mr. fortenberry we entirely agree that these communities are under enormous stress and we have been in close contact with them through their religious leaders both in the country and their religious leaders here and the u.s.. .. just aa great, bipartisan thank you to both of you. >> the chair thanks the gentleman. we know you are center on a tough mission. please don't take any of the remarks from the deus as personal. we have a charge to get answers on behalf of our constituents, and many of us on both sides of the aisle are frustrated with the circumstance. a lot of people watch what is happening and do not know the answer. amb. patterson,. ambassador patterson, i think you were asked earlier about the refugee flow into europe and why the arab countries were not doing more accept paying to help ameliorate, and the sense was why are they taking many of these refugees. ii believe your answer was, they are different societies and do not accept. with all due respect, europe respect, europe is a different society than much of arabia. how we doing nothing, do we have no plan, no interest in urgi

mr. fortenberry everything he knows. does make sure you turn your microphone on. your recognized five minutes. responding to the failure of the co-ops. tomorrow failed. it is an urgent problem that has left hundreds of thousands of americans scrambling. before we divebefore we dive into details i would suggest we take our partisan hats off. strong supporters of the aca. why so many of our neighbors are losing their coverage. the goal of today's hearing is to get the bottom of what is happening. there is much more that we need to understand. what we no would suggest a systematic failure of the co-op program and the greater example of bureaucratic incompetence. secondly, the lack of transparency is harmful and the department of health and human services owes the public answers. they deserve nothing less than a full accounting for what has happened. they co-op program was included to purportedly foster competition i federally funding the startup. then down the insurers $2.4 billion. the majority of subscribers in nebraska. arguably the messiest. co- opportunity has b

mr. fortenberry everything he knows. does make sure you turn your microphone on. senator you are recognized for five minutes. se: thank you for inviting me to testify today. i appreciate the opportunity to think about how we should respond to the failure of co-ops in 13 states. i'm tempted to joke that two have failed while you were offloading. problem. before we dive into the details, i suggest we take our partisan hacksaw. i'm a fierce opponent of the informal care act. i know many of you might be strong supporters of the aca. but that is not what you're hearing is about today. this is about getting to the bottom of what is actually going on, why so many of our neighbors are losing their health care coverage. the tumultuous failure of the co-op began in my own backyard. co-opportunity.-oppor i want to speak to two issues. first, while there is much we need to understand, we would suggest a systematic failure of the co-op program. and an even greater bureaucratic incompetence. the lack of transparency is harmful. in the department of health and human services own

mr. fortenberry everything he knows. does make sure you turn your microphone on. senator you are recognized for five minutes. se: thank you for inviting me to testify today. i appreciate the opportunity to think about how we should respond to the failure of co-ops in 13 states. i'm tempted to joke that two have failed while you were offloading. problem. before we dive into the details, i suggest we take our partisan hacksaw. i'm a fierce opponent of the informal care act. i know many of you might be strong supporters of the aca. but that is not what you're hearing is about today. this is about getting to the bottom of what is actually going on, why so many of our neighbors are losing their health care coverage. the tumultuous failure of the co-op began in my own backyard. co-opportunity.-oppor i want to speak to two issues. first, while there is much we need to understand, we would suggest a systematic failure of the co-op program. and an even greater bureaucratic incompetence. the lack of transparency is harmful. in the department of health and human services own

mr. fortenberry. >> thank you mr. chairman. didn't have the benefit of hearing your conversation but i did want to avert to the question that the chairman laid out. therefore it is a ambassador patterson we met a number of years ago when you were a consulate in pakistan. those a few days before there was an assassination or kidnapping attempt upon you and from then -- then from there as i recall you were not to be ambassador in pakistan as well as egypt. i want to thank you for your many years of dedicated service in a very difficult area. i don't think we have had any interaction ambassador noel and and -- nuland but i appreciate your willingness to testify today. a great concern is this and let me divert by telling a story. i happen to be in a audience with pope francis a little while back and he was presented a small christian crucifix. it was worn by a young syrian man who was captured by the jihad is and he was told to convert and he refused. he chose his son a chance of tradition christianity and he was. his mother was ab

mr. fortenberry. >> thank you, mr. chairman. madam ambassador, welcome. sorry i didn't have the benefit of doing this earlier conversation but i do want to convert -- divert to the question that you but i doubt. ambassador patterson, we met a number of years ago when george consulate in pakistan, a few days before it was an assassination or kidnapping attempt upon you. and infinite as i recall he went on to become ambassador in pakistan as well as in egypt. i just want to thank you for your many years of dedicated service in very difficult areas. i don't think without any interaction, ambassador nuland, but i appreciate both of your willingness to testify today. one of the great concern in the middle east is of this, and let me divert for a moment by telling a story. i happened to be in an audience with pope francis a little while back, and he was presented a small christian crucifix. it was won by a young syrian was captured by the jihadists, and he was told to convert. and he refused. and he chose his own ancient faith tradition, christianity, and he wa