which conducted a yearlong investigation and concluded that monopoly is this long was severely damaged both competition and innovation. creating real competition in the truck market place is one of the best opportunities we have to control costs. but by passing this amendment we are not only missing a historic opportunity to then that the cost curve, we are guaranteeing higher drug costs for the foreseeable future. i'm sustanon the large majority of this committee supports this amendment, i do not. and i will continue to make my case that we need real competition to bring down the cost of the fastest-growing segment of our nation's drug bill. cannot and must not place for the drug industry. other members continue to look into this issue i think they will come to understand that this amendment is not the right way to go. >> with the gentleman yield?

>> i yield to mr. deal from georgia. >> mr. chairman, i concur, and let me give a quick illustration of what i consider to be the problem with this legislation in this amendment. i'll likewise did not object to a catholic, we need to establish a pathway, the real problem exclusivity. 12 years and remember that is in addition to the 20 year patent life. let's take an example -- let's suppose the child is born today with a problem, disease, genetic disorder, and this same day in a patent is filed for an biologic that holds the potential of being a cure release the help of that child. twenty years of patent life plus 12 years of the exclusivity, it is true that there can run concurrently, let's assume that by the time the child reaches the first grade that the patent has still providing the

protection and now the product is on the market. the child enters the first grade, by the time the town graduates from high school still as good 70 applies. with evergreen is probably going to be before that town is at least a junior in college. before some of lower cost alternative in the form of a fall on biologic is in order. it that is too long to expect the people of this country to wait. it's a venation come in has the exact opposite from what the stated intention is and in that reason i must oppose. >> with the gentleman yield clarence. >> just briefly mr. chairman, i want to associate myself with your remarks and those also the remarks of mr. deal, i know and this is crucial issue and i know that it saves money and now this is a moving train but i really believe that exclusivity that is

in the amendment is too long and i think that we need more opportunity to look at this and spend time and looked at separately when this bill so i think that this is not in time for the amendment and at this point i can support it. king met my time is expired. >> i rise in support of the amendment and a recognition can back if the gentleman -- i do want to recognize the but mr. dingell seeks recognition. >> mr. burton, you're recognized for i mansky mack i don't think i will take five minutes, mr. chairman, i'm proud to be in the original and primary republican co-sponsor along with congresswoman eshoo on this piece of legislation. when my friend from new jersey talks about needing more time we have been debating this for least three or four years that i am personally aware of. we had a major effort on this in the last congress that did not bear fruit. but it has been in play in this

congress the entire first year of this congress. the time has come. the time of exclusivity is longer than it used mr. chairman and others wish. but it is an identical to the time of exclusivity in the bill that senator kennedy is supporting that pass the committee of jurisdiction in the senate. in fact, i think the legislation the amendment is identical to the bill that has come at a committee in the senate, is that correct? ms eshoo? so we have a bipartisan coalition, we have it my whip count is correct almost two-thirds of this committee in support of this bill. there will be sufficient time as we go to the process to continue to modify the bill of necessary but when you have a bill that has come out of the relevant committee of jurisdiction with

its primary sponsor being senator kennedy who is one of the most loved and legislators in the healthcare bill, when we have almost two-thirds of this committee and support have it, one is an issue we have our town for years and years which is very important to innovation, their import into health care as we intend to practice in the 21st century, the fact that there's a disagreement that exclusivity should be 12 years or five years or seven years is not a reason to hold it up. the greater good, the larger underlying issue is that there is so much effort being put into this bill that we need to provide legislative serving tea and we also need to give enough time for those to invest the development of this bank through a biologics reasonable time to recover their investment before we go to the via -- biosimilars generic equivalent or similar to

there's no such thing as an zaid generic equivalent to this particular drug so i am strongly in support of it and want to thank tiresome and eshoo for her tireless leadership of. when i go on the floor and seek her out i normally have to wait in line because she is talking to some member about this bill. so it is your dedication that the bill has gone this far and i'm proud to be the primary republican. >> i appreciate your good words, i think that there are a couple of things that needed to be added to the record and also printed. this is not 20 years, and that mr. diehl said that. the patents, the approval process, the ask was of a team our concurrent. and on the biologics the biotechnology industry today in producing biologics has infancy,

that is how long they have for evermore. we are bringing this down straight to 12 years. it is not 20. i think that there needs to be a very special balance in this and that is where we differ with the chairman. had to waxman worked very well for a pharmaceutical compounds. there are small molecules. but they and not the same as biologics. they are not the same as biologics. and i think that we need to accomplish the three things that we have worked so hard to build into the bill. i respect those that don't agree with us but we didn't snatch this number of out of nowhere. and so the members need to know on current, it's not in a 20 year exclusivity which would be ludicrous so i wanted to correct that and i think the gentleman for his or for the support of

members of the committee and a pilot for into finally taking a vote on this. i yield back the time to the ranking member. >> would you yield to me? >> high-yield the last minute canada will be put. it is true that the 20 year patent the end of the 12 years' exclusivity may run concurrently. they do not have to run concurrently. you may not have that exclusivity to kick in until a later point in time with a patent may be well into the 20 your time so there are two different things -- patents can be challenged, exclusivity is without any point challenged. it is a total exclusivity, not subject to challenge and i thank the gentleman. >> all time is expired, the vote comes on the eshoo amendment. all those in favor say aye, those opposed say now.

ayes have it to my request a roll-call vote, mr. chairman. >> i did not say that. >> the gentle lady from california, your request a roll-call vote? >> well, if we have one. >> i will request a roll-call vote if she wanted. >> if you wanted, we will go with the. >> i would like one. >> let's go to a roll call. >> [roll call]

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of all members responded to the call the vote? any member wish to change his or her vote? if not, the clerk will report the vote command there were 47 ayes and 11 nos. >> the vote -- the menendez agreed to appear in next amendment? >> are you prepared to proceed with a maximum and? connected gentleman has pre-eminence in and ask navy considered and document without objection that would be the order, the clerk will report the amendments in that we are 14 to become a the first amendment, the second would-be lawyers 002, and the third amendment would be a voyeur 004. i would also ask unanimous consent of that aid package be distributed to all members of the committee. this package would be letters from the disabled american

veterans, blind veterans association, said jewish war veterans of the united states, military order of the purple heart, the list goes on and on. mr. chairman? >> would be ok dudish of the package with regard to matters kreisky met without objection will be considered as read and there will be debated and gentleman is recognized for five minutes. >> thank you very much. the packet of light from members and you get them to take a look at them here now the veteran service organizations are very concerned about provisions in the bell and so i have worked with them. i have asked the professional staff of the v.a. to examine the bill and how do we best protect not only the members of the

national guard and reserve but also veterans utilizing the v.a. hospital. that's the purpose of three men and spear help really i have six amendments. but i just couldn't figure out how to make the other three germane. and that's the challenge that we have it in my earlier about the the chairman that when other committees did not receive jurisdiction when this bill comes out of this committee we are going to have to sit down together and figure out how to take care of other issues with intersection outside of this committee. i have with pre-eminence eye on her that address the concerns shared by the major veterans' service organizations and the first amendment would exempt all enrolled in the spring and health care from punitive tax levying against veterans who do not have acceptable health coverage. as crowley declined in the bill v.a. health care could be considered unacceptable

coverage, this is simply wrong and unacceptable. veterans and ruled as king and health care should not be subjected to spiller to have acceptable health insurance. my second amendment will ensure that nothing in the bill would affect the military and veterans' ability to retain both v.a. and it is no health insurance. a share 3200 gives bureaucrats and the authority to terminate whether there are enrolled in virginia health care have exceptional coverage for purposes of participating in thç exchange. and v.a. is considered qualified coverage a veteran and rolled in speed and health care would be prohibited from obtaining additional health insurance. in 2007 almost 80 percent of the veterans and rolled in at v.a. health care have coverage and not a madman would protect and reserve their freedom to have multiple options. i third would make it absolutely clear the secretary of defense and secretary said produce to

meet the needs of the service members and veterans of the departments will never be challenged or obstructed by another secretary or the commissioner of health and exchange. our service members in the veterans require specialized medical care that is unique from the civilian health care and should not be subjected to uniform. at decisions and other government officials. on the other amendments i did want to bring up that i just can't offer a new airline to have to address it deals with the national guard and reserve with. and that is that employers commission never be a disincentive for employers to hire and national guard or reserve member but a closer look at the bill itself, in fact, hasn't done to the consequence so when you have an individual that could be called to active duty in when called to have a duty and maybe they have

independent that is sick and have a particular health coverage and maybe the service member and then goes on and do do roles and the one to keep them on particular coverage this dual eligibility doesn't allow them to do that without any problem. take for example, the first that has an employer in their job and a trigger out of their unemployment insurance and are on active duty as an employer subject to the present tax. these are real issues that we need to get resolved in so mr. chairman i look for to working with you on these other issues and and just could not get around the chimineas issues. >> with the gentleman yield? >> i just wanted to say i appreciate these amendments because i know your major role with regard to veterans' issues in your concurrence to clarify the role of veterans coverage, but there is one and and and and that anderson had to be drafted

broadly to remain in our jurisdiction and it seems very braun, it says no studies commissioned by the health choice commission consent to the role of veterans coverage in the united states. though we are willing to accept the first to but i would, if you speak to your intent on the third and withdraw it because it is frankly on the third one i don't understand what is going to achieve at this point. >> age of 32 hinn level a to point represents taxable individuals who do not have a sensible health coverage at any time during a taxable year. strike that -- hold on. that is on six. hold on. so as currently defined better is to receive 100 percent of their care through the speed and health care system and choose not to carry additional insurance to not have been to tax is levied against them for

the decision. so my amendment would exempt all veterans involved in v.a. health care planning on presenting to in individual penalty tax for failure to have acceptable insurance. and so it's written in such a manner because of another germane issue. i tried to do with such clarity but then then iran into the germane issue. when that this is exactly what is going through. >> it is my concern in an effort to to make it -- can i here's what i would recommend. why don't we except of three. we have three other issues we have to work together on and so when we come out of this committee i pledge to work with you and chairman cellar and with chairman waxman and that a ranking member and let's work on these along with chairman skelton because these are very difficult issues between strike here, the military health care

delivery system, and that v.a. and other -- >> with that work? >> if the gentleman would deal to me, i think that is fine as long as you understand. >> will massage the language. >> we have to look for a better command i yield back to you. >> i yield to chairman dingell. >> and try to understand here, are we deciding which are going to accept three of the amendments? >> we will accept of three and work through. >> is of the one as the seconds rather the third one or the number one will not be accepted blacks. >> we are accepting all the amendments i am offering, one for to be, to end four and there are other three amendments but have not offered, i agree to work with the chairman. >> i have some real problems with this, i think it goes too broad and too far.

the other eminence i think are fine but this one goes too far. >> :, mr. chairman. beckham make sure that the recommend was handed out if we could please give the wrong -- to the wrong man and was handed out, that was the problem. and there are trying to correct right now. >> thank you. [inaudible conversations] with all respect to the staff, when you have 200 amendments at the desk is difficult to get the right and and so we understand that. >> mr. chairman, what we agreed king and mr. dingell, you are recognized. >> we have pre-eminence, which agreed to go which have not

agreed to? [inaudible conversations] the chair would like to address the question of counsel. because evidently there is some confusion here town. we have some amendments that are not the amendments that we're being conceited and then demanded that are being considered and just been handed out, did you explain which amendment are under consideration? >> as i understand it, mr. chairman, the amendment -- >> [inaudible] >> as i understand, mr. chairman, some of the amendments that mr. boyer did not intend to

be offering were also handed out. so the ones that i believe that mr. boyer is asking be considered our eminent double 02 which is about the exemptions for veterans and members of the armed forces, and then a double 04 department of veterans affairs and the berman of defense health programs and an amendment 142 untitled the beginning to insert at the end of section 142. am i correct? >> 140 to be chemically have two copies, won 42 and one free to be. >> we believe they are identical. would you look at -- >> we have to insert in this act 140 to become a do you see that? >> prieta from using any funds in this act so when i asked for consideration of 142b, that is what i asked and that was one of

the ones that was passed out fortunately. >> mr. boyer, 142 is too broad and get nervous about so if you'd be willing to withdraw in continue to talk about lettuce of center other two? >> we now what is in front of us, mr. chairman, it is 142b and restricted to this act and that is the language i had to put in. >> and try to avoid having to have the opposing ins. >> i don't think, i think, mr. cohn and i had agreed to well having conversation. >> if the gentleman would yield, i was referencing the three that i believe and how we did have at our desk but again i would reiterate that the third won inserted at the end, the 142b is the one i have a problem with and would be preferable and who we could clarify that and if the gentleman would withdraw connected difficulty. >> the difficulty here is doing

in a matter that maintains germane another rule of the chairman has done on all other amendments. so what i am hopefully will do is that too will take these and work to clarify, if you say no we do not take a one for me to be you invite incredible, you invite a lot of -- visits to buy all of these veterans service organizations over the august break that's not necessary. so what i am saying here is if you take this we were together on it and we were together with regard to these other three amendments address mr. chairman at the national guard and reserves and the tricare issues, these are very in the weeds issues that i know are outside the jurisdiction of this committee and i want to work with the mr. chairman to do that. its not possible mr. polo and for us to say let's see how we can make a more narrow, every time i tried to do that chairman waxman iran into a germane

problem. i am just trying to help you're. >> if there is unanimous consent request made to accept all three, i will object. if there is unanimous consent request made to except the first tube, and not one of 42b, i will go on. i will suggest that 142b is appears to have that some merit, but some problems and i would like to have, i still want to agree to something like this until i'm sure that it is doesn't do violence to the purpose of the legislation to let them see if i get a clarification, mr. boyer on your when 42 be. it says the commission is prohibited from using any funds of this act to determine the health care coverage under chapter seven of title 38 u.s. code is not acceptable coverage for any purpose and a title three of division eight of this act.

.. >> you drafted in a way that is confusing because you are trying to accomplish purses that i don't disagree with. so if you would be willing to accept my help so that we can do

this right, i would like to ask you to withdraw this particular one and go with the other one. >> my only suggestion was, that if you took it and you have got yourself a marker that we work from. if -- i don't want to go blind. when you go blind, you're subjecting all the members -- i have learned about the wrath of the veterans administration over the years. i am sharing a little counsel with you. you don't want the wrath, and -- >> i get the wrath of a lot of people. i don't mind it, because if you just try to work things out and. >> here is what i was just. let's do a different unanimous consent request. i will withdraw, withdraw 142b and i would ask for an en bloc for boogiemen 002 and buyer 004.

and as i do this, then, mr. chairman, as i've seen you and i will work on this issue on 142b and the issues regarding the exempting the guard reserve employers who are also subject to the penalty, and the other issue deals with the d.a. reed untrimmed reimbursement. student council seems to have a question so i want to ask in. >> if i may, tran-13. we have two sets of amendments from you with the exact same numbers on them. can you look at the bottom left corner and tell me the time at which they were drafted, please? >> gave me the latest one, how is that? >> the last one filed. so 348 imac pm and 3:51 p.m. on july 17? >> is this correct?

>> yes. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> so i have a unanimous consent on an en bloc sitting before the chairman. and just reserving the right to object so i can get further clarification, you are talking about dealing with veterans exclusively and you are not going beyond that. >> i am dealing with the amendments that are presently before the committee deals strictly with veterans. the other amendments that you and i have agreed to work on also deal with guardsmen and reservists when they are called to active duty and have other forms of insurance. it gets into a very delicate issue when people move on and off of active duty and already have tax -- excuse me, already have insurance. when you accept one of these that says they can have dual eligibility, we begin to clean up part of this challenge that these guardsmen and reservists

will have. >> is there objection to the unanimous consent request? have not, that will be the order. and we will now vote on the two buyer amendment. all of those in favor say aye ko. opposed, say no. this gem and has my commitment to -- >> one last thing i need to share with the committee is ms. harman offered an amendment from taking medics from active duty and going to d&d. i have done all the due diligence. she did a great job. the only concern that was raided by anyone was dod was getting incentives to medics to leave active duty. outside of that there are no problems and i congratulate ms. harman for her amendment. >> very good. further amendments. who am i speaking to? mr. weiner? the clerk will report the amendment.

>> amendment to the amendment and the nature of a substitute for h.r. 3200 by mr. weiner of new york and mr. welch of vermont. amended the vision a -- >> without objection then it will be considered as read and the gentleman from new york is recognized. >> reserve a point of order. >> and we had reserved point of order. >> thank you, mr. chairman, and i offer this amendment with the sponsorship of mister welch, also mr. doyle, ms. baldwin, michigan ask you, mr. rush, and mr. angle, and i think with the support of many americans who are asking fundamental questions about the way the build we are considering a structured and whether or not there is a better way. this is an amendment that would

strike the guts of the bill and replace it with a single-payer option that would, ideally, be less expensive, more simple, and would ultimately cover more people in a way that they understand and know. let me begin by saying that we have tried with some success, but a great deal of confusion, to jerryrigged a health care system on top of the foundation of the private insurance market that if we were going to start from scratch we would never choose. we never choose it because it's expensive. we would never choose it because it's complicated. but we primarily never choose it because the insurance companies role in it is fundamentally contrary to what our role should be as members of congress. they have an incentive, not because they are bad people, but that is because that's what they do to take money in exchange for

offering the service of health care. but they are not providing any help you. let me begin by making something very clear. we all have single-payer health care now. we have a single-payer health care whether we have private insurance, whether we have medicare, whether they have tried here through the v.a. we take my. we give it to someone and then we go visit doctors. some of us have a choice, but most of us really don't. most of us who have health insurance through our businesses can't just go out and say, i want to choose another one. most of us don't have a choice to shop around when we are sick to say i will have my gallbladder removed some other time. i am going to shop around a little bit first. nevermind my gallbladder, can you work on my liver a little bit. so the mythology that there is a lot of choice that consumers have now is just that, it is mythology. under a single payer plan the way it would be structured as you pay a payroll tax, and then you choose a doctor. you go to the doctor, and from your payroll taxes or the taxes

you pay in other ways, they reimburse the doctor. that's it. to show you how looks on a chart, this is it. plain and simple. no 800 numbers. no problem with pre-existing conditions. this is it. and what's the benefit of this? well, you take this of the $2.2 trillion, that we pay, this $775 billion that goes to private insurance, of which about, say, about 295 billion of it is profit and overhead and it goes back to you, the taxpayer. it goes back to you, the patient. it goes back to you, the doctor. it goes back to you, the hospital. it doesn't go to the hospital, it doesn't go to the insurance company. that's it. plain and simple. now, what can we do with $293 billion of profits, or $775 billion a year?

and that ignore something else. that ignores the fact that there's about $270 billion in out of pocket cost that we pay each year. well, some people around you are saying let's come up with a system where we take private insurance companies, we put a public option on top of it here they have been saying the same thing about the public option. we need a public auction to compete to drive down prices. that's what the left says. the right says, oh, we have to make sure we harness and make her the public isn't too strong as we are afraid they should does indict -- because we are afraid that public auction option will drive down too much. both sides are saying the same thing and saying the same thing -- you have to get some kind of option or their. [laughter] >> they are saying the same thing. they are saying if you have a public option people will choose it. doesn't that tell you something? when my friends on the right say, oh, we can make it too strong, it will drive out the

private plans. aren't they saying that consumers are too dumb to make the correct choice? and when folks over here in the construction of this bill and my friends from the blue dogs say we have to be careful, we can have too strong a public plan because it might gobble up all of the business. what they are saying is consumers would prefer a public plan, and they are right. overwhelmingly, people when they look at medicare say, you know what, that's a public plan that i like. that's a single-payer plan that i like. that the government-run plan that i like. and overwhelmingly, the doctors and hospitals say that they like dealing with them. make no mistake, one of the concerns that i heard raves about the public plan is that they talk about the problems that medicare has. no doubt about it. we have to fix them. but if oxford insurance is to pick out one has problems that we don't like, what do we do? we have two options. we can get on an 800 number and complain or we can buy shares of stock in that company and try to change the politics. if medicare has problems are a

single-payer plan has problems, you know what we do? we go to the government officials or we go to congress and we say we're going to change those rules. if you don't like the reimbursement rates, we're going to change the. if we want to incentivize care that's what we will do. why did this rise up in this way? why did we create this type of system? because we have an action. now, ladies and showman, we are acting. this is as close as we have to start from scratch as we are ever going to have. why is it i say -- as for one additional minute. why would we take this plan that is on an expensive and try to jerry rig it on. and if i have heard one concern about this plan that we are voting on today, which is certainly better than the status quo, but not as good as a single-payer plan. people say i am confused. what does it mean? what are all these new things i am learning about? go home over the break, my colleagues, and say we are going to provide you something like medicare when you are 45, when you're 35, 25, 15, when you are

born. and they are going to get it. they will understand it. and they are going to understand what it means because it makes sense. it is simple. is cost effective and it covers everyone. and with the money that we save, we're going to get people to ask gets. we're going to get them better roads, or better and better research into coming up with tears for new diseases. we are no longer going to take hundreds of billions of dollars every single year and give it to insurance companies who do butkus in return. they don't give me a check of. they don' don't give me an oper. >> the gentleman is instructed to speak english. [laughter] >> and your time has expired. >> i thank -- i urge a yes vote. >> mr. chairman. >> mr. barton. >> the minority appeals the minute and yield back the bounds of its time. >> the chair wishes to recognize for additional comments, other members but we hope they will not be as lengthy as comments i

mr. weiner. i am going to yield five minutes to mr. in, but i hope he would take just a short part of it and then yield to others who wish to speak on the subject. >> thank you very much, thank you. i will take less time and yield to others. first of all, i am in strong support of this amendment. i want to commend mr. whitaker i think single-payer makes the most sense for this country at a time when we're looking to change health care, at a time we know that 47 million americans are uninsured, at a time when we know the health care system is broken getting more and more expensive. the insurance companies are cherry picking. people can't get insurance. people like medicare, let's expand medicare. to me, it's simple. i talked to senior citizens and they like medicare. they are afraid medicare will be cut but they like it as it is now. we know that this plan, talking about saving money, this plan

will save money in the long run. it is cheaper. is crisper. why are we the only industrialized country without single-payer? people say, if you have single-payer your going to have to ration care picu will have to have lines. it doesn't have to be that way at all. if we are building a structure from the bottom up, we can build any way we like it we can take better care. we can expand medicare. we can add things that we can take away things that we can do this. a private insurance company, franca, had their chance and they failed. and they failed because people are not happy and 47 million americans are uninsured. you talk about health care costs. how much of the health care costs go to administrative costs? 10%, 15%? it as high as 30%. imagine if we had it all under one unit and we would eliminate administrative costs, we could take that money and put to real health care. we could put into helping people. this is what this amendment does. again, when i go around in my

district senior citizens want this kind of thing. there is someone in my district in perl korn and i hope she is listening today. she came to my office and start to talk to me about single key pair and convince me and convincing others. >> will the gentleman yield some of his time? >> i think we have a very good chance to do this today and we ought to do it. and i yield to mr. bill. >> thank you. i will be very brief. i want to also lend my support to this amendment. by congressional district is the second oldest in the country, second only to date county florida. my people in the 14th congressional district of pittsburgh understand medicare and they love that program. if you ever try to take medicare away from the people in pittsburgh, pennsylvania, you would have a revolt that you wouldn't see anywhere else in the country. this is the best of both worlds. this retains a private delivery system that americans want, and have come to love. combined with the administration that doesn't have a profit motive, that can do this for less administrative costs. it's a program people understand

and support. i want to yield to ms. baldwin. >> thank you. thank you for yielding. i am one of the members of this committee who believes strongly that a single-payer health care system is the best way to comprehensively and fairly reform our health care system. and i am one of the many members who believe that health care ought to be a right for all, not simply a privilege enjoyed by those with means and access. every american, every american deserves quality affordable health care. and private insurance simply has not delivered on this profit. as i mentioned last night, last year the average salary of eight ceo of a top health insurance company was over $9 million. enough to provide health insurance to 648 families for an entire year. so i commend mr. weiner for putting single-payer back on the table, and i thank you for working with me and many others to make this dish to allow for

this meaningful debate. >> i yield to ms. schakowsky. >> listening to the prior debates, you would think that the obligation of the congress of the united states is to protect the insurance companies, primarily. and if you look at the contortions that we have gone through in order to make sure that they have enough profit, i think the evidence is abundant that somehow that seems to be the priority. but no, the goal is to provide every american, finally, after so many decades with an opportunity of affordable access to health care. the goal is not to just support an insurance industry that has brought us to a point where we live sicker, die younger, and pay twice as much as any other country. i want to thank doctor quentin young, my personal physician for many years and a leader on this movement for a single-payer health care system.

we have an opportunity to do that. it is simple. we have seen date we don't have to imagine what a single-payer system looks like. it looks like medicare, but better, because we have the kind of resources to make strictly an american kind of system that would provide everybody with health care. it's a shame that we would have to try everything else before we get to the kind of system that would really work. and i supported and i would yield to mister welch. >> thank you, mr. chairman. >> without objection. i would ask unanimous consent that we give two minutes to mister welch and two minutes to mr. rush and then we will move on. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i want to thank the republican colleagues as well. i do believe that we are here with a common enterprise, and the goal is to do something very challenging. to change our health care system. and it's very simple to me what our goals are. we want a system where everybody is covered in order to achieve

that everybody has to help pay. and each and every single one of us has a stake in making and maintaining it as an affordable system here and what we have is a tale of two charge that we have mr. gingrich's chart or can we like to criticize it, but it's a pretty competent example of what our health care system is right now. and we have mr. weiner's chart. those of us who advocate for single-payer do so because we believe it can achieve simplicity, better value, health care for all, all of us having a stake in paying for it and making it affordable. but the bottom line here is that if we are going to make a choice about health care future, individuals are going to continue to have the right to choose their doctor like they do under medicaid, and medicare. they will have an opportunity to choose their hospital as they do under medicare. and then the challenges that come up are going to have to be resolved by all of us here in

congress. and on medicare will we have seen is that republicans and democrats alike do every single thing within their power to make certain that our senior citizens have access to the health care that they do need. that is what would happen, i believe, if we had a single pair system. i yield back. >> that you would like to now yield two minutes to mr. rush. >> mr. weiner, would you yield to me? i understand the points that you are making an other colleagues on this very issue. and i have talked to speaker pelosi about it. and she has pledged to me that she will allow this issue to come to the house floor for a vote. and that she expects you will be offering this amendment in a different venue than this committee. based on that fact, i request that you withdraw the amendment and we will look forward to a debate and a vote at another place. >> mr. waxman, am i to

understand correctly that the speaker has said that if i withdraw it here in this menu, i and my other colleagues who have an opportunity to present this before the entire house and the entire country for a debate, with the possibility being this would be adopted as an alternative to the bill we're going to pass out of this committee? >> i want to be very clear. the speaker cannot gauge the speaker said she would allow this to be brought up on the house floor and debated and voted on. >> i gladly accept that, that offer. because i think there should be an alternative to what is going to be coming out of this and i think this is the appropriate one. and if that is the pledge, then i gladly on behalf of my colleagues ask unanimous consent that the amendment be withdrawn. >> mr. chairman, i object. >> the german withdraws. >> any member can withdraw. >> the gentleman withdraws his amendment. who do i recognize next?

>> doctor guidry i think is ready. >> mr. gingrich. >> mr. chairman, i have an amendment will you inform the clerk which amendment is so we can have it reported. >> i believe the number on this is 45 subgroup 001. the amendment ensuring seniors access to affordable health care. [inaudible conversations]

>> the clerk will report the amendment. >> without objection, the amendment will be considered as read. the gentleman from new jersey reserved a point of order, and we recognized dr. gingrey for five minutes. smack you, mr. chairman. mr. chairman, i hope all seniors across this country who are medicare recipients are listening and watching these proceedings and listen very carefully to the last amendment by mr. weiner. this -- my amendment, mr.

chairman, is addressing the fact that we have an unfunded liability of $37 trillion by the year 2075. and yet, to fund this new program to try to come up with the pay-fors, what this bill does is it has cut $500 billion out of the current medicare system that already has a $37 trillion unfunded liability. and i hope every senior is listening very, very carefully. mr. chairman, this amendment would take all of that pay for, all of that $500 billion put it back where it belongs. put it into the medicare system. here are some of the things that

we could do with that $500 billion rather than trying to create a whole new public plan, medicare for all. we could close the doughnut hole. we could provide that are covered under part d., the prescription drug plan, something our democratic colleagues have been screaming for since december of 2003. we could do better than just a birthday physical when you become 65 and are automatically enrolled in the medicare program. that's one physical. why not a physical exam on an annual basis? broader nursing home coverage, more than just 100 days. lower deductibles. lower co-pays. how about catastrophic coverage? we don't have that under medicare.

and now we're taking away from 11 million, 11 million, 20% of medicare recipients who choose medicare advantage. we are taking away from them for dental care, vision care, hearing aids, and all of a sudden they've got to pay that out of their own pocket at the time, mr. chairman, when their 401(k)s are probably off by at least 40%. my good friend from vermont referenced my chart. that complicated chart that i held up the other day, it and i think there's a picture of it in the washington post this morning. and he compared it to the simple side chart that mr. weiner showed us just a second ago. ago, in regard to a single-payer system. if i were artistic, i would hold up another chart of noah's ark. essentially what we are doing is we are saying noah, load more

people onto the ark, even though there are leaks in the ark. in fact, it's leaking like a sieve. and once you load it down with more people, indeed, maybe even 110 million more, pretty soon, mr. chairman, that arc is going to sink. and what is going to do if he is going to start throwing people overboard. and i want to say to the seniors out there, guess who gets thrown overboard first? so mr. weiner's chart may be very simple, and you have heard many other members on the other side of the aisle praised a single-payer system, but what it leads to is a sinking, slowly but surely, sinking noah's ark. the only way it stays afloat is you start throwing people overboard. you ration their care. you deny coverage.

you don't let them get that cancer therapy they need. just as they do in great britain and other countries. and your five year survival rate on cancer goes down, whether it's breastwor breast or prosta. this has led to fix the system. we can do it. let's not throw the senior out in this case, not the baby. let's not throw the senior out with the bathwater. let's protect our precious seniors. let's restore medicare. we can do it. we can restore a healthy insurance for all program in regard to the delivery. we can make our insurance companies create high-risk pools. we agree with all of that. so, mr. chairman, i think this is a simple amendment, as i say. my time has concluded.

let's do vote and the let's vote yes on this nomination and i yield back the. >> the gentleman's time has expired. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i hope indeed that senior citizens and people with disabilities, and all medicare beneficiaries, are listening right now. and i speak as of the former director the illinois council -- state council of senior citizens and i admit a new medicare beneficiary myself. here are the facts. much of the savings in medicare is going right back to help medicare beneficiaries, including eliminating cost-sharing but preventive services. closing the doughnut hole, investing in a new delivery system that will improve quality and affordability of care. but senior citizens and persons with disabilities are going to benefit from many other portions of the bill. let's listen to those.

by lowering the cost of health care, we help address the rising cost of medicare, and it has been estimated that this amendment -- that this amendment will cost medicare solvency by seven years. the bill will extend it. by improving nursing home transparency, we are improving the quality of care for seniors and persons with disabilities. by looking at ways to improve the value for treating alzheimer patients, we are helping seniors and their families by providing a system so that early retirees can continue to receive health care until they are able to get into medicare, we help them stay healthy and avoid having problems, turn into costly issues that medicare into paying for once they are eligible. comparative effectiveness research and investment in public health are not just for the nonelderly. it's for everyone. but let's also be very clear.

if we pass this amendment, it is not as if mr. gingrey has a plan for covering the uninsured, improving coverage for the poorly insured, or improving health care quality. if this amendment had a second part, a par to pay for other critical provisions of this bill, then others might be willing to consider it. but it doesn't. so this is a mess that the plan that we have produced, the good plan that we have produced will be hurtful to medicare beneficiaries, but i assure you that that is going to be whether the major lines of attack, to frighten the elderly and persons with disabilities that somehow this is going to do damage to them. remember, the people who are supporting this bill are the people like our chairman emeritus, john dingell, who was here and in the chair when

medicare went into effect and have supported it all these years. and have been fighting off attacks of medicare and proposals that would diminish medicare. we are the people who have protected that program. we continue to protect that program. don't let anybody scare you. we will be there for you as we always have been. and i yield back the. >> the gentle lady yield to mr. dingell? >> i will. >> mr. dingle. >> mr. chairman, i say this with respect to the author but this is a bad amendment or by using some of the savings in medicare to reduce the rate of health care growth, cost about the system, we are in fact helping medicare beneficiaries are the bill permits that. the amendment does not. specifically we can then find the amendment will preclude us from extending the financial

solvency of medicare by another five to seven years based on efficiencies. part of our expense -- expenditures he would make the whole country healthier. so that as people reach the medicare age, they are not as sick or frail as they might otherwise be. we thus save more money and we help people. remember, others are contributing to the cost of medicare as well as the medicare beneficiaries. and we're helping them at a time when they in fact paid for the cost of these events. we want to make the whole country healthier. this is a fine amendment, but it is counterproductive. is offered with good intention, but it has a bad effect by hurting medicare beneficiaries and by seeing to it that we cannot make the whole country healthier as we might have otherwise, if the amendment is rejected.

>> i yield back. >> i would like to yield to chairman of my subcommittee, congressman rush from chicago. >> thank you. i appreciate the gentle ladies yielding to me. mr. chairman, and other members, i want to just add my voice of support. and the gentleman from new york on his amendment that he withdrew. i do for a lot of reasons. i think that this amendment goes to the heart and the guts of what has been plaguing this nation for a long time now. and that is to provide medical access, medical care to its most impoverished citizens and all citizens alike. mr. chairman, i am reminded of how i first got involved in the

public service, and that was in the '60s. i remember so well when we, along with doctor kass, doctor quentin young and others organized a health center, a free health center on the west side of the city of chicago. were the only provision that people needed -- the only requirement that they need to have met in order to get firstclass care out of this health care clinic was that they be sick. and it has served as really a lifeboat for those that have been sick and taking care of their needs. mr. chairman, i am opposed to this amendment that we are presently entertaining, but i also want to just enclosing say to my friend, dr. gingrey, you know as a doctor as an example of a problem that people face, let me just tell you, the

single-payer plan is not a >> bronson arroyo played for the red sox in 2003 to 2005, and here's what he told the "boston herald:" >> in other news, today in manhattan, new york giants linebacker antonio pierce finished his second day of testimony before a grand jury that is investigating a weapons

charge against his former teammate plaxico burress. pierce's testimony lasted about two hours. now, pierce was with burress at a new york city nightclub last november when the wide receiver shot himself in the leg. authorities say pierce drove burress to the hospital and took the gun to burress home. following his testimony today, pierce didn't comment but his attorney did. >> you're confident that the facts support the propositions that mr. pierce acted as any civilian in a similar circumstance would have acted, and it's easy to go backwards and try to retrace steps? mr. pierce acted under a stressful situation to say -- save what he thought was the life of a teammate and it's really clear once all the testimony came out that no one could have acted any differently. >> mr. burress... [inaudible] >> mr. pierce did not ask for sympathy. mr. pierce ask that the grand jury weigh the facts because the facts were sufficient to demonstrate that mr. pierce

commit nod impropriety. >> now, the giants report to training camp on sunday. the grand jury is expected to decide whether to indict burress or pierce some time next week. >> josh freeman, 17th overall pick who left kansas state after his junior season, good call. he inks a five-year deal for $36 million, ten million guaranteed to tampa bay. his new coach has said freeman will compete for the starting job. tom brady is not competing for the starting job. he is the starter in new england and deservedly. so today his second day back on the field since tearing up his knee in 2008 season opener. yesterday baseball had a great sound bite about tom brady. today brady tried it. >> it's a new year. there's new challenges for us, and there are some great opportunities. we have a rhett van team and i think as a quarterback it's, you know, training camp is a little built different for us than everybody else.

we're not hitting or part of the tackling drill or anything like that. about the only time i can yell at guys a lot bigger than me and not get my ass kicked. >> are you looking at the knee as you move, are you feeling it at all? >> i'm not. i made a consorted effort to move on that. was last season, and this is this season. i don't think about it. i think it's been a great learning experience for me, and i'm using it really as a positive, and hopefully i can go out this year and be a great quarterback for this team. >> lamar odom is back in the fold for the defending champs. odom has agreed to a four-year contract to return to the lakers. l.a. holding a team option on the fourth year if the team exercises its option. the deal worth $33 million total. lamar glad to be back with the lake show. >> it was a tedious time, but, you know, patience and prayer, i'm back where i wanted to be

and where i wanted to end my career. it was in my opinion nip and tuck. it was part of the process. it was what i expected, especially at this time where it's tough to come by a dollar. i expected it and it paid off, literally. >> we take you to the next level. despite posting the lowest regular season scoring average of his career, odom finished second only to lebron james and the league in plus-minus last season. the lakers outscored their opponents by nearly 700 points when odom was on the court. >> plus-minus is how many team your scores against the other team while you're on the court. >> plus-minus is a statistic. >> second round of the buick open. tiger woods an eagle on 12. that's his third hole. he started on the back nine. tiger with a minus one after

yesterday trying the move up the leaderboard at a tournament where they always score well. on 14, the tee shot. 337 yards. that is mark morgannesque. >> wow. >> sets up another eagle chance, about 40 feet, sew even for tiger this is tough. >> this is the strength of my game. >> mine is pulling the flag out of the pin. >> i would have made that. >> woods taps in for birdie. six under through his first five holes. this is an eagle. watch the knee. careful. steady. too soon? tiger would birdie. there now, finishing up on nine, this is for bird. no. still, cards a 56 getting him 10 under par for the tournament. >> we must are have seen the only putts he missed all day. >> now, there are other golfers reportedly at this tournament. here's the proof. john senden on the par five

seventh. his approach. he would birdie. thank you. woods is 95th going into today at 91. now he's minus ten four strokes off the lead. still a few golfers on the course. the average winning score here since the year 2000 is 21 under par. they're ahead of that pace, but it allows guys to make up a ton of room as tiger did today. >> i was a little bit hot yesterday. so i decided to go home and get away from it for a little bit and come out today with a better understanding of what i'm going to do and just hit the ball a little bit... i drove it great yesterday. i just didn't get as close and didn't putt well. >> i'm back in touch where if i play a good round tomorrow, then i should be near the lead, and i've got to look at it as a

process. i was so far back, but i had three more rounds to go. >> the buick open near flint michigan. tiger loves it here. he's played now nine times and never finished lower than 11th. he's won it twice. he hasn't played here in three years. how well did he start in birdie, birdie, eagle, birdie, birdie, par, birdie. that's pretty good. that's how you get a 63. i said 66. he carded a 63 today. up next on espnews, much more on the shocker from baseball's trade deadline. jake peavy to the white sox? >> espnews brought to you by budweiser. reach for the perfect combination of flavor and refreshment. budweiser, the great american ♪ ah, that hits the spot. it's drinkability. it means bud light is good where ever you are. if you're at a party. or, playing golf. like those guys. or,

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test

>> steve bunin back with mark morgan on espnews. there were a fleury of deals on the trade deadline. jared washburn earlier in the afternoon from sat toll detroit. scott rolen to the reds. they sent jerry hairston to the yankees. jik johnson staying in the national league east. roy halladay doesn't get traded and jake peavy on the disabled list goes from san diego to the white sox. you can imagine what people are saying on the radio in chicago right now. actually, wait, you don't have to imagine it. we're playing it for you. >> i like the jake peavy deal. even though you're giving up poreda, a first-round pick, clayton richard, giving up dexter carter, giving up adam russell. you're getting a cy young pitcher who is healthy, one of the top six or seven starters in baseball. you control him for the next three years after this year. you already have buehrle and gavin floyd and john danks.

>> a good one through four. >> the big brass wants to make this deal and i like it. >> here's the trade i didn't understand, scott rolen to the reds. what does that do for you? >> i don't know. >> why? well, they couldn't move halladay, so they decided to move scott rolen. >> four million this year, 11 million next year. i guess they didn't want to pay the $11 million. >> having a nice year, too. >> they're right on the water in cincinnati. maybe they wanted "rolen" on the river. ♪ rollin', rollen on the river ♪ >> i'm not a cubs or sox fan, but i follow local sports. sooner or later they will have to adles offense. it's been four series since the sox have even scored five runs. i only know that because i'm aborioles' fan and it happened against us. you have to be able to get runs. last night you get a great pitching outing and you still almost lose. >> i said that earlier steve before this deal. right now the only guy hitting

is a 22-year-old rookie. that's not good. i'm glad that bacon is going to be start, but the only guy really hitting is gordon beckham. >> konerko is great for a while, but he's around 4-34 lately. >> all the guys are hitting under .250 after the all-star break. it's a big list of guys, konerko about .171, thome down there. a bunch of guys have struggled after the all-star break. you gate chance to relax. all these guys got a chance to relax except for mark buehrlely. you need pick up the pace in the second half, lads. >> maybe that's why kenny sent four pitchers west because he's looking at his team saying there's no way we can afford to lose gordon beckham going forward, tyler flowers is supposed to be the next great hitting catcher, the kid jared mitchell, the kid they just grabbed from l.s.u., the speed demon. maybe he's saying, this is what i need to build within my own

organization right now. we've got to get better offensively. we need more of the bacons. you're getting to the end with jermaine dye, and i know he's got more home runs than any player in the mesh league since the start of last year, but let's face it, you're getting to the end with jermaine dye and jim thome and paul konerko a.j. pierzynski. going forward you're going to need offensive weapons. you're going to need more speed in your lineup the way ozzie has always wanted. maybe that's a big reason why he decided that four pitchers will go west because he's looking at next three years of a rotation of buehrle, peavy, danks assuming nobody gets hurt. that's a big assumption, but that's the logic behind kenny's thinking today. >> that's what they're saying in chicago. reacting to the jake peavy trade from san diego. reaction from southern california. we now bring in tom from the "san diego union-tribune." what are the padres saying was

their rationale? >> two things. good young pitching, clear up some money off the table and sort of move forward with the rebuilding long term they're trying to do. >> why now and not a few months ago? >> peavy turned him down in may. they tried give him to the white sox and he was unwilling to accept a trade. kenny williams came back after him and was very persistent and i think kenny williams was the key to getting this done. >> what do you expect fan reaction to be in san diego? >> fairly resigned and somewhat hopeful. he had a little bit... this has been going on for about a year where he's been in the rumor mill. so not surprised. probably a little surprised that he actually accepted a trade to not only an american league team in general but to go to the white sox in particular. but you got to understand, this has been in the works, trading peavy, for almost a year. so people, there's real subject

fatigue, but they're probably wishing him well. the home-grown padre, but there's probably a hopefulness that now, hey, they freed up some money and it might allow them to do some things pretty exciting long term. you know what, you bring over some pitchers from the american league or american league farm system at petco park and see what happens with those guys. >> what didn't happen with test a big deal if you're able to st test the market, which they're

very good at doing. i don't think they really were intent on trading either of those guys, but now they have some information going into the off season. >> what sort of information do you think they learned. >> i think they probably learned what some of the young players could be had for these guys. i don't want to say it was just for gathering information. i think you use the pen nabts race and sort of the media to try and build some urgency and maybe someone overpaid. i think that's certainly part of the issue with bell. >> they hold on the bell and gonzalez and trade peavy for four young pitchers. what is the state of san diego padres baseball right now? >> full-on rebuilding mode. they just freed up a ton of money, which is a big deal to them. they're trying... they're really trying to retool and get a lot of young arms, more of an emphasis on power arms and it sure seems like they got a lot of that done today.

pretty interesting trade. >> nobody knows the padres like tom krasovic. we appreciate you joining us from the "union tribune." talk to you again. >> trade winds blowing in the majors on deadline day. victor martinez is changing addresses. roy halladay is not. we're coming right back. obviouh

>> second round of the u.s.nkin senior open at crooked stick in

caramel, indiana. sixth hole, tom watson. birdie putt for watson, moves to one under. greg norman, tenth hole of the day. that was a little birdie. nice chip in for the birdie to six under par. flips the ball to a fan there. >> that's almost a grab. >> made that kid's day. i'd make him sign the ball, too. tim jackson hits his second sho. from the rough. a ltle rolls to within four feet of tht hole.fter jackson would make birdie. he is your leader.ot >> who? >> tim jackson. he's an amateur, and by amateur i don't mean in high school. he's a little bit over. he's tied with joey sindelar. he's still on the course. jackson has already tied the 36-hole scoring record with that 11 under par. so far jackson has made just one bogey the entire tournament. >> amateurs. women's british open, michelle

wie in contention for birdie on 14. she was in contention. she's not anymore. shot a 76. how about this shot from katrina matthews. >> is this coming right at us? >> she had an eagle on 11. this is 12. >> a big setup for this one, so i'm guessing that... >> get in the hole! a hole in one, back-to-back eagles, and she is on top of the leaderboard at three under par. she's 39 years old from scotland. 17th player in l.p.g.a. history, mark to, record back-to-back's unless a round, fourth to do with it a hole in one. gregory got us all of that. >> information. >> thanks, greg. >> we stay current here at espnews. david beckham missed the galg yes's practice thursday at the home depot center because of back pain he said flared up a few days ago. becks says he hopes to resume

training today for the l.a. galaxy. >> f.c. barcelona matchup. that's saturday at the rose bowl. coming up, major league baseball trade deadline day. there is no one in the building who we'd rather have us than tim kurkjian. he's alongside in

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the following is a masn presentation. the trade deadline has come and gone and the nats made a big splash today sending two veterans packing. >> joe beimel rings him up. >> curve ball and nick does it again! >> one other big move has already paid huge dividends as two gries pittsburgh ignited the nats. >> nyjer morgan. there he is! >> tonight, they return to their old stomping grounds, the steel city where an old friend becomes a foe. >> strike three. >> next on masn 2. this is the

scene at pnc park in pittsburgh. the nationals clubhouse, the locker of joe beimel who has spent less than a half of year with the washington nationals and the locker of nick johnson who spent five years with the nationals franchise. welcome, everybody, to "nats xtra" pregame. i'm johnny holliday with ray knight. nick johnson gone. joe beimel gone. our show is brought to you by our good friends at vep verizon wireless. i guess their names have been mentioned. you hate to see anybody go. the trade deadline was 4:00 today. both these guys really contributed mightily to the success of this organization. >> they certainly did. nick johnson, you saw what he could do after being rid welled injury after the last cowm couple of years a real good ball player a great team player. you knew it was going to happen. i knew nick was going to be the guy mainly because i think adam dunn has to play left field. you lose a lost defense, but you gain so much offensively. i believe if he plays first base and works hard over there,

he can become a good first baseman w all that size, i would have loved to have gone to him. >> tonight, he'll be your first baseman. nick johnson, five years, .280 average, 56 home runs, 248 rbi's, 121 doubles. how many times did you see him hurt? he goes to the florida marlins. we get in exchange a left- handed pitcher aaron thompson from the marlins who is 22, ray. drafted first-round by the marlins in the 2005 draft. this year in jacksonville, 5-9 has yet to come up with the bigclub there with the marlins. >> i don't know anything about him, johnny, except what i read. i've been reading the last hour about this kid. they say he has the best changeup in the organization. he has four quality pitches. a lot of people have projected him to be a major league starter as a if you are and five starter. one scout i read his opinion in a magazine said he didn't believe that. he thought this kid had the ability to pitch as a number

two starter. all that means is he has good enough stuff with four pitches to get around the lineup enough to pitch seven innings or more. four and five starter are guys generally who pitch 5 1/2 innings. at least one scout out there thinks this kid has a chance to be a top of the line starter. >> talk about joe beimel going back to the dodgers. there had been sod interest. he winds up going to the colorado rockies in exchange for a couple of minor league prospect pitchers. >> he's going to like it out there. that ball club is an up and coming club. they have a lot of great, young offense. they have a very good defense. strug ltd early. joe beimel is a guy that really held contending -- help a contending ball club. he can come in and matchup against any left-hander in the league. gets right-handers out real well. he's a positive guy. good guy topt to have on the ball club. if we had one more, he would probably still be here. the fact you can add a couple of right-handed pitchers down there from the rockies, we're just stockpiling pitchers.

you never can have too many pitchers or enough arms. so, joe beimel goes off to the rockies in exchange for two young pitchers. >> 1-5 record, e.r.a. of 3.40, 39 2/3 innings, walked 15, strikeout 24 and opposition hit only .253 against him. he gave us a great lineup one day on masn for our "nats xtra" pregame. ryan math yiews and robinson fabian, these two guys join the nationals in exchange for joe beimel. >> when you go deep into team's rosters, you don't know much about these guys. i guarantee bob boone and rizzo and rest of the staff had advance cowts out, penal look at the guys and they made the decision to acquire a couple of right-handers. 25-23. again d-25 and 23. we don't know much about them. this organization has become pitching rich and that's how you make trades in the future when you have quality pitchers to be able to be pieces, part

of of big puzzles for quality, big time players. >> now that's only one player on the original opening day roster when we had 12 listed, only john lannan remains. it was lannan and beimel. debbi taylor there at ponikarovsky in -- pnc park in pittsburgh. the start of a four-game series. you get close to these players and talk to nick and joe beimel all the time. let's get your reaction about some of the players and how this trade will affect this ball club? >> well, johnny, i think as you know these are two players that were definitely very well respected. it was a very sfraing day. joe beimel telling me he was having clunch lunch. he was 10 of 3:00 and he got the call he was trade. nick johnson was already at the ballpark. i had talked to him about setting up an interview today. i said i'll get you you after we do the jim riggleman press conference at 4:30. he said great. five minutes and iv 4:00 he was on the telephone realizing he got traded. it was a strange day. these guys will be missed. here is their reaction to being

traded today. >> it's part of the game. you hear certain things, but 4:00 i went into the cage and didn't think anything of it and then i got the at that point on my shoulder. >> it was something i thought -- the tap on my showed ear it was something that i thought could happen. down to the last hour i hadn't heard anything so i was just thinking i would be here the rest of the year. i got a dprawl mike rizzo and it's been kind of a whirlwind since then. >> nick, as you leave washington, what will you remember about your time with the nationals? >> great bunch of guys. great fans. went at it hard every day. we didn't wane lost games, but we pushed forward and competed and had a good time. >> your thoughts on going to the rockies? >> definitely excited. they're a game back in the wild card. the reason you play this game is because you want to win, you want to be in the playoffs and have a chance to win a championship. you know, couldn't ask for anything more. >> it's one of those times this

time of year you always -- it's always speculated about and all that. i can't say we're real surprised buth because both those names have been pretty popular around baseball for the last month. still, it hurts because they're both such pros. they're the epitome of professionalism, both of them. joe was great with all the pitchers down there. joe has been in some real big ballgames through his career and some pennant race and was a cawmg calming felines for a lot of guys down there. nick, you know, i think probably one of the popular guys to wear the nationals uniform since the franchise moved here. just a great person. literally the first one here, last to leave-type guy. very good player. i told a lot of people he's kind of like that mark grace-

type player that we had in chicago. just gives you a quality at- bat, hits left-handers, hits right-handers, very good first baseman. just a pleasure to deal with every day. i know i'll miss him. his teammates are really going to miss him. at the same time, happy for him and joe that they're going to be playing in situation where both of those clubs are going to go with -- have a chance to get in the postseason and it will be interesting for them the rest of the way. >> so, as you hear, some mixed emotions with these two leaving. definitely two of the professionals on the team that will be missed and now with nick johnson gone cristian guzman is the longest tenured member of the nationals. gentlemen, back to you in the studio. >> debbi, thank you very, very much. so, nick johnson, joe beimel gone today. johnson traded down to the florida marlins and joe beimel to the colorado rockies all for minor league prospects. let's take a look at our stay in the game hold of the day, silver fox, brought to you by just for men hair color. joe beimel is the nats season holds leader as of now this

year with 10. julian tavarez, five. kip wells had five. hinckley had four and garrett mock had four. just as those relievers with the nationals kept them in the game, you too can stay in the game with just for men hair color. we'll take a break and roll on a-- along with more of the "nats xtra" before the nats take on the pirates in pittsburgh. we'll talk with john lannan in just a minute. so when you said you bring fiber optic

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um... which gives you more bandwidth than cable. so you can upload faster. so it's like comparing a horse and buggy to a sports car. am i the, uh, horse? (announcer) it's a whole new internet. makes uploading as easy as downloading. because your internet's not fast unless it's two-way fast. john lannan goes the distance! got him looking! got him looking again! >> grete mechanics by john lannan. >> so, john is going to try to get the ball club on the winning track tonight after the split of the series in milwaukee. 7-7 his record. 2-2 his last five starts, ray. the e.r.a., 2.70. >> yeah, johnny has walked five guys in those five starts and

gone 7 1/2 innings 8.96.2. he's to consistent. third lowest e.r.a. in the league. that is good nugget when someone hasn't won more games than they lost. 7-7. only guys with lower earned run average than him are person and lee 9.971. >> craig stammen and j.d. martin admire most about the left-hand center. >> he's stability. erch every time he goes out there, -- every time he goes out there, it's a game we can win. no doubt about t he goes out and gives a great performance every time. you know, it's something that all of us pitchers look at and watch and how does he do it? we try to figure that out and then we try to model after it. >> he's our ace out here. he comes up to me and talks to me and really relaxes me and helps me out a lot. he was really good with that for me. >> john lannan, pretty stingy with his pitches this year as

you see the graphics second in the senior circuit in pitches per inning 13.9 second only behind chris carpenter. >> this is he's able to go 7 1/2 innings f you're a big league pitcher and can go 15 pitches per inning, you're doing what you're supposed to do. that's an average for good major league pitching. anything under that is spectacular. john lannan has been spectacular all year long. he has just been able to go out there and throw strikes, move the ball in and out not just this year, last year too. 3.51 earned run average has been fastballing as he was in the high fours back in may. only 31 base on balls this season. he's the first guy in line to throw 00 innings plus since livan hernandez did it in 2006. >> what's impressive is he started off 0-3 but now evened his record at 7-7 as the season rolls on. he seems to be getting better and better, more consistent.

>> johnny f-he's had four runs scored for him this year in 17- 21 outings, he's left the game. if the team had scored four runs for him, he would be right now 11-5 as opposed to 7-7. he just has never been a guy that's gotten a lot of run support. >> he'll be opposed tonight by another right-hander for the pirates. they'll try to snap a five-game slide. ross ohlendorf will tow the rubber for the pirates. he's 8-78 on the year. >> yeah, from the yankee organization mainly as a reliever. they start him with the pirates a little in 2009. this year he's 8-8 with a 4.51, 117 2/3 innings pitched, 124 walks, 62 strikeouts. 5-6 of his last outings have been really good. that earned run average has plummeted also as he's given up three runs or less as he's been able to throw a lot more strikes over the last month and a half. >> also add that you folks didn't see this. there is no notes there. this is all off the top of the

fox's head. >> well, i stud yes pretty hard, johnny, but i've learned from you, brother. >> i want to ask you one question before we go to break. when you were dealt from the houston astros to the new york mets, got to be disapoingt because you liked the ball club in houston. you played that same night? >> i did. i got the call at 8:00 in the morning i was traded. they traded me for two young players, manny lee and another real good young center fielder joe young and mitch cook, their number two prospect. he never made it. he hurt his arm. i got a call from al rosen, general manager at 8:00 and flip wilson. then, got a call from frank cash about 9:30, ray would like to have you here tonight. the mets ended up sin since i was a property got the airline ticket done and i threw out at 11:00 -- flew out 11:00 and arrived via houston. got there 5:00. the plubs pubilitys publicity guy picked me newspaper a ticket. it was a yellow taxi.

i was right there because the bawrveg was only a mile from laguardia and taking batting practice 10-15 minutes later. jumped why my -- in my uniform and got a base hit that night and won the ballgame. >> got a couple of base hits. i remember that. i was in the stands. we'll come back and continue. "nats xtra" pregame, more on the deals regarding nick johnson and joe beimel. we'll go to the hot corner with the times man mark zuckerman. in the dark. no peanuts or nothin'. and then if your bag wants to bring one of its little bag friends for company, they charge another $25. that's just plain mean. why do they hate your bags? at southwest airlines, bags fly free. grab your bag. it's on! ( ding )

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as boston lager. the sam adams lager goes beautifully with a lot of ethnic spicy foods. the maltiness and hoppiness work well with indian food. samuel adams boston lager is strong enough to support a heavier meal and it's balanced enough that's it's not going to overpower a lighter meal it could compliment a salmon dish with a little bit of spice to it. whether at a restaurant you're at home if you're having great food and you need a great beer, boston lager is the beer that i use. sam adams with great food-- there's nothing better. dow do you recognize this guy? number 85 for the pirates. the former national lastings milledge involved in that deal for sean burnett and nyjer morgan. he was recalled today. he'll be in the starting lineup tonight for the bucs. recalled from indianapolis. trade deadline date in july. you might remember these trades. nats acquired emilio bonifacio from arizona. in july, 22 of 2008. gonzalez from new york yankees of that year, kearns and lopez

and wagner came from the cincinnati reds. shairon martis from san francisco and in 2005, nats got preston wilson from colorado. today, they send nick johnson to the florida marlins and joe beimel goes to the colorado rockies and that means adam dunn will now be playing first base for the remainder of the year. let's go out to pnc park up there in pittsburgh, pennsylvania, and there's our man, mark zucker man. let me get your thoughts. ray and i have been talking about this all day. your thoughts about beimel going to colorado and johnson to florida. >> these are two guys that will be free agents at the end of the season anyway and question about what kind of confrontation you -- confrontation you get for them in the way of draft picks. they figure we have to listen to the best offers. if they get something that they think is better than they might get in any draft pick competition, they have do it. in the indication of -- case of nick johnson, nationals were cued in on this left-hander from the marlins, thompson.

they look at him as a middle of the rotation guy. he's at double-a right now. throws the ball pretty hard and another guy who can throw into the mix of the starting pitchers they're going with. one guy who had tommy john surgery, matthius, he's out for another year, but they really like his arm. they say if he comes back from fr that, that would be a steal in that department. just for insurance, they picked up the other guy who was a converted position player and only got to pitching recently. longer term projects here and guys lower in the minors f they pan out, they figure for two months rental of beimel, it was worth it. >> what comes to mind for me is the fact that adam is going to first base. i think they'll probably keep him here. what's your opinion about that, plus elijah dukes, you think he'll be called up to play some left field? >> yeah, you've got to think we're going to find out after the game what's going on. i think they're look at adam dunn at first base, willingham in left and dmiewx

rightassuming they call him up. at this point, you take a look at dunn at first and so what he can -- see what he can do. in dunn and josh willingham, guys that was interest from other teams, nationals didn't want to make the move. i think it was interesting the way rizzo put it. we're in the rebuilding here. we're building here. we have pieces to start with. we don't need to start this all the waydown down. he looks at dunn and willingham a couple years do you the road they want to build around. whether dunn is first base long term here or not, he'll be part this have team long term theyfield feel like. >> you talked about this kid thompson. i believe in the marlins organization, he's rated as having the best changeup of all the guys in the minor leagues, and i think his rating by baseball america was number seven or number eight among the prospects? >> yeah, i think he was rated eighth going into last season. i'm not sure if he made the top 10 this year. they do like him as a full paneling there -- package there fastball and several plus pitches off-speed stuff. he's going to double-a at

harrisburg and see what they've got there. i would guess we probably won't see him later this year, but maybe going -- going into late next season we might seeing it sg from him. ness is something about nick johnson, he becomes a free agent half of the season and both rizzo and nick expressed some interest that maybe they would look at talk again this winter and coming back next year. maybe that's a long term interest there in the end afterwall. >> thank you very much. my buddy, always good to see you. mark zuckerman from the "the washington times" in the hot corner. we'll take a look at the lineups from pnc park in pittsburgh and continue with more of our "nats xtra" pregame as washington plays the first of four against the pittsburgh pirates. two beers! you got it!

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"don'tturn me loose" fabian. let's talk about tonight's starting lineups for the nationals. adam dunn hit his first home run out of miller park, the first home run ever hit out of miller park on tuesday night. he hit .390 over last 13 games and his 26 home runs this year the second heightest in nats history. here -- highest in nats history. here is the lineup card. nyjer morgan against his old ball club hitting .310 overall will lead off in center. cristian guzman at short. ryan zimmerman at third base. adam dunn at first base. then josh willingham in right followed by willie harris in left. jarred will be doing the catching. alberto gonzalez at second base and john lannan startling the mound look for his eighth win of the year. pirates trying to stop a five- game slide. andy laroche is having his problems hitting .287 against left-handers with two home runs. he's only hitting .158 the last

23 games he's played in in this month. the bucs lineup not many familiar names there, is there? center field, andrew mccutchen leads off. lastings milledge in the number two hole recalled today from indianapolis. goans garrett jones in right field. ryan doumit the catcher, delwyn young at second base, pierce at first base, andy laroche at third base and ronny cedeno at shortstop and ross ohlendorf pitching. remember when they last met in washington? here was the pirates lineup. hardly anybody left. >> gone, gone, gone. >> keep those x's flying. >> gone. >> wilson's gone. >> laroche is gone. sanchez is gone. one guy remaining and that's thethird baseman andy laroche. you talk about a fire sale with this ball club. >> yeah, and they weren't

getting paid that much either. you look at their payroll, they were second low nest all of baseball and they're still getting rid of people. i don't know what they're doing. i did know two of those names in that lineup though. i knew lastings milledge and doumit. >> how happy do you think nyjer is to be with this ball club and go against this former team and though she -- show they made a mistake. >> i think he's happy. he's been valued here. i think at pittsburgh they always talked about mccutchen being the number two guy, the guy that will take over for mclouth and never gave nyjer the respect. we talk with fans about him and they loved him. i think he has value here and he knows that he's a big part of this offense and maybe even the key to this offense. >> well, tonight it's john lannan for the nationals trying to get us back in the winning track. the left-hander looseninggetting set to take to the hill at pnc park. he'll be opposed by ross ohlendorf for the pittsburgh pirates. there's ross out there in the bullpen as well.

bob carpenter and rob dibble have the call here on masn. thank you for joining us. ray and i will come back at you afterwards with our "nats xtra"game. enjoy the nats-pirates in pittsburgh. gecko: yeah right, that makes sense. boss: trust is key when talking about geico. you gotta feel it. why don't you and i practice that with a little exercise where i fall backwards and you catch me. gecko: uh no sir, honestly... uh...i don't think...uh... boss: no, no. we can do this. gecko: oh dear. vo: geico. fifteen minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance. what is it to lead? at pnc, it's doing what most benefits our customers. whether that's building more certified green buildings than anyone on earth. creating online banking tools for the next generation. or making a 10 year, $100 million investment in kids.

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