Sherrod Brown

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Houston, Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

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

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes. Mr. Speaker, we are considering an important resolution today sponsored by my colleague, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Gutierrez). I am pleased to be a co-sponsor of this legislation, which is intended to raise the profile of scleroderma, a debilitating auto-immune disease that affects around a third of a million Americans every year. Diagnosis can be difficult in the early stages. Many symptoms of scleroderma are common to or may overlap those of other diseases. The disease is highly individualized. While scleroderma can show mild symptoms in some, it can also deliver a more life-threatening prognosis in others. Scleroderma can show symptoms on the surface as in a skin rash or disguise itself by affecting the organs, the muscles or blood vessels. Diagnosis can require consultation with rheumatologists and dermatologists, in addition to blood studies and specialized tests depending on which organs are actually affected. The Committee on Energy and Commerce last week passed this resolution unanimously. I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Madam Speaker, the United States has become the world's steel dumping ground at the expense of U.S. jobs, U.S. families, and the U.S. economy. Since 1997, 34 steel companies have filed for bankruptcy, 17 since January of 2001, since President Bush became President, including LTV in Cleveland and RTI in Lorain, Ohio. Unfair trade has victimized an entire generation of American steelworkers, who now depend on this industry, steelworkers and retirees, for their benefits. It is time for our leaders in Washington, for a change, to stand up. The House Steel Revitalization Act, H.R. 808, has 229 cosponsors, more than a majority of this body. The Steel Revitalization Act will mean jobs, it will mean community revitalization, it will mean strengthening and improving the U.S. economy; yet Republican leadership has blocked this bill. A majority of Members of Congress have cosponsored this Steel Revitalization Act, and the conservative Republican leadership will not let this bill come to a vote. I ask my Republican friends to push their leadership to do the right thing.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, the gentleman from Florida, for yielding time to me. Yesterday, under enormous pressure from defrauded investors, the Republican leadership finally, reluctantly agreed to bring a strong accounting bill to the floor. But tonight, the Republican-dominated House is poised to turn around and give corporate America its most desired prize of all, trade promotion authority, or fast track. The fast track conference agreement is a great deal for huge corporations, but it is a bad deal for American workers. Republican leadership has given these corporations everything it wants in this Congress: insurance companies write legislation to privatize Medicare; energy companies write our energy policy; chemical companies write our environmental policy; Wall Street writes Social Security privatization legislation. Fast track, the granddaddy of them all, would prevent thousands of displaced workers from obtaining training, trade adjustment assistance, and health care coverage. It fails to make labor and environmental standards required negotiating objectives for future trade agreements. But it is worse than that. This TPA, this fast track, shifts power from democratic governments to corporations. It allows corporations to challenge laws, environmental laws, food safety laws, worker protection laws that were passed in this Congress, that were passed in the 50 State legislatures, regulations that protect workers and protect the environment. This legislation threatens food safety, it threatens clean air laws, it threatens safe drinking water laws, it threatens worker safety laws. Vote ``no'' on trade adjustment.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, under enormous pressure from defrauded investors, the Republican leadership has finally and reluctantly agreed to bring a strong accounting bill to the floor today. Passage of this bill will make America's corporations more accountable and will restore confidence and investor faith in our markets. I urge my colleagues to support it. But, Mr. Speaker, completion of the conference report on Fast Track this week also appears to be a strong possibility. Fast Track--the biggest gift of all to overpaid CEOs in providing more opportunity for corporate abuse. Fast Track has been made even worse since its passage in the other body. The Dayton-Craig amendment will be eliminated, TAA and health care benefits are not nearly enough and less than promised, and there is still no core labor and environmental standards. Mr. Speaker, it would be highly ironic if on the day this House finally made corporations tow the line that Republicans then turn around and give corporate America the biggest prize of all. Vote ``no'' on the Fast Track conference report.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, the Bush administration has very close ties to the prescription drug industry. In and of itself, that might not be a problem. Part of any administration's job is to support American industry, so long as it coincides with the best interests of the American people. That is, unfortunately, where the Bush administration runs into problems. The best interests of the American people should outweigh the interests of industry, but too often with this administration, the drug industry prevails at the expense of American consumers. Last year, for instance, prescription drug costs increased 17 percent, while the inflation rate was only 1.6 percent. Rising drug costs have fueled double-digit increases in health insurance premiums. Rises in drug costs are putting State budgets in the red. Rising drug costs are bankrupting seniors on fixed incomes. The Bush administration's response to this situation? They recently released a ``study'' arguing that American consumers must continue to pay the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs. If we do not, the study said, medical research and development will dry up. This study is available online at www.hhs.gov. It could just as easily, however, appear at www.phrma.org, the drug industry association's Web site. If Members had any questions about how closely aligned the administration is with the drug industry, this study makes it clear they are in lockstep. I wonder, Mr. Speaker, if it is any coincidence that this study comes out of the Department of Health and Human Services' Planning Office, which is managed by a former employee of, you guessed it, the drug industry. This study says the best bet for American consumers is the status quo. If we do anything about price, this study, the administration, or the drug industry, and it all, unfortunately, seems like the same thing too often, if we do anything about price, the administration says, we will be responsible in this country for killing research and development in the drug industry. It is a pretty difficult sell to claim this when we consider that the drug industry has topped, or in terms of profitability, it has been the most profitable industry in America for 20 years running, return on price, return on sales, return on equity. While the overall profits of Fortune 500 companies declined 53 percent last year, the top 10 drugmakers increased profits by 33 percent last year. Drug companies spend twice as much on marketing and administration as they do on research and development. U.S. tax dollars fund almost half of the research that the drug industry does, but American consumers are supposed to be so grateful that they are supposed to gratefully pay twice for that R&D. We are supposed to thank the drug industry for charging us prices two and three and four times what prices are in every other country in the world. To explain this, look what happened last month. Last month, the drug industry wrote a prescription drug coverage bill for the Republican leadership that was introduced in the Committee on Energy and Commerce to give a prescription drug plan for Americans. The drug industry wrote the bill. The Republicans started a hearing. The Republicans, as we were marking up this drug industry bill sponsored by Republicans, our committee recessed at 5 o'clock so Members of the committee, Republican Members of the committee, could go off to a fundraiser underwritten by the drug companies, chaired by the CEO of GlaxoSmithKline, a British drug company, who gave $250,000. The next morning, the Republicans and all of us met again to work on this drug bill. Every pro-consumer amendment was defeated by the drug industry and by the Republicans. After this bill then passed the committee and passed the House of Representatives, the drug industry spent, through a group called United Seniors Association, but paid by the drug industry, spent $3 million on an ad campaign thanking those Republican Members for passing it and thanking them for their concern for America's seniors. So the drug industry wrote the bill, the Republicans passed the bill, the drug industry gave money to the Republicans while the bill was being passed, and then the drug industry ran TV ads thanking the Republican Members and congratulating them on a job well done. The Bush administration then, no surprise here, followed suit by claiming that seniors' best hope for drug coverage is the Republican bill. Now, why is this? Why should the drug industry have this kind of influence here? Well, over the last 12 years, the drug industry's lobbying expenditures have increased 800 percent. In the 2000 election cycle, the drug industry contributed $26 million to candidates running for office, the overwhelming majority of which to Republicans. The industry contributed $625,000 to the Bush-Cheney inaugural. So far in this election cycle, the drug industry has contributed $14.6 million in political donations, the vast majority of which to Republicans. This may explain, Mr. Speaker, why the administration is working so hard for the drug industry, but it begs the question: Is what is good for the drug industry in the best interests of the American people?

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. After years of rumors and whispering, numerous current and former baseball players have recently alleged that a substantial number of major league players are using, or have used, illegal anabolic steroids to enhance their performance on the field. Steroids cause long-term damage to the heart and liver, can cause strokes in otherwise healthy people, and can cause career-ending injuries because a player's muscles become too strong for their joints and their ligaments and their tendons. Recent allegations have placed the number of players using steroids at widely varying percentage. One former player alleged 85 percent of major league players have taken steroids at some point during their careers. But even if the correct number, say, is only 5 percent, it would mean that dozens of cheaters are sullying the sport, jeopardizing their own health, and putting enormous pressure on other players to use performance-enhancing drugs. Unlike the use of illegal recreational drugs, the use of steroids can actually and obviously make you a better ball player. So if a player chooses not to use steroids, not to break the rules, he may be placing himself at a competitive disadvantage. Technically, there is a commissioner's ban on steroid use. Without any form of drug testing, this ban is meaningless. In light of the recent allegations, both the union and the owners have agreed to make this issue a negotiating point during their upcoming labor negotiations. In past negotiations, the players' union cited privacy concerns about drug testing. These are legitimate concerns, Mr. Speaker, and reasonable people can disagree about how to test players for steroid use. However, the other major sports leagues in this country have successfully instituted drug testing policies that are supported by both the owners and the players. While baseball has many big issues on the agenda for its upcoming negotiations, the league should also make time to find a mutually agreeable way to test its players for steroids. The continuing use of these illegal drugs is bad for the players who use them, bad for the players who do not use them, and bad for baseball. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my friend, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Israel).

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time.

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

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Israel) for their efforts to address the need for continued research in ovarian health screening and subsequent coverage of proven testing methods by insurers. Ovarian cancer, the deadliest of the gynecologic cancers, is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths among American women. It is estimated there will be over 23,000 new cases that get diagnosed, approximately 14,000 deaths from ovarian cancer just in this year alone in the U.S. There is no sound screening test to accurately detect ovarian cancer in its early stages like a pap smear for the detection of cervical cancer or a mammogram to detect breast cancer. While the 5- year survival rate for women in the advanced stages of ovarian cancer is only 15 to 20 percent, for women in stage I of the disease, the 5- year survival rate approaches 90 percent. This resolution encourages the development of an effective screening tool for ovarian cancer and promotes insurance coverage of effective screening tests. The Subcommittee on Health under the Committee on Energy and Commerce marked up this bill last week in committee. We passed it unanimously by voice vote. I urge my colleagues to support the resolution.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Israel).

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), who has been one of the sponsors of this bill and has been a leader in all kinds of issues regarding women's health.

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

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, there are three nurses in the House of Representatives, the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. McCarthy), the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson), and the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps). Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps), who, as a registered nurse and a member of the Subcommittee on Health of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, has been the driving force and turned this dream into a reality and, as the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) has said, has simply not let up on this issue.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. McCarthy), who also is a registered nurse.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis).

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 4 minutes. I want to thank the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) for their fine work and for working with the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell), the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps) and with me on the issue of the nurse shortage and their commitment to send a bill to the President's desk. Special thanks to staff members Steve Tilton and Cheryl Jaeger, and Katie Porter in my office and John Ford, and Jeremy Sharp for the work they did on this legislation. Nurses are the heart of our health care system. They have the most contact with patients. With the threat and reality of bioterrorism, they are on the front lines treating exposure to biological and chemical agents as well as a surge of ``worried well'' patients. They make a functioning health care system an effective health care system, and to be sure, they do not receive nearly enough gratitude. There is not a Member in this House or Senate who does not recognize the severity of the nursing shortage. While the facts to substantiate the shortage are glaring, the solutions are far less clear. The House and Senate each passed legislation that reflected their sincere and strong commitment to tackling the problem. Both bodies put in a tremendous amount of work to reach a compromise between the two bills, and I am pleased in joining with my colleagues with the end result. This bill is not intended to provide all the answers. Its modest but critical purpose is to alleviate the nursing shortage by jump-starting recruitment and fostering retention. Under recruitment, our bill will establish public service announcements and expands the current loan repayment programs to include scholarships. Under retention, our bill will help schools of nursing to train nurses in geriatric care. It also establishes a career ladder grant program and a faculty loan cancellation program. It provides resources to health care facilities to improve their staff management. While this bill will not cure the shortage, it is also much more than a bandaid. The bill will provide substantial authority and ultimately resources to interest men and women in becoming nurses and furthering their careers in nursing and improving the quality of their work environment. It sends a strong message to nurses that we value their hard work, we recognize their inherent value in the delivery of quality health care in this country, and we are committed to helping them in their efforts to help others. Mr. Speaker, I ask the House to support this legislation.

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

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This appears to be a very worthwhile bill, as it amends the Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training Program Act of 1998 to extend through fiscal year 2006. The Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training Program provides for admission into the U.S. each fiscal year of up to 4,000 young disadvantaged aliens from designated counties in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. These youths suffer from sectarian violence and high unemployment. The need for these programs is highlighted by the recent outbreak of violence in the country. The Guardian newspaper reports today that a young 20-year-old Catholic man was shot dead in north Belfast. This shooting is a continuation of a series of shootings. Earlier, a 19- year-old Protestant man was shot in the groin in Ardoyne close to the site of last year's loyalist picket at Holy Cross School. The shootings followed a series of violent clashes in north Belfast over the weekend in which an elderly disabled man narrowly escaped death when a petrol bomb was thrown into his home as he slept. Officials and residents are concerned that the renewed attacks will escalate violence in the country. Hopefully, Mr. Speaker, this program will help put an end to such violence. This program helps these young people develop job and conflict resolution skills in a diverse and peaceful environment so they can return to their homes better able to contribute toward economic regeneration and a lasting peace in Ireland. America's vibrant Irish community welcomes this. I think it is a good idea. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, a scandal-weary American people awoke this morning to more unpleasant news. WorldCom, an employer of 60,000 people, $107 billion in assets, announced that it would seek bankruptcy court protection. Millions of Americans have watched their retirement accounts evaporate because of fraud, rampant greed, and misgovernance in some of America's largest corporations. Ordinary investors and Wall Street alike have demanded stronger oversight of the accounting industry, rules that prohibit accounting firms from consulting the companies they audit, new authorities for Federal prosecutors to investigate and to punish corporate criminals, and a requirement that top executives personally certify the accuracy of their companies' financial statements. Legislation that would make these needed reforms passed the other body unanimously last week. Throughout the 1990s, Republicans rushed to unravel regulations and block needed reforms and helped creates the permissive regulatory environment that has led to recent corporate scandals. Now the Republican leadership has stubbornly refused to bring meaningful accounting reform to the floor. Why, Mr. Speaker?

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, blatant acts of fraud and misgovernance by executives of some of America's largest companies, most of them large contributors to President Bush, have destroyed the retirement accounts of millions of Americans. But rather than focus on legislation that will increase corporate account bills, the President and House Republicans are pushing for another huge giveaway to corporate America, Fast Track trade legislation. The Fast Track agreement opens the door to expansion of NAFTA-style investor rules that empower foreign corporations to sue State and local governments for billions of dollars if consumer and environmental laws interfere with their profits. A Canadian chemical company has used NAFTA to attack clean water laws in California. A U.S. toxic waste handler successfully challenged the right of a desperately poor Mexican community to block the company from building a toxic dump on top of their water supply. A new study from Tufts University says NAFTA-style corporate lawsuits will eventually line the pocket of global corporations with $32 billion per year in U.S. taxpayer funds. I urge this House to oppose Fast Track when it returns to the House.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, it has been a week since President Bush went to Wall Street to restore investor confidence in our capital markets. Unfortunately, the response from investors has been dismal. Since the President's trip, the two major stock indices have lost 7\1/ 2\ percent of their value. Last year alone, America's markets lost $2.4 trillion of their value, more than the gross domestic product of Germany. Most Americans probably think that because of these massive stock market losses the President has reconsidered his plan to privatize Social Security. They would be wrong. Even though our country is in the throes of the worst financial crisis of confidence in decades, President Bush is pressing forward with his program to privatize Social Security. The President's plan to privatize Social Security should be defeated, now more than ever.