Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5676) to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to authorize the suspension of payments by Medicare prescription drug plans and MA-PD plans pending investigations of credible allegations of fraud by pharmacies, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 5676, currently under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I stand today in strong support of H.R. 5676, a bipartisan bill centered on protecting Medicare beneficiaries from abusive opioid prescribing, while ensuring appropriate access to medically necessary medications. This bill strikes a balance, which we need.

H.R. 5676, introduced by our colleagues--Mr. MacArthur, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. Schweikert, Mr. Collins, Ms. Kuster, and Mr. Tonko-- extends an existing authority in the Medicare fee-for-service program to Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plans.

According to a recent report released by the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General, one-third of Medicare part D beneficiaries received an opioid prescription in 2016, costing the program $4.1 billion and representing as many as 79.4 million prescriptions. The report found that as many as half a million part D beneficiaries received high amounts of opioids, with almost 70,000 receiving extreme amounts of opioids, many of them as a result of doctor shopping.

For years, the Medicare fee-for-service program has been able to suspend payments to a provider or a supplier pending an investigation of a credible allegation of fraud against the provider or supplier. Extending this authority to the Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plans will help bridge the gap in the care of beneficiaries and halt the fraudulent activity that contributes to the opioid crisis.

I would like to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle on the Ways and Means Committee for their commitment to working cooperatively on this, and also our colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee, particularly Congressman Burgess, who chairs the Health Subcommittee, and also Chairman Walden. They played a role in laying the groundwork for policies like this that crack down on abusers.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to continuing to work on this issue on both sides of the aisle and with the administration on policies that will further strengthen the integrity of the Medicare program.

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

House of Representatives,

Committee on Ways and Means,

Washington, DC, June 8, 2018.

Hon. Greg Walden,

Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Walden: I write to you regarding several

opioid bills the Committee on Ways and Means ordered

favorably reported to address the opioid epidemic. The

following bills were also referred to the Committee on Energy

and Commerce.

I ask that the Committee on Energy and Commerce waive

formal consideration of the following bills so that they may

proceed expeditiously to the House Floor:

H.R. 5774, Combatting Opioid Abuse for Care in Hospitals

(COACH) Act;

H.R. 5775, Providing Reliable Options for Patients and

Educations Resources (PROPER) Act;

H.R. 5776, Medicare and Opioid Safe Treatment (MOST) Act;

H.R. 5773, Preventing Addition for Susceptible Seniors

(PASS) Act;

H.R. 5676, Stop Excessive Narcotics in our Retirement

(SENIOR) Communities Protection Act; and

H.R. 5723, Expanding Oversight of Opioid Prescribing and

Payment Act.

I acknowledge that by waiving formal consideration of the

bills, the Committee on Energy and Commerce is in no way

waiving its jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in

those provisions of the bills that fall within your Rule X

jurisdiction. I would support your effort to seek appointment

of an appropriate number of conferees on any House-Senate

conference involving this legislation.

I will include a copy of our letters in the Congressional

Record during consideration of this legislation on the House

floor.

Sincerely,

Kevin Brady,

Chairman.

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

Mr. Speaker, I just want to go into a little bit more detail and focus on how it is that we are here today and why there is an urgency to this.

The gentlewoman just mentioned some staggering statistics: 9,000 pills per individual over a decade in a particular town. It tells you that the system has gotten entirely out of balance.

There are a lot of explanations and there are not a lot of clean hands:

We know that there have been government policies that have driven, in part, the opioid crisis by evaluating providers on whether or not pain satisfaction has been completed on the patient side of things;

We know that in some cases there have been healthcare providers that have not gone into the detail of getting to the root of a problem;

We know that we, as a culture, put extraordinary pressure on healthcare providers when we tell them we want them to help us get out of pain; and when we do that, sometimes, Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, we put ourselves at risk, and we know that pharma has a lot to answer for.

All of those things we know are true, and I think what is encouraging to me is this idea of people coming together on both sides and recognizing we don't have to live this way anymore. We don't have to have a system that drives people in this direction.

Let me just go back to this inspector general report from the Department of Health and Human Services that says that 79 million prescriptions involving opioids were prescribed in 2016 alone. That is a staggering number.

And I think that, if we are diligent, if we are forward thinking, and if we continue to work together, both sides of the aisle coming together, Mr. Speaker, I think that, in 10 years, our country will be having a different conversation on opioids. It may take that long, but I think, in 10 years' time, if we do the work, if we are committed to this, we can look back and we can say: That was a time when the United States came together around a public health crisis; that was a time when people had a general understanding that they needed to get over the normal approaches on things; and that was a time that people came together with holistic approaches.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. MacArthur)

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey.

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

Mr. Speaker, in closing, in a nutshell, I think the gentlewoman from California put it well. What she was arguing was this bill strikes a balance,

which it does. It is designed to focus our time, our attention, and our energies on making sure that the bad actors are weeded out, that the abuse is stopped, and that we can bring balance to the system.

The Stop Excessive Narcotics in Our Retirement Communities Protection Act, or SENIOR Communities Protection Act, is another step in this direction to protect our Nation's seniors. This bill was brought to the floor through a bipartisan committee process, and I urge its passage.

Mr. Speaker, 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 pass the bill (H.R. 5723) to require the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission to report on opioid payment, adverse incentives, and data under the Medicare program, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 5723, currently under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5723, the Expanding Oversight of Opioid Prescribing and Payment Act of 2018, sponsored by my colleague, Representative Tenney, along with Representatives McKinley and DelBene. H.R. 5723 is the result of work by Members and staff on both sides of the aisle, and I am pleased to have taken part in these important efforts to address the opioid epidemic.

This legislation responds to a crucial recommendation from the Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the opioid crisis by directing the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, or MedPAC, to investigate financial incentives for prescribing opioids. These incentives may discourage providers from prescribing evidence-based nonopioid treatments for pain management that can reduce patients' exposure to opioids and slow the epidemic.

The report will take a close look at these financial incentives, while also examining the use of data to track and monitor opioid use to more fully understand opioid utilization patterns in Medicare so that we may cultivate better solutions to combat the epidemic itself. MedPAC may also make recommendations to address perverse incentives in Medicare's payment systems that may encourage opioid overprescribing.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 5723, the Expanding Oversight of Opioid Prescribing and Payment Act of 2018.

Opioids took the lives of 42,000 Americans in 2016, and the issue affects countless families in Illinois and in my congressional district, and I know that is true all across the country. This legislation brings us one step closer to providing our communities and families with the tools necessary to combat the epidemic.

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

House of Representatives,

Committee on Ways and Means,

Washington, DC, June 8, 2018.

Hon. Greg Walden,

Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Walden: I write to you regarding several

opioid bills the Committee on Ways and Means ordered

favorably reported to address the opioid epidemic. The

following bills were also referred to the Committee on Energy

and Commerce.

I ask that the Committee on Energy and Commerce waive

formal consideration of the following bills so that they may

proceed expeditiously to the House Floor:

H.R. 5774, Combatting Opioid Abuse for Care in Hospitals

(COACH) Act;

H.R. 5775, Providing Reliable Options for Patients and

Educations Resources (PROPER) Act;

H.R. 5776, Medicare and Opioid Safe Treatment (MOST) Act;

H.R. 5773, Preventing Addition for Susceptible Seniors

(PASS) Act;

H.R. 5676, Stop Excessive Narcotics in our Retirement

(SENIOR) Communities Protection Act; and

H.R. 5723, Expanding Oversight of Opioid Prescribing and

Payment Act.

I acknowledge that by waiving formal consideration of the

bills, the Committee on Energy and Commerce is in no way

waiving its jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in

those provisions of the bills that fall within your Rule X

jurisdiction. I would support your effort to seek appointment

of an appropriate number of conferees on any House-Senate

conference involving this legislation.

I will include a copy of our letters in the Congressional

Record during consideration of this legislation on the House

Floor.

Sincerely,

Kevin Brady,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Tenney).

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

Mr. Speaker, I think Ms. Tenney's argument a minute ago is smart, it is good policy, it is thoughtful, it is measured, and it is the direction we should go.

In other words, if there are incentives that are misaligned, let's understand those and let's absorb them and let's change them. It should not be that there is a financial incentive to offer an opioid or for an opioid to get into a system as opposed to a nonopioid alternative. So, for sure, we need to study this. We need to have a clear understanding.

I would like to thank the Members on both sides of the aisle for the work they did, as well as Chairman Brady for his leadership in moving this through the Ways and Means Committee.

It is such an important time. With 115 deaths from opioid overdoses every day, everyone knows that time is not our friend. There is an urgency to this. We have to have a clear understanding of what is going on. It is imperative that we identify current practices that prevent the use of nonopioid treatments for pain management and that we reduce financial incentives that have unintentionally led to overprescriptions.

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

Mr. Speaker, all of us, everybody we know, has a lot of things that they are dealing with on a daily basis. There are challenges, and there are issues and little minicrises, until somebody gets a phone call that says that their child is in the emergency room with an opioid overdose. Then, all of a sudden, you have one crisis.

That has been happening in my constituency, and I know that has been happening in districts all across the country.

The first time this issue was brought to my attention, it was from a friend of mine. The coroner in DuPage County, Illinois, in my district, Dr. Rich Jorgensen said: Peter, there are kids who are dying of this crisis.

He kept being a voice on this and bringing it to my attention. He and others in my home county, the HOPE Taskforce, have been joining together. I have met with them. They have given me feedback. Similarly, there is another task force, the Substance Abuse Coalition in McHenry County, Illinois, doing similar work.

As I have met with them, they have said that one of the challenges is that this drug, this fentanyl, comes in through the United States Postal Service. When you first hear about this, you are incredulous about it. You say: No, that can't be.

But the more you learn, the more you realize that this is a major problem. In fact, in terms of importing this or this crossing our border, my understanding is that this is at the top of the heap.

To understand the nature, the science, and the medicine behind fentanyl is to mean that it scares the living daylights out of you. This molecule gets in your body, and the power of it is just overwhelming.

So I want to thank Mr. Bishop, and I want to thank Mr. Pascrell for the work that they are doing on a bipartisan basis to bring people together to work through this and to come up with solutions.

Now, this is not the only thing that is going to be happening here. This is in the context of other pieces of legislation. This is in the context of looking at treatment reimbursement, of screening, and of education. But this inbound flow is something that this Congress can do something about. Just in a nutshell, bringing together the United States Postal Service, the CBP, and also the United States State Department to work together in a coordinated fashion is something that my district is really pleased about.

So I am pleased to be here to advocate on its behalf, and I urge its passage.

Mr. Speaker, I was not present for votes on 6/12/2018.

Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 258; YEA on Roll Call No. 259; and YEA on Roll Call No. 260.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Monroe Elementary School in Hinsdale, Illinois for earning the prestigious Green Ribbon Award from the United States Department of Education. The Department of Education awards the Green Ribbon to schools that reduce their environmental impact, improve the health and wellness of their students, and provide effective environmental and sustainability education. I am proud to represent many of the students at this award winning school; Monroe Elementary has earned due credit for a job well done.

Monroe Elementary provides a unique environmental education program through their ``Living Classroom''--a set of gardens that stretch across approximately .85 acres of the school's property including a butterfly garden, a prairie, a pond, and their ``George Washington Vegetable Garden.'' In the Living Classroom, students get the opportunity outside the classroom to explore nature and learn about plants and animals.

Monroe also sponsors a student ``Green Club,'' which monitors lunch waste and leads the school's recycling and upcycling programs. I commend the Green Club for their environmental stewardship. Their work highlights how engaged the school body is in protecting the environment.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating Monroe Elementary School for earning the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon, and for their tireless work protecting the environment.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Lieutenant Colonel Sean Morrow, a constituent of the Sixth District of Illinois.

On June 19, Sean will be taking command of the United Nations Security Battalion in the Joint Security Area of the Demilitarized Zone on the Korean Peninsula. This unit is the most forward-deployed on the peninsula and stands on the front lines of freedom 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, facing the North Korean People's Army eye to eye in defense of democracy and our way of life.

As the son of a Korean war company commander myself, I am honored that my constituent is taking the helm of this command at such a crucial time. Sean is a warrior-scholar. A Ph.D. candidate in international relations at the University of Chicago, he is committed to protecting the United States on the battlefield but also rigorously studying the pressing national security challenges we face and their solutions. He has dedicated his life and his career to keeping our Nation safe.

Mr. Speaker, I wish Sean, his wife Meghan, and their three children God's very best, and I thank him for his service.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chair, I will yield myself 30 seconds because I have got to watch this clock sort of tight.

So here is the situation: Animal fighting is inappropriate and wrong no matter where it happens. It is against the law in the continental United States, and, I should say, in all 50 States, and what we are proposing is to make that a standard in the territories as well.

There are some elements of animal fighting that is illegal in territories, but not altogether. This has been a long journey. It is a 40-year journey in this country. It reached a crescendo about 10 years ago when a standard was created in all 50 States. What this amendment does, Mr. Chairman, is very simple: it proposes to do the same thing in the territories.

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

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from California (Mr. Knight).

Mr. Chairman, although I don't like what she is about to say, in courtesy, I yield 1 minute to the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico (Miss Gonzalez-Colon).

Mr. Chairman, this is a heartfelt issue obviously, but we are talking about rough stuff. We are talking about stuff that attracts gangs. We are talking about stuff that attracts drug trafficking. We are talking about stuff that attracts violence. We are talking about things that you would be ashamed to bring a child to. We are talking about things that if it were to happen in the well of this Chamber, many of us would look away because we would be shocked at the gratuitous violence.

To characterize this as a cultural norm that we should just walk away from is a misrepresentation, in my view. It is not persuasive to me. It is wrong. It is wrong if it happens in the 50 States, it is wrong if it happens in the territories, and we ought not be complicit in it.

The notion that this is going to drive this activity underground is a hackneyed old argument. We heard that before as it relates to the 50 States. That wasn't persuasive. We know what this activity is. We ought not be complicit in it.

Mr. Chairman, we should pass this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Ecolab, Inc. on winning the World Environment Center's (WEC) 34th Annual Gold Medal Award. The WEC Gold Medal is one of the most prestigious forms of recognition for commitment to the practice of sustainable development.

This week, Doug Baker, the chairman and CEO of Ecolab, Inc., will receive on behalf of the company the WEC's Gold Medal for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development. Ecolab, Inc. was selected because of its commitment to global water conservation, and its development of tools that demonstrate the value of water and reveal water-related risks so customers can make better informed decisions. Together, these innovations are helping customers improve water and energy use while preserving natural resources. Notably, the company helped customers conserve 171 billion gallons of water in 2017, and aims for 300 billion gallons of water conserved annually by 2030.

Ecolab, Inc. is an international leader in advancing global water stewardship through partnerships aimed at conserving natural resources. Ecolab, Inc. partners with non-governmental organizations, such as the World Wildlife Fund and The Nature Conservancy to help advance water conservation and stewardship initiatives throughout the world. Ecolab, Inc. has also demonstrated international leadership as a founding partner of the Alliance for Water Stewardship's Water Stewardship Standard, a globally consistent and locally adaptable framework to inform decisions and to promote sustainable freshwater use.

Mr. Speaker and distinguished colleagues, please join me in celebrating this special occasion and congratulating Ecolab, Inc. on winning the WEC's Gold Medal for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Brian Harris, Superintendent of Schools for Barrington 220 Community Unit School District in Barrington, Illinois. On April 12, 2018 it was announced that Dr. Harris was elected to serve on the executive committee of AASA, American Association of School Administrators. This July, Dr. Harris will be sworn in as an executive committee member and will serve a three-year term.

Founded in 1865, ASAA advocates for equitable access for all students to the highest quality education, and develops and supports school system leaders. Dr. Harris has been a member of AASA, as well as the Illinois Association of School Administrators since 2010. He has also been a member of the AASA governing board since 2014.

Prior to joining Barrington 220 as the Superintendent of Schools in 2014, he served as Superintendent of Schools for Community Unit School District 200 in the Wheaton/Warrenville, Illinois area and Assistant Principal at Barrington Middle School's Station campus. As the leader of one of the top school districts in Northern Illinois, Dr. Harris is well-prepared to serve on the executive committee, where he will bring over 30 years of experience and expertise in education to the national level.

Mr. Speaker and distinguished colleagues, please join me in recognizing Dr. Brian Harris for his outstanding leadership and being elected to serve on the executive committee of the American Association of School Administrators.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mrs. Lisa Buchholz, a first grade teacher at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, for being awarded with the prestigious 2018 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching & Leadership.

This honor is bestowed on those teachers in recognition of their contributions to building a stronger, better-educated society. Every year since 1986, Golden Apple has chosen 10 outstanding teachers to receive the award. Award recipients are nominated by their fellow educators, students, parents and community leaders. The 2018 award recipients were selected over 650 nominations, highlighting Mrs. Buchholz's worthiness.

Over the course of 27 years in the classroom, Mrs. Buchholz has encouraged thousands of students to strive for the highest of standards and to expect more of themselves and each other every day. It is no coincidence that as a result of her leadership many of her students adopt an ``I can'' attitude in school and life. According to a former- Golden Apple recipient who reviewed Mrs. Buchholz's nomination, ``It's like you can tell the magic and the chemistry the minute you walk into her classroom.''

Mr. Speaker and distinguished colleagues, please join me to recognize Mrs. Lisa Buchholz for her outstanding leadership in teaching and congratulate her on being awarded with a 2018 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching & Leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Representative Patti Bellock of Hinsdale, Illinois. Representative Bellock has served as a member of the Illinois General Assembly, representing the 47th district since 1998, and has been a champion for victims of domestic violence.

On Saturday, April 28, Representative Bellock will be recognized by Family Shelter Services, which works to combat domestic violence in DuPage County, and provides relief and support to victims from all walks of life. Representative Bellock is being recognized for her constant support of the agency's mission, advocacy for tougher laws on domestic violence and efforts to keep Family Shelter Services funded in whole.

During Representative Bellock's time in the Illinois General Assembly, she has been a strong voice for victims of domestic violence and tougher laws on domestic violence. Representative Bellock is a member of the Human Trafficking Task Force and has received national attention for her leadership in passing the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA). GATA eliminates duplicative grant requirements and reduces administrative burdens for agencies, while increasing accountability and transparency throughout the process. GATA provides relief and support to agencies like Family Shelter Services, allowing them to best serve communities in need.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing and thanking Representative Patti Bellock for her tireless work advocating for victims of domestic violence and tougher laws on domestic violence.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Elgin, Illinois native Jeff Swoboda on being named Chief of Police for the Department of Police Services in Fort Collins, Colorado. After 25 years of service to the Elgin Police Department, Chief Swoboda is well-prepared to move into the next season of his life and lead the Fort Collins Police Services.

Since joining the Elgin Police Department in 1992, Chief Swoboda worked his way up the ranks and was named Chief of Police in 2010. Early on in his career, he spent 5 years as an officer for the Resident Officer Program of Elgin. After his time in the Resident Officer Program, Chief Swoboda went on to attain the ranks of Sergeant, Lieutenant and Deputy Chief. After exceeding expectations and standing out as first-class leader, Chief Swoboda was named the Elgin Police Department's Chief of Police on April 16, 2010.

Chief Swoboda's passion for excellence and his ability to hold those in the department to the highest level of accountability has not only been noticed by the residents in Elgin, but it has also caught the attention of community leaders across the country. When the Fort Collins, Colorado Department of Police Services began their search for a new Chief of Police, Chief Swoboda stood out as someone ready to take on the new responsibilities and was seemingly made for the job. On April 5, 2018, after an exhaustive hiring process, Chief Swoboda was named Chief of Police for the Department of Police Services in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Mr. Speaker and distinguished colleagues, please join me in congratulating Jeff Swoboda on being named the Chief of Police for the Department of Police Services in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, briefly, the Roskam amendment does the following:

It recognizes that my constituency, and I think a lot of others, want the benefits of living near a large international airport but not as much of the burden. Here is the backstory about what is going on.

My constituency is right next door to O'Hare Airport, which, as an international airport, brings incredible convenience to my flying constituents and also incredible commerce and opportunity. That is a good thing.

The problem is the burdens of the noise of the airport rest disproportionately with some communities. These are communities that have found themselves with different flight patterns in different situations where, all of a sudden, a flight pattern from years ago is now something that they are seeing overhead.

One constituent of mine in Wayne, Illinois, complained that the noise sometimes is 30 seconds apart for hours on end. Another complained that their house actually shakes because of the planes that are flying so close. Mr. Chairman, you can imagine how difficult this would be to live in this type of situation.

Realizing that we want the benefits of an international airport and also as quiet a situation as possible, I have worked with my Republican and Democratic colleagues to find common ground.

A scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has completed computer modeling and found that reducing plane takeoff speeds by 35 miles per hour would dramatically reduce the noise pollution and only lengthen flight time by a mere 30 seconds.

This commonsense amendment directs the FAA to study this proposal and report back to Congress on whether or not this will alleviate the nuisance that too many of my constituents have had to deal with.

Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague from across the aisle, Congresswoman Speier, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the gentleman from Oregon for his support, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Jenkins and Ranking Member Lewis for their work on this, and I am pleased that the underlying bill includes the RESPECT Act, which deals with civil asset forfeiture abuses by the Internal Revenue Service, and I strongly urge the other body to take this up.

Mr. Speaker, I want to pick up on one of the themes that the gentlewoman from California just mentioned--the Free File Program--and explain why it is important.

She mentioned a decentralized program which makes all of the sense in the world. She mentioned a level of predictability that makes all the sense in the world. There are opponents to this, however, and I just scratch my head. There are some fringe groups that have said: Oh, no, no, no, that is a bad idea.

Instead, what they are proposing is this: that the Internal Revenue Service fills out your tax returns; that the Internal Revenue Service acts as judge, jury, and executioner. That is a terrible idea. It is called ReadyReturn. It is a disaster. We ought not do that.

Instead, as the gentlewoman from California said, let's do this program. It saves untold sums of money. It is a great benefit to modest taxpayers--those who are earning less than $66,000 in their adjusted gross income--and it also puts the onus on the private sector to actively participate in this process. So in a nutshell, this is a good bill. It is well thought out. It is bipartisan. It has been well crafted and well contemplated, and I urge its passage.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Thomas Cornwell, Founder of HomeCare Physicians in Wheaton, Illinois and President of the American Academy of Home Care Medicine. For over 20 years, Dr. Cornwell has been a champion of homecare medicine by bringing primary care to seniors in the comfort of their own homes.

Since founding his homecare practice, HomeCare Physicians, in 1997, Dr. Cornwell has personally made over 32,000 house calls to more than 4,000 patients. His services ensure that his patients have convenient access to the care they need and save taxpayer dollars at the same time.

Due to the leadership of Dr. Cornwell and others like him the number of house-call visits by physicians is increasing. In 1996, the New England Journal of Medicine reported that physicians provided 984,000 house calls to Medicare beneficiaries annually. By 2005, the number more than doubled to 2 million house calls annually.

Roughly 20 years after Dr. Cornwell made his first house call, he received $15 million in private funding to, as he puts it, ``spread this model of care.'' Cornwell is tasked with using the bulk of that money to teach others how to do what he does so well. He notes that educational programs about house call medicine are sprouting up at institutions such as Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore and the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago.

Mr. Speaker, and distinguished colleagues, please join me in recognizing and thanking Dr. Thomas Cornwell for his selfless service to the residents of DuPage County, Illinois and his contributions to seniors across the country.