Michael Bilirakis

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minutes. Mr. Speaker, to respond to the gentleman's statements, the regulatory reform portion of this bill, the electronic prescribing portion of this bill, the medication therapy management portion of this bill, and many of the provider issues were worked out on a bipartisan basis by all of the staffs, even prior to the conference. They were not discussed as part of the conference because they were already worked out. I just wanted to point that out. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey).

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

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute to respond to a point just made by the gentleman from Washington regarding premium support because that was the point. I am reading from the AARP endorsement, this insurance company as it was referred to a few minutes ago: AARP is pleased by the improvements made to the conference report in recent days. A new structure called premium support--their words--which required competition between traditional Medicare and private plans was downsized to a limited test starting in 2010 which has significant protections--their words--significant protections for those in traditional Medicare. I should think they would know at least as much about this as many of you gentlemen over there do. The government will provide coverage in areas where private plans fail to offer coverage. The integrity of Medicare will be protected. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Whitfield).

Mr. BILIRAKIS. 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 would remind the gentleman through the Chair that I am not sure what his definition of bipartisanship is, but a few years ago, we had a tort reform bill on the floor, and the most elderly Member in terms of service of this House had the bill on that side. He had one Republican cosponsor of that bill and continually, continually harped on it being bipartisan, bipartisan, bipartisan. I should think that two United States Senators, two United States Senators, I think one, maybe both ranking members of the appropriate committees, two out of 12 would be considered every bit as bipartisan as one out of 435. I would also, additionally, remind the gentleman through the Chair that in addition to the other areas that I said that have been worked out on a bipartisan basis by all of the staffs, there were the Hatch- Waxman reforms and the reimportation and whatnot, and the gentleman from Michigan's (Mr. Dingell) staffers were at every one of certainly the Hatch-Waxman reforms and the reimportations, as I understand it. The point was made regarding the catastrophic. If memory serves me correctly, I believe I voted for that bill. How many of us, 400-some of us did. It turned out to have been the wrong thing to do, but 400 some. Bipartisan? My colleagues better believe it. I would suggest that if the gentleman were here at that time, he probably would have been part of the 400 and some that voted for that particular bill. That was a mandatory thing. This is voluntary. That was mandating on these people. This is voluntary. I would just finish up my comments, Mr. Speaker, by reminding the people over there through the Chair of the AARP endorsement. AARP believes that millions of older Americans and their families will be helped by this legislation. Though far from perfect, the bill represents an historic breakthrough and an important milestone in the Nation's commitment to strengthen and expand health security for its citizens at a time when it is sorely needed. The bill will provide prescription drug coverage at little cost to those who need it most: people with low incomes, including those who depend on Social Security for all or most of their income. It will provide substantial relief for those with very high drug costs. It will provide modest relief for millions more. It also provides a substantial increase in protections, protections for retiree benefits and maintains fairness by upholding the health benefit protections of the Age Discrimination and Employment Act. The gentleman from Ohio who most recently spoke talked about some sort of a meeting which was held with PhRMA. I really do not know about that. I do not deny it took place. But I will tell my colleagues that there was a meeting held in the last couple of days where AARP appeared with the two Democratic Senators, and they wrote many of the provisions of this bill. I would not call this an AARP bill, I would not call this a Republican bill nor a Democratic bill. It is a bipartisan bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I agree with the gentleman, they deserve better. I agree with the gentleman, it is not perfect. But I would simply say to the gentleman that it will help an awful lot of seniors in the meantime. In the meantime, it will help a lot of seniors. The alternative is zero.

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman has the right to close, as I understand it. I have no further speakers, so I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 686) to provide assistance for poison prevention and to stabilize the funding of regional poison control centers, as amended.

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 include extraneous material on S. 686.

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 686, the Poison Control Center Enhancement and Awareness Act amendments. This bill, Mr. Speaker, amends the Poison Control Enhancement and Awareness Act to provide additional assistance for poison prevention and to stabilize the funding of regional poison control centers. I would like to extend my thanks first to my colleague, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton), for all of his work on this important legislation and also add to that list the gentleman from New York (Mr. Towns), who has been very interested in this subject for a long time, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton), Senator DeWine, and, of course, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown) and the others who have been so very cooperative. Poisoning is the third most common form of unintentional death in the United States. Many of these exposures involve children. Poison control centers are a primary defense against injury and death from poisoning. In the events since September 11, poison centers have taken on the additional role, Mr. Speaker, of providing medical information about biological, chemical, and nuclear domestic terrorism. S. 686 would authorize funds to maintain national toll-free poison control hotlines and the Poison Control Center Grant Program. Additionally, the legislation would create a nationwide media campaign to promote poison control center utilization and to allow the Secretary to assist in the implementation and maintenance of continuous national surveillance of poison control center data to detect new hazards from toxic substances, household products and pharmaceuticals. I urge my colleagues, Mr. Speaker, to support this important legislation that the Senate has passed. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he might require to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton), the father of this act.

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2218) to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide for the regulation of noncorrective contact lens as medical devices, 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 and to include extraneous material on H.R. 2218, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2218, which amends the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to provide for the regulation of noncorrective contact lens as medical devices, and I commend the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman) for his work on this legislation. As the corrective contact lens industry has grown, so has the practice of using noncorrective contact lenses for cosmetic purposes. Currently, there is very little regulation of these lenses. However, all contact lenses have significant effects on the eye and pose health risks if improperly manufactured or used without the supervision of a qualified eye care practitioner. Both corrective and noncorrective contact lenses have been approved as medical devices by the FDA. It just makes sense that the FDA should have the authority to regulate these lenses. Mr. Speaker, having said that, I would urge all of my colleagues to support this important resolution. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman), who is himself an optometrist and certainly has lived with this problem for many, many years and knows the real world, and I thank the gentleman for bringing this to our attention.

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 move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 650) to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to authorize the Food and Drug Administration to require certain research into drugs used in pediatric patients.

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 insert extraneous material on the bill.

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 650, the Pediatric Research Equity Act. This bill gives the Food and Drug Administration new statutory authority to require certain pediatric tests, to require certain research into drugs used for pediatric patients, and it provides for appropriate enforcement of the requirement to submit timely pediatric assessments. As chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, I have been a long-time supporter of pediatric research efforts. To that end, it is important that the FDA has the authority that it needs to require pediatric studies and also information for drugs and biological products in cases where the needed information is not generated by using existing incentive and funding mechanisms. S. 650 will provide that authority. I think it is appropriate to express appreciation to Senator DeWine for this piece of legislation and to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown), the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman), the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo) and so many others who have shown concern in this regard and, of course, join us here today. I urge my colleagues to support the bill that the Senate has passed. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Pryce).

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