Kevin Brady

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2507) to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish an annual rulemaking schedule for payment rates under Medicare Advantage, as amended.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. 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. 2507 currently under consideration.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I stand in support of H.R. 2507, the Increasing Regulatory Fairness Act. This is an important piece of legislation. Today, the Medicare Advantage program serves more than 16 million seniors throughout the country. Enrollment has increased more than threefold over the past decade, and it is expected to nearly double in the next. To ensure that seniors are able to continue receiving the kind of high- quality care they receive under the program, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, known as CMS, is expected to pay about $156 billion to more than 3,600 Medicare Advantage plans just this year. That is nearly 30 percent of all Medicare spending, by the way. Typically, every year CMS sends out what is called the rate notice to plans and Medicare Advantage companies that details the various payment rates and benefit changes the agency plans to make for the following year. This notice follows the standard rulemaking process of other payment systems. That is, a draft notice is published, the public has a certain amount of time to submit comments and questions, and then the agency publishes a final notice based on that feedback. Right now, this current process takes about 45 days. Do you know how many days are currently allotted for public comment? The answer: A mere 15 days--15 days for thousands of plans and millions of stakeholders to submit comments on proposed changes to a program that amounts to one- third of all Medicare spending. I could almost understand this if the rate notice were a short and concise document, easy to understand, and simple to implement, but of course it is not. The rate notice has grown from around 16 pages in 2006 to nearly 150 pages this year. That is over a ninefold increase. All the while, the time for the public comment period has remained the same. This means less and less time for plans and Congress to conduct the necessary review so we can provide CMS with the kind of feedback that would better help the agency assess the impact of their proposed changes. This is important because without accurate feedback, CMS could inadvertently move forward with a proposed change to the Medicare Advantage program that might negatively impact these seniors who depend on these plans for access to essential medical care. The legislation before us is simple and straightforward. All it proposes to do is extend the public notice period from 45 days to 60 days, which would mean an extension of the comment period from 15 to 30 days. This is a commonsense, good government fix we can make that will give plans more time to understand the changes that Medicare proposes, offer constructive feedback, and make the Medicare Advantage program overall more responsive to senior needs. I want to thank Mr. Thompson of California, who is a key member of our Committee on Ways and Means, and Mr. Pitts, the chairman of the Health Subcommittee on Energy and Commerce, for their thoughtful and very helpful work on this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2582) to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve the risk adjustment under the Medicare Advantage program, to delay the authority to terminate Medicare Advantage contracts for MA plans failing to achieve minimum quality ratings, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I stand in strong support of H.R. 2582, the Securing Seniors' Health Care Act of 2015. When Medicare began implementing the STARS ratings measurement system, they did so using the typical Washington approach of one size fits all. The STARS program uses the same measures to evaluate plans with different benefit designs and different coverage mixes. Congress needs to work with stakeholders and Medicare to reform this system to make it work for all. CMS should continue to study issues like the effect that socioeconomic conditions have on health care and the effect that coverage of duals has on various rating systems and thus properly serve their populations. This legislation is common sense. Let's not restrict seniors from plans they have chosen and like just because they aren't performing well under CMS's poorly managed STARS standards. Until we truly understand the effects of duals and low-income beneficiaries on the plan's STARS ratings, we shouldn't be terminating them. A 3-year delay will do just that: give CMS and Congress the time to address the STARS rating system and allow all seniors access to the plans they choose and that they like. CMS has made some poor policy decisions in recent years through the regulatory process in Medicare Advantage and part D of the prescription drug plan, and this years's call letter and rate notice is no exception. The changes to the risk adjustment system include masking coding intensity adjustments, while in press releases CMS touts not exceeding statutory levels of coding intensity adjustments. In plain English, Medicare Advantage plans are managed care plans, and the changes in the recent regulations handcuff plans from properly managing some of our frailest seniors suffering from, for example, blood and kidney diseases. This bill requires that CMS review the changes made in their most recent regulatory cycle and reverse those that negatively affect risk adjustments. This bill has CMS reviewing the use of encounter date as well. CMS has told Congress, the Government Accountability Office, and MedPAC that the data is not ready yet to show us; yet it is being used for risk adjustment in Medicare Advantage? That doesn't make sense. We need to see a stronger commitment by CMS to be transparent about their policies and their data in Medicare Advantage. The changes made this year to MA just don't make sense, and I look forward to working with all my colleagues to reverse some of these changes and make continued improvements to the system as a whole. I want to thank Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Rangel, Mrs. Blackburn of Tennessee, Mr. Guthrie, and Mr. Loebsack for their hard work in getting this policy moving forward. I want to, again, reiterate my thanks to Mrs. Black and Mr. Blumenauer on our committee for their leadership regarding these issues. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2582, currently under consideration.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I stand in strong support of H.R. 2570, the Strengthening Medicare Advantage through Innovation and Transparency for Seniors Act. This package is comprised of two policies, and I will let the sponsors, who have worked so hard, speak to them in more depth. The Electronic Health Fairness Act of 2015, as marked up by the committee back in February, brings fairness to physicians who are practicing in the ASC setting by reducing meaningful use burdens for sites of service that were left out of the EHR technology requirements. This exemption only lasts until the ASCs are able to catch up, and then everybody will be on an equal footing regarding meaningful use requirements. The bill then establishes a new demonstration program based on value- based insurance design. This proposal would give plans the ability to adjust benefits based on their enrollees' needs. The one-size-fits-all policies in Medicare Advantage create the need for different types of plans that wouldn't be necessary if regular Medicare Advantage plans could adjust their benefit structures to better serve our seniors. Reducing copays or cost sharing for beneficiaries for the sake of better healthcare outcomes is right in line with the principles that I support as all seniors are different and should be served as such, so that all have an opportunity for positive health outcomes. The bill also includes a policy that changes the way Medicare pays for drugs that doctors prescribe that are infused through durable medical equipment items. This change means that Medicare payments will be more market based. The policy does take away the potential that these rates could change significantly in the future by exempting the drugs from DME competitive bidding. I am committed to ensuring that beneficiaries who need these drugs are able to continue to get them in their homes, and I will certainly monitor the impact. I want to thank Ways and Means members Mrs. Black of Tennessee and Mr. Blumenauer of Oregon for their continued leadership in improving Medicare Advantage. Their very hard work will ensure that seniors, for years to come, will enjoy better healthcare choices and more options at that. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. I thank Chairman Tiberi for his leadership on trade and American success. Mr. Speaker, who has the power? This is the question. When your family or your business wants to buy a product, who decides what you can buy and at what price? Is it you, or is it special interests or union bosses or the government? If you build a better product or come up with a new idea, who has the power to decide where you can sell it around the world? Is it you, or is it special interests and government and, again, the union? American trade is about giving you the power and you the freedom to buy and sell and compete around the world with as little government interference as possible. It is not enough to just buy American. We want to sell our American products around the world. When we do, we win. When we say to countries, ``You are selling into the U.S., and we insist we sell into your country,'' we win and we create jobs. When we don't, America grows weaker, and our foreign competitors grow stronger. Our manufacturers and our farmers and our local businesses get priced out and shut down. American trade is about our jobs and our prosperity. This bill sets the rules for trade so that, with these agreements, everyone benefits; everyone plays by the rules; everyone has the same opportunity. I am voting ``yes'' for more American jobs and more American economic opportunity and for less government control of our trade.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to vote on several roll call votes and I would like to state my intentions on the following: 1. Roll Call No. 298--McClintock (R-CA), yes 2. Roll Call No. 299--Walberg (R-MI), yes 3. Roll Call No. 308--Esty (D-CT), no 4. Roll Call No. 301--Cartwright (D-PA), no 5. Roll Call No. 302--Garrett (R-NJ), yes 6. Roll Call No. 303--Brooks #1 (R-AL), yes 7. Roll Call No. 304--Brooks #2 (R-AL), yes 8. Roll Call No. 305--Capps (D-CA), no 9. Roll Call No. 307--Stivers (R-OH), yes

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it's been more than a century since the famous Blues singer Sam ``Lightnin''' Hopkins was born in Centerville, but there has been one lady catching lightning on paper since 1980. For more than three decades if news happened in the Leon county seat, we all could count on Emma Bass to keep us fully informed. In her town of less than a thousand residents, Emma started The Centerville News with a local loan and a big dream. Thanks to Emma's hard work, The Centerville News is a necessary part of Centerville life. Centerville natives who have moved away from home subscribe to keep up on local happenings. All thanks to Emma's hard work and perseverance. My friendship with Emma started when I was lucky enough to be elected to represent Centerville in the Texas House of Representatives. That friendship continues today and I'm better for it. Count me as part of Emma's fan club. I greatly admire and respect her integrity, intelligence and humor. Everyone knew that if you wanted to get the story out and get it right, you better be talking to Emma Bass. In an era of newspaper cutbacks, it's that hometown feel that makes what she created so special. When you read a story in The Centerville News and close your eyes just for a moment, you are there. While it may take time for the new team to fill Emma's shoes, The Centerville News she founded and nurtured is staying local and Emma's contributions to her community continue on through her work on the Centerville Chamber of Commerce board. Emma Bass is a Centerville icon and her voice will be missed on the pages of The Centerville News. But my friend Emma's retirement from news is well deserved. May it be as long, happy and fulfilling as this wonderful lady deserves. Thank you, Emma Bass, for sharing so much with all of us for all these years.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Paulsen), one of our leaders of the Ways and Means Committee, who understands you can't keep making excuses about bringing R&D to America; you have to act.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this Democrat proposal does violence to America's research infrastructure. It does violence to America's economy, and it does violence to the future of our economy and to the hope of young people. We will not stand for this. Vote ``no'' on this motion to recommit. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Mooney).

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. When it comes to research and development initiatives, America is rapidly falling behind our global competitors. Unless the U.S. remains the world's leading innovator, our economy will suffer while middle class families and talented college graduates will see jobs and opportunities lost to foreign countries. Making permanent the tax incentive for companies to invest in research and development right here in the United States will ensure lifesaving technologies, state- of-the-art computer systems, and breakthroughs in manufacturing products. While America once led the world in R&D incentives, the U.S. has now dropped to--get this--27th among our global competitors. America's share of global research and development, while it is still big, has dropped from 39 percent, before the turn of this new century, to 31 percent. So look at China. By contrast, China's R&D spending has increased fourfold. It is poised to surpass that of America by 2022. Permanency provides certainty to U.S. innovators. It makes the Federal budget scorekeeping far more honest, and it removes the asterisk from this temporary provision so that progrowth tax reform can advance. This year, we have added a new provision that will allow eligible small businesses to count the credit against the AMT, the alternative minimum tax. This is an important provision to enable America's newest innovators to develop even more cutting-edge, market-dominating technologies. I am proud to have worked on this important tax incentive with my friend John Larson, a Democrat from Connecticut. The House passed this provision with a strong bipartisan vote last year. While the economy is improving, there are millions of Americans still looking for full-time work and millions more middle class families whose paychecks have been stagnant for years. If we want a permanently strong economy, we need a permanent research and development tax credit. The time for excuses is over. Stand with innovation in America or stand with China and other countries with the R&D being shipped to the rest of the world. I say we stand with America, our innovators, our college graduates, and our businesses. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. McCarthy), the majority leader of the United States House of Representatives.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the motion.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I think one of the big problems with Washington is that everyone finds excuses not to do the right thing. The truth is we need research and development here in America, not overseas. We need the jobs that come with that here in America, not overseas. We need, frankly, the future of America here, rather than overseas. Republicans and Democrats both agree on that; both sincerely agree on that. Today, we heard excuses, and we will hear excuses. We are told this doesn't fund infrastructure. It doesn't. This is about funding the infrastructure of research and development and innovation, but not through the government. This is through our entrepreneurs, like Apple and Microsoft, and all the new research and groundbreaking drugs and medical breakthroughs. That is how we are funding the infrastructure of our future. Roads and bridges, we will tackle in another bill. We are told this isn't comprehensive tax reform. No, it is not. It is a critical step forward in that by taking a provision that has been temporary far too long and making it a permanent part of our Tax Code so that we can invest in R&D with certainty, so we can have honest scorekeeping in our budget, and so we can take that first step toward real, comprehensive progrowth tax reform. We are told today, as we have heard in the past, that it is not paid for, but in fact, to the extensions since 1981, these provisions haven't been paid for. Our Democrat friends passed these bills and supported them. They weren't paid for. We have done the same. It was 1 year or 2 years at a time. To say this is fiscally irresponsible, when they voted so many times to do the same thing, seems to me to be another excuse. The cost of doing this permanently is no more than the cost of doing it 1 or 2 years at a time. To think otherwise is sort of in the line of saying: You know, that dessert doesn't have calories if I eat it standing up. Well, the cost of R&D is the same, but the cost of not making it permanent is very much not the same. We know the impact will be fewer jobs here in America, more R&D in China, and we will lose our lead in the world as the world's innovator. No more excuses--what we are looking for today is a bipartisan effort to make sure those jobs are here in America, that our companies have a chance to invest more and more and more each year. That is what we want them to do. We want to give college graduates hope. As the majority leader from California noted, 4 out of 10 college graduates either can't find jobs, or they are working behind a cash register. Well, it is wrong. We ought to give them an opportunity. We ought to give them some jobs and some hope. Those college graduates are skilled and talented, and they deserve to be part of America's innovative society. That is what they deserve. That is what we are going to deliver to them. While I am thrilled my Democrat friends are talking about the deficit, I wish they would have acted upon it earlier. The first year they took control of this House under the former Speaker, they doubled the deficit. The second year, they tripled the deficit. The third year, they took it over a trillion dollars and a trillion dollars again, until the American public said enough. What we got for all that spending was the worst economic recovery in half a century. We are missing 6 million jobs from the American economy. We have fewer people working the workforce than we did before the recovery actually began. In some ways, we are going backwards, especially for our young people. Today, with this bill, this is research and development both parties support. The only reason we are hearing the excuses is that it is a Republican bill this time. That is the only reason. Research and development is not a Republican proposal, it is not a Democrat proposal. It is an American proposal we all support. We think our economy ought to grow not in Washington, but back home, and that innovation matters. The way we do that is to recapture America's leadership in R&D. For all those reasons--and for the support of entrepreneurs, manufacturers, and technology companies back home all across America--I urge that we stop the excuses, we join together as Republicans and Democrats, we take back America's leadership in innovation and create the jobs that our young people deserve. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen).

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Dold), a new member of the Ways and Means Committee who comes from a research-driven State.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 15 seconds. The President has threatened to veto this bill. The question is clear: Why is the President standing for those who would ship jobs overseas? Why isn't he standing with Republicans and Democrats in Congress in this House to keep those jobs in research here in America? I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Holding), a new member of the Ways and Means Committee, who understands research and development in the Triangle of North Carolina.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I stand today to honor the 40th anniversary of The Rotary Club of The Woodlands, Texas. Across our nation and world, service organizations make communities stronger through educational, vocational and community health programs. Since its formation, the leaders and members of this Rotary Club, of which I'm a proud member, has achieved all that--and more. As the Vietnam War was ending, 20 local business leaders stepped forward to find solutions and make a positive difference in a new master planned community known as The Woodlands, Texas. Within two months of their first meeting, Rotary International approved their charter on May 9, 1975. Over the last four decades, much has changed both within our Rotary and world, but the Rotary Club of the Woodlands continues to grow and serve. Today 174 business and community leaders keep the Club moving forward by putting servant leadership first. The number of service projects and programs has increased, while educational scholarships for local students remain at the heart of it all. Before this new century the Club's Scholarship fund reached $250,000, necessitating the creation of a foundation. Over $1.3 million has been raised for deserving students--and many new community leaders credit their Rotary scholarships for making their education dreams a reality. Our Rotary Club sponsors five Interact clubs at local high schools where future Rotarians and community leaders connect with mentors, develop leadership skills and make connections through service projects and club meetings. Our club works with Interfaith of the The Woodlands on a program called ``Serving Our Seniors.'' Twice annually, Rotarians, Interact students, Interfaith staff and volunteers come together to help seniors with a variety of home repair, improvement and landscaping chores. Our Club annually supports an international exchange student who attends high school in the community. This cultural and educational exchange benefits the hosted student, their home country and local students who get to know more about other cultures. The Club also provides layettes for the care of newborns in a South American medical clinic near the areas known for the Children of the Dump. This project ensures many lives begin in a sanitary environment and involves out local Interact Clubs who put together the layettes from supplies purchased by the Club with matching funds from Rotary International. Our club also holds mock interview sessions with local community college students. The ``Show Me the Money'' project pairs up Rotarians with students in a positive, affirming environment. Our sessions include making the right first impression and financial literacy. There are truly too many service projects this Club has completed over the past forty years to share them all, but a conservative estimate is that Rotarians from The Woodlands Club have put in tens of thousands of service hours. So, to my fellow Rotarians I thank you for 40 years of living the Rotary motto of ``Service before Self'' in thought, word, and most importantly, in deeds. May your exemplary servant leadership continue to bless our community. I know my Rotarian pride shines through when I share what my home Rotary club does for our community. Today I want all of America to join with us in celebrating 40 great years. I can't wait to see what the future holds for The Rotary Club of The Woodlands.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, due to the passing of my mother on April 21, 2015 I had to remain in Texas and was unable to vote on April 21 and April 22, 2015. On roll call no. 162, had I been present, I would have voted Yea. On roll call no. 163, had I been present, I would have voted Yea. On roll call no. 164, had I been present, I would have voted Yea. On roll call no. 165, had I been present, I would have voted Yea. On roll call no. 166, had I been present, I would have voted Nay. On roll call no. 167, had I been present, I would have voted Yea. On roll call no. 168, had I been present, I would have voted Yea. On roll call no. 169, had I been present, I would have voted Nay. On roll call no. 170, had I been present, I would have voted Yea.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 10 seconds. I would point out studies show we would generate more money by repealing this tax than keeping it because people wouldn't put their money into tax shelters and other things and instead would put it back in their business into job creation. I am proud to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Kelly), a leading member of the Committee on Ways and Means and a gentleman whose father started their business by the sweat of his brow.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop), the lead sponsor of the Repeal the Death Tax Act, an Eagle Scout, Army veteran, key member.