Energy and
Commerce Committee, we now know that a top CMS official misled Congress
during a hearing that was investigating wasted funds on ObamaCare State
exchanges. I have the report right here in my hand.
When ObamaCare was enacted, the President freely gave taxpayer money
to States to establish these State exchanges. Since then, exchanges in
Oregon, New Mexico, Hawaii, Nevada, among others, have failed and
billions of taxpayer dollars have been squandered. I think I speak for
the American taxpayer when I ask: Where is all the leftover money?
My legislation, H.R. 4262, addresses this problem by establishing a
plan to recoup Federal funds and, most importantly, protect American
taxpayers from having to pay back the balance.
Clearly, State exchanges are a mess if a CMS administrator cannot
speak correctly or accurately on them. Faulty State exchanges are not
going away. It is a problem that is only just beginning, and it is
going to get worse.
I thank the committee for their investigation, and I urge my
colleagues to support my legislation, the Transparency and
Accountability of Failed Exchanges Act.
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