Floor Statements

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3743, Supporting the Foundation for the National Institutes of

Health and the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the Food and Drug Administration Act, led by my Energy and Commerce Committee colleagues, Representative Hudson and Representative Eshoo.

Empowering biomedical innovation in the United States is critical to protecting our global competitiveness. We saw how important it was to invest in creating new treatments during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we need to carry that momentum into the future.

H.R. 3743 authorizes increased transfer authorities from the FDA and the NIH to both the Reagan-Udall Foundation and the Foundation for the NIH, respectively.

Allowing FDA and NIH to provide increased funding to these public- private partnerships will give the Reagan-Udall Foundation and the Foundation for the NIH more flexibility to meet the growing research demands and to ultimately accelerate future medical innovations.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hudson).

Mr. Speaker, 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 H.R. 3894, the CARING for Social Determinants Act of 2021, a bill led by

Representatives Blunt Rochester and Bilirakis.

Research shows that socioeconomic conditions, such as job loss, lack of transportation, inadequate housing, among others, can contribute to poor health outcomes.

The Trump administration took a key step at the beginning of this year by releasing guidance to States on how to better utilize Medicaid to support social determinants of health. It provided real-world examples that States are taking to improve outcomes for beneficiaries.

For example, Medicaid managed care plans in my home State of Kentucky are leading the way by using care coordinators to connect vulnerable beneficiaries to social support services like food pantries and daycare services.

The CARING for Social Determinants Act would require HHS to update this guidance every 3 years in order to drive future innovation in State Medicaid programs.

I am proud of the important steps this bill takes to improve health outcomes for some of our most vulnerable populations.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis).

Mr. Speaker, 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 H.R. 4026, the Social Determinants of Health Data Analysis Act of 2021, led by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess) and the gentlewoman from Delaware (Ms. Blunt Rochester), my Energy and Commerce Committee colleagues.

Social determinants of health impact the quality of an individual's life and

can drive health outcomes. These determinants are not routinely collected or utilized by healthcare providers to help address patients' health conditions and improve their quality of life.

The Social Determinants of Health Data Analysis Act requires the GAO to submit a report to Congress on existing actions taken by the Department of Health and Human Services to address social determinants of health. This legislation would, therefore, allow us to better understand existing Federal initiatives to address social determinants of health.

It will also inform us of potential future interventions that would be most effective in fully addressing these needs in our communities.

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

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

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4369, the National Centers of Excellence in Advanced and Continuous Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Act, a bill I introduced with my colleague, Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone. I enjoyed working with him on this bill.

In 2016, I was proud to work with my fellow committee members on the 21st Century Cures Act, which included legislation to issue grants for institutions of higher education to study the process of continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing.

H.R. 4369, which we are considering today, builds on this partnership established in the Cures Act. Advanced and continuous manufacturing for pharmaceuticals is a new technology that allows for drugs to be produced in a continuous stream, helping drugs get into the market faster.

This is something that has become increasingly important during the COVID-19 pandemic. We need to ensure that our drug supply chain does not depend too heavily on other countries, such as China.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4369, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, this is an important bill. We have all seen what happened with COVID-19, our dependence on the global supply chain, particularly in pharmaceuticals. It is a national security issue that we have our own production here.

As we saw, we have had shortages during the height of the pandemic, and we are still experiencing other supply chain issues. As we know, those will work themselves out.

Having access to our own pharmaceuticals is not a luxury that we have time for them to work out themselves. We are hopeful that we will get things moving again in a normal supply chain, but we absolutely must take the action necessary to make sure that we make it in America, and we don't depend on countries such as China.

Madam Speaker, I urge the passage of this bill. I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2379, the State Opioid Response Grant Authorization Act. This important bill authorizes the appropriations for the State Opioid Response grant program administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The United States still remains in the midst of an opioid crisis that has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Federal grants have provided a substantial level of support to States that are on the front lines of addressing substance use disorders, including opioid and stimulant use disorders.

H.R. 2379 would ensure continued, predictable support for substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts for several years. I support passage of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from Maryland for the kind words.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Curtis), my friend and an important member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I think this is a good bill. It is an important bill.

All of our States have been affected by the opioid crisis, so it is good that we are here today focusing on this in a bipartisan way working together.

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

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 654, the Drug-Free Communities Pandemic Relief Act, which was introduced by Representatives Joyce and Kilmer.

The Drug-Free Communities Support Program funds community-based coalitions that work to prevent youth substance use disorders. Their work at the local level is important, especially as we sadly saw a record in overdose deaths last year.

We all know that the economic consequences of the pandemic have impacted many sectors, and that includes the sustainability of the Drug-Free Communities Support Program. Under current law, coalitions that receive Federal grants must match part of the funding with non- Federal funds. But the economic consequences of the pandemic have left many coalitions struggling to meet the matching requirement.

H.R. 654 temporarily permits the Office of National Drug Control Policy to waive the local matching requirement if a coalition is unable to fulfill this requirement due to the pandemic. Providing targeted relief for these coalitions will help them continue to implement local strategies to address the increases in substance use disorders and overdose deaths in our communities.

I thank Representatives Joyce and Kilmer for leading the support initiative, and I urge a ``yes'' vote.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Joyce), who is the primary sponsor of this piece of legislation.

Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, my friend from Ohio said it best. Local solutions to community problems. It is a national problem. It is a statewide problem. But it is happening in each community, and so local solutions are part of the strategy moving forward. And giving these coalitions the opportunity to participate in these grants as they have seen some other funding and other resources dry up due to the pandemic, it is something that is important for us to continue and move this forward. I appreciate my friend from Ohio and my other good friend from Washington State for moving this forward.

Madam Speaker, I urge its passage, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3635, Strengthening America's Strategic National Stockpile Act, which was spearheaded by Representatives Hudson and Slotkin. This legislation includes several critical initiatives that will improve the Strategic National Stockpile, or SNS.

First, the bill allows the SNS to transfer products between federal agencies and to ensure they are used before their expiration.

Second, the bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to examine user fee agreements, ensure the SNS products are in working order, and allows agreements with domestic producers to improve the supply chain to refresh and replenish existing stocks.

Third, the bill directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to report on distributions from the SNS, as well as requests for supplies from State, local, Tribal, and territorial agencies.

Finally, the bill authorizes a pilot program to establish State stockpiles. We must ensure our country is prepared to combat the next health crisis, no matter if it is from a disease, disaster, or terrorism.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation to improve and sustain the Strategic National Stockpile, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hudson), my colleague, and a primary sponsor of this piece of legislation.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Walorski), a member of the Committee on Ways and Means.

Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I urge support of this piece of legislation.

Fortunately, the last big pandemic that came across the country was in 1918, the flu pandemic, so over 100 years. What we learned, although it was well-planned and all, the Strategic National Stockpile, until you really face a pandemic like we have, you don't truly understand exactly everything you need to do, although the Strategic National Stockpile was there, it was drawn from, it was used. There were a lot of lessons learned.

Madam Speaker, it is important that we apply these lessons. I appreciate my colleagues for doing this, moving forward. Hopefully, it will be another 100 years or more before we have to use the Strategic National Stockpile, but it certainly is prudent that we are ready.

Madam Speaker, I urge the passage of this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 4032, the Open RAN Outreach Act.

Untrusted telecommunication companies, such as Chinese Communist Party-backed Huawei, are able to offer low-cost equipment to small and rural providers across the globe due to the Chinese Government subsidizing them.

Due to congressional action, untrusted vendors can no longer provide telecommunications equipment in the U.S., and bills I have supported, such as Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act and USA Telecommunications Act, help remove untrusted equipment to secure our networks and promote competition.

The Open RAN Outreach Act further builds on our efforts to strengthen our supply chain and ensure untrusted equipment is kept out of American telecommunications networks.

Open RAN technology can help diversify telecommunications technology and help increase competition. This technology is an open network infrastructure that can have multiple components from multiple manufacturers.

The Open RAN Outreach Act requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to provide small and rural providers information on the opportunities and challenges of implementing Open RAN compatible technology.

If providers would like to use this technology, this bill also requires NTIA to support implementation of Open RAN technologies. Promoting a more competitive market of trusted alternative vendors to provide 5G equipment remains an important component in the strategy to protect U.S. networks.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank Representatives Allred, Hudson, and O'Halleran for working with me on this legislation, and I encourage my colleagues to support this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to the Democrats' abortion on demand until birth bill.

The other night we were having a hearing in Energy and Commerce. It was on a similar--a different bill, but a similar topic. And a lot of the rhetoric coming from the other side and, specifically, I remember is that the baby is nothing more than a uterus or an ovary. It was just kind of all of the same thing.

And it reminded me back when I was--when we had our first child, our now 28-year old, mother of our grandchild, when she was 12 weeks we had to have a sonogram because we thought there might be some issues. And she was about the size of the end of my thumb. And when we got the 28- year-old technology, she was sucking her thumb. The lady said, oh, look, he or she is sucking her thumb. Now we know it was a her; we didn't know at the time.

It is a distinct individual. Now, I will accede that it 100 percent depends on its mother for life, but it is distinct and separate from its mom. Her heart was beating.

Moving forward, let me just talk about how extreme this bill is. It allows abortion at any time if the unborn child was diagnosed with anything such as Down syndrome. It allows abortion at any time solely based on the baby's biological sex. It allows abortion to occur at any time point, including when a baby can feel pain, as well as when a heartbeat can be detected.

So this is an extreme bill before us today. And before we vote on this, I would like to let my colleagues know that a majority of Americans do not support abortions with no limits. In fact, 80 percent of Americans say abortion should be illegal in the third trimester.

This does not prevent States from making abortions legal in the third trimester.

I strongly urge my colleagues to oppose this bill. It is a separate and distinct life.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Alabama for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express concerns with the Thompson amendment No. 427. The amendment requires the Department of Homeland Security, DHS, to establish a medical countermeasures program for preparedness and response capabilities. It also requires DHS to maintain and pre- position a stockpile of medical countermeasures.

After dealing with the ongoing pandemic for the past year and a half, we can all appreciate the necessity of being prepared to deal with these threats. However, this new program is completely duplicative of existing initiatives at HHS.

Currently, under HHS, the Strategic National Stockpile, or SNS, is part of the Federal medical response infrastructure for such attacks. The Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures Enterprise determines optimal allocation of resources and organization of the stockpile to best address high-priority threats.

This interagency coordination already includes the input of the Department of Homeland Security and coordinates Federal efforts to combat these threats. While I do believe we should evaluate our country's pandemic response given the COVID-19 pandemic, we do not need to create a duplicative program that will only lead to confusion and hinder coordination.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to wish Barbara Proffitt a happy 85th birthday. Barbara is a key figure in the Hardin County community, who is known for her kindness to all she encounters.

Barbara devotes much of her time serving her community. She is the North Hardin High School boys' basketball team's biggest supporter and ``team mom.'' With her father, brother, and husband all having served in the military, Barbara is well connected to the military community. She volunteers to pack food boxes for soldiers who are deployed and bakes her famous pecan pie for each change of command at Fort Knox. Barbara is affectionately known on post as ``The Pie Lady.''

For 30 years, Barbara also served the community through her role as the community/guest relations coordinator at Hardin Memorial Hospital, which is now called Baptist Health Hardin. In this role, she connected the community to the hospital through meetings, dinners, tours, parades, and special functions.

Barbara is a proud mother to Rhonda Hunter and Blake Proffitt, grandmother to three grandchildren, and great-grandmother to a great- grandchild. Happy Birthday Barbara and thanks for all that you do for the Hardin County community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Warren County Sheriff's Office, Richardsville Volunteer Fire Department, and Warren County Emergency Management Office. These local responders provide extraordinary services to protect all who visit and call Warren County home.

First responders in Warren County have continued to serve our community honorably, even with the added threat of COVID-19. The Warren County Sheriff's Office, led by Sheriff Brett Hightower, plays an important role in keeping drugs out of the community, safeguarding local schools, and much more. The Richardsville Fire Department with Chief Brian Lee manages multiple fire stations to quickly respond to fires and other emergencies. The Warren County Emergency Management Office under the leadership of Director Ronnie Pearson helps with recovery, preparedness, and other emergency operations.

On May 31, 2021, first responders from these three emergency offices were called in to help find Jeff Halter. Sadly, he was taken

from this world too soon due to a tragic accident. Jeff is the late husband of Kim, who is the director of constituent services for my congressional office, and also my friend and neighbor. Jeff loved his family and was a proud father to Katherine Chelsey and Laura-Leigh. He will leave a lasting positive impact on the community and patients he served through his pharmacies.

I appreciate the work and dedication of first responders with the Warren County Sheriffs Office, Richardsville Volunteer Fire Department, and Warren County Emergency Management Office in recovering Jeff, who I miss dearly. I am thankful for these responders, who uphold their duty every day to ensure our community is a safe place to live and work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the life of Jeffery Robert Halter. Not only was he my neighbor and a family friend, but he was also a devoted husband to Kim, and director of constituent services for my congressional office. Additionally, Jeff was a loving father to Katherine Chelsey and Laura Leigh and supportive father-in- law to Andrew Smith and Austin Lowe.

Jeff was a proud Bowling Green, Kentucky, native. He graduated from Bowling Green High School in 1983 and attended Samford University School of Pharmacy where he graduated in 1989. As a prominent pharmacist and owner of two community pharmacies, Jeff served many patients in the local community and was always happy to help his customers. He was also a member of Broadway United Methodist Church.

Jeff's contagious laugh and kindness will be remembered by all who knew him. He loved the outdoors, but above all, he loved his family. In addition to his wife and two daughters, Jeff is survived by his parents, Charles Robert and Scottie Ann Halter; brother, Timothy Alan Halter; and many other loving family members. Jeff left a positive impact on our community and is greatly missed.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember the life of Myra Leigh Tobin, a Harned, Kentucky native. Her education and Christian values were the foundation of her life, and she became a trailblazer for women in the business world as well as a generous philanthropist.

Myra was a proud University of Kentucky Wildcat 1962 graduate and was named to the UK Hall of Distinguished Alumni in 2000. As a UK loyalist, she served on the UK Alumni Association, UK Board of Trustees, and as a founding charter member of UK Women in Philanthropy. Notably, the Myra Leigh Tobin Chapel was constructed in the new UK HealthCare hospital with her generosity. Before her successful insurance career, Myra worked for U.S. Rep. William Natcher. Myra was a strong advocate of education and obtained two master's degrees. In New York, she rose up in the business world and became involved in professional and community organizations. Myra was known as a ``Woman of Firsts'' through breaking barriers by becoming the first woman in many positions, and she received several professional awards to reflect her achievements. She accomplished all of this while staying entrenched in her Breckinridge County roots.

Myra's generosity reached far beyond geographical borders, and she was determined to mentor family members, friends, and even strangers she encountered. Her leadership and generosity have made a lasting impact, and her legacy will live on.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to control the time on this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 482, the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act of 2021.

Newborn screening is critical in the early detection and intervention of health conditions, some life-threatening, for our Nation's infants. They are for serious but rare conditions that families and doctors may otherwise be unable to detect at birth. Newborns are screened in the hospital when they are 1 or 2 days old by blood tests, in addition to hearing and heart screenings.

About 1 in 300 newborns has a condition that can be detected via newborn screening. However, if not detected and left untreated, these conditions can impact a child for the rest of their life by causing disabilities, developmental delays, illness, or even death.

Prior to the passage of the first Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act in 2008, which helped better standardize screening programs, States had varying standards for newborn screening, and they were not screening for many of the core conditions on the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel.

This bill authorizes funding for the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health to ensure that our newborn screening remains comprehensive and that our Nation's healthcare providers are adequately equipped to conduct the screenings.

Specifically, H.R. 482 reauthorizes grants through the Health Resources and Services Administration to expand State screening programs and improve follow-up care after a detection, in addition to allowing for the National Institutes of Health Hunter Kelly Newborn Screening program to continue to identify new treatments for conditions detected by newborn screening.

The importance of newborn screenings can't be overstated. Screening provides physicians and families with critical information regarding infant health, allowing for early intervention and treatment, if necessary.

I urge my fellow Members to support H.R. 482, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this bill and encourage others to do so. When I first was elected to the State Senate, the General Assembly of Kentucky, one of the biggest public policy efforts I got involved in was Governor Patton--our governor at the time--who was proposing a big 0-3 kind of overall for Kentucky's babies and children, and a big part of it was newborn screenings.

And that was a section I was kind of assigned to look into and I spent a lot of time doing research--even going down to see a lady who does this kind of research at Vanderbilt University and walked away convinced that it is the right public policy to do. It is money well- spent. It really changes people's ability. If you can't get your language at an early time, you can never get it back.

So this absolutely prevents--if you want to look at the cost of this system, this system going forward, but more importantly, it really enhances people to have the opportunity to live a full life if we catch it at the youngest level.

So I am convinced of this. I support this bill, and I encourage my colleagues to do so.

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