Christopher H. Smith

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Ostomy Day, which will be observed on Saturday, October 3, 2026. For the last several years the first Saturday of every October has been recognized as Ostomy Awareness Day by many who have undergone ostomy surgery as well as their caregivers and families.

Ostomy surgery can provide a path forward for people facing serious illnesses and conditions, including Spina Bifida, colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, traumatic injuries because of domestic abuse or military engagement, and any other number of medical challenges. While a drastic and often disruptive surgery, the procedure can be lifesaving and life-enhancing, allowing individuals to return to their families, their workplaces, their communities, and the activities they love. Yet too often, people living with an ostomy face misunderstanding and unnecessary barriers to treatment.

As far back as 1984, President Ronald Reagan recognized the benefits of increasing awareness when he designated August 1984 as national Ostomy Awareness Month. The awareness campaign is now carried forward annually with organizations such as the United Ostomy Associations of America and the International Ostomy Association, as well as members of the Spina Bifida community, highlighting the day as an important opportunity to educate the public, dispel misconceptions, and remind us that an ostomy does not define a person or diminish the quality of a life.

In New Jersey, approximately 23,000 people are living with an ostomy. They are our neighbors, friends, family members, coworkers, veterans, caregivers, students, and community leaders. Their experiences demonstrate the strength and resilience of people who have overcome significant medical challenges and continue to live full and meaningful lives.

Ostomy Awareness Day also recognizes the families, caregivers, physicians, nurses and certified ostomy nurse specialists, and other health care professionals who provide essential care and support to those living with an ostomy. Their compassion and expertise make an enormous difference in helping patients adjust to life after surgery and thrive.

This year's Ostomy Awareness Day theme, ``One Community--Stronger Together,'' is a fitting reminder that no one should have to navigate life with an ostomy alone. Awareness, education, peer support, and access to quality care can help ensure that every person who needs an ostomy has the resources and support necessary to live with confidence and dignity.

On Ostomy Awareness Day, we note the resilience of the ostomy community and recognize the dedicated professionals and medical advances that have made these life-saving surgeries possible. Most importantly, we affirm that an ostomy is not the end of a person's story--but, with education, awareness, and proper continued care, can be the beginning of a healthier and more hopeful chapter.

Mr. Speaker, last week, a mournful Nation marked the 25th Anniversary of September 11th. I include in the Record my remarks offered at the Monmouth County 9/11 Memorial Ceremony in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey.

Thank you, Commissioner Director Arnone, for your very

eloquent remarks. Commissioner Ross Licitra, our emcee, thank

you. Amy Harigel--that rendition of the national anthem on

this very, very somber day just lifts all of our spirits.

That was very beautifully done. Thanks to Rev. Sparks for his

moving invocation, and Jessica Cappadona, thank you--that was

a really powerful witness of why we must educate the next

generation about 9/11.

You know, 25 years later, all of us solemnly remember those

who lost their lives and the pain suffered by nearly 3,000

individuals--including 147 people from Monmouth County--who

were murdered by radical jihadists and the anguish endured by

their families and their friends both then and now.

We remember and honor the courageous first responders

running up the stairs of burning buildings with total

disregard for their own safety, attempting to save others at

the expense of their own lives. We honor the first responders

who have suffered and died from illnesses related to the

rescue and recovery efforts in the aftermath of 9/11.

According to the World Trade Center Health Program, an

estimated 400,000 people were exposed to toxic contaminants

in New York. 96,000 people have been diagnosed with physical

and mental health conditions as a result of the exposure to

the dust, the smoke, the debris, and the traumatic events of

9/11. Over 9,000 people have died after 9/11 itself with

illnesses directly linked to the attack.

You know, it's widely believed that Flight 93 was headed to

Washington. A mention was made earlier about how it was

brought down by the courageous men on that flight, especially

Todd Beamer from Cranbury who said ``Let's roll!'' And they

brought down that plane and they stopped what would have been

another horrific attack . . . we thought it was going for the

Capitol.

You know, a member of my staff, Kathy Wisniewski, who was

then a Howell resident, lost her husband Alan on 9/11. Alan

was an associate director for Sandler O'Neill Investment, and

his office was on the 104th floor of the South Tower. His

last phone call before the plane hit was to say, ``Hey,

honey, I'm okay.'' And then he died.

Through Kathy and their children, as well as from many of

the survivors who are here, including the Jersey Girls who

helped get the 9/11 Commission--it was going nowhere until

they said, ``We have to know the who, what, when, where, why,

of all of this, so it never happens again.''

And of course, that 9/11 Commission was headed so ably and

so effectively by Tom Kean, our former governor. And that was

the blueprint for what we do in follow-up. What happened,

what led up to it, and what do we need to do to mitigate the

possibility of this ever happening again?

As we remember the victims, every one of us need to

seriously recommit ourselves to persevering prayer; a sense

of reconciliation, yes; but also support for effective

intelligence gathering and law enforcement to better

interdict violence in all of its ugly manifestations.

Mention has been made a couple times--and Jessica, thank

you for doing this again--about the young people--and Tom,

you said it as well: the 9/11 Memorial and Museum reminds us

that 100 million Americans were too young to remember that

day that, as they put it, changed our city and nation

forever. It is our shared promise made 25 years ago never

forget, those who were born after 9/11, to learn the

significance and the enduring legacy. As we commemorate this

anniversary, a new generation will learn about the

unimaginable loss that was experienced by so many and the

inspiring stories of bravery, compassion, unity, and service

that we witnessed that will ripple through the decades.

Thank you to the Monmouth County Commissioners for so

effectively bringing us together to remember, and to pray

that it never happens again, and do everything we can to help

those who have suffered so much. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I thank our very distinguished chairman, Brett Guthrie, for his extraordinary leadership on this and other issues related to health especially. He is a champion, and he is doing a tremendous job for the entire country. I thank Brett for what he is doing.

I thank his staff and my friends on the other side of the aisle for their work on this bill. This has been a bipartisan effort.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to pass S. 2398, a 5-year reauthorization of the Kay Hagan Tick Act, a law that expires on September 30. It was sponsored by Senator Collins of Maine.

My colleagues will recall that our distinguished colleague from North Carolina, Senator Kay Hagan, suffered a tick bite and died in 2019 from encephalitis caused by the Powassan virus. The current law and reauthorization are named in her honor.

I point out to my colleagues that, in 2019, the Kay Hagan Tick Act was passed as part of the 2020 Consolidated Appropriations Act. The act created, among other things, a whole-of-government national strategy to combat Lyme and other tick-borne diseases with a special focus on surveillance, diagnosis, treatment, education, and prevention.

The national strategy, which was later released in 2024, has identified key public health goals to contain, reduce, and eventually eliminate Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses. It is a strategy that I am heartened to say that Secretary Kennedy has not only adopted, but he has used it as a floor. He has done so much above and beyond the strategy to try to end this terrible, terrible scourge of tick-borne diseases.

The bill before us tonight, like the original law, authorizes $50 million over 5 years for the regional centers of excellence, which coordinate with academia and local public health agencies to conduct research on Lyme in their areas and train public health officials to properly identify and treat Lyme.

Continuing funding will ensure that these centers can continue to conduct groundbreaking research and ultimately generate new prevention strategies and insights on tick-borne diseases.

The legislation also provides $100 million over 5 years to tangibly assist State public health departments and other local entities to support the development and implementation of evidence-based research, interventions, and treatment.

Mr. Speaker, HHS Secretary Kennedy has been an amazing champion in combating Lyme disease, and he recently announced a whole new series of initiatives. I will point out one very briefly. It is called the Lyme Clinician Locator, made possible through their partnership with the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society, or ILADS, enabling patients to easily find a Lyme-literate clinician in their area. Users put in a ZIP Code and get a whole list of people who know what Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases are all about, hopefully leading to an effective treatment.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend and colleague for yielding.