Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2021

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of seven bills that originated in the Health Subcommittee of Energy and Commerce which I have the privilege to chair. These bipartisan bills address the following: health threats to newborns including stillbirth, newborn hearing loss, and birth defects; improving cardiac care and oral health literacy; providing needed mental health support to doctors and other health care professionals; and improving diversity in the allied health workforce.

H.R. 5487, the SHINE for Autumn Act of 2021 seeks to reduce the impact of stillbirth by increasing research and data collection to address the tragedy of the 24,000 babies who are stillborn in the U.S. every year. I thank my colleagues Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Markwayne Mullin, and Kathy Castor for authoring this legislation.

H.R. 5561, the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2021 reauthorizes programs at the Health Resources and Services Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders to address hearing loss in newborns. I thank my colleagues Reps. Brett Guthrie and Doris Matsui for authoring this legislation.

H.R. 5551, the Improving the Health of Children Act reauthorizes the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. This critical center at the CDC helps advance the health of babies born with birth defects, developmental disabilities, blood disorders and other disabilities. I thank my colleagues Reps. Buddy Carter and Lori Trahan for authoring this legislation.

H.R. 1193, the Cardiovascular Advances in Research and Opportunities Legacy Act funds NIH and CDC research and public education for valvular heart disease. The bill is named in honor of Carol Leavell Barr, the wife of Rep. Andy Barr, who died last year of sudden cardiac arrest, and I thank him for authoring this legislation.

H.R. 1667, the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act is named after Dr. Lorna Breen, an emergency department doctor who died by suicide last year. Physicians have the highest suicide rate of any profession, and this legislation provides grant funding for suicide- prevention and peer-support at healthcare facilities. It also helps ensure healthcare professionals can ask for mental health help without facing negative consequences in their careers. I thank Reps. Susan Wild and David McKinley for authoring this legislation.

H.R. 3320, the Allied Health Workforce Diversity Act of 2021 establishes a grant program to improve diversity in the physical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, audiology, and speech-language pathology professions. I thank Reps. Bobby Rush and Markwayne Mullin for authoring this legislation.

H.R. 4555, the Oral Health Literacy and Awareness Act of 2021 directs the Health Resources and Services Administration to conduct a public education campaign to improve awareness of oral health. I thank Reps. Tony Cardenas and Gus Bilirakis for authoring this legislation.

I urge my colleagues to vote for these bills and I thank the members of the House Health Subcommittee and the bipartisan sponsors of each bill for their good work.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 4052) to reauthorize a program for early detection, diagnosis, and treatment regarding deaf and hard-of-hearing newborns, infants, and young children, 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 include extraneous material on S. 4052.

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

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of S. 4052, the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act. Last year, we passed the House version of this bill, H.R. 5561, which was sponsored by Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Guthrie and Representative Matsui. I thank both of them for their leadership on this issue.

Over the last 20 years, Mr. Speaker, we have been very successful in addressing one of the most common birth defects affecting America's children: congenital hearing loss. Children with this condition are born with hearing loss and are at risk for delays in speech, language, social, and emotional development.

Fortunately, early detection and intervention is highly effective in preventing these adverse effects.

Since 2000, Congress has passed and subsequently reauthorized Early Hearing Detection and Intervention programs, also known as EHDI programs. These programs support State and territory programs and systems of care to identify and support children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Thanks to these programs, early hearing loss screening, diagnosis, and treatment services have greatly increased over the last two decades.

Consider that before 1993, only 1 in 10 newborns were screened for hearing loss. Today, according to data from the Centers for Disease and Prevention, 97 percent of all infants are screened within the first month of their lives. Furthermore, 60 percent of infants receive audiological evaluations and diagnosis by 3 months of age, and 72 percent of infants were enrolled in early intervention services before they are 6 months old. These are remarkable achievements that help ensure all children with hearing loss have the same opportunities as children who can hear.

Today, we are considering a bill that will help us build on these achievements. S. 4052, the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act, would extend critical funding for EHDI programs for 5 years through fiscal year 2027. This legislation will ensure that these services continue to be available for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

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

Mr. Speaker, again, I urge all Members to vote for this on a bipartisan basis and mention that when it passes today that it will go to the President's desk.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5561) to reauthorize a program for early detection, diagnosis, and treatment regarding deaf and hard-of-hearing newborns, infants, and young children, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 5561.

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

Over the last 20 years, we have been very successful in addressing one of the most common birth defects affecting America's children, congenital hearing loss. Children with this condition are born with hearing loss and are at risk for delays in speech, language, social, and emotional development. Fortunately, early detection and intervention is highly effective in preventing these adverse effects.

Since the year 2000, Congress has passed and subsequently reauthorized Early Hearing Detection and Intervention programs, also known as EHDI programs; and these programs support State and territory programs and systems of care to identify and support children who are deaf or hard of hearing. As a result of these EHDI programs, early hearing loss screening, diagnosis, and treatment services have greatly increased over the last 20 years.

Consider that before 1993, only 1 in 10 newborns were screened for hearing loss. Recent data indicates that today, 97 percent of all infants are screened within the first month of their lives; 77 percent of infants receive audiological evaluations and diagnosis by 3 months of age; and 70 percent of infants were enrolled in early intervention services before 6 months of age. These are remarkable achievements that help ensure all children with hearing loss have the same opportunities as children who can hear.

So today, we are considering a bill that will help us build on these achievements. H.R. 5561, the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2021, would extend funding for the EHDI programs for 5 years through fiscal year 2026. This legislation will ensure that these services continue to be available for children that are deaf or hard of hearing.

I want to commend our Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Guthrie for his leadership on this bill. I urge all my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this bill on a bipartisan basis, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 4052, the Early Hearing Detection and Invention Act, the companion legislation to H.R. 5561 sponsored by Energy and Commerce Committee members, Representatives Guthrie and Matsui.

S. 4052 is very similar to the legislation that passed the House 410- 17, and I hope in the upcoming vote it will receive even more ``yes'' votes.

Hearing loss in children continues to be all too prevalent in the United States. According to recent CDC data, almost 15 percent of children aged 6 to 19 experience either low- or high-frequency hearing loss in one or both ears.

The Early Hearing Detection and Intervention program, administered through the CDC and the Health Resources and Services Agency, has helped providers to quickly identify babies and young children who are born deaf or hard of hearing, which has led to improved health outcomes and brought hope to so many families.

S. 4052 reauthorizes Federal support for these important statewide programs that help early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of deaf and hard-of-hearing newborns, infants, and young children through 2027.

This bill will help redouble our efforts to truly open the world of communication to children who experiencing hearing loss.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 5561, the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act, which is also co-led by my Energy and Commerce Committee colleague, Representative Matsui.

Hearing loss in children continues to be all too prevalent in the United States. According to recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, almost 15 percent of children ages six to 19 experience either low or high-frequency hearing loss in one or both ears.

The Early Hearing Detection and Intervention program, administered through CDC and the Health Resources and Services Agency, has helped providers to quickly identify babies and young children who are born deaf or hard of hearing, which has led to improved health outcomes and brought hope to so many families.

H.R. 5561 reauthorizes Federal support for these important statewide programs that promote early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of deaf and hearing impaired newborns, infants, and young children through 2026.

My bill will redouble our efforts to truly open the world of communication to children experiencing hearing loss. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.