Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to engage in a colloquy with the chairman, Mr. Oberstar. First, I want to thank you for recognizing the importance of the St. George Airport to my constituents in Utah.

As you know, on October 17, 2008, the City of St. George, Utah and the Federal Aviation Administration broke ground on the construction of a new replacement airport that will provide air service to the over 300,000 residents of southern Utah. This is one of the few new airports being built in the country. The total project will cost $168 million, and airport operations are scheduled to begin on January 1, 2011.

The project is being funded largely through Federal grants, covered by a letter of intent from the FAA, in the amount of $119 million. Unfortunately, St. George still needs funding for navigation aids, including an instrument landing system. These are critical of the safety of operations at the airport.

I appreciate the committee's recognition of Secretary LaHood's commitment to fully fund the navigation aids component of the airport. I remain committed, as I hope the committee will, to ensuring that the FAA funds these important safety enhancements by 2010.

With that, I would yield to the chairman.

Well, I thank the chairman always for his support.

Madam Speaker, I rise to re-introduce the ``Strategies to Address Antimicrobial Resistance (STAAR) Act,'' which I believe has the potential to save many thousands of lives by strengthening the United States' response to infectious pathogens, including H1N1 influenza, that are becoming increasingly resistant to existing antimicrobial drugs (antibacterials, antivirals, antifungals, etc.).

I have been working on the issue of antimicrobial resistance for several years and it is alarming how often reports of resistant infections now appear. I do not believe the public health community simply is crying ``wolf.'' We no longer can be complacent.

When I first introduced this bill two years ago, we were facing reports of extensively-drug resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) and fears of an Avian flu pandemic. Over the last few weeks, we all have followed the H1N1 influenza outbreak as we ramped up our awareness of influenza mitigation strategies and the impact of infectious pathogens. What received less attention is the fact that H1N1 is resistant to some of the drugs in our arsenal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will continue to watch the spread and evolution of this pathogen as flu season hits the southern hemisphere. Hopefully, we again will buy some time before we truly face a pandemic. But, now the possibility of a pandemic has become real to many of us. We have been forced to think about how quickly an infection can spread, especially in the age of international air travel, and the disastrous result if it were a strain of bacteria that failed to respond to our current antiviral drugs.

Another resistant infection that caught our attention over the past year is community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA). Historically, this infection was acquired during a hospital stay, but now is impacting young, healthy people and spreading in our communities. We've heard stories of high school, college and professional athletes losing their lives or careers as a result of these infections. Many of our constituents are facing serious illness and death due to MRSA infections. Sadly, this infection has become far too common, difficult to treat and has few options to fight it. It can leave individuals disfigured, if they survive. In my own state of Utah, the number of children with MRSA infections at the Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City has increased by almost 20 fold over the past two decades.

There are still more infections to worry about. We have numerous reports of our soldiers coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan with Acinetobactor--a resistant bacterial infection that is especially difficult to treat and the only option is a very toxic antibiotic.

Other examples of concern include vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA), an alarming development because vancomycin is the drug of last resort for treating several serious infections, and Escherichia coli (E.coli), which has caused outbreaks due to contamination of spinach, peanut butter, and other foods we regularly consume.

Madam Speaker, I believe strongly that this year we must take this issue seriously and ensure we have the public health infrastructure in place to both monitor and respond to these emerging drug resistant infections. The STAAR Act is the most comprehensive legislation introduced to date to address this serious and life-threatening patient safety and public health problem. We must act now to begin to reverse the alarming trend, and infectious disease experts tell me that the multi-pronged approaches contained in the STAAR Act provides our best chance to address the multiple problems that face us.

We have taken antimicrobial drug development for granted. Few of us remember medicine before the discovery of antibacterial and antiviral drugs. Antibacterial drugs in particular have allowed many medical advances, including routine invasive surgeries, organ transplants, and other procedures that otherwise would be impossible due to resulting infections. But we are falling behind in our ability to protect ourselves against infections, and we have a lot of catching up to do. Fifteen years ago, the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) examined the problem of antimicrobial resistance and reported to Congress that ``The impacts of antibiotic-resistant

bacteria can be reduced by preserving the effectiveness of current antibiotics through infection control, vaccination and prudent use of antibiotics, and by developing new antibiotics specifically to treat infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.''

In addition, there are problems of significant and inappropriate use of antimicrobials; a lack of adequate research to address the many facets of resistance, including basic, clinical, interventional, and epidemiologic research as well as research to support the development of new diagnostics, biologics, devices and, of course, drugs; a fractured and under-funded resistance surveillance system; and insufficient coordination of the federal response, which is critically needed as the solutions to addressing antimicrobial resistance involve multiple agencies and departments.

To begin to respond to the drug resistance problem, eight years ago Congress passed legislation that became Section 319E, ``Combating Antimicrobial Resistance'' of the Public Health Service Act. This law directed the Secretary to establish an Antimicrobial Resistance Task Force to coordinate Federal programs relating to antimicrobial resistance; required research and development of new antimicrobial drugs and diagnostics; established educational programs for medical and health personnel in the use of these drugs; and established demonstration grants for programs promoting the judicious use of antimicrobial drugs and the detection and control of the spread of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. Authorization for these programs expired September 30, 2006. The STAAR Act reauthorizes these programs and builds on the Federal efforts that have been highlighted in the Public Health Service Action Plan to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance, published in 2001 by the Task Force.

The Action Plan identified thirteen key elements (out of 84 elements) as top priority action items that are critically necessary to address the growing resistance crisis. Regrettably, the Action Plan has never been funded.

In spite of these past efforts to address the problem, antimicrobial resistance continues to grow. In 2004, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) published, ``Bad Bugs, No Drugs: As Antibiotic Discovery Stagnates a Public Health Crisis Brews'' to highlight the lack of research and development for new antibiotics. Updates to this report continue to make the case that we need to do more. Antibacterial drugs are not profitable compared to those that treat chronic (long- term) conditions and lifestyle issues. In addition, when a new antibiotic comes on the market, it is discouraged from use to avoid the development of resistance. Also, antibiotics are taken for short periods of time--unlike those for chronic disease which may be taken daily. As a result, big pharmaceutical companies have pretty much turned their back on antibiotic development. IDSA has published several other reports that support many of the provisions found in the STAAR Act.

The ``Strategies to Address Antimicrobial Resistance (STAAR) Act'' is comprehensive legislation that advances the thirteen key elements identified in the federal Action Plan and authorizes adequate funding for these strategies.

My bill strengthens existing efforts by establishing an Antimicrobial Resistance office (ARO) within the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The Director of the ARO would serve as the director of the existing interagency task force and work in conjunction with the many Federal agencies which share responsibility to address antimicrobial resistance to ensure accountability and progress on the Action Plan. Also, to encourage input from experts outside the federal government, and to ensure accountability, my bill would establish a Public Health Antimicrobial Advisory Board (PHAAB) to provide much needed advice about antimicrobial resistance and strategies to address it. The STAAR Act will strengthen existing surveillance, data collection, and research activities as a means to reduce the inappropriate use of antimicrobials, develop and test new interventions to limit the spread of resistant organisms, and foster the development of new tools to detect, prevent and treat these ``bad bugs.'' Infectious diseases experts have said they strongly support this multi- faceted, strategic approach.

The STAAR Act has been endorsed by a number of organizations, including: Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics (APUA); American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN); National Parent-Teacher Association (PTA); American Public Health Association (APHA); National Foundation for Infections Diseases (NFID); Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE); and Michigan Antibiotic Resistance Reduction Coalition (MARA); American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP); Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC); International Society of Microbial Resistance (ISMR); Michigan Antibiotic Resistance Reduction Coalition (MARA); National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA); Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists (SIDP); and Trust for America's Health (TFAH).

This legislation has been a long time coming. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation and to work with me to give our federal agencies the tools they need to ensure that combating antimicrobial resistance becomes a priority.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 2187, the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act, which will help modernize many of our nation's schools.

I would like to thank my colleague from Kentucky--Ben Chandler--for his sponsorship of this legislation. I believe it will help to ensure that our children can learn in healthier, more cost effective, and more energy-efficient schools.

An investment in education and educational facilities is critical. As the father of two young boys, I want to know that they will receive a quality education in a safe school building. Too many of our nation's schools are outdated, and some are even unsafe.

I would also like to thank Chairman Miller for including my amendment to this bill in the manager's amendment. My amendment will allow schools to prioritize projects that eliminate asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyls, mold, mildew, lead-based hazards, or other known carcinogens.

Extensive research has shown that children and teachers perform better in ``green'' schools. Our children already encounter many challenges, and we should do everything we can to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for them.

Madam Speaker, southern Utah has lost a local treasure with the passing of Bart Anderson of St. George, Utah.

Bart Anderson was often described by people who meet him for the first time as ``bear-sized Bart Anderson''. He loomed large in the community life of Washington County. He was a retired St. George hematologist, historian and folklorist. Everyone knew him as ``Ranger Bart'' because he devoted his golden years to giving slide shows at nearby national parks--including Zion National Park--as well as at state parks.

I knew Bart Anderson as a man with a passion for the stories of this part of the West, known as Utah's Dixie--so named because cotton was one of the crops grown by the Mormon settlers here at the time of the Civil War.

One of Bart's most popular presentations was one on the outlaw Butch Cassidy. It featured vintage photos of Butch Cassidy, who Bart often pointed out, could charm the locals and even the lawmen of that era.

Bart was a talented and versatile man, who turned down a number of more lucrative business offers because they would take him away from Dixie and he said he had too much red dirt running through his veins to leave.

As a child, he contracted polio and when doctors said he wouldn't walk again, his father threw him in the swimming pool to help make him strong. When he was 11, Bart's father arranged for him to work for the Boy Scouts as a guide into the back country. He developed a great love of hiking, including the Grand Canyon.

As an adult, he merged his love of hiking with his passion for story- telling by giving walking tours in downtown St. George. That morphed into a series of history lectures for which he developed over 100 slide programs that communicated his love of place to residents and visitors alike.

He married his sweetheart--Delorice--whom he called ``the wind beneath my wings.'' She was often in the audience during his lectures and performances. Whether he was reciting ``The Ballad of Sam McGee'' around a campfire with a troop of Boy Scouts, or researching history at the Washington County Historical Society, Bart Anderson was happiest when he was immersed in folklore. He received many local state and national honors, including an award as Outstanding Volunteer from former First Lady Hillary Clinton.

One of his close friends--Lyman Hafen--told the local newspaper that Anderson was one-of-a-kind--with a heart as big as Zion Canyon. I was very proud to be his friend and while he will be missed, he will never be forgotten.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 1145, the ``National Water Research and Development Initiative Act.'' I am proud to support Chairman Gordon's legislation as a cosponsor of the bill. I thank the Chairman, along with Chairman Stupak and the Science Committee staff for bringing this bill to the floor. My home state of Utah is the second driest state in the nation. Over the past year, Utah has overcome a twelve year drought that threatened major industries in my district. This water shortage threatens recreation, tourism, ranching, and agriculture. All of these industries rely heavily on water usage.

This bill coordinates national research and development efforts on water and provides a clear path forward to ensure adequate water supplies for generations to come. It will help ensure that places like Utah have access to an effective national water strategy.

That is why I offered an amendment to this legislation in Committee which creates a data collection system to quantify and define the nation's water supply or the systems that produce this resource. I am pleased that my language is included in this bill.

This bill will help quantify water usage by allowing water users to share best practices and data in order to improve water resource management.

Utah's lack of water is a common story in the west and increasingly in other parts of the nation. The lack of water in Utah cripples economies and I am looking forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure this legislation is passed.

Thank you and I urge my colleagues to support this piece of legislation.

Madam Speaker, Southern Utah has lost a local treasure with the passing of Bart Anderson of St. George, Utah.

Bart Anderson was often described by people who meet him for the first time as ``bear-sized Bart Anderson''. He loomed large in the community life of Washington County. He was a retired St. George hematologist, historian and folklorist. Everyone knew him as ``Ranger Bart'' because he devoted his golden years to giving slide shows at nearby national parks--including Zion National Park--as well as at state parks.

I knew Bart Anderson as a man with a passion for the stories of this part of the West, known as Utah's Dixie--so named because cotton was one of the crops grown by the Mormon settlers here at the time of the Civil War.

One of Bart's most popular presentations was one on the outlaw Butch Cassidy. It featured vintage photos of Butch Cassidy, who Bart often pointed out, could charm the locals and even the lawmen of that era.

Bart was a talented and versatile man, who turned down a number of more lucrative business offers because they would take him away from Dixie and he said he had too much red dirt running through his veins to leave.

As a child, he contracted polio and when doctors said he wouldn't walk again, his father threw him in the swimming pool to help make him strong. When he was 11, Bart's father arranged for him to work for the Boy Scouts as a guide into the back country. He developed a great love of hiking, including the Grand Canyon.

As an adult, he merged his love of hiking with his passion for story- telling by giving walking tours in downtown St. George. That morphed into a series of history lectures for which he developed over 100 slide programs that communicated his love of place to residents and visitors alike.

He married his sweetheart, Delorice, whom he called ``the wind beneath my wings.'' She was often in the audience during his lectures and performances. Whether he was reciting ``The Ballad of Sam McGee'' around a campfire with a troop of Boy Scouts, or researching history at the Washington County Historical Society, Bart Anderson was happiest when he was immersed in folklore. He received many local state and national honors, including an award as Outstanding Volunteer from former First Lady Hillary Clinton.

One of his close friends, Lyman Hafen, told the local newspaper that Anderson was one-of-a-kind--with a heart as big as Zion Canyon. I was very proud to be his friend and while he will be missed, he will never be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, it is with regret that I bring before the House the news that a former colleague, Bill Orton from the Third District of Utah, passed away in a tragic accident just last Saturday. He was out with his kids recreating on some sand dunes in central Utah.

Bill was a smart Member of Congress. He was a substantive Member of Congress. He was someone who spoke his mind, and I know that his commitment to public service continued after he left this institution. He was first elected in 1990. He served for 6 years. He was one of the founding members of the Blue Dog Coalition here in the House of Representatives while he was here.

I would like to yield to my colleague from Utah (Mr. Bishop) for some comments, and then I will ask for a moment of silence.

We certainly want to offer our condolences to Bill's wife, Jacquelyn; his sons, Will and Wes. And with that, I ask the House recognize this with a moment of silence.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor our colleague who just passed away this past Saturday, Bill Orton, who represented the Third Congressional District in Utah. Bill was a Congressman who spoke his mind, who was an independent voice. And let me tell you, in today's politics, I think we can all learn something from Bill Orton because I think most people in America don't like the polarization they see in Washington, D.C. Bill was all about trying to find solutions, trying to make progress. We can honor his legacy by behaving more like Bill.

I offer my condolences to his wife, Jacquelyn, and to his sons, Will and Wes. Their father was a great public servant. I hope they can find some solace in the great record of public service their father has.

Madam Speaker, today In introduced the ``Residential Carbon Monoxide

Poisoning Prevention Act'' in the House of Representatives. Carbon monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in America. Nearly all carbon monoxide poisonings can be prevented by simply placing a carbon monoxide detector in one's home. Carbon monoxide poisoning kills 500 people each year in the U.S. and hospitalizes an additional 20,000 people, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Poisonings occur from several sources, including leaky furnaces that aren't properly serviced, water heaters, stoves, and portable generators that are used inside or in an area with poor ventilation. Carbon monoxide poisonings occur everywhere across the U.S., from cold weather states in which furnaces frequently run to hurricane-prone areas in which residents lose electricity and use portable generators inside.

This is a commonsense bill that incentivizes states to encourage citizens to place carbon monoxide detectors in their homes by establishing grant programs for detectors for which states can apply. This commonsense legislation is supported by both consumer protection groups and national retailers.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in support of my legislation. H.R. 479, the Wakefield Act, which seeks to reauthorize the Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) program.

Unfortunately, today the hospital emergency department has become the fundamental source of our health care delivery system for both primary and emergency care. Due to this trend, it's easy to forget that emergency medicine is actually a relatively new specialty. Emergency rooms were first established in the 1970s as medical personnel returning from the Vietnam War sought to put to use the battlefield medicine they had learned. Skills initially developed to save wounded soldiers were translated to saving victims of car crashes and trauma.

That genesis in battlefield medicine, however, failed to account for the very different physical, developmental, and physiological traits of children. By the early 1980s, doctors were seeing marked disparities in survival rates among adults and children with similar injuries.

Created in 1984, the EMSC program sought to address those disparities in children's emergency care. The program has driven fundamental changes in America's emergency medical system and brought vital resources and attention to a neglected population. Since it was established, child injury death rates have dropped 40 percent. With the aid of research and attention from the EMSC program and others, pediatric emergency medicine was developed, and was ultimately established as a separate medical subspecialty in 1992.

This year we are proud to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the EMSC program. The EMSC program provides seed money to every state and territory to carry out activities designed to improve children's emergency care. States may use those funds to ensure that hospitals and ambulances are stocked with appropriate equipment and supplies; to provide pediatric training to paramedics; to improve systems, such as transfer agreements among facilities; and much more. The program also supports the National EMSC Resource Center, an information clearinghouse that provides materials and technical support to states and institutions. The Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network links pediatric emergency providers across the nation to perform research on injury and illness among children. The National EMSC Data Analysis Resource Center--based in my district at the University of Utah--assists states to collect, analyze, and utilize EMSC data.

The EMSC program's authorization expired in September 2005. In summer 2006, the Institutes of Medicine released a report entitled, ``Emergency Care for Children: Growing Pains,'' which documented both the value of the EMSC program and the gaps that remain in providing quality emergency care for all children. The report found that, although children represent 27 percent of all emergency department visits, only about 6 percent of emergency departments have all of the supplies deemed essential for managing pediatric emergencies, and only half of hospitals have at least 85 percent of those supplies. The report described the EMSC program as ``well positioned to assume [a] leadership role'' in addressing deficiencies in emergency care for

children and recommended funding the program at $37.5 million per year.

H.R. 479, the Wakefield Act, has bipartisan, bicameral support. The bill is also endorsed by over 50 organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Emergency Physicians, the American Medical Association, the Emergency Nurses Association, and many more. I would like to thank Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Waxman and his staff for working with me and my staff to move this legislation forward.

Last year, the House passed this bill on a vote of 390-1. I urge every Member to support this important legislation once again-- together, we can work to ensure that our nation's children have the best possible medical care during emergencies.

Madam Speaker, I rise today along with my colleague Rep. Fred Upton to introduce the ``Labeling Education and Nutrition Act of 2009''.

I am introducing this legislation so we can move toward providing consumers with key nutritional information they seek while hopefully providing restaurants with a workable framework to deliver this information to their customers. This legislation is a bipartisan effort to address nutritional labeling in this Congress. Senators Carper and Murkowski will introduce the companion bill in the coming days. With the introduction of the LEAN Act in both chambers, I believe we have an opportunity to have a constructive national conversation about uniform nutrition labeling requirements and standards.

Since 1994, the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) has required food manufacturers to provide nutrition information on nearly all packaged foods. However, the NLEA exempts restaurants. Due to this exemption, states, cities and counties have acted to provide nutritional information to consumers. This has led to at least 20 states introducing varying degrees of labeling requirement legislation in 2009.

From New York City to the state of California, more and more cities, counties, and states are passing differing laws mandating that chain restaurants put calories and other nutritional information on menus and menu boards. The result of this increasing state activity is a patchwork of regulation that can be confusing to the consumer and is burdensome to restaurant chains.

The LEAN Act requires restaurants and grocery stores that serve prepared foods and have 20 or more locations to disclose calories for each menu item so that consumers can access this information before making a meal choice. Under this bill, calories will be posted directly on the menu, menu board or in one of the approved alternative ways, such as a menu insert or a sign directly next to the menu board.

As we see in our own lives and daily eating habits, consumers increasingly choose to eat in restaurants. According to a 2009 Forecast report by the National Restaurant Association, Americans are looking for healthier options when they dine out. In my home state of Utah, restaurant jobs represent about 8% of the employment. American adults buy a meal or a snack from a restaurant 5 times per week on average and spend 48% of their food budget on food away from home, almost $1078 per person annually. Unfortunately, we have also seen the toll diseases such as obesity and diabetes have taken on society. By providing nutritional information, individuals with special dietary needs will be able to make the right nutritional decisions for them regarding caloric intake or sodium levels.

I appreciate the interest and leadership my colleagues have demonstrated on this issue in the past. I believe this legislation represents a compromise effort that will allow consumers to make informed decisions while also providing for greater individual responsibility in dietary choices. Finally, I hope my colleagues will work with me on this piece of legislation and I look forward to working in a bipartisan way to build upon this legislative proposal.

Mr. Speaker, I have always worked to protect children. The recent press reports of abuse, neglect, and tragically death, in some residential therapy programs for youth is very concerning to me. Over the years, many treatment centers have been established across the Nation, including Utah. As a result, Utah has worked hard to license and regulate residential treatment programs over the past several years and our state meets many of the standards set forth in the legislation passed by the House of Representatives.

It is my understanding that some states have not developed as stringent requirements as Utah and that leads to a patchwork of regulations where kids can fall through the cracks. I believe a uniform set of standards makes sense, especially when it comes to meeting the needs of the most troubled children and their families. I am supportive of provisions in this bill which seek to support good actors and encourage those who are not to become so. I also feel that steps taken by Utah could be an example for other states implementing new requirements.

I was able to include language in the legislation which requested HHS study the outcomes of individuals in these types of programs through a longitudinal study. I feel this data is extremely useful to better understand the outcomes of individuals in these programs and the progress made towards the goals of the treatment programs to fully rehabilitate troubled youth and teens.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank Chairman Waxman for addressing problems with the transition to digital television which was due to happen next month.

The simple fact is that millions of Americans are not prepared for the digital switch.

In Salt Lake City, Nielsen Media Research reports that nearly 9 percent of households are completely unprepared. Salt Lake ranks as the sixth least-ready out of 56 surveyed.

The coupons authorized by Congress 4 years ago--to help families acquire the hardware they need to view programs once the digital change is made--aren't getting to the customers.

Millions of Americans are currently waiting to receive the coupons. The agency charged with distributing them has fallen behind.

My office has been attempting to assist constituents with the program for several months. I know of cases where coupons have expired before they even reach consumer mail boxes. That's ridiculous.

I'd like to thank Chairman Waxman for working with the Senate to address concerns I raised about the coupon program. This is a Senate bill, but it is important to acknowledge the work of the Energy and Commerce Committee in trying to fix DTV problems.

The last thing families need right now is the prospect of additional monthly bills in order to watch television.

Finally, I am pleased to see that this bill allows for emergency services to begin using some analog space. It also provides flexibility by allowing broadcasters who are ready-to-go to switch to digital service earlier than June, which is a good idea.

Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce the Wakefield Act, which reauthorizes the Emergency Medical Services for Children Program.

It is the only Federal program that focuses on saving the lives and health of children needing emergency medical treatment.

This year is the program's 25th anniversary and I am proud to be the lead sponsor along with Representative Peter King.

Unfortunately, millions of kids find themselves in our Nation's emergency rooms every year. Thanks to the Wakefield Act, doctors, nurses, and first-responders now have much greater knowledge about what works and what doesn't work, when these small patients come through the emergency room door.

Since the program began, child injury death rates have dropped 40 percent. The research that resulted from this legislation helped establish pediatric emergency medicine as its own specialty. Data collection and training seminars--including from the Emergency Medical Services for Children Data Analysis Center based in my district at the University of Utah--have been provided to thousands of medical personnel.

The program's authorization expired in September 2005. In the summer of 2006, the Institutes of Medicine released a report which documented the value of the program. It also noted the gaps that remain in providing quality emergency care for children. There is a serious gap between the percentage of kids who end up in the ER and the percentage of emergency rooms that are staffed, trained, and equipped to respond appropriately. The report's bottom line--this program is ``well positioned to assume a leadership role'' in closing the gap.

It's endorsed by over 50 organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Emergency Physicians.

Madam Speaker, this legislation enhances the program by authorizing the funding needed to ensure that progress continues in this specialty. I look forward to working with my colleagues toward its adoption.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce legislation that would correct a drafting error that involves a 25-acre parcel of Bureau of Land Management, BLM, land, and land that is part of the Turn-About Ranch, which rehabilitates troubled youth.

An erroneous survey in January 1999 was the cause of this trespass conflict when Congress approved a major land exchange, P.L. 105-335, between the State of Utah and the border of the Grand Staircase Escalante, GSE, Monument. This legislation makes a minor boundary change to resolve the trespass conflict. It would grant the owners of the ranch to purchase the erroneously surveyed land at a fair market value, enabling this important and effective program for troublesome youth to continue unimpeded.

The Turn-About Ranch has graduated approximately 500 troubled and at risk teenagers through an intense program of training and rehabilitation. The ranch also employs about 35 Garfield County residents. The Turnabout Ranch has strong support from the local community, and the Garfield County Commission, as well as approval from the parents of the troubled youth.

The Government-owned land administered by the BLM surrounds the congressional action by passing this legislation in Congress. The land was historically used for agriculture and grazing purposes. The Townsend family purchased the ranch and then leased the land to the Turn-About Ranch, Inc., for the sole purpose of rehabilitating the troubled youth, and restoring the values and self-esteem to these wayward teens.

Madam Speaker, this legislation is a fair resolution to a technical problem. I hope Congress can implement this legislation and resolve this problem to continue helping our troubled adolescent teens.