Dismemberment Abortion Ban Act of 2017

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 309) to amend the Public Health Service Act to foster more effective implementation and coordination of clinical care for people with a complex metabolic or autoimmune disease, a disease resulting from insulin deficiency or insulin resistance, or complications caused by such a disease, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials in the Record on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 309, the National Clinical Care Commission Act, introduced by Representative Pete Olson and which was supported by over 229 cosponsors in the 114th Congress.

H.R. 309 establishes a clinical care commission to evaluate and recommend solutions regarding better coordinating and leveraging of Federal programs related to complex metabolic or autoimmune disorders, such as diabetes.

Metabolic disorders take a large toll on many Americans each year, and complications from these disorders can lead to catastrophic health outcomes. Currently, there are various programs across the Federal Government that touch on metabolic disorders--some focus on prevention and others focus on treatment--but there is a lack of coordination among these programs. Improving coordination of such efforts provides an opportunity to reduce costs while improving health outcomes.

This legislation received broad support from the Energy and Commerce Committee, passing through a full committee markup by a voice vote during the 114th Congress.

H.R. 309 provides no new spending and utilizes only existing funds at the Department of Health and Human Services.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Olson).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter), a new member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers at this time.

This is a good bill. It did pass at the end of last Congress. Maybe by passing at the beginning of this Congress, we will give the other body ample time to take it up this year.

It is a good bill. It is worthy of our consideration again today. It provides no new spending.

I urge passage of H.R. 309.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of H.R. 309, sponsored by my Texas neighbor, Congressman Pete Olson, and our other colleague on the Energy and Commerce Committee, David Loebsack of Iowa, the National Clinical Care Commission Act.

This legislation aims to improve Federal efforts to treat and prevent metabolic disorders, autoimmune diseases, and diseases resulting from insulin deficiency or insulin resistance.

The most common metabolic disorder in the U.S. is diabetes, which affects more than 29 million Americans. Racial and ethnic minority communities suffer increased rates of this condition. 15.9 percent of American Indians and Alaskan Natives, 13.2 percent of non-Hispanic Blacks, and 12.8 percent of Hispanics have diagnosed diabetes, compared to just 7.6 percent of non-Hispanic Whites.

Diabetes takes a huge toll on human health. It is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. Additionally, all too often, diabetes leads to avoidable complications such as blindness, limb amputation, and kidney failure.

In addition to the effects on human health, diabetes care makes up a large percentage of U.S. healthcare expenditures. Currently, $1 of every $5 of healthcare costs is spent on caring for people with diabetes. The proportion of Medicare funding is even greater. Currently, $1 of every $3 of Medicare expenditures is spent caring for people with diabetes.

That is why it is important to improve Federal efforts that prevent avoidable cases of diabetes and metabolic disorders and ensure all Americans have treatment and management of services necessary to successfully manage this and other of these conditions.

I am glad to see this legislation move forward, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 309.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers.

I reserve the balance of my time in case someone shows up.

Mr. Speaker, I want to welcome the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter) to the Energy and Commerce Committee.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Denton, Texas (Mr. Burgess) for yielding me time to speak about my bill, H.R. 309, the National Clinical Care Commission Act, a bipartisan bill that received unanimous support in the last Congress and was cosponsored by over half of my House colleagues.

It had this level of support because our Nation faces an epidemic. Diabetes or prediabetes affects over 100 million Americans. Nearly one in three of our neighbors is affected. This is in addition to all of the Americans whose diseases fall under complex metabolic, autoimmune, or insulin-resistant diseases.

When I first came to Congress in 2009, it was crystal clear that we had a big problem. The benefits of all the Federal research dollars going into these diseases were simply not making their way to patients. Researchers at the NIH, the CDC, the FDA, and even DOD weren't sharing diabetes research.

It was clear to me in 2009, and it is clear today in 2017, that we need a laser-like focus on improving patient care by pursuing a strong Federal focus on research.

My bill accomplishes that goal by creating a national clinical care commission comprised of doctors who specialize in diabetes care for patients. This commission will have 3 years to strengthen their partnership between Federal stakeholders and health professionals, who will bring hands-on clinical experience to improve care.

This is not a new, unending bureaucracy. After 3 years, this commission will sunset. In 3 years, it will be gone.

We have already made a huge investment of taxpayer dollars into research. It is time for us to leverage that investment and translate that into meaningful prevention and effective treatment options.

So today, I ask my colleagues to again help those who suffer from diabetes or other complex metabolic and autoimmune disorders by voting for H.R. 309.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1192, the National Diabetes Clinical Care Commission Act, which establishes within the Department of Health and Human Services the national diabetes clinical care commission.

The commission will look into dissemination of information and resources to clinicians on best practices for delivering high-quality care and how best to effectively deploy new and emerging treatments and technologies.

As a pharmacist, I play an important role in diabetes care by screening patients who had a high risk for diabetes and educating patients to empower them to take better care of themselves. I believe all of my colleagues would agree that making government work to help evaluate and recommend solutions regarding diabetes is important.

The American Diabetes Association reports that there are almost 30 million people living with this disease. With better coordination and leveraging of Federal programs that relate to clinical care for people with diabetes and chronic diseases and conditions caused by diabetes, we will begin to stem the tide of this awful disease.

This legislation should be a priority for our country, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.