we have many distinguished guests that i would like to say especially pete domenici and my good friendmpia snowe and kent conrad, steve bell and bill hoagland all people that i've worked with and congressman and secretary clinton. i'm sure i'm missing other people and i apologize. but by policy bipartisan policy center has been at the forefront of shaping public wolesi since it was started seven years ago. at a time when our nation critically needs a place for bipartisan discussion on complex issues the bbc has become that place on a broad range of important topics. a perfect example of that role as the work that this organization has done to shed light on the significance of protecting the full faith and credit of the united states. as we meet here this morning i want to emphasize as the president did in his state of the union last week this can and should be a breakthrough year for our economy. as the gdp report for the fourth quarter of last year underscores, our economy ended 2013 strong and is poised for growth in 2014. the table is now set for us to build on the economic progress

we have many distinguished renaccisenator pete jim -- pete domenici, bill hoagland, feel i have worked with. i am missing other people and i apologize. the bipartisan policy center has been at the forefront of shaping public policy since it was started seven years ago. at a time when the nation critically needs a place for bipartisan discussion of complex issues, this has become that place on a broad range of important topics. a perfect example of that is the role that this organization has done to shed light on the importance of protecting the full faith and credit of the united states. i want to emphasize as the president of last week, this can and should be a breakthrough year for our economy. our economy ended 2013 strong and is poised for growth in 2014. the table is now set for us to build on the economic progress we have made over the last five years, and is incumbent on washington to be part of the solution, and to avoid the that has done so much to diminish economic momentum. it was not that long ago that the worst recession since the great depression wreaked havoc. the commen

so i rode along with my dad and pete domenici mental health parity equity act, which was meant to eliminate the insurance principally disparities in access and care for mental health and addiction. so there were higher treatment limitations when it comes to brain illness like addiction or depression than there are for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, as not, for example. so we have to implement the law. president obama. george w. bush signed into law. bipartisan. president obama's implementing this mental-health parity. we can't have mental health be something separate. although they are separate issues for people with severe and persistent mental health. you can't treat a person with cardiovascular disease or diabetes. you hear that often. all morning we heard about chronic illnesses. leaves out mental health. it can't be just the purview of psychiatrists and psychologists in the lake. it's got to be the purview of all of those treating health conditions. as those of you interest in outcomes, you know, as a tenant, and eeo, the outcomes are going to be benefited if you're treating the car

the table through the initial budget agreement that myself and others did with john kasich and pete domenicind overthrew the final legislative battling over the summer, and i think, and i say this with some sympathy as opposed to accusation, to the speaker come which is that i think it was hard for him to stay at the table. in other words, i think that the fact that there was a significant third faction of his one party and that one house, that has so not wanted to work things out with the president, that it's made it hard for people to stay at the table. i think that's very difficult because when you're in a negotiation, if you can making progress you kind of think, you state that it until things start. to me went to different i'm sure we are very close and we're still making progress and we're still talking and they just left. and i think that that reflects not having enough strength and unity to allow your person to stay at the table. so i think that is been not a good thing for the country because i believe there are things not unlike a budget agreement but like immigration reform. i bel