mr. higgins? >> thank you, chairman. senator, tapping into the economic power of the united states through the savings plan is indeed a really powerful financial incentive. we looked at your point about examining what kind of growth would be experienced when the individual arrived at retirement age, say 67. in an individual who had done no personal contributions would still, if they leave at eight years of service would still have $18,000 available to them in a thrift savings plan. and, but if they contributed and received the full matching of a 5% of their base pay, they receive at age 67 over $90,000 in benefit that would be available to them. so it's a pretty powerful mechanism. and i think would serve any community, including native-american. >> thank you, mr. chairman. gentlemen, i most certainly echo the message from the rest of the committee up here when we talk about the work that you've done. senator presser and i have been on the campaign trail together for a couple of months in the last year and we've met with

mr. higgins. >> thank you mr. chairman.nomic power of the united states through the thrift savings plan indeed a really powerful financial incentive. we looked at your point about examining what kind of growth would be experienced when the individual arrived at retirement age, say 67. and the individual who had done no personal contributions would still if they leave at eight years of service would still have 18,000 dollars available to them in the their thrift savings plan. but if they contributed and received the full matching of a 5% of their base pay, they receive at age 67 over $90,000 in benefit that would be available to them. so it is a pretty powerful mechanism. and i think would serve any community, including native american. >> thank you mr. chairman. and gentlemen i most certainly echo the message from the rest of the committee up here when we talk about the work that you have done. senator pressler and i have been on the campaign trail together for a couple of months in the last year and we've met with a lot of

mr. higgins. >> thank you mr. chairman. senator, tapping into the economic power of the united states through the thrift savings plan indeed a really powerful financial incentive. we looked at your point about examining what kind of growth would be experienced when the individual arrived at retirement age, say 67. and the individual who had done no personal contributions would still if they leave at eight years of service would still have 18,000 dollars available to them in the their thrift savings plan. but if they contributed and received the full matching of a 5% of their base pay, they receive at age 67 over $90,000 in benefit that would be available to them. so it is a pretty powerful mechanism. and i think would serve any community, including native american. >> thank you mr. chairman. and gentlemen, i most certainly echo the message from the rest of the committee up here when we talk about the work that you have done. senator pressler and i have been on the campaign trail together for a couple of months in the last y

mr. higgins, if you would join with us and share thoughts on this issue. mr. higgins: i thank the gentleman from california for bringing this issue to the house floor. and underscoring the urgency of investing through the national institutes of health proper funding to find a cause and thus a cure for alzheimer's. as the gentleman said, five million americans are living with alzheimer's. it's the sixth leading cause of death in the united states. death from alzheimer's increased 68% between the year 2000 and 2010. while deaths from other major diseases decreased. the cost to the united states is over $200 billion a year, without a breakthrough treatment will cost $1 trillion by the year 2050. we are still seeking the adequate level of funding for every -- funding. for every $100 that the national institutes of health spends on alzheimer's research medicare and medicaid spend $ 26,000 for caring for those who have the disease. in congress we have two pieces of legislation. the alzheimer's accountability act, which would ensure the federal priorities and goals fo

mr. higgins. particularly in the middle east in my 18 years countinger it turkey, that i served there, i never felt one day that i was in a good place. >> i want to give dr. rand a moment to also respond, please. sorry to interrupt you. >> these are two excellent, excellent questions. i think the answers are actually linked. what is different about this enterprise right now is actually the partners that are involved. if you consider november and december the reformation of the iraqi government, these arab neighbors were not at all interested in the formation of the iraqi government post-saddam. they were not there. the ambassador can attest to this. they were distancing themselves from iraq. they sent no ambassadors, had no themembassyies embassies. it was really unprecedented that all the neighbors were involved in the prime minister getting started. to me, none of this is particularly promising but that is a source of promise suggesting there could be a chance for this new iraqi government that

mr. higgins, new york. >> thank you, madam chair. just, you know it amazes in all of these hearings how quickly we just kind of bypass the fact that the united states paid about $25 billion to build up an iraqi army and the first test of that army was against the islamic state of iraq and syria. and they essentially ran. and we are told that reason they were not committed to the fight was because the previous prime minister nuri al maliki was not inclusive of the shia sunni population, and therefore didn't feel as though it was a fight worth committing to. and now, we're told that there's a new prime minister who's also a shia, but more inclusive of the sunni community and therefore, we should have confidence again in the iraq national army. $25 billion. thousands of lives lost in no commitment. who had the most effective fighters in iraq today? the peshmerga 190,000. and the shia militia. the new prime minister had said there are about a million shia militias who are trying to fill the void of the ineffectual iraqi army. mr. brennan

mr. higgins -- oh, sorry, mrs. frankel. >> thank you, mr. chair. thank you for your testimony today. i know that humanitarian aid by its nature sh the purpose is so save lives and alleviate suffering. i maintain human dignity. i was interested in your discussion with mr. deutch. because i have heard people say that when you get to -- if you give them food and medicine that helps shapes people's minds also. so my question is the over-riding goal of trying to defeat isis and assad and so forth, i want to understand how the humanitarian aid plays into that. and do the folks who are receiving the aid do they know that it is coming from -- do they have any idea where it is coming from? and does the humanitarian aid help shape their thoughts or ideas, in your opinion? >> yeah, thank you. that is an important question. not always easy to quantify. certainly through our aid programs, even within syria, our partners are working through local organizations. and they make sure that the local organizations know, even though it is not branded that they know that it is coming from the u.s. and tha

mr. higgins. particularly in the middle east in my 18 years, countinger it turkey, that i served there, i never felt one day that i was in a good place. >> i want to give dr. rand a moment to also respond, please. sorry to interrupt you. >> these are two excellent excellent questions. i think the answers are actually linked. what is different about this enterprise right now is actually the partners that are involved. if you consider november and december the reformation of the iraqi government, these arab neighbors were not at all interested in the formation of the iraqi government post-saddam. they were not there. the ambassador can attest to this. they were distancing themselves from iraq. they sent no ambassadors, had no themembassyies embassies. it was really unprecedented that all the neighbors were involved in the prime minister getting started. to me, none of this is particularly promising, but that is a source of promise, suggesting there could be a chance for this new iraqi government tha

mr. higgins, particularly in the middle east in my 18 years, counting turkey i never felt one day i was in a good place, compared to even the rest of the world -- >> i want to give him a chance to respond describing these or two excellent questions, and i think the answers are linked. what is different about the enterprise right now is the partners involved. if you consider november and december the reformation of the iraqi government, the arab neighbors not interested in the formation of the iraqi government post-saddam. they were distancing themselves from iraq. they sent no ambassadors. it was unprecedented the neighbors were helping get the prime minister started and that is a source of promise that suggests to me there could be a chance for this new iraqi government that will be different and the mistakes of the predecessors. thank you. >> , i yield. >> mr. brooks of alabama. >> thank you madam chairman. i want to follow up on some of the comments of my colleagues and some of the responses-plus some of the written testimony we have had the benefit of. dr. brennan, stated in response t

mr. higgins. >> thank you, plantar mr. chairman. >> thank you, mr. chairman chairman mccain. senator, we had a great deal of concern about exceptional family members and how we would care for them. we have a proposal, of course, that would add a new level of benefits for those families and we would -- one of those areas where we would increase costs so we were not all about cutting. we were about making life about making life better for service members. if you had a catastrophic situation in the family where you had extreme costs related to an exceptional family member there is also a fund that we would propose to ensure that those out-of-pocket costs did not get excessive. we plan on that for about 5% of the people. so there is help their. -- there. >> thank you, chairman. i want to thank all of you for the hard work and thoughtfulness that you put into this commission and for having this important discussion with us. today, i am walking back and forth between this committee and the budget committee. as i look at where we are, to use the word holistic in a way that i think t

mr. higgins to follow up as well. >> i have just one final question to add to that as well. i would also be curious, if you were to limit fssa, how many service members would be enrolled in snap and if we have any kind of estimate what the increased cost would be. >> senator, right now the number of enrollees is somewhere between 2,000 and 22,000. that's the best information we received. on the ssa i think there are 285 people altogether in the military in fssa. there is also kind of a stigma attached to it as well. you have to go through your chain of command to get it, so does that impact your career somehow? a lot of things that make it probably less attractive and. now, for overseas, it may still serve a purpose. the -- it need to exist for some of our military. it's something that's easy to get, it provides nutritional value for families that require it. so either phasing out or reducing the ffsa program is not a bad idea, because snap fills in the gap very nicely. >> thank you, mr. chairman. >> senator mccatskill, please. >> first i want to note that your recommendatio

mr. higgins. >> thank you, plantar mr. chairman. >> thank you, mr. chairman chairman mccain.or, we had a great deal of concern about exceptional family members and how we would care for them. we have a proposal, of course, that would add a new level of benefits for those families and we would -- one of those areas where we would increase costs so we were not all about cutting. we were about making life about making life better for service members. if you had a catastrophic situation in the family where you had extreme costs related to an exceptional family member there is also a fund that we would propose to ensure that those out-of-pocket costs did not get excessive. we plan on that for about 5% of the people. so there is help their. -- there. >> thank you, chairman. i want to thank all of you for the hard work and thoughtfulness that you put into this commission and for having this important discussion with us. today, i am walking back and forth between this committee and the budget committee. as i look at where we are, to use the word holistic in a

mr. higgins: mr. speaker, today marks the sixth anniversary of crash of the continental crash. since that tragic day, the families and friends of those taken band together as a new family to give others a flight flight home. they descended in red on capitol hill turning pain into persistence, progress and purpose. they saw success in the passage of the airline safety and federal aviation administration extension act, which establishes one level of safety regardless of size and distance. still there is no rest for the brave families. last week i joined them on capitol hill to support re-authorization of the federal aviation administration bill and to speak out against recent industry pushback on safety qualifications. with heavy hearts, we remember the people of flight 3407 and their courageous families, the flying public is safer today because of their work and persistence. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: thank you. for what purpose does the gentlelady from florida seek recognition? ms. ros-lehtinen: request unanimous consent to address the house f

commissioner higgins. >> thank you very much, mr. chairman and chairman mccane. system includes the incentives and the choice that people want to enforce. we feel it's going to be a very powerful retention tool. when we look forward at how the system will operate over time our belief is and supported by our analysis and in this case it was a ran model that was the dynamic retention model used. we believe that this will, our proposal will exactly model the current force profiles. it will have the tools within it including a continuation pay through a savings plan which is currently with matching which is currently not offered today. it will include the tools that will draw people through the 20-year career much like the defined benefit does today and to some large extent because defined benefit is retained under our proposal. about 80% of the that defined benefit. these new tools meet the demand of choice flexibility along with the defined benefit that is retained. we believe will operate very effectively and modelling that we've done will support that. >> thank y

mr. bryan higgins of new york. >> thank you. just on the iran issue, centrifuge, break out capability, ten years ago iran hit about 164 operational centrifuges. they created weapons, create material. today there's over 19,000 an it's suggested that 499400 are operational. how important are number of centrifuges to the negotiations ongoing right now? >> it's important. >> should we accept that iran should have thoi sands of centrifuges to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes. >> it doesn't allow for the question of what's their production level and what they're doing. i'm not going to get into numbers at this point in time except to say to you we have established a critical measurement of needing a one year break out time for a reasonable period of time. you have to look at what's the stockpile and the spent fuel and what happens to other things. there's larger equation of how you measure what's happening. the answer is it's part of that equation and we are very much focused on it. >> we're sitting at the table obviously negotiat

mr. brian higgins of new york. >> thank you mr. chairman and thank you mr. secretary. just on the iran issue centrifuges and iran enrichment and capability and they have had 164 centrifuges, for weapon s weapons-grade material and today there is over 19,000 and it is suggested that 9400 are operatal centrifuges to enrich uranium. how important is the number of centrifuges to the negotiations ongoing right now? >> it is important. >> do we accept that iran should have thousands of operational centrifuges to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes? >> well that question is so general that is doesn't allow for the question of what is their production level, what are they doing et cetera, et cetera. i'm not going to get into the numbers at this point in time except to say to you, we have established a critical measurement of needing a one-year break-out time for a reasonable period of time and an ability to be able to limit the impact of whatever is produced by whatever centrifuges are running. in other words you have to look at the stockpile and what happens to the spent fue

mr. michael higgins gentlepeter chirle, and -- general peter chirle. and i understand that senator bob kerry is snowed in in new york. and the honorable christopher carney. this year a signature issue for this committee will be thoughtful conversation of the commission's recommendations to modernize military compensation and retirement benefits. as we do, i encourage the members of this committee and my colleagues in the house and senate to keep an open mind. we are also here to hear from any military or other organizations that have constructive ideas to improve the current system. no one has a monopoly on good ideas and we all come to this debate as patriots who love our nation and its armed forces. we want to improve the quality of life for all who serve and their families. we honor the service and sacrifices of service members and their families, active duty, guard, and reserve, and we pledge to keep their well-being foremost in our thoughts. as we deliberate the commission's recommendations. upholding our sacred obligation to them does not mean re

mr. higgins: the second phase of a cargo inspection pilot program at the bridge recently concluded and is currently under evaluation. while i have confidence the report will call for an expansion of pre-inspection at the peace bridge, the pilot revealed several challenges which create delays and require immediate attention. internet speeds on the canadian side of the bridge exceed those of the american side, enabling faster screening. radiation detectors on the american side are older and often inaccurate, resulting in false negatives that create delays. finally, empty trucks are required to provide a manifest resulting in unnecessary secondary inspections for empty vehicles. last week i wrote to secretary jay johnson highlighting the urgent need to rectify these issues. we must improve the quality and state of the infrastructure and protocols at ports of entry across the country. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? without objection, the gen

mr. higgins: investing in medical research leads to advanced treatments and cures and has the potential to lower devastating outcomes. it boosts the economy, job creation and discovery and allows america to retain its leadership in the fight for a cure. yet in the last decade, the funding for the -- for the department has been cut by 25%. i introduced a bill with peter king and rosa delauro. today we recognize world cancer day. the goal must be to celebrate the day when we have a world without cancer. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair announces the speaker's appointment -- speaker's appointment pursuant to section 1024 and thed or over january 6, 2015, of the following member on the part of the house to the joint economic committee. the clerk: mrs. maloney of new york. the speaker pro tempore: the chair lays before the house a message. the clerk: to the congress of the united states. section 202-d of the national emergency act 50 u.s.c. 1522-d provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless within 90 days prior to the annivers

mr. higgins: the selma foot soldiers inspire think nation. the voting rights act of 1965 was signed into law that august. i along with many of my colleagues am a proud original co-sponsor of h.r. 3 which would award the highest civilian honor the congressional gold medal to the foot soldiers of the voting right movement. the bravery of the civil rights activists a century ago was remarkable but we must not forget how much still needs to be done. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from arizona seek recognition? without objection the gentleman from arizona is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, i rise today to talk about kayla mueller, one of my constituents, who was brutally kidnapped by the islamic state or isis. she was a young woman, still full of exuberance and optimism about peace and human relations and willing to put her life on the line to hep others around the world. she was a beautiful should soul and i know she is with god now. i am not youthful and i see isis

carny if he would respond very quickly senator, i would like to ask commissioner higgins to follow up as well. >> okay, and mr. chairman i have a minor follow up question i want to add to that. i km curious how many people might be, if you eliminate f.s.s.a., how many will be enrolled? s.n.a.p. and what the increased cost would be. >> right now the number of enroll enrollees in s.n.a.p. is 20,000 to 22,000. in s.f.f.s.s.a. it is restrictive and harder. you have to go through your chain of command to get it there where these kinds of things that make is less attractive and less useful. right now for oversees it may serve some useful purpose. but the s.n.a.p. program, not with standing the fact that it needs to exist for some of our military, it is something that is easier to get it it provides better nutritional value. so fazing out one of them is a good idea because s.n.a.p. fills in very nicely. >> first, i want to check that your votes were unanimous? >> yes. >> and that is an extraordinary thing for us on this side of the table, we don't see much of that particularly with the make up of this commission. i

higgins talk. we did quite a bit of analysis and review around. -- around that. >> thank you, mr. chairman. senator, i believe, in a general sense, retention today is probably as good as the military has ever seen it. having said that, there are select skills that have always been historically, very difficult to maintain. some of the stories that you hear often are, let's say nuclear-skilled individuals are always difficult to retain. once they acquire those skills, they are provided a lot of opportunities on the outside. in recent years, what emerged was the 10-year departure of special operators. those people acquired significant skills during their tenure in the military that now have very high values placed on them in the private sector. and the military responded to that with a significant bonus that turned the tide in that community. the navy has always struggled with additional bonuses and several of their high-demand skills. as a general, and this may rely mostly on the economy and the unemployment rate, but as we move through these last few years, retention has been quite good. whe