PREPARED REMARKS: Sanders Calls on U.S. Senate to Approve Contempt Resolution for Steward CEO

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), today asked for unanimous consent on the Senate floor to hold Steward Health Care CEO Dr. Ralph de la Torre in criminal contempt for failing to comply with the committee’s subpoena.

This follows the committee’s bipartisan and historic vote last week to issue the contempt resolution – the first time in modern American history that the HELP Committee has taken such action.

Sanders’ prepared remarks, given ahead of the vote, are below and can be watched here:

M. President: Over 4 months ago, Steward Health Care and the more than 30 hospitals it owns in 8 states declared bankruptcy with some $9 billion in debt.

This bankruptcy has caused devastating harm to patients, health care workers and entire communities from Massachusetts to Arizona.

In July, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (the HELP Committee) that I chair voted to authorize a bi-partisan investigation into the financial mismanagement of Steward Health Care.

On that same day, the HELP Committee also voted to subpoena Ralph de la Torre, the CEO of Steward Health Care, to testify at a hearing on this very important issue on September 12th.

Sadly, Dr. de la Torre made the unfortunate and unacceptable decision not to show up at this hearing in defiance of a Congressional subpoena.

So, last week, the HELP Committee voted 20-0 on two resolutions to hold Dr. de la Torre accountable for his failure to appear at this hearing.

The first resolution instructs Senate Legal Counsel to bring a civil suit in the District Court for the District of Columbia to require Dr. de la Torre’s compliance with the subpoena and his testimony before the HELP Committee.

The second resolution would refer this matter to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia to criminally prosecute Dr. de la Torre for failing to comply with the subpoena.

In a few moments, I will be asking unanimous consent to pass the second resolution which seeks to hold Dr. de la Torre in criminal contempt for failing to comply with the Congressional subpoena.

But before I do that let me take a moment to briefly explain why the HELP Committee believed it was so important for Dr. de la Torre to testify before Congress.

First, we wanted Dr. de la Torre to explain to us how it could happen that at least 15 patients at hospitals owned by his company died as a result of a lack of medical equipment or staffing shortages and why at least 2,000 other patients were put in “immediate peril” according to federal regulators.

That is something that the American people deserve to know. 

But, perhaps most importantly, we wanted to know how it could happen that while thousands of patients and health care workers suffered and communities around the country have been devastated as a result of Steward Health Care’s financial mismanagement, Dr. de la Torre and the companies he owned were able to receive at least $250 million in total compensation over the past 4 years.

For months, Senator Cassidy, the Ranking Member of the HELP Committee; Senator Markey, the Chair of our healthcare subcommittee; and I have asked Dr. de la Torre to testify before our committee to answer these questions.

And time after time he has arrogantly refused.

That is absolutely unacceptable.

So, today, I will ask the Senate to unanimously adopt this resolution seeking to hold Dr. de la Torre in contempt of Congress.

Let me take this opportunity to thank Ranking Member Cassidy and his staff for working with me and my staff on this important issue.

The passage of this resolution by the full Senate will make clear that:

• Even though Dr. de la Torre may be worth hundreds of millions of dollars;
   
• Even though he may be able to buy fancy yachts, private jets, and luxurious accommodations throughout the world;
   
• Even though he may be able to afford some of the most expensive lawyers in America, no.  Dr. de la Torre is not above the law.

If you defy a Congressional subpoena, you will be held accountable no matter who you are or how well-connected you may be.

The goal of the HELP Committee throughout this entire process has been to make sure not only that we have a complete understanding of the financial chicanery surrounding Steward Health Care, but to do everything we can to make sure that such a travesty never happens again.

M. President: I ask unanimous consent that two letters be printed in the congressional record—one from Dr. de la Torre’s attorneys to the Committee, and a response letter from Ranking Member Cassidy and me.