Michael Burgess

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Medicaid Extenders Act of 2019, a bipartisan Medicaid package that moves forward House priorities with responsible offsets. The Energy and Commerce Committee worked to draft this critical legislation before us today. This language passed in the House of Representatives in the last Congress as part of the IMPROVE Act, but in the other body they failed to send the bill to the President's desk. I urge my colleagues in both the House and the Senate to support this important bill. The package extends funding for the Money Follows the Person demonstration, an effort led by Representatives Brett Guthrie and Debbie Dingell. This Medicaid demonstration, which was established in 2005, has enabled eligible individuals in States across the Nation to receive long-term care services in their homes or other community settings, rather than in institutions or nursing homes. Not only does this increase the comfort and the quality of life for many Medicaid beneficiaries, but it has reduced hospital readmissions and saved money within the Medicaid program. The funding for this program has already expired, and a funding extension is already long overdue. While we would like to have extended the funding for longer, it was essential to get an extension across the floor, even if it is just for a small period of time. A 3-month extension for the protection for Medicaid recipients of home- and community-based services against spousal impoverishment is also included. This effort was championed by Representatives Fred Upton and Debbie Dingell. Our seniors are among our most vulnerable citizens, and it is programs like this one that help protect them from financial ruin. This program specifically protects married individuals requiring Medicaid-covered long-term services and supports to ensure that they do not have to deplete their financial resources or bankrupt themselves in order to become or remain Medicaid eligible to receive such services. In an effort to be fiscally responsible, this legislation includes several offsets that make this package on net a saver. One of those offsets will require States to come into compliance with the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2008 regarding Medicaid asset verification programs. This 2008 law required States to implement asset verification programs in order to determine or redetermine eligibility, and the Affordable Care Act required such programs to be filed electronically. Currently, only 33 States have operational programs. This provision will bring the remaining States up to speed by levying a penalty on States that do not have a program in place by 2020. This package contains must-pass provisions that the Energy and Commerce Committee has long fought to pass. The provisions included in this legislation will improve access for Medicaid beneficiaries, which is laudable and an important goal. Not only are these provisions imperative, but they are responsibly offset. I particularly thank the Energy and Commerce Committee staffer, Caleb Graff, who has spent countless hours negotiating and getting this package to the floor. I support this legislation and urge Members of the House and Senate to do so as well. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie), the primary sponsor of this bill.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, we have no further speakers. We did pass this bill in this House in December. I urge all Members to support the bill as it goes forward today. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. We often hear it said that life is a multiple of threes, and here we are, the third time, passing this important legislation. One hundred years ago, this country was in the midst of the worst pandemic in its history, claiming the lives of almost 700,000 Americans and killing more than 50 million people worldwide. As we discuss the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2019, it is paramount that we remember the significance of the centennial anniversary of the 1918 influenza pandemic. I must also note, again, the third time the House has passed this legislation. We have clearly done our work, and it is time for the other body to do their work and send this bill to the President's desk. The creation of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response under the original legislation in 2006 has helped us to make monumental strides in preparedness, coordination, and response. Close collaboration and efforts between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and our State, local, Tribal, and territorial public health partners have been vital in making this progress. Like politics, much of public health is local and executed on the ground by our hospitals, by our health departments and our emergency responders, who are our front lines in addressing infectious diseases, disasters, and threats. We hear each and every year of the dangers of the influenza as flu season wreaks havoc on communities across the country. Last year, in north Texas, some schools had to close in order to contain the spread of the flu. This bill includes an important provisio dedicated to preparing for pandemic influenza to protect our Nation against the terror of a pandemic. Mr. Speaker, I would just parenthetically add that if anyone has not yet had their influenza immunization this year, it is still a good idea to avail yourself of that protective measure. The flu vaccine not only can prevent the flu, but if someone gets the flu after having had the flu vaccine, their clinical course is likely to be more benign. This reauthorization includes an important provision, the MISSION ZERO Act. The MISSION ZERO Act seeks to connect American patients with battle-tested trauma care through the craft of military trauma care providers. The bill provides grants to integrate military trauma care providers and teams into the Nation's leading trauma centers and systems. This will also ensure that our military can maintain battlefield-ready trauma care providers in between periods of active engagement. The need for top-notch trauma care extends across our Nation, far removed from the battlefield. We must also remember that infectious diseases are a much more serious threat in the global community, and we must continue to ensure that we are prepared and ready to respond. Frontline facilities and responders in Dallas, Texas, experienced this firsthand in 2014 when a patient presented with Ebola in a DFW emergency department. Today, currently, right now, there is an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that has been deemed the second worst on record, with more than 600 cases. This legislation equips our Nation with the tools to respond in a timely and effective manner when the public health and safety are at risk, such as if Ebola were to hit the United States again. Additionally, this bill will also help to bring domestic biologic surveillance systems up to date so that they are operating with the most efficient capabilities and technologies. We must also look for innovative ways to continue to advance medical countermeasures, ensuring that Americans can access medications that will provide critical protection in the future. Another portion of this legislation would modernize the regulation of over-the-counter medicines. To date, consumers have access to more than 300,000 nonprescription items, from cough to cold medicines to antiperspirants, antacids, and sunscreens. Pharmacy aisles and medicine cabinets are filled with over-the-counter products, and American consumers rely on these each and every day. This bill would make the over-the-counter regulatory framework more science-based and responsive to public health concerns, and it would encourage the development of more innovative products and provide resources to the Food and Drug Administration to bolster the agency's ability to review over-the-counter applications and to regulate this sector in a consistent manner. This Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness reauthorization is critical to protecting the lives of all Americans and providing the necessary tools and infrastructure are in place when disaster strikes. I want to thank Representatives Susan Brooks and Anna Eshoo for their work and Representatives Bob Latta and Diana DeGette for their work on the over-the-counter monograph reform. I strongly support this legislation, urge Members to do the same, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta).

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Brooks), the principal author of the bill.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie).

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the bill before us today, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Honorable David Garcia, Judge of Denton County Criminal Court No. 3, for his service to Denton County and to the many combat veterans he has impacted through his work with the Denton County Veterans Treatment Court Program (VTCP). Judge Garcia was appointed to the Denton County Criminal Court No. 3 on September 1, 1997 and will conclude his tenure at the end of December after 21 years of service to our community. Since 2012, he has presided over the Veterans Court. After his appointment to the Court, Judge Garcia not only completed a backlog of cases, but he also built a new model for veterans courts that prioritizes improving the quality of mental health care available to justice-involved veterans. Under his guidance, the veterans court provided evaluation and treatment for certain veterans' combat-related mental illnesses. In his role, Judge Garcia shifted the focus in sentencing from the pursuit of judicial compliance and reduced recidivism toward a regimen that allows combat veterans suffering from the impact of PTSD and MST to graduate from the VTCP program and return to their families and communities with charges dismissed. As a Member of Congress, one of my greatest privileges is to support veterans in North Texas and around the country. During his two decades of service, Judge Garcia has advocated for broader veteran health care access by supporting the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014 and the VA MISSION Act of 2018, legislation that improves care for those who have sacrificed and served for our country. On behalf of the 26th District of Texas, I extend my sincere appreciation to Judge Garcia for the contributions he has made to the Denton County community and to our region's veterans.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7328) to reauthorize certain programs under the Public Health Service Act and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to public health security and all-hazards preparedness and response, to clarify the regulatory framework with respect to certain nonprescription drugs that are marketed without an approved drug application, and for other purposes.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials in the Record on the bill.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 7328 includes both the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act and the Over-the-Counter Monograph reform language. Both of these bills have passed this House separately, and this today in front of us includes bipartisan, bicameral agreements on these programs. Passage of this bill is critical to our national security; and on this 100-year anniversary of the Spanish flu, I can think of no more appropriate piece of legislation to be considering. I urge all Members to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me time this afternoon. Supporting H.R. 1222 is important. This is the Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act. This important piece of legislation passed this House by a vote of 394-7 10 months ago. Our Senate colleagues passed an amended version of this bill by unanimous consent last week. Clearly there is a hearty consensus that this bill will make a positive impact on public health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, congenital heart defects are the most common types of birth defects. Congenital heart disease affects roughly 1 percent of births in the United States. This legislation strengthens the ability of the Department of Health and Human Services to collect data related to congenital heart disease and to increase public awareness. The Secretary will be required to carry out activities through a national cohort study and a nationally representative, population-based surveillance system to further understand the epidemiology of congenital heart disease. This bill authorizes a total of $10 million each year for fiscal years 2020 through 2024 for the purpose of carrying out these activities. This bill does not focus on a particular subpopulation of individuals. It aims to improve data regarding incidence, prevalence, and outcomes among all age groups, races, ethnicities, and both sexes. The Secretary will also look at evidence-based practices for the treatment and care of individuals with congenital heart disease. Overall, the legislation is intended to improve our Nation's approach to caring for individuals with congenital heart disease. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank our House champions on this legislation, Representatives Gus Bilirakis and Adam Schiff. They fought alongside Chairman Greg Walden to get this bill across the finish line. And, of course, I want to thank the staff on the Subcommittee on Health and the full committee for bringing this to the floor last year. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this legislation which will improve the lives of Americans suffering from this terrible disease.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for the recognition. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6615, the Traumatic Brain Injury Program Reauthorization Act. For those watching last week, the House passed this bill by a voice vote. Now our Senate counterparts have passed the bill with a small amendment. It is important to note that should this bill pass the Chamber today, as I believe it will, the legislation will be sent to President Trump's desk and signed into law. I thank our House leaders on this bill, Representative Bill Pascrell and Representative Thomas Rooney, for pushing this important initiative. This legislation reauthorizes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention traumatic brain injury initiatives. The aggregation of these programs that will be reauthorized by this legislation provide much hope to the individuals and families who are affected by traumatic brain injury. We still have a lot to learn about the risks and the short- and long-term effects of traumatic brain injury. This legislation will help increase our goal of increasing knowledge, awareness, and treatment of traumatic brain injury. Once again, I thank my colleagues for supporting this legislation last week, nearly identical legislation, now sent back to us from the Senate with a small amendment, and I urge passage.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for the recognition, and I rise to speak in support of S. 2076, the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act. This bill was introduced on the Senate side by Senator Susan Collins and Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, and it promotes public awareness of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. But I also need to thank the champions on the House side of this legislation, Representatives Brett Guthrie and Paul Tonko, both valuable members of the Health Subcommittee. Alzheimer's is a devastating disease that affects families across our Nation. Every 65 seconds, another person in the United States develops Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, with one in three seniors dying of Alzheimer's or a related dementia. Over the past several years, Congress has doubled down on its commitment to researching Alzheimer's disease and the related dementias by substantially increasing our appropriations for the initiatives housed at the National Institutes of Health. This legislation will require the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to establish or support regional centers to address Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. The purpose of these centers of excellence is to increase awareness among public health officials, healthcare professionals, and the public as it relates to Alzheimer's disease and the related dementias. By empowering our healthcare workforce, and our patients with more information, there will be increasing awareness of the disease, the impact it has on individuals' lives, and the possibility of treatments or interventions. The effects of this disease are daunting for both the individual and for their families. This bill is a step toward building an infrastructure to support the ever-growing population of individuals with Alzheimer's and their related dementias. I support S. 2076, and I urge my fellow Members to do the same.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I also want to rise in support of S. 2278, the State Offices of Rural Health Reauthorization Act of 2018. This bill, which was introduced by Senators Pat Roberts and Heidi Heitkamp, reauthorizes grants to State Offices of Rural Health. I also need to thank our House champion of this effort, Representative Markwayne Mullin, a valuable member of the Health Subcommittee. This legislation already passed the Senate, and today we have the opportunity to pass it on the floor of the House and send it down to the President for his signature. The majority of counties in the United States are rural. While urban and suburban counties are growing in population, certainly in my own community back in the 26th District of Texas, we have a significant percentage of the population living in rural areas. Citizens of rural America reap many benefits of their communities, but they are also faced with unique challenges, particularly when it comes to healthcare. S. 2278 will enable States to maintain and improve upon healthcare in rural areas by reauthorizing grants to State Offices of Rural Health. Grantees will be required to maintain a clearinghouse for collecting and disseminating information on rural healthcare issues, research related to rural healthcare, as well as innovative approaches to rural healthcare delivery. The grantees will also be tasked with identifying both Federal and State programs to address rural health and to provide technical assistance to public and nonprofit private entities regarding participation in these programs. State Offices of Rural Health provide much value to the 57 million Americans that live in these areas around the country. Many of us represent towns and counties that are largely dependent upon the strength of rural Members of Congress. For these reasons, I ask Members to join me in supporting S. 2278.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7217. This is a bipartisan Medicaid package that moves forward House priorities with responsible offsets. The Energy and Commerce Committee has been working to draft and perfect the legislation before us, and it is encouraging to see this reach the House floor. Not only does this package include a new program to improve access to care, it reauthorizes important and effective programs from which Americans benefit each and every day. Title I of this package is based upon Representative Joe Barton and Representative Kathy Castor's ACE Kids Act. But I do want to assure families that have children with chronic illnesses that this legislation is intended to help them, if they want help, to obtain care coordination services. However, I also want to clarify that this legislation is not intended to limit families or their physicians from selecting their provider of medical services. There is nothing in this legislation that restricts the child's family and their physician from deciding who is the best provider amongst those accepting Medicaid and qualified to offer the medical services. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services has provided assurances that current freedom-of-choice rules will apply to new care coordination activity. As a doctor, I know that many children with chronic illnesses have a strong relationship with their doctors and with other members of their healthcare team. I want to make certain that this new law will help families coordinate their care without affecting the relationship that families have with their current medical care providers or with other providers in their communities from whom they may wish to receive their care. This package also extends funding for the Money Follows the Person Demonstration, an effort that was led by my Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health Vice Chair Brett Guthrie and Representative Debbie Dingell from Michigan. This Medicaid demonstration was established in 2005 for individuals in States across our Nation, including Texas, to receive long-term care services in their homes or other community settings rather than institutions such as nursing homes. The funding for this program has already expired, and a funding extension is already overdue. While it would have been nice to extend this for longer, it was essential to get this extension across the floor. A 3-month extension for the protection for Medicaid recipients of home and community-based services against spousal impoverishment was also included. This effort was championed by Representatives Fred Upton and Debbie Dingell.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, in an effort to be fiscally responsible, this legislation includes several offsets to make this package, on net, a saver. While it is largely a Medicaid package, there is one small but important Medicare provision. This provision excludes complex medical rehabilitative wheelchairs from Medicare's Competitive Acquisition Program. Currently, these chairs are not included, but because the statute did not provide the same clear exemption that power wheelchairs received, there is fear that this unintended omission can lead to them being included. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for the additional time, and I include my full statement in the Record. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7217, a bipartisan Medicaid package that propels forward House priorities with responsible offsets. The Energy and Commerce Committee has been working diligently to draft and perfect the legislation before us, and it is encouraging to see this package reach the House floor. Not only does this package include an exciting new program to improve access to care, it reauthorizes important and effective programs from which Americans benefit each and every day. Title I of this package is based upon Rep. Joe Barton and Rep. Cathy Castor's ACE Kids Act. I want to ensure families who have children with chronic illnesses that this legislation is intended to help them, if they want help, to obtain care coordination services. However, I want to clarify that this legislation is not intended to limit families and their physicians from selecting the provider of medical services. There is nothing in this legislation that restricts the child's family, and their physician, from deciding who is the best provider among those accepting Medicaid and qualified to offer the medical services. CMS has provided assurances that current ``freedom of choice'' rules will apply to new care coordination activity. As a physician, I know that many children with chronic illnesses have a strong relationship with their physician and with other providers. I want to make sure that this new law will help families coordinate their care without affecting the relationship that families have with their current medical care providers or with other providers in their communities from whom they may want to receive such care from.'' This package also extends funding for the Money Follows the Person demonstration, an effort led by my E&C Subcommittee on Health Vice Chair, Brett Guthrie, and Rep. Debbie Dingell. This Medicaid demonstration, which was established in 2005, has enabled eligible individuals in states across our nation, including Texas, to receive long-term care services in their homes or other community settings, rather than in institutions such as nursing homes. The funding for this program has already expired, and a funding extension is already long overdue. While we would have like to extend the funding for longer, it was essential that we get an extension across the floor, even if a small one. A 3-month extension for the Protection for Medicaid Recipients of Home and Community-Based Services Against Spousal Impoverishment program is also included. This effort was championed by Representatives Fred Upton and Debbie Dingell. Our seniors are among our most vulnerable citizens, and it is programs like this one that help to protect them from financial ruin. In an effort to be fiscally responsible, this legislation includes several offsets that make this package on net a saver, which is something that Energy & Commerce insists upon and is critically important. While this is largely a Medicaid Package, there is one small but important Medicare provision. This provision excludes manual Complex Rehabilitative wheelchairs from Medicare's Competitive Acquisition Program. Currently, these chairs are not included but because statute did not provide the same clear exemption that power wheelchairs received, there is fear this unintended omission could lead them to being included. This provision also delays the application of competitive bid pricing with CRT accessories used with a CRT manual chair for 18 months. This mirrors a similar protection last provided by Congress for power wheelchairs in the 21st Century Cures Act. This package contains must-pass provisions that the Energy and Commerce Committee have long fought to pass. The provisions included in this legislation will improve access to care for Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries, which is a laudable and important goal. Not only are these provisions imperative, but they are responsibly offset. I would particularly like to thank Energy and Commerce Committee staffer Caleb Graff, who has spent countless hours negotiating to get this package to the floor. I support this legislation, and I urge my fellow members and our friends in the Senate to do so as well.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 2465) to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize a sickle cell disease prevention and treatment demonstration program and to provide for sickle cell disease research, surveillance, prevention, and treatment.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials in the Record on the bill.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of S. 2465, the Sickle Cell Disease and Other Heritable Blood Disorders Research, Surveillance, Prevention, and Treatment Act of 2018. The policy included in this legislation is something on which Congress has been working towards for years, as improvements for individuals with sickle cell have largely remained stagnant. This text is similar to H.R. 2410, which was introduced by Representative Danny Davis and myself and passed this Chamber unanimously in February. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Representative Davis, in addition to Senator Tim Scott and Senator Cory Booker for working with me on this important policy. Since the passage of the Sickle Cell Anemia Control Act of 1972, the first law to address sickle cell, individuals living with this disease have seen a substantial drop in mortality rates; however, there remains work to be done. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are approximately 100,000 individuals in the United States with sickle cell. Additionally, the disease occurs in 1 in 365 African American births, and in 1 in 13 African American births, the newborn has the sickle cell trait. In the 1990s, the Food and Drug Administration approved hydroxyurea, which stimulates the body to resume production of fetal hemoglobin to treat sickle cell disease. Last year the Food and Drug Administration approved Endari, which was the first new approved treatment in over 20 years. I met with Dr. Janet Woodcock and Dr. Peter Marks to learn more about why the approvals have taken such a long time. This bill would further our commitment to helping those with sickle cell by both continuing the Health Resources and Service Administration's Sickle Cell Disease Prevention and Treatment Demonstration Program and by allowing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct surveillance of the disease and other heritable blood disorders. The CDC's surveillance activity will allow for identification of health disparities, analysis of utilization of existing therapies, and evaluation of genetic, environmental, behavioral, and other risk factors. Having worked with patients with sickle cell disease while at Parkland Hospital, I have seen firsthand the real consequences that this disease can have on people. This bill provides an important step forward in ensuring that we have the resources to better understand this illness and maintain access for services for those affected by the disease. While sickle cell disease has been addressed in bills like the 21st Century Cures Act, among other rare diseases, it has been a long time since this illness was substantially addressed in legislation. The future of sickle cell disease treatment is bright if we pass this legislation and send it to President Trump. Better understanding of the landscape of sickle cell disease across the Nation and investing in new research for new treatments holds much promise for individuals and families who spend every day managing their disease. Think of the children who have been unable to play or had to quit competing, or who have had to struggle through school because they are frequently absent due to the complications or pain from their underlying sickle cell illness. The support this bill provides will enable public-private partnerships to take the reins to fight this disease head-on in communities across the country. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this legislation so we can send it promptly to the President's desk. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter).

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I want to point out, Mr. Speaker, that this bill we are passing today has already passed the Senate. While we did work on a similar bill well over a year ago, this bill has passed the Senate. With our passage today, this bill goes down the street to the White House for signature to become law: the first major sickle cell bill to be enacted in quite some time. It is a banner day for this institution that we are providing this help to citizens, fundamentally, on this very crucial problem that affects so many of our fellow citizens. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to vote in favor of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3029) to revise and extend the Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early Act (PREEMIE Act).

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials in the Record on the bill.