Michael Bilirakis

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I support the bill. I am up here mostly to express my gratitude and acknowledgment to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. John) for their efforts in bringing this important public health legislation to the floor. It is significant that we keep pounding away on the fact that of the 239 cases of infection that we know about, three-quarters of those infections caused either meningitis or encephalitis, which are severe, life-threatening brain infections. So authorizing these centers to award grants to work with local authorities is certainly the way to do, and it is imperative that we do so. I urge Members to join us all in supporting this very important bill.

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3450) to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize and strengthen the health centers program and the National Health Service Corps, and for other purposes.

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation, and to insert extraneous material on the bill.

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3450, the Health Care Safety Net Improvement Act. This bill reauthorizes our Nation's key health care delivery systems and creates additional efficiencies. Specifically, this bill reauthorizes the Community Health Center program, the National Health Service Corps and rural outreach grants. Each of these programs ensures that both the uninsured and the underinsured have access to quality health care services. Since 1965, America's health centers have delivered comprehensive services to people who otherwise would face major barriers to obtaining quality, affordable health care. Health centers serve those who are hardest to reach and are required by law to make their services accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay. Our legislation increases the funding authorization for health centers to $1.293 billion. We have included language allowing health centers to provide behavioral, mental health, and substance abuse services if they choose. The legislation also creates a new program for practice management networks. These networks will improve access to care and reduce costs of delivering the high-quality care that health centers provide. Many community health centers are located in America's inner cities, isolated rural areas, and migrant farm worker communities, which often lack adequate numbers of health professionals. H.R. 3450 ensures that health centers will have an easier process for becoming designated as a health professional shortage area. The HPSA designation is important because it will help health centers access health professionals through other Federal programs. One of the most important programs for ensuring an adequate supply of health professionals is the National Health Service Corps. The National Health Service Corps recruits, trains, and places primary care providers in both urban and rural health care shortage areas. Program participants are health professionals who receive educational assistance in return for a period of obligated service. Our legislation reauthorizes this vital program, which serves as a pipeline for health care facilities that have trouble attracting health professionals. The bill strengthens the service obligation requirements of the National Health Service Corps. By strengthening this provision, health care facilities using program graduates can be certain that health corps personnel will fulfill their entire service contract, something I have been concerned with for years and years. H.R. 3450 also recognizes the importance of oral health care and authorizes the inclusion of primary dental care education. The bill creates flexibility for the HHS Secretary in administering the program to ensure that resources are maximized between the loan repayment and the scholarship programs. Another area of focus in the Safety Net Improvement Act is in the rural health arena. Often rural communities have trouble developing capacity and maintaining health care facilities. Our bill includes programs that will help rural providers develop new service capacity and integrated health delivery networks. It will help rural facilities implement quality improvement initiatives. A concern for many rural communities is the delivery of adequate specialty care and mental health services. Our bill consolidates programs within the Office of Telehealth to build on them to deliver services via teletechnologies. We authorize funding for the creation of programs that will expand access to, coordinate, and improve the quality of health services. These programs will also improve and expand the training of health care providers and the quality of health information available to underserved communities. Mr. Speaker, I believe using telehealth technologies is an effective and efficient way to expand access to care for those in the most remote locations of our country. H.R. 3450 authorizes for the first time a demonstration program to coordinate the care that individuals receive in a particular geographic area. I believe that programs like this may help reduce duplicative services and lead to greater efficiencies within our systems, and I anxiously await the GAO study on this program so we may better evaluate its overall effectiveness. As health care delivery becomes more complex, we must be sure that we have the trained professionals and the necessary infrastructure to address the increasing demand for health care services. Mr. Speaker, given recent events and news of increasing numbers of uninsured, it is vitally important that we keep our safety net strong. I believe this bill is a good start, and I am certain it will improve services for our most vulnerable populations. I urge Members to support H.R. 3450, the Health Care Safety Net Improvement Act. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge the work of the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green) on the entire issue of the Safety Net Community Health Centers, and particularly the CAP program. It sounds like a terrific concept, and we are continuing to talk on it and hopefully improve on what we have in this legislation insofar as that area is concerned. But it is important also that we have oversight, and take a look at how it is working and is it working, as we hope and dream that it is working. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus). (Mr. SHIMKUS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I, too, thank the gentleman for his kind remarks and endorse his remarks. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Foley).

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 398, which recognizes the devastating impact of Fragile X, the most common inherited cause of mental retardation. Fragile X mental impairment may range from mild learning disabilities and hyperactivity to severe mental retardation. In addition to intellectual disabilities, some individuals with Fragile X display common physical traits and characteristic facial features. Children with Fragile X often appear normal in infancy but develop typical physical characteristics during their lifetimes. Because of scientific advances, improvements in genetic testing, and increased awareness, the number of children diagnosed with Fragile X has increased significantly over the last decade. I was proud to have worked with my friend from Ohio, Mr. Brown, to expand research on a number of disorders that disproportionately affect children, including Fragile X, through the Children's Health Act of 2000. The law urges the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand, intensify, and coordinate research on Fragile X at NIH. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 398, which recognizes the devastating impact of Fragile X on thousands of people in the United States and their families. Furthermore, this resolution calls for additional Fragile X research and supports National Fragile X Research Day.

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 291, which expresses the sense of the Congress with respect to the disease endometriosis. Endometriosis is a painful, chronic gynecologic disease where the lining of the uterus grows in other parts of the abdominal cavity and results in internal bleeding, inflammation, and the development of scar tissue. Endometriosis affects an estimated 10 percent of reproductive age women and may cause infertility in 30 to 40 percent of all women who suffer from this disease. Roughly 99 percent of women state that they experienced pelvic pain for about 10 years before they were diagnosed with endometriosis. The cause of the disease is unknown but researchers have found that family members of women with endometriosis more commonly suffered from the disease. Diagnosis can be difficult to confirm without surgery. This resolution strongly supports efforts to raise public awareness of endometriosis and recognizes the need for improved patient support, improved physician awareness and understanding, and more effective treatment, including finding a cure. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 291.

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4013, the Rare Diseases Act of 2002. This bill, which was introduced by the gentleman from Illinois, Mr. Shimkus, would help improve research on rare diseases at the National Institutes of Health. I urge my colleagues to join me today in supporting this important piece of legislation. A rare or ``orphan'' disease affects fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. There are more than 6,000 rare disorders that, taken together, affect approximately 25 million Americans. One in every 10 individuals in this country has received a diagnosis of a rare disease. H.R. 4013 will help focus research on rare diseases at NIH. The bill also specifically gives NIH the authority to support regional centers of excellence in rare disease research. This bill will help strengthen our national research infrastructure in this area and improve our ability to treat and hopefully cure numerous rare diseases. The Energy and Commerce Committee approved H.R. 4013 in late June, and I again urge my colleagues to support this important bill.

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I am also pleased today to support H.R. 4014, the Rare Diseases Orphan Product Development Act of 2002. This bill, which was introduced by our colleague from Florida, Mr. Foley, will ensure that cutting-edge treatments are available for a myriad of rare diseases. Specifically, H.R. 4014 will increase funding for the Food and Drug Administration's Orphan Product Research Grants Program. This crucial program provides funding to academic scientists and small companies to conduct clinical trials on new orphan drugs, medical devices, and medical foods for rare diseases. By definition, ``orpahn products'' are treatments for rare conditions that have small potential markets and thus are not attractive investments for the private sector. Such treatments were not being developed for rare diseases until the Orphan Drug Act was enacted in 1983, and it has become a highly successful government/industry partnership. Prior to 1983, only ten orphan products had come to the market, while more than 200 drugs and biological products for rare diseases have been brought to market since passage of the Orphan Drug Act. H.R. 4014 ensures that adequate funding is available for the development of orphan products. I commend my colleagues for their bipartisan efforts in this area and look forward to voting for this legislation.

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, the Non Commissioned Officers Association of the United States of America (NCOA) will present its L. Mendel Rivers Award for Legislative Action to our colleague Christopher H. Smith of New Jersey today. The NCOA instituted this annual award to be presented to the legislator who, in their opinion, is most worthy of recognition for personal effort in furthering the ideals of democracy, freedom, and patriotism on behalf of our beloved Nation. Chris' legislative efforts and achievements on behalf of all who serve or have served in the Armed Forces truly reflect the noble ideals and values of legislative service envisioned by the creation of the award in the honored name of L. Mendel Rivers, a distinguished former colleague of this House. In selecting Chris to receive this coveted award, NCOA has declared to its worldwide membership his extraordinary legislative achievement. His leadership role as Chairman of the Committee of Veterans’ Affairs enabled him to champion legislation that has benefitted the men and women who serve or have served in the Uniformed Services of the United States and whose service and sacrifice have preserved the democracy and freedoms enjoyed by all Americans. His legislative leadership in 2001 resulted in new laws providing expanded services and benefits to America's 25 million military veterans. H.R. 1291 (now Public Law 107–103), the Veterans Education and Benefits Expansion Act of 2001, increases educational, housing, burial and disability benefits by $3.1 billion. This legislation also boosted the Montgomery GI Bill college education benefit amount by a record 46 percent within 3 years, increasing the lifetime college benefit for qualified veterans from $24,192 to $35,460. He is also being recognized for his advocacy to end homelessness among veterans. He has instituted creative programs designed to prevent homelessness by identifying at- risk veterans and has helped institute new nationwide programs to break the cycle of homelessness among veterans. The Non Commissioned Officers Association (NCOA) is a federally chartered, non-profit, fraternal association founded in 1960. NCOA received its federal charter from Congress in 1988. Its purpose is to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States; support a strong national defense with a focus on military personnel issues; promote health, prosperity and scholarship among its members and their families through legislative and benevolent programs; improve benefits for servicemembers, veterans, their family members and survivors; and assist servicemembers, veterans, their family members and survivors in filing benefit claims.

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong support of H.R. 4600, the HEALTH act. Since other speakers, Mr. Speaker, have effectively described the extent of our problem and the need for a solution, I want to emphasize one feature of the bill that is very important to me, and this is actually somewhat in response to what the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman) has just shared with us. While H.R. 4600 does cap noneconomic damages, which I believe will help bring stability and predictability to the medical liability insurance market, it also does protect States' rights, since any State cap on noneconomic punitive damages, up or down, will supersede the Federal limits. And that is why I feel this bill strikes the right balance between the need for Federal action and the States' traditional role of the primary regulator of insurance markets. Mr. Speaker, I believe I can stabilize our out-of-control medical liability system without harming the ability of patients to recover adequate compensation when they have been harmed. We can do this by passing H.R. 4600 today.

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 546, I call up the bill (H.R. 4691) to prohibit certain abortion-related discrimination in governmental activities, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that this important legislation is before us today. We introduced H.R. 4691, the Abortion Nondiscrimination Act, to provide clarity, and I want to emphasize that, to provide clarity to an existing law, I emphasize that, to an existing law, that protects health care entities from being forced to perform abortions against their consciences. The bottom line purpose of this bill is that. In 1996, the Congress passed and former President Clinton signed the current statute into law which is known as conscience protection. This law was intended to ensure that no health care entity would be discriminated against on the basis that they did not perform abortions. However, court interpretations have called into question whether these sections of law apply to hospitals that object to offering abortions. That is why we must act quickly to clarify existing law to ensure that these protections are afforded to all types of health care entities. Mr. Speaker, I would like to clarify two points in debate on this bill. Some have charged that this legislation is a massive expansion of current protections; and, Mr. Speaker, that is just false. The original law was intended, whatever happened to legislative intent for crying out loud, the original law was intended to apply to the broadest definition of health care entities. Transcripts from the debates in 1996 and in extensions of remarks in 1998 show that the original authors of the conscience protection intended a broad definition, a broad definition of health care entity. The other contention is that somehow this bill would allow facilities to not provide life saving care. Again, this is false. In fact, in all cases, facilities are regulated, as we know, by laws that require the provision of life saving care and all hospitals are prepared to provide appropriate life saving care. What this bill does do is protect facilities from being mandated to offer abortions. We must ask ourselves if we want to force people to provide elective procedures that are fundamentally in opposition to their consciences. The gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence) said it very well during the debate on the rule. ``I would add that neither the American Medical Association, nor the American Hospital Association believe that anyone, anyone, should be forced to provide elective care against their conscience,'' and again I emphasize elective care, against their conscience. Mr. Speaker, this bill is really a very simple technical correction. It is not a massive expansion or a policy to limit access to health care for women. On the contrary, this bill ensures that all facilities will continue to be free to provide the types of services that they find appropriate, and it will not force facilities to close because of fundamental objections to elective medical procedures. Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill and I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 4691. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The gentleman easily forgets that we passed a prescription drug bill last June, and it is the other body which has sat on it. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts), a member of the committee.

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter).

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such additional time as I might require. I guess I have to continue to respond to statements made by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown), my good friend and the ranking member of my subcommittee, when he talks about prescription drugs. The bill was not written by the drug companies. If the drug companies had anything to do with the bill, I certainly did not know about it; and I played a large part in that. I am talking about a prescription drug bill for seniors now. The bill as it was written was not perfect, but it consisted of $50 billion more than the minority had placed in their budget and intended to write a bill in the previous Congress. So it is more expensive than the bill that they came up with previously. The bill would help the poor to a very large extent. It would help the very sick to a tremendous extent, and it would help an awful lot of people in between; and it is unfortunate that politics is being played with a piece of legislation which is far from perfect, which is not something that we all would like to see ultimately take place but something that would help people at this point in time. I would go on, Mr. Speaker, and I would like to read from additional views of Senators Coats, Gregg, Frist, DeWine, McConnell, and Hutchinson in 1998 during the debate. Parliamentary Inquiry

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, is that permissible for me to read?

Mr. BILIRAKIS. I guess I am. I noticed the Parliamentarian stood up.

Mr. BILIRAKIS. It is definitely related to it.

Mr. BILIRAKIS. In any case, this took place during the Health Professions Education Partnerships Act of 1998, and the additional views said Congress explained that the term ``health care entity'' includes an individual physician, a post-graduate physician training program, and a participant in a program of training in the health professions, 42 U.S.C. 238n(c)(2)(1996). They went on to say, and I read verbatim, and this is significant, Mr. Speaker, because of claims made by the other side that this is an expansion of what was intended at that point in time: ``We believe that the term `health care entity' in 42 U.S.C. 238n was intended to be read in the straightforward manner of `including' not only the specific entities mentioned but also those which are routinely seen as health care entities in common usage and other Federal laws, such as a hospital, provider sponsored entity, health maintenance organization, health plan, or any other type of health . . . entities generally seen as `health care entities' under Federal law. We intend to explore other means of definitively resolving this question of legislative intent.'' And that was signed by the Senators that I mentioned earlier. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I would advise the gentlewoman, this is not about abortion. This is about freedom. This is what has been said before, and said over again. That is why I read the statement I just read, basically giving people the moral rights to make their decisions. That is what it is all about. I am not going to give the gentlewoman a definition for abortion or anything of that nature. It is not pertinent to this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts).

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to read from the American Medical Association Code of Ethics, H-5.995, on abortion. It goes on to say, ``Neither physician, hospital, nor hospital personnel shall be required to perform any act violative of personally held moral principles. In these circumstances, good medical practice requires only that the physician or other professional withdraw from the case, so long as the withdrawal is consistent with good medical practice.'' That is the gist of this piece of legislation, intending to clarify what was intended back in 1996. I have not looked up who voted for that bill or who voted against it, but the fact of the matter is that is the bottom line of what we are trying to accomplish today. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).