Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I would have voted against H. Res. 1180, the rule providing for consideration to Senate Amendment to H.R. 88, and H. Res. 1181 the Martial Law Authority Rule that occurred on the morning of December 20, 2018.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6140. This bill is an effort to accelerate the availability of high-assay low-enriched uranium, the fuel needed for most advanced nuclear designs.

There is no existing commercial market for this fuel, so in order to ensure that the fuel is available for advanced reactors once they are licensed and ready to begin producing electricity, the Federal Government will need to coordinate efforts among agencies, and with the commercial nuclear sector, to ensure that high-assay low-enriched uranium can be licensed and safely transported.

You wouldn't buy a lawnmower if you couldn't buy gas to run it. Similarly, we need to develop a domestic market for fuel needed to power these advanced nuclear reactor projects that are coming onto the market in the next decade.

I thank my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee, both Representative Flores and Representative McNerney, for developing this thoughtful proposal.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. McNerney), one of the cosponsors of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers, 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 H.R. 7217, the IMPROVE Act. This legislation contains several important policies related to Medicaid and Medicare.

First, I am a proud original cosponsor of the ACE Kids Act, and I am happy to see it included in H.R. 7217. The ACE Kids Act aims to improve care coordination for children with complex medical conditions served by Medicaid.

The legislation creates a Medicaid health home, State optional, specifically targeted for this population of children. It also requires the Secretary to issue best practices on coordinating out-of-State care for children with complex medical conditions.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the sponsors of the ACE Kids Act, Representative Castor and Congressman Barton, both members of the Energy and Commerce Committee, for championing this issue for so many years.

The IMPROVE Act also provides new funding for the Money Follows the Person, the MFP, program. The MFP program helps individuals transition from institutional care to care in their community, where they can live more independent lives.

MFP also helps support States' home and community-based services infrastructure. Without this extension funding, we would start to see many of these MFP programs end in short order.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support for the program, which provides thousands of Americans with the choice to receive services in their home or community rather than in an institution.

The committee will continue to work on providing long-term funding to the MFP program in the next Congress.

I also voice my support for the extension of spousal impoverishment protections until April 2019. These protections will help ensure that a person can maintain enough income and assets to meet their basic living expenses while still allowing for their spouse to receive long-term care in their home or community under Medicaid.

The expiration of this policy would lead to people losing their long- term care services and the unnecessary institutionalization of people currently

receiving services in their homes or communities. The committee will continue to work on a long-term solution in the next Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support passage of H.R. 7217, the IMPROVE Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Castor), a cosponsor of the ACE Kids Act and a great member of our Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Dingell), another member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch), another good member of our Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Schrader), a colleague from our committee.

Mr. Speaker, how much time do I have left?

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

Mr. Speaker, I think this is how we need to work together, and this is a good example of not only inter-State but also inter-party, to be able to solve these three problems that this bill corrects. I hope the next Congress will continue that effort of Republicans and Democrats talking to each other, Texans talking to Oklahomans, which is sometimes tough, to work together for the people we represent.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2465, the Sickle Cell Disease and Other Heritable Blood Disorders Research, Surveillance, Prevention, and Treatment Act.

This legislation will reauthorize the Sickle Cell Disease Treatment Demonstration Program at HRSA. This program enhances the prevention and treatment of sickle cell through coordination of service delivery, genetic counseling, testing, training of health professionals, and other related efforts.

The program is particularly important since individuals with sickle cell disease need comprehensive treatment throughout their lives in order to manage their symptoms and prevent their disease from worsening.

Over 100,000 Americans are living with sickle cell disease today. Each will need access to robust network providers with the knowledge and skills to treat this condition.

This is especially important now, for far too many individuals with sickle cell are unable to get the care they need, particularly those who present at emergency departments with intense pain associated with a sickle cell crisis.

In addition to reauthorizing that program, this bill would expand the activities related to sickle cell and other heritable blood disorders by strengthening surveillance and other public health efforts as well as encouraging more research into these health conditions.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Representative Danny Davis, Representative G.K. Butterfield, and Representative Burgess for their leadership on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support S. 2465, which will allow HHS to invest critical resources into research, surveillance, and public health initiatives of sickle cell disease as well as other heritable blood disorders. These investments will help bolster the sickle cell workforce and improve treatments for sickle cell patients of all ages.

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

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 in support of S. 3029, the Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers Who Deliver Infants Early, or PREEMIE, Reauthorization Act of 2018.

Over the past 3 years, the preterm birth rate in the United States worsened, placing more mothers and babies at risk. Such preterm births are the largest contributors to infant death in the United States and, for those infants who survive, a major cause of long-term health problems throughout their lives.

While this preterm rate in the U.S. is 9.93 percent, mothers and infants in Texas are at even greater risk. In fact, in 2017, the most recent year for which data is available, 10.6 percent of live births were born preterm. The percentage is even greater for African American mothers and infants at 13.6 percent, a rate that is 39 percent higher than the rate among all women in Texas.

This legislation would help combat those negative trends by continuing support for federally supported activities that prevent premature births, such as research and programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as activities that promote healthy pregnancies and preventing preterm birth at the Health Resources and Services Administration.

This reauthorization legislation also requires such efforts to address the determinants that contribute to the health disparities in preterm birth.

I thank Representative Eshoo and Representative Lance for their leadership on this issue.

I encourage my colleagues to support S. 6085 to extend and expand Federal efforts to prevent and address preterm birth.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo), the cosponsor of this bill and a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Health Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Danny K. Davis).

Mr. Speaker, we have no further speakers on 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 in support of H.R. 6615, the Traumatic Brain Injury Program Reauthorization Act of 2018, introduced by Representative Pascrell and Representative Thomas Rooney. This legislation would reauthorize funding for Administration for Community Living's Traumatic Brain Injury Program, TBI, to fiscal year 2024.

The TBI program provides grants to States to support activities, such as improving screening to identify individuals with TBI, building a trained TBI workforce, providing resources to families, and funding protection and advocacy systems for people with TBI.

H.R. 6615 will also reauthorize programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to increase the incidence of traumatic brain injury and reduce the prevalence of TBI. These programs are important in improving our understanding of traumatic brain injury, and our ability to prevent and treat such injuries.

Recently, the CDC released new diagnostic guidelines focused on treating children with mild TBI and concussions, largely based on research and surveillance efforts funded by CDC's traumatic brain injury program.

Finally, this legislation also will reauthorize a new National Concussion Surveillance System to determine the prevalence and the incidence of concussions in the U.S. This is particularly important for improving our understanding of long-term consequences of concussions, as well as efforts to prevent, diagnose, and treat concussions.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6615, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell), the cosponsor of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, 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 strong support of H.R. 1318, the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act, sponsored by Representatives Jaime Herrera Beutler and Diana DeGette.

This is an important first step to addressing the maternal mortality crisis that is claiming the lives of too many new mothers in our country. Hundreds of women die each year from pregnancy-related and pregnancy-associated complications in the U.S. More than 60 percent of these deaths are preventable.

The Preventing Maternal Deaths Act encourages States to implement maternal mortality review committees that track maternal deaths and identify their underlying causes. Together, the data generated by these review committees will help experts identify trends, patterns, and disparities that contribute to preventable maternal deaths in order to save lives in the future.

It is shocking that the maternal mortality rate in the United States has increased while in most of the rest of the developed world it has fallen. It is also shocking that women of color, low-income women, and women in rural areas are disproportionately more likely to face pregnancy-related complications. This must change.

But in order to reverse this unconscionable trend, we must have the necessary data so providers can monitor their practices and improve their care delivery.

The mortality rate is a critical indicator of the quality of our healthcare system, as well as how we prioritize women's health in this country. While much more work still must be done, including improving access to care, I am proud to support this bill and believe it will set us on a path to understanding why women are dying and how we can stop it.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers. I thank both Congresswoman DeGette and Congresswoman Herrera Beutler for bringing this issue to our committee and also to the House.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a positive vote today, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of World Antibiotic Week to raise awareness of antibiotic resistance and of ways to reduce and prevent it. Antibiotic resistance is one of the most urgent threats to our nation's public health, as it affects patients, our health care system, and others worldwide. According to the CDC, each year about 2 million people are sickened due to resistant infections and 23,000 lives are lost. While antibiotics are highly effective at treating bacterial infections, overuse and misuse of antibiotics has led to resistant strains of bacteria and so-called ``super bugs'' that are hard or impossible to treat and will spread to other people.

This is why we must protect the integrity of our antibiotic arsenal. One way this is achieved is through effective stewardship. Stewardship is giving the right antibiotic to the right person at the right time. Patients must first be tested to determine if they have a bacterial infection, then determine what type of infection, and lastly, determine the drug that best targets the infection. Without monitoring antibiotic usage, patients can be prescribed unnecessary antibiotics that lead to ineffective treatments.

Healthcare professionals and hospitals are on the front lines in defending the public against antibiotic resistance, but they cannot do it alone. Effective stewardship programs need the right resources and funds to ensure that patient's bacterial infections are properly prescribed and administered. When done correctly, stewardship programs can reduce costs, improve patient outcomes, and reduce incidence of infections.

Mr. Speaker, we must come together to address this critical public health concern. As hospitals and healthcare professionals come together to combat antibiotic resistance, we must stand alongside them and encourage the implementation and duration of stewardship programs. Our nation's health depends on it.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove myself as a cosponsor of H.R. 5276.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Homeland Security announced a proposed rule change that would increase the number of immigrants considered a public charge.

This rule change is a dangerous departure from our current immigration policy. The administration is hurting immigrant families, including families that are U.S. citizens, by penalizing those who seek a green card or visa and use programs like SNAP, housing assistance, or Medicaid.

This rule has the potential to impact about 1.8 million Texas children whose parents may forego critical needs like food and health assistance for their families in fear that, if they use these programs, it will hinder their access to citizenship. This is another step by the Trump administration to restrict immigration into the country.

In Houston, we have a long history of immigrants and newcomers bringing innovation, entrepreneurship, and hard work. It has made Houston what it is today. From the separation of our families at the southern border to punishing immigrant families for using programs they legally qualify for, I am deeply saddened by this administration's constant disregard for the children and their families.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding to me.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, bipartisan legislation that will help stem the tide against the Nation's opioid crisis and support Americans overcoming opioid addiction.

In 2016 alone, 42,000 Americans died from opioids, including prescription pain relievers and illicit opioids like fentanyl. This is a serious national crisis that affects public health and the social and economic welfare of communities throughout our great country.

The Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, which I am proud to serve on as ranking member, held several hearings on the opioid crisis last spring. I am proud to see our committee and both Chambers of Congress come together and support the package before us today that includes the Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Act that I introduced, along with my friend Representative Brett Guthrie from Kentucky, earlier this year.

This legislation would fund designated treatment centers where Americans suffering from opioid abuse can receive comprehensive patient-centered care. The bill would allow designated treatment centers to provide wraparound services, including mental health, counseling, recovery housing, and job training and placement to support reintegration into the workforce. These wraparound services have been shown to help many Americans successfully overcome opioid addition.

The SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act includes several provisions to combat this crisis, including strengthening the Federal Government's authority to restrict illegal drugs entering our country, and providing Medicaid for at-risk youth and former foster children.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me and support this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak out against H.R. 6760, the Protecting Family and Small Business Tax Cuts Acts of 2018, along with the two other bills packaged into what is being called Tax Reform 2.0. H.R. 6760 is a continuation of the GOP's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that was pushed into law in December 2017. This 2017 tax law is a scam on the American public, and the legislation before us today is more of the same. The fundamental problem with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is that its goal was never to help the average American. Instead, it helps out large corporations and wealthy individuals by dramatically decreasing their tax rates. H.R. 6760 doubles down on these regressive policies, doing nothing to even the playing field for millions of working Americans struggling to enter or stay in the middle class. Like the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, H.R. 6760 continues to favor high-income individuals over middle- and working- class Americans.

To make matters worse, H.R. 6760 adds to the large debt we have as a nation. According to the Congressional Budget Office, H.R. 6760 alone would increase the deficit by $631 billion over the next ten years. At a time when the deficit is already too high, we need to start figuring out ways to stop the deficit from growing, not adding to it. A growing deficit only means that critical benefits that Americans use every day, like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid will be diminished or demolished as a way to pay for this unfair and flawed tax legislation. Ending crucial benefits that Americans rely on every day is another attack on the very people who sent us here.

Instead of continuing to hurt Americans, Congress must come together to create a tax code that is fair for all American workers and the middle class. I urge my colleagues to create a tax code that evens out the playing field for American workers, strengthens working families, and helps our economy benefit all Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5895, the Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act. In an era of partisanship, bipartisan legislation like this bill is sorely needed.

A little over a year ago, Houston was devastated by Hurricane Harvey. Recovering from a storm of that magnitude doesn't happen in a single year. The Houston ship channel is still in need of dredging just to return to the authorized depth that we were at before the storm hit. That is why bills like this one are so important.

In this legislation, the Army Corps of Engineers will receive just under $7 billion, $171.5 million above the 2018 enacted level. The Army Corps works hand in hand with local organizations like the Port of Houston and Harris County Flood Control in our district to repair damage from previous storms and mitigate future risk.

It is essential that we fund the corps at an adequate level that ensures that we are constructing projects that limit future damage, not just repair the damage already there.

I am pleased to see that funding levels have increased in this year's bill, but more needs to be done. This issue is not a partisan one and affects districts far and wide.

I am also pleased to see that the harbor maintenance trust fund will receive $1.55 billion, $149 million over the 2018 allocation and $584 million above the request. Ports are the economic drivers are our country. At the Port of Houston, we had drafting restrictions that affected safety and commerce for months because of Hurricane Harvey.

While I am pleased that we are increasing the allocated money this year, there is still an injustice that needs to be corrected with the harbor maintenance trust fund. Around $1.8 billion in harbor maintenance tax is collected every year through port user fees. When Congress enacted this fund, it intended to use the revenue to ensure that no port would be in need of dredging and that the people who use the port have a hand in funding the maintenance. It is essential that, in future years, Congress rectifies this issue and ensures that all money collected from usage of our ports goes directly to funding their maintenance, generating further economic activity.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5895, the Energy and Water, Legislative Branch and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act. In an era partisanship, bipartisan legislation like this bill is sorely needed.

A little over a year ago, Houston was devastated by Hurricane Harvey. Recovery from a storm of that magnitude doesn't happen in a single year. The Houston ship channel is still in need of dredging just to return to the authorized depth that we were at before the storm hit.

That is why bills like this one are so important. In this legislation, the Army Corps of Engineers will receive just under $7 billion, $171.5 million above the 2018 enacted level. The Army Corps works hand in hand with local organizations like the Port and Harris County Flood Control in our district to repair damage from previous storms and mitigate future risk.

It is essential that we fund the Corps at an adequate level that ensures that we are constructing projects that limit future damage, not just repair the damage already there. I am pleased to see that funding levels have increased in this year's bill, but more needs to be done. This issue is not a partisan one and affects districts far and wide.

I am also pleased to see that the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund will receive $1.55 billion, $149 million over the 2018 allocation and $584 million above the request. Ports are the economic drivers of the country. At the Port of Houston we had drafting restrictions that affected safety and commerce for months after Harvey. While I am pleased that we are increasing the allocated money this year, there is still an injustice that needs to be corrected with the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund.

Around $1.8 billion in Harbor Maintenance Tax is collected every year through port user fees. When Congress enacted this fund it intended to use the revenue to ensure that no port would be in need of dredging and that the people who use the port have a hand in funding the maintenance.

It is essential that in future years Congress rectifies this issue and ensures that all money collected from the usage of our ports goes directly to funding their maintenance, generating further economic activity.

While there is work still to be done, this bill moves the ball forward and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and more than a dozen Republican attorneys general began their case in a Texas Federal court arguing that the Affordable Care Act's preexisting protection is unconstitutional.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, nearly 130 million adults under age 65 have preexisting conditions. Prohibiting health insurance providers from denying coverage to Americans with preexisting conditions remains one of the most popular parts of the Affordable Care Act.

If the court were to strike that part of the law, thousands of American families would be denied coverage or go broke because of the unaffordable health costs. We can't roll back the clock.

I am shocked it is my home State taking the lead on this divisive issue when Texas still has the highest number of uninsured individuals in the Nation. What is more frustrating is Mr. Paxton stated in court briefs that States challenging the ACA should be able to eliminate protections if the judge does not decide to strike the law entirely.

People need certainty in their healthcare, not politics.

Madam Chair, I want to thank our ranking member for yielding me the time.

I rise in support of H.R. 4606, the Ensuring Small Scale LNG Certainty and Access Act. This bill has been worked on in good faith with Mr. Johnson--I thank him for his kind words--which would expedite U.S. small-volume LNG exports, so long as they do not require an environmental impact assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA.

Natural gas production has dramatically increased all across the country thanks to the energy revolution that we have seen in the last 10 years. We are now able to get gas out of shelves long thought impossible.

The U.S. has enough natural gas to meet our own energy needs for over a century. Soon, we also will be able to be a net exporter of these petroleum products.

Despite being the world leader in production of natural gas, many companies are unable to export the small quantities of LNG, or liquefied natural gas, to neighboring countries in the Caribbean.

If the U.S. does not have a free trade agreement with another nation, natural gas exports must go through a lengthy national determination at the Department of Energy. Currently, the U.S. has only a free trade agreement with the Dominican Republic in the region.

DOE recently recognized that this placed an undue burden on small volume exports and issued a rule similar to this bill to address the issue. The dominant fuel source in the region for these countries is Venezuelan fuel oil, a source that is not geopolitically friendly or environmentally sound.

What we would like to have is more natural gas being used for electricity in the Caribbean and Puerto Rico instead of fuel oil, which is an environmental disaster.

U.S. LNG in the region would drastically reduce emission rates from burning fuel oil for power generation. The benefits of H.R. 4606 are not limited to other countries. As I said, Puerto Rico continues to rebuild with the devastation of Hurricane Maria.

Madam Chair, to rebuild from the devastation of Hurricane Maria, this LNG has the potential to reshape the Puerto Rican grid, making it safer and more reliable and more environmentally safe.

This bill also protects the environment. No application for export under the Natural Gas Act will be granted unless the applicant qualifies for a categorical exclusion under NEPA, ensuring that there won't be an adverse environmental impact.

Study after study has shown natural gas exports are a clear net positive to our domestic economy. Moreover, energy ties develop diplomatic ties with countries that they go to. This bill will strengthen U.S. ties with countries throughout the region.

I urge my colleagues to support this important bill.