Michael Bilirakis

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Madam 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. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin), chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3504) to amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to qualified organ procurement organizations.

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

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 3504, a bill to clarify certification requirements for organ procurement organizations, OPOs as we refer to them. Last Congress, the House of Representatives approved a bill to address concerns regarding our national organ transplant system. As we all know, we do not have enough organs in this country to satisfy the needs of those awaiting a transplant. This legislation recognized the importance of the vital network of organ procurement organizations which are responsible for developing, establishing, and maintaining medical criteria and standards for organ procurement and transplantation. Today the House will consider legislation to clarify that important measure. Last year's legislation changed the 2-year organ procurement organization certification cycle to a 4-year cycle. Switching to a 4- year cycle allows the OPOs to focus on recovering donated organs. Today's legislation will make a technical change to define the start date for the 4-year OPO certification cycle adopted last year by Congress. This legislation, Madam Speaker, is important for guaranteeing that the 4-year cycle is implemented as quickly as possible to allow for organ procurement organizations to concentrate on organ donation and on serving those Americans in need of organ transplants. Madam Speaker, this is a technical correction to a very important organ donation bill. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 3504. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, in the spirit of bipartisanship, I am glad to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Strickland).

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moran).

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Kelly).

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

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Ehrlich), who, along with the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Whitfield), has really been just so very strongly in support of doing something regarding this shortage.

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Madam 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. 3487.

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3487, the Nurse Reinvestment Act. Recently we have all read about and heard about issues with recruitment and retention of nursing staff, including both nurses and nurse aides. Our health and long-term care systems rely heavily on the services of these health care professionals. I would like to thank my colleague, the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps), for being such a strong advocate in this field, and I mean strong advocate in this field. We worked together with the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin); the ranking member, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell); the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown); the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Ehrlich); the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Whitfield); and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Kelly) to craft this bipartisan legislation that addresses the nursing shortage. Nurses provide the critical medical services necessary to ensure comfortable quality health care. A nurse shortage could seriously diminish the level of medical care in health care facilities. Experts and providers are reporting a current shortage of nurses, partly as a result of patients' increasingly complex care needs. Unfortunately, young Americans today are not entering the nursing profession. To encourage young people to choose this challenging and fulfilling career, this legislation directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to create public service announcements, PSAs, designed to promote nursing and nursing education programs and to highlight the benefits and rewards of a career in nursing. Furthermore, H.R. 3487 expands Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act to include scholarships for students entering the nursing profession. In exchange for a commitment to serve in a health care facility determined to have a critical shortage of nurses, students will receive scholarships to nursing schools. This bill includes a sunset, to take place after 3 years, on the inclusion of private facilities in this scholarship and loan repayment program. A Government Accounting Office study required under the bill to examine the hiring practices of private and nonprofit facilities is due prior to this sunset. The goal of this legislation is to ensure a strong pool of talented nurses throughout the country for years to come. Again, Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize the work of the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps) in this legislation and thank her for her dedication and persistence on this issue. As a nurse, the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps) understands the importance of nurses in our health care system and recognizes the dangers patients could encounter without proper nursing care. I would also like to thank, in no little way, the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Kelly) for taking a leadership role on this issue, particularly on this side of the aisle. Many times, many times, she has talked to me about the need to do something to help solve this problem. I would like to also mention legislative counsel, Pete Goodloe, for his efforts to work with the Committee on Energy and Commerce on this issue and so many others on the floor possibly today, but at other times. His dedication and service should be not overlooked and certainly deserve more than a brief mention. I would also like to thank staff who worked so hard on this issue, including Anne Esposito, Jeremy Sharp, John Ford, Katie Porter, and Erin Ockunzzi on our side. Nurses are invaluable to the success and quality of our health care delivery system. This legislation helps ensure that the Nation will have a well-trained supply of nurses on which to rely. I urge my colleagues to join me and the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps) and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Kelly) in support of H.R. 3487, the Nurse Reinvestment Act. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3487) to amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to health professions programs regarding the field of nursing.

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker I rise today in support of S. 1789, The Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act. If it's not broken--don't fix it. By all accounts Mr. Speaker, this program is a resounding success. According to the Food and Drug Administration, ``the pediatric exclusivity provision has been highly effective in generating pediatric studies on many drugs and in providing useful new information in product labeling.'' The American Academy of Pediatrics states that they ``can not overstate how important this legislation has been in advancing children's therapeutics.'' The legislation before us today is virtually identical to H.R. 2887, which passed the House on November 15, 2001 by a 338-86 vote. Moreover, this legislation has recently passed the Senate unanimously. The legislation reauthorizes the pediatric exclusivity program for an additional six years. It keeps the present incentive in place, and makes important improvements. The legislation ensures that off-patent generic drugs are studied, and tightens the timeline for making labeling changes. The bill retains the improvements that were in both the Senate and House versions to ensure timely labeling changes occur. First, we make pediatric supplements ``priority supplements,'' which will dramatically speed up the process for getting new labels. Second, by giving the Secretary authority to deem drugs misbranded we guarantee that label changes will be made. We believe, and children's groups agree, that the changes we make are the right compromises to maintain the incentives and get labels changed. I would also like to acknowledge the hard work of my colleagues Representatives Jim Greenwood and Anna Eshoo. These two Members have worked tirelessly to bring this process to a conclusion, and it has been a pleasure working with them. I again would also like to thank the staff that worked so long and hard on this legislation, including John Ford, David Nelson, Eric Olson, Brent Del Monte, Alan Eisenberg, and Steve Tilton. And, yet again a special thanks to Pete Goodloe our legislative counsel. We are so thankful for all of this help. Mr. Speaker, this is great legislation that the Subcommittee and Full Committee put a lot of thought and effort into. It does wonders for children's health and is widely supported. I urge all Members to support its swift passage.

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 1438, the National Defense Authorization Act. Some military retirees--individuals who are eligible for military retirement benefits as a result of a full service career--are also eligible for disability compensation from the VA based on an injury they incurred while in the service. Under present law, these service- disabled retirees must surrender a portion of their retired pay if they want to receive the disability compensation to which they are entitled. More than 500,000 disabled retirees are impacted by this inequitable offset. For over 15 years, I have introduced legislation, H.R. 303, to repeal this unjust offset. I am pleased that the conference report we are considering today includes language that will authorize the concurrent receipt of military retired pay and VA disability compensation. However, under the bill, these provisions only become effective if legislation offsetting the costs of concurrent receipt is subsequently enacted into law. This is the same language that was approved by the House earlier this year. This conference report also increases the amount that certain severely disabled retirees may receive under the special compensation program which was enacted during the 106th Congress. I am pleased that the conferees added these provisions to the final bill. While not perfect, I do believe that the language in the conference report is an important step in our efforts to repeal the offset between military retired pay and VA disability compensation. First, the passage of this language puts the House of Representatives firmly on record as supporting the elimination of the offset. Although I have introduced H.R. 303 for more than 15 years, this is the first year that the House has actually voted on this issue. Second, I originally proposed this language because I wanted to ensure that concurrent receipt language was included in the Fiscal Year 2002 authorization act. In previous years when language has been included in the Senate versions of the authorization bill and no language was included in the House bill, the Senate has receded to the House, meaning no language was enacted into law. By authorizing the concurrent receipt of military retired pay and VA disability compensation now, we are one step closer to repealing the offset once and for all. Next year, I will be working with my colleagues to secure the enactment of legislation to fund the concurrent receipt of military retired pay and VA disability compensation. Each of the thousands of disabled military retirees answered when America called. Now it's time for America to answer their call. I urge my colleagues to support S. 1438.

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I too rise in support of this bill. As we know, today is the 3-month anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on American soil in history. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families today and every day. I share the concerns, we all share the concerns of all Americans who are worried about future terrorist activities, including bioterrorist attacks. With the recent anthrax outbreak, bioterrorism of course has become a reality. Bioterrorism is an issue that has been explored by the Committee on Energy and Commerce and my Subcommittee on Health for several years. Because we cannot know when or how a public health threat might occur, we must be prepared to combat any biological agent in any form. I am pleased that we were able to work on a bipartisan, underline bipartisan, basis to craft this reasonable and responsible legislative package. State and local governments will be the first to respond to a bioterrorist attack. This legislation requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to work with local governments to develop bioterrorist preparedness plans. This legislation requires the CDC to enhance training of personnel, improve their communications network and intensify security to protect important research and dangerous pathogens. Since health care providers will be the first to respond to a public health emergency, it is essential that we have health professionals ready to deal with health care needs in the event of a bioterrorist attack. This legislation begins to address shortages in areas such as medical technologists and pharmacists by providing grants to train and educate individuals in areas of the greatest need. As vice chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I also believe it is essential that we fully utilize all of our Federal resources in our fight against bioterrorism. This legislation requires the Department of Health and Human Services to work with the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense in developing our national response. These agencies have significant resources and expertise and are crucial to our efforts. In addition, this legislation increases the protection of the Nation's food supply. In the past, too few resources have been dedicated to food security, and this legislation is a great improvement. Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson recently testified before the committee that the Food and Drug Administration must increase the number of inspectors at the borders. I would like in closing, Mr. Speaker, to thank the staff, who dedicated many long hours to developing this legislation. For the majority, that includes Nandan Kenkeremath, Tom DiLenge, Amit Sachdev, Brent DelMonte, Bob Meyers, and Pat Morrisey. From the minority, that includes John Ford, Edith Holleman, and Bruce Gwinn. And I would also like to extend a special thank you to legislative counsel Pete Goodloe, who was instrumental in drafting this legislation. All of the staff, all of them, spent countless hours, especially over the Thanksgiving holiday, to prepare this vital legislation. I too urge our colleagues to join us in supporting this bill. It is important that we act this year to increase our readiness and our safety.

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, since the devastating events of September 11, Americans young and old have opened their hearts and their pocketbooks to help the victims of this terrible tragedy. To date, over $1 billion has been raised for relief efforts, proving once again that Americans are the most compassionate and generous people in the world. However, shortly after the contributions began to pour in, we started to hear reports suggesting that charitable organizations are not acting in good faith to use the contributions of generous Americans to deliver timely assistance to the victims of September 11 and their families. How do we explain, we should ask ourselves, to elementary schoolchildren that their hard-raised contributions may not actually be used to help the families in need? Today I am wearing a pin made by the students of Cyprus Woods Elementary School in Tarpon Springs, Florida. These students sold patriotic pins for $1 each and raised a total of $3,500. This amount was matched by a local corporation for a total of $7,000, all of which went to the American Red Cross. Another elementary school in the same area, Brooker Creek, raised $2,300 for relief efforts. It would send a terrible message to these children and the community if charitable organizations did not use their contributions to directly aid the victims and their families. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased, and I think all of us are, that the American Red Cross has decided to modify the operation of its Liberty Fund by using all proceeds from the fund to increase support for people affected by the September 11 terrorist attacks. This decision, however, came after public pressure was put on the Red Cross by Members of Congress and the news media. I believe that it is important to send a message to charitable organizations that contributions should be used for the purposes for which they were given. That is why I introduced the resolution before us today. House Concurrent Resolution 259 praises the people of the United States for their patriotism and their generosity in donating their money, time, and blood to send support to the victims of September 11. It also commends charitable organizations for their hard work in providing assistance, but urges them to use the funds collected for the purposes for which the money was given. Mr. Speaker, I am grateful to the majority leader and the gentleman from Alaska (Chairman Young) for allowing this resolution to be considered under suspension of the rules. Many Americans lost their lives by the hands of terrorists on September 11, and their memory and sacrifice for their country should be honored by providing for the needs of their families in a timely and effective fashion. I urge my colleagues to support House Concurrent Resolution 259.

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to the government and people of the Republic of Cyprus for expressing their heartfelt condolences and sympathies to our nation. They have declared their unconditional and immediate condemnation of the heinous acts of terrorism against the people of the United States on September 11, 2001. The Republic of Cyprus has always unequivocally condemned terrorist acts while cooperating with other governments to stamp out terrorism. Following the recent horrific events in New York and Washington, the government and people of Cyprus, standing shoulder to shoulder with the United States, reaffirmed their commitment to the international fight against the perpetrators of terrorism and those that sponsor such barbaric acts. They also reiterated their determination to further augment their capacity to collect and utilize information for the purpose of combating terrorism and eliminating its sources of funding, pledging to cooperate both at the bilateral level, as well as internationally. As America confronts one of the most ominous challenges in its history, it is reassuring to know that we have the unconditional and unequivocal support from good friends such as Cyprus. Upholding the ideals of freedom, justice, democracy and human dignity are treasured values both Americans and Cypriots hold dear.

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 2441.

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the chairman of the full committee, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin).

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Baker), who is responsible for this legislation.

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

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin).

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Gibbons).

Mr. BILIRAKIS

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