Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 109) honoring the 20th anniversary of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in the Nation's Capital and its transition to the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure on June 6, 2009, and for other purposes.

I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 109, a resolution that honors the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure.

More and more women are surviving breast cancer due in no small part to Susan's sister and to the many women and others who took to the streets and, in a variety of grassroots ways, decided to take this curse, really, which is breast cancer, out of the closet and into the spotlight where attention could be paid to it. We have seen that more and more women are surviving, but there is much more work to do in extending screening and treatment here and abroad. More research is needed into how we can better detect and treat breast cancer, and more work needs to be done to ensure that survivors have the tools they need to navigate the complexities of treatment, symptom management and follow-up care.

This Saturday will be the 20th Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure here in Washington, D.C. In recognition of the global scope of breast cancer this year, the race's name has been changed to the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure.

I want to thank our colleagues, Representatives Connolly, Wasserman Schultz and Sablan, for their leadership on this issue. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I concur with my colleague from Nebraska as to the significance of our local races, and I have a feeling that this weekend there will be many from Capitol Hill who will also be participating in the Washington, D.C. event. As a sister of a breast cancer survivor, I know this is a very personal story for almost everyone today.

With great pleasure, I yield to the author of the legislation, Representative Connolly from Virginia, for such time as he may consume.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I yield as much time as she may consume to our colleague from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz) whose connection to this topic is the most personal you can get.

I want to thank my colleague from Nebraska and to acknowledge that this is truly one bipartisan issue that we all agree upon. And as our colleague from Florida has issued us all a challenge, we now have a goal to try to reach here with our staffs and on the Hill, from the Hill as we participate. I want to thank the sponsors of the race for expanding their scope and now for this resolution being known as the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure and to acknowledge this day coming, June 6, 2009.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 437) supporting the goals and ideals of Mental Health Month, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

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

I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 437, supporting the goals and ideals of Mental Health Month. I would like to thank my colleague Congresswoman Napolitano for her leadership on this issue. This resolution underscores the importance of mental health for the overall well-being of Americans, the health of our communities and the Nation's economic strength. It's an opportunity to commend the important work of health practitioners who, together with national and community organizations, are so dedicated to the promotion of mental health. These practitioners, these organizations, work tirelessly to improve awareness of mental health issues. As a nurse, I especially welcome this opportunity to recognize the contributions of so many of my colleagues.

Over 57 million Americans suffer from mental illness. Mental illness is the leading cause of disability in our Nation; and when left untreated, mental illness is a leading cause of absenteeism and lost productivity in the workplace. This resolution knows that mental illness disproportionately affects a number of groups, including the elderly, adolescents, young adults, minorities and now, most especially we note, our troops returning home from combat. Despite the prevalence of mental illness in our society, this resolution appropriately highlights the stigma still associated with many of these conditions and that the stigma persists. Even though we have passed mental health parity legislation, we have so much more work to do to fully realize equal benefits for mental illness prevention and treatment. For this very reason, it is important to support the goals and ideals of Mental Health Month while also working to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness.

I urge my colleagues to join the bipartisan sponsors of this bill in supporting Mental Health Month.

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

Mr. Speaker, it's a pleasure to yield to the author of this legislation, our colleague from California (Mrs. Napolitano) as much time as she may consume.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I now yield as much time as he may consume to our colleague from Rhode Island, Patrick Kennedy, who has championed this issue for as long as he has been a Member of Congress and really made us very much aware of the need, and then the passing of the resolution for the legislation for mental health parity. And I now yield time.

For all the reasons that have been cited by the many speakers, and in strong support of House Resolution 437, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

I yield back.

Madam Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to commend my constituents at the Dos Pueblos High School Engineering Academy in Goleta, CA.

After rigorous study of engineering, science, math and other subjects, thirty-two high school seniors in this program came together to form a Robotics team called the D'Penguineers.

This group of talented students won two regional competitions and competed last month in the International For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics Challenge in Atlanta, Georgia and won the coveted Motorola Quality Award which is given to the best-designed robot in the competition.

In only six weeks, these impressive high school students built a robot with the ability to remove 40-inch diameter balls from a 6\1/2\- foot tall overpass, drive along a prescribed path, and maneuver the balls into position with each pass under or over the underpass on each lap.

Madam Speaker, the Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy and the success of the D'Penguineers exemplifies what motivated students can do with support from their families, teachers and community.

To build on the success of these students, we must continue to prioritize science education and funding, not only throughout the South and Central Coasts but across the country as well.

With research performed by these students and others equally committed to the scientific community, our country will lead the world with new solutions for clean energy and more efficient technology.

I am proud to represent these gifted high school seniors, their dedicated instructors, and the entire Dos Pueblos High School community in Congress.

I am sure this esteemed achievement is indicative of many further successes for these intelligent young people.

Mr. Speaker, this week the Committee on Energy and Commerce is poised to pass landmark energy and climate legislation. Over two Congresses, our committee has heard from over 300 expert witnesses who have made it clear that we need swift action to rebuild our economy and address climate change.

America is ready, and the world is watching. We must transition to a clean energy economy so that we can create jobs here in America, achieve energy independence, and protect our planet for future generations. We have before us a powerful, thorough and effective bill. It includes a nationwide renewable electricity standard to ensure consumers get more of their electricity from wind, solar and biomass energy. It contains critical investments in energy efficiency, and it requires immediate significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions that are harming our planet.

We must enact comprehensive climate legislation, and we must enact it now. We can't sit idly by and allow other nations to lead the way to a clean energy future. I think America can and must do better.

I hope others will join me in seizing this opportunity to pass the American Clean Energy and Security Act to transition our country to a clean energy economy, and protect our planet for our children and our grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 120) supporting the goals and ideals of National Women's Health Week, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

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

I rise today in strong support of H. Con. Res. 120, recognizing National Women's Health Week, and I'd like to commend my colleagues, Mr. Hinchey and Mrs. Bono Mack, for introducing this legislation.

We have worked together on this recognition for several years now. This year marks the 10th anniversary of National Women's Health Week. It's an opportunity to recognize the progress made in women's health.

Much of this progress is due to the offices of women's health in multiple key Federal agencies. These offices work to promote research on women's health issues and the provision of important women's health services. In fact, the office of Women's Health at the Department of Health and Human Services just celebrated 10 years of the womenshealth.gov Web site.

What this resolution rightly notes is that women's health issues matter throughout a woman's lifespan. Promoting health education among girls and women of all ages will increase healthy behaviors and the use of important preventive screenings and services.

This resolution also notes that there are significant disparities among women of different racial and ethnic backgrounds and women with disabilities, all of which must be considered and taken into account as we address women's health.

I urge my colleagues to join in the bipartisan sponsorship of this bill and supporting National Women's Health Week.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased now to yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Hinchey) for such time as he may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I will just make the comment that it is exceedingly gratifying to notice the leadership of our colleague from New York, Mr. Hinchey, and other men who realize that Women's Health Week really affects their lives as well, because women are often the leaders within the family setting and the educators and the standard bearers often for communities as well. So we are talking about awareness of national women's health, which really is also talking about health for us all.

And I'm pleased also to note that our bipartisan caucus for women's issues

has championed this resolution and is very grateful to the authors for introducing it and for this opportunity for us to recognize the 10th annual National Women's Health Week.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 272, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize National AmeriCorps Week. Over the last 15 years, nearly half a million AmeriCorps volunteers have served with thousands of nonprofits, public agencies, and faith-based organizations across America. AmeriCorps recruits and trains millions of community volunteers to serve our country's critical needs in education, the environment, public safety, and disaster relief nationwide.

Sixty-five percent of AmeriCorps alumni go on to pursue a career in public service. In my home State of California alone, almost 8,000 people this year will participate in one of more than 7,500 AmeriCorps programs throughout the State. One such program is coordinated by the Santa Barbara County Education Office in my district.

This program provides daily tutoring and reading for over 700 at-risk students. It recruits volunteers for additional educational programs, and it works to increase disaster preparedness in the schools of Santa Barbara County.

The over 700 million hours served by AmeriCorps members have bettered our communities and touched the lives of countless Americans. These individuals dedicate their time and energy to help meet the needs of our local communities, and during these tough economic times, we need them now more than ever.

To all these incredible participants in AmeriCorps, I commend you and thank you for your service.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 192 and in support of National Nurses Week. I commend my friend and fellow nurse, Ms. Johnson, for introducing this resolution.

As we observe Nurses Week, we have a perfect opportunity to highlight the importance of addressing nursing issues in the context of health reform.

Nurses must have a seat at the table for the discussions and nurses must be part of the solutions. After all, nurses are the best advocates for their patients.

I would like to propose that we use National Nurses Week 2009 to not only thank the nurses who have helped us in our own lives, but to learn more about the roles that they play in our community at-large.

Whether it is the nurse at a patient's hospital bedside, the nurse tending to children at an elementary school, the nurse midwife delivering a baby or the nurse faculty instructing a new generation of nurses, they all play an important part in our health care delivery system.

As we proceed with comprehensive health reform, we need to take into account the various roles that nurses perform so that we can ensure a viable nurse workforce well into the future.

Health reform will be impossible without a nursing workforce to support the primary and acute care needs of all Americans and I encourage my colleagues to join me in making a commitment during Nurses Week to advocate for nurses during our health reform debate.

Madam Speaker, we have a lot to be proud of in the way our Nation has responded to the H1N1 outbreak on a large scale, but we have also exposed some large gaps in our response capabilities.

The CDC's top recommendation to individuals experiencing flu-like symptoms is call your health provider. But 47 million Americans don't have regular access to a primary health care provider. And if our only recourse is to have these folks crowding the emergency departments, then we have a lot more to do to improve our response.

This week I was proud to reintroduce with Senator Durbin the Public Health Emergency Response Act, legislation which will ensure health coverage for individuals during a public health emergency.

Until we achieve universal coverage, we must at least ensure that Americans have access to care during a public health emergency and that health professionals who treat them are compensated.

Madam Speaker, today we will have the opportunity to vote on the budget resolution, a budget which makes a sound investment in our Nation's future. I especially want to applaud the health care provisions in the resolution that will put us on track for improving access to quality health care for all Americans.

It is vital that we pass this bill with the reconciliation instructions intact so that we can achieve comprehensive health reform this year. The price of inaction is way too high. Fortunately, the steps we will begin taking through the budget resolution reconciliation instructions will yield very positive rewards.

This includes reform of the broken Medicare reimbursement system. The budget addresses problems with geographic variations in spending in health care. It invests in proven nurse home visitation programs for at-risk first-time mothers. And it improves the women, infant and children nutrition program.

I urge my colleagues to join me in voting ``yes'' on the budget resolution.

I thank my colleague for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support the Local Law Enforcement and Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

This is a commonsense bill with broad bipartisan support. Our law enforcement agencies, the vast majority of whom support this legislation, deserve the tools to battle hate-filled violence.

Bias-motivated crimes based on sexual orientation have more than tripled since the FBI began collecting hate crimes statistics about 20 years ago. But our law enforcement agencies still have no authority to assist communities dealing with even the most brutal crimes committed against our gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender neighbors and friends.

This is a travesty. H.R. 1913 is a commonsense step to fix this injustice. The bill allows the Justice Department to aid State and local jurisdictions, either by lending assistance or by taking the lead in investigations and prosecutions of violent crimes which are motivated by bias.

Mr. Speaker, let us be clear. Nothing in H.R. 1913 could or would change First Amendment protections, but violence is not free speech.

Like many of my colleagues, I live in a community that was tragically altered by a senseless hate crime. Early last year, Lawrence King, an eighth grader in my district in a junior high school, was shot and killed by another student in his computer class, again, at a middle school. Lawrence was a young man who identified himself as a gay person, and this was the cause of the violence that took his life.

The police correctly identified the murder and classified it as a hate crime.

Mr. Speaker, I am very honored to stand here today and support H.R. 1913 in memory of Lawrence King and so many others who have been victims of hate crimes and acts of violence.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague and chairman of our committee and a real pioneer and hero in this area.

I rise to give strong opposition to the Buyer amendment.

The Buyer amendment would undermine the precise goals of this underlying bill, that is to prevent kids from smoking. There is nothing in the Buyer amendment that would restrict tobacco marketing to youth, yet we know that marketing to our kids is a persistent tobacco company tactic. They do it to draw in new smokers at a very early age to replace their dwindling client base because of people finally being able to quit or, unfortunately, dying as a complication of smoking.

As a grandmother, I am horrified that my teenage granddaughters are the target of disgusting adds like this very one. Dressed to the Nines, this title was featured repeatedly in many magazines read frequently by young women and girls. The add highlights the latest fashion trends. It tells kids how to ``update your closet,'' and it directs them, of all things, to the Camel cigarettes Web site.

Under the Waxman-Platts bill, however, we specifically eliminate this kind of marketing to kids that depict smoking as cool or glamorous. And that's because it is not. Smoking is not cool. It isn't glamorous. It's an expensive ticket to an early death, and the tobacco companies and the magazines that run these adds, they know it, and they should be ashamed of themselves. But these days, corporate shame is in short supply, and we cannot rely on it to protect our kids.

In addition, this bill gives the FDA the authority to respond to the inevitable attempts by tobacco companies to circumvent new restrictions.

So I urge my colleagues to reject this Buyer substitute amendment because it lacks critical provisions that are so important to prevent children, our youth, from smoking.

I urge everyone to support the Waxman-Platts bill.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of our subcommittee, Mr. Pallone, for giving me time to speak. Of course, I'm speaking in strong support of H.R. 1246, the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act. I am very proud to have introduced this bill with my colleague, Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson of Missouri.

I want to commend the leadership of the Hearing Health Caucus, Congressman Vern Ehlers and Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy, our leaders of this caucus now, and I must also mention the work of former Congressman Jim Walsh of New York who had championed this issue for many years before his retirement.

As our chairman mentioned, each year more than 12,000 infants are born with hearing loss. If left undetected, this condition impairs speech development, language development, and cognitive development. Back in 2000, we developed the early hearing detection program, thanks to the hard work of the Hearing Health Caucus, and since that time, we've seen a tremendous increase in the number of newborns who are now being screened for hearing loss.

Back in 2000, only 44 percent of newborns were being screened for hearing loss. That's less than half of the babies born. Now, we're screening newborns at a rate of over 93 percent. So this legislation has had an impact. Again, I commend the work of those made it happen and all of the hard work of our colleagues here in Congress and the Senate and the signing into law.

But we know now that our work is not done. According to the Centers for Disease Control, almost half of the newborns who fail initial screening of their hearing do not go on to receive appropriate follow- up care, and we need to train more health professionals with the skills necessary to provide effective intervention.

As a school nurse for over 20 years, I had a lot of interaction with students who were lagging behind their classmates, failing in class due to undiagnosed or untreated hearing loss. We can prevent more children from suffering in the classroom and really suffering throughout their lives through better investment in follow-up intervention as a part of the successful hearing screening program for newborns and infants.

I urge our colleagues to join in voting in favor of H.R. 1246.

Mr. Speaker, again, I thank our chairman of our subcommittee for giving me this time to speak in strong support of H.R. 756, the National Pain Care Policy Act.

I want to thank our colleague from Michigan, Mike Rogers, for his tireless advocacy on behalf of pain care. It's been several years that we've been working together, and we have a great deal of gratitude for the vast coalition of organizations who have been supporting this legislation and working so hard on behalf of people with pain who suffer every single day.

Most Americans would be surprised if they understood that the leading cause of disability in the United States is pain and that its treatment and management is straining our health care system. Americans suffering from chronic pain, or from pain as a symptom of another illness, face so many barriers to achieving relief. Fortunately, we don't have to remain debilitated by pain because we can take several steps in this legislation to improve the way we research, diagnose, and treat pain.

This legislation takes a multifaceted approach to addressing pain. First, it calls on the Institute of Medicine to convene a conference on pain. The bill will also enable coordination and improvement of pain research at the National Institutes of Health.

This information will then be disseminated to the health community. H.R. 756 will also create a grant program in order to improve training for health professionals in recognizing and treating pain effectively.

Finally, through this legislation we will initiate a public health awareness campaign so that patients know they do not need to suffer from pain, but rather they can seek available treatment options.

It is my hope that passage of this bill in the House today will spur the Senate to act soon so we can see this bill signed into law before the end of the year.

Most of us have either suffered from pain ourselves--and chronic pain, as our colleague from the other side said, is pain that doesn't go away for at least 24 hours. That's awfully miserable. Either we have experienced that ourselves or we have some family member or loved one that we can think of who would be very much affected in a positive way by passing this legislation.

So the sooner we get to work on improving pain care, the sooner we can see relief for the millions of Americans who are suffering from pain every day.

Again, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 756.

This week, once again, we observe Cover the Uninsured Week, something we do every year. You know, the United States is a world leader in so many respects, but are we ever a poor example to follow on health care coverage.

As many as 47 million Americans lack insurance, and many more we know are underinsured. In most instances, they lack access to quality health care, especially primary and preventive care.

Our country has dug itself into a hole so deep, I'm afraid there isn't one simple solution to the puzzle of covering the uninsured. Thankfully, we have already begun to take important steps, such as expanding the Children's Health Insurance Program and assisting unemployed individuals struggling to pay COBRA premiums.

But we have so much more work to do. We must finally extend coverage to all Americans, and we must do it this year.

Let's give real meaning to the phrase ``cover the uninsured'' and have something to celebrate next year.