Michael Burgess

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes. Madam Speaker, I want to address the issue of the Prevention and Public Health Fund. The bill before us does redirect $8.9 billion for the Prevention and Public Health Fund to support critically important public health programs that expand access to care and improve health outcomes. The Prevention Fund was established in the Affordable Care Act as mandatory funding for prevention and public health programs to improve health and help restrain the rate of growth in private and public sector healthcare costs. According to statute, billions of dollars in advanced appropriations are to be used for the broad purpose of supporting programs authorized by the Public Health Service Act for prevention, wellness, and public health activities. However, prevention, wellness, and public health activities are allowable, but no Prevention Fund-specific or generally applicable definitions of these terms are to be found in the Public Health Service Act, the Affordable Care Act, or anywhere else in Federal law. The Affordable Care Act was not accompanied by committee reports in either Chamber. The Department of Health and Human Services has not published regulations, guidance, or other information to clarify the Department's views about the types of activities that are within the scope of the Prevention Fund. Annual mandatory appropriations, the Prevention Fund, continue in perpetuity. If Congress does not explicitly allocate the funding, then the Secretary of HHS has the authority to spend these dollars without congressional oversight. This bill takes discretion over some of the--some, not all--some of the Prevention Fund dollars. It takes it away from the executive branch and redirects these dollars to proven public health programs that enjoy broad bipartisan support in Congress like community health centers, a program that employs 190,000 people and served over 24 million patients in 2015. This has been supported in the past in other legislation, most recently in the Cures initiative, where Democrats and Republicans supported the redirecting of funding for the Prevention Fund for the specific purpose of preserving public health. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I do want to address one of the things that has come up in the discussion, and that is the issue of the language in the underlying bill that supports the citizens, the American citizens in Puerto Rico. There was a problem in Puerto Rico with their Medicare system, the way people were not automatically enrolled as they were in every other State and territory. There was a problem under the Affordable Care Act where they faced a Medicaid funding cliff. These problems existed prior to the two hurricanes that hit the island, and a request was made to Chairman Walden and me, on behalf of the people of Puerto Rico, to fix these problems prior to the storms coming ashore, and that is what we fixed in the language of this bill. I might remind this body that, when Hurricane Katrina came ashore around Labor Day of 2005, a similar problem was encountered. Ultimately, the State's share of that FMAP payment was made. It was made with funds from the Deficit Reduction Act, which were allocated on September 30, 2006, over a year later. The fact is that there are going to be funds available to Puerto Rico to help offset their part, their match of their State's share of the Federal match, but it will likely come through the money that is appropriated for disaster relief. But we are fixing their underlying problem that existed before the hurricanes. If we don't fix it, it continues to be a problem year in and year out, and the American citizens of Puerto Rico are poorly served by that. So this body is taking that up today, and I am proud of the fact that our subcommittee and our full committee recognize that and provided that relief. Madam Speaker, I want to enter into the Record a letter from Texas Health Resources, Mr. Barclay Berdan. I want to quote from this letter: ``We . . . appreciate your leadership on delaying cuts to Medicaid DSH, which took effect on October 1, 2017.'' ``Thankfully, H.R. 3922 would eliminate the scheduled Medicaid DSH reductions in fiscal years 2018 and 2019, thus allowing a critical source of funding to continue for safety net hospitals.'' Texas Health Resources, November 1, 2017. Hon. Michael Burgess, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Representative Burgess: As one of the nation's largest faith-based, nonprofit health care systems, Texas Health Resources (Texas Health) provides more than 350 points of access throughout North Texas, including 29 hospitals (acute- care, short-stay, behavioral health, rehabilitation and transitional care) and more than 100 outpatient facilities, satellite emergency rooms, surgery centers, behavioral health facilities, fitness centers and imaging centers. The system also includes a large physician group, home health, preventive and well-being services as well as more than 250 clinics and physician offices to provide the full continuum of care for all stages of life. I am writing to thank you for your leadership on the Championing Healthy Kids Act of 2017 (H.R. 3922) to extend funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). We strongly support a five-year extension of CHIP funding, along with the elimination of reductions in fiscal years (FY) 2018 and 2019 to the Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments. Texas Health has supported CHIP since its inception, and the program currently covers 8.9 million children with family incomes above Medicaid eligibility limits who lack access to affordable private coverage. The nation's uninsured rate for children is a record low of 5 percent due in part to Medicaid and CHIP coverage. While CHIP is authorized by Congress to operate until October 1, 2019, legislative action is needed to continue funding beyond FY 2017. Failure to extend CHIP funding could result in coverage losses for millions of children and increased financial pressure for states that may lead to reductions in eligibility and benefits This legislation safeguards the program by providing for a five- year extension of funding. We also certainly appreciate your leadership on delaying cuts to Medicaid DSH, which took effect on October 1, 2017. As you know, Medicaid DSH payments support Texas Health's hospitals in serving north Texas' most vulnerable individuals--the poor, the elderly, and the disabled. Congress reduced Medicaid DSH payments in the Affordable Care Act, reasoning that hospitals would care for fewer uninsured patients as health coverage expanded. However, the projected increase in coverage has not been fully realized, and Congress subsequently delayed the start of the cuts that were scheduled to begin in FY 2014. As a result, Texas hospitals will sustain a $148 million cut in vital payments in federal fiscal year 2018. The cumulative loss for Texas hospitals for 2018 through 2024 is $3.2 billion. Thankfully, H.R. 3922 would eliminate the scheduled Medicaid DSH reductions in Fiscal Years 2018 and 2019, thus allowing a critical source of funding to continue for safety net hospitals. Thank you for your steadfast leadership on addressing these important programs by supporting H.R. 3922. As Congress moves forward on these important issues, we appreciate your continued willingness to work with us to extend funding for CHIP, eliminate reductions to Medicaid DSH payments, and safeguard programs critical to hospitals. If we can provide you or your staff with additional information, please do not hesitate to contact. Sincerely, Barclay Berdan, FACHE, Chief Executive Officer, Texas Health Resources.

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I also have a letter from the Children's Hospital Association, which renews the call for bipartisan CHIP extension: ``Children's hospitals thank Congress for its long-term bipartisan commitment to CHIP and for the children it serves. We look forward to working with lawmakers to maintain a strong CHIP program and strengthen healthcare for children in the future.'' Children's Hospitals Renew Call for Bipartisan CHIP Extension Children's hospitals urge Congress to protect children and families by passing a bipartisan five-year extension of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) as soon as possible. We are pleased that members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee have developed bipartisan CHIP policies that reflect the needs of children, including a five-year extension of the program that provides for robust CHIP funding, and continue important beneficiary protections such as the Maintenance of Effort provision, funding for the Pediatric Quality Measures Program, express lane eligibility, and outreach and enrollment grants. These policies are also included in the bipartisan Senate proposal on CHIP, and we thank the committees of jurisdiction in both chambers for including these crucial policies. If CHIP funding is not extended soon, CHIP-enrolled children may become underinsured or uninsured altogether. CHIP is an important bipartisan health coverage program for over 6 million low-income children. CHIP builds off of a strong Medicaid program by providing age-appropriate and affordable coverage for children who fall above Medicaid eligibility levels, but lack access to other health coverage options. Concerning reports indicate that states are taking steps to limit programs in order to address the looming funding shortfall, despite receiving federal redistribution funds. We urge Congress to act now and avoid potentially disastrous consequences caused by further delay by enacting a strong, bipartisan five-year extension of CHIP. Children's hospitals thank Congress for its long-term bipartisan commitment to CHIP and the children it serves. We look forward to working with lawmakers to maintain a strong CHIP program and strengthen health care for children into the future.

Mr. BURGESS. Finally, Madam Speaker, I will tell you I am perplexed. I, frankly, do not understand why there is reticence to providing an offset for funding of children's health insurance by income relating to part B premiums for people who earn over $500,000 a year, seniors who earn over $500,000 a year, or a couple who earns over $875,000 a year. This was language that was included in President Obama's budget, so don't tell me it is not bipartisan, because it was bipartisan. Now, Madam Speaker, today's rule provides for the consideration of an important piece of legislation to maintain the important funding streams for millions of underprivileged children depending on the program. I want to thank Chairman Walden for his efforts to continually work with the minority on the Energy and Commerce Committee, repeatedly providing the requested extensions by the ranking member in order to continue discussions on the legislation. The package reflects hours of work to create legislation that will benefit millions of America's children so that they can lead healthier lives. I urge my colleagues to support today's rule and the underlying legislation, the CHAMPIONING HEALTHY KIDS Act

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of S. 920, the National Clinical Care Commission Act, sponsored by Senator Shaheen. This legislation has been around for a while. It has been championed in the House by our good friend and fellow Texan, Representative Pete Olson, as H.R. 309. This bill has strong bipartisan support. It passed this House unanimously earlier this year. Diabetes and other endocrine disorders have been a great cost burden on Medicare and, in fact, our Nation's healthcare system in general. Thirty million Americans have diabetes, 84 million Americans have prediabetes, and three out of four Americans on Medicare have diabetes or prediabetes. And $1 out of every $3 Medicare spends is spent on diabetes. This bill will establish a clinical care commission to evaluate and recommend solutions for better coordination and use of Federal programs aimed at improving care for people with diabetes and other related endocrine disorders. This commission will be tasked with identifying gaps where new approaches are needed, eliminating duplication across Federal agencies, and leveraging the Federal resources and tools available to enhance the quality of patient care. I am confident their work will improve the lives of tens of millions of Americans living with diabetes and with other endocrine disorders while beginning the process of reducing the staggering impact of these diseases. Mr. Speaker, I certainly want to thank and commend our colleague, Representative Pete Olson, for spearheading this important initiative. I want to thank him for bringing it to the floor of the House as many times as he has. This has been a lengthy process, but today, with the passage of this bill, we are voting on final passage, and this bill will be sent to the President's desk for signature. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Olson's long and arduous journey now will be completed with the passage of this bill, and we should all look forward to that.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden), chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 652) to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize a program for early detection, diagnosis, and treatment regarding deaf and hard-of-hearing newborns, infants, and young children.

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

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I also want to be in strong support of S. 652, the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2017, sponsored by Senator Portman from Ohio. This legislation has been championed in the House by my friend, the vice chair of the Health Subcommittee, Representative Brett Guthrie, as H.R. 1539. The bill does have strong bipartisan support and, in fact, passed this House unanimously in the last Congress. Federal support for early hearing detection and intervention programs across the country help identify children with hearing loss and directs them to early intervention services. This program is a model of how government at different levels and public and private agencies can and should work together. In addition to improving upon current programs, this legislation improves the recruitment, retention, education, and training of qualified personnel and health providers to identify and assist young children with hearing loss. This bill emphasizes the importance of the Health Resources and Services Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health partnering together to improve outcomes and strengthen the early hearing detection intervention program. I commend Representative Guthrie for spearheading this initiative on the House side. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie), the author of the bill and the vice chairman of the Health Subcommittee.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis).

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to vote in favor of this important legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 533 provides for the consideration of two bills which were reported by the House Ways and Means Committee. For the first bill, H.R. 2792, the Control Unlawful Fugitive Felons Act of 2017, the rule provides for 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on Ways and Means. The rule waives all points of order and makes in order no further amendments to the legislation. However, the minority is afforded the customary motion to recommit. For H.R. 2824, the Increasing Opportunity and Success for Children and Parents through Evidence-Based Home Visiting Act, the rule provides for 1 hour of debate equally divided between the chair and ranking member of the Committee on Ways and Means. The Rules Committee made in order four amendments to H.R. 2824, one Republican amendment, two Democratic amendments, and one bipartisan amendment. Finally, the rule provides for the customary motion to recommit with or without instructions. H.R. 2792, the Control Unlawful Fugitive Felons Act of 2017, amends the Social Security Act to give the Social Security Administration the necessary tools to prevent Federal benefits and payments from being made to persons who are actually on the run from the law. Many people might hear this and think: Why would the government ever continue to pay someone who is actively fleeing from law enforcement? It is a legitimate question, and it has an unfortunate answer. In 1996, President Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act into law. One major provision of this reform bill was a restriction on the ability of fugitive felons and probation and parole violators from receiving Social Security benefits. Similar provisions have been included in other Federal entitlement programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. This policy was expanded in 2004, with the passage of the Social Security Protection Act. However, subsequent to the passage of these commonsense reforms, several judges in cases from the mid-2000s ruled that the Social Security Administration's interpretation of these provisions was too broad and limited the Social Security Administration's ability to curtail payments to three narrow categories of fugitives, namely: escape, flight to avoid prosecution or confinement, and flight escape. The bill before the House today, H.R. 2792, would restore Congress' original intent to the reforms passed under both Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush. Specifically, H.R. 2792 would prohibit an individual who is the subject of an outstanding arrest warrant for a felony or parole violation from receiving monthly Social Security income payments. This applies only to felony charges or a crime carrying a minimum term of 1 year or more in prison. This legislation would not punish individuals convicted of a misdemeanor, such as outstanding parking tickets. In fact, some people have falsely claimed that. Individuals who have potentially committed a felony or a parole violation should not be able to use taxpayer dollars to evade capture. Providing the Social Security Administration with the tools in H.R. 2792 is a commonsense way to show that the Federal Government is sincere in its commitment to being a good steward of Federal taxpayer dollars. The Social Security benefits can be restored once the individual resolves the outstanding issues related to his or her warrant or parole violation. I want to thank the gentlewoman from South Dakota, Kristi Noem, for her work on this legislation, and I urge Members of the House to support this worthy bill. The second bill in today's rule, H.R. 2824, the Increasing Opportunity Through Evidence-Based Home Visiting Act, extends funding for the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program, which is more commonly referred to as MIECHV. The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program is an important program that provides low-income families with opportunities to receive home-visiting services to help support a child's first years. These services range from prenatal care to early childhood services and allow for children to grow up in healthy homes. As not only a physician but a physician who specialized in obstetrics and gynecology, I did spend 25 years working with pregnant women and families to help ensure that all mothers could deliver and raise healthy children. As an OB/GYN, I know the best way to ensure that a child succeeds is to invest in long-term services and to ensure that the child receives access to appropriate care. Because of the Nurse-Family Partnership's work, 90 percent of all babies who are supported by the organization are born full term, 95 percent of those babies receive all their immunizations by 24 months, and nearly 89 percent of those mothers breastfeed their newborns. These are important milestones for newborn children that can have lasting impacts on their health for the rest of their lives, and it is important that we support initiatives that support vital, lifesaving programs like these. Furthermore, the program succeeds by not only supporting the health and well-being of children, but by supporting pregnant women and mothers as well. In my home State of Texas, the reported incidence of maternal mortality has increased in recent years, in part, as the State has collected more comprehensive data on causes of death up to a year after childbirth. While no amount of maternal mortality is ever acceptable, the new data has shown us that the causes for maternal mortality in the State have shifted away from those traditional acute cases that I was familiar with during my residency back in the 1970s. There were illnesses such as pregnancy-induced hypertension, hemorrhage, and infection during pregnancy. Now it is different. We have cardiac disease, suicide, and opioid overdose, which oftentimes occurs in the months after childbirth. By supporting children in their first years, MIECHV can not only help children live healthy lives, but help mothers live healthy lives as well, so that they can continue to be there for their children. The MIECHV Program and organizations like the Nurse-Family Partnership succeed because they identify families in need that do not have readily available care and work to provide services in home settings. Families cannot raise healthy children without access to care. When families cannot find providers in their area, MIECHV grant recipients are there to provide that support. H.R. 2824 builds upon the successes of the MIECHV Program by tailoring the program to ensure that it can continue to help families that truly need the help. For example, H.R. 2824 requires for States receiving MIECHV grants to conduct statewide needs assessments by 2020, in order to reaffirm which populations and communities should receive these services. The last time such an assessment was required was in 2010. As the needs of populations of States have evolved over these past 10 years, so should the program as well. It is important to ensure that tax dollars continue to be invested efficiently, and this bill ensures that MIECHV can continue to do so. Additionally, H.R. 2824 provides additional opportunities for States to promote quality and enhanced outcomes. The bill updates the program by allowing for States to promote models that will have greater impact on multiple sites and locations, thus expanding the reach of grants and providing States with the opportunity to reimburse grant recipients based on the quality and outcomes associated with their programs. I certainly want to thank members of the Ways and Means Committee for the work they have put into this bill. It is a smart bill that continues a Federal program for low-income families that actually has evidence of its effectiveness and, furthermore, links future funding to the assurance of greater cost-effectiveness. This program serves as a model for Federal programs to help low- income families and children. I want to thank Chairman Smith and Chairman Brady for their efforts on this bill. For these reasons, I encourage everyone in this body to support this rule and the underlying bill today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 533 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes. Mr. Speaker, I want to talk again just for a minute about the second bill in today's rule, H.R. 2824, the Increasing Opportunity and Success for Children and Parents through Evidence-Based Home Visiting Act, that does extend funding for the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program. I just wanted to talk for a minute about some of the results that we have seen in these program grants and, at this point, reference my home State of Texas to see how they have performed. The Nurse-Family Partnership is a community-based home services group that supports pregnant women and new mothers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. They have used grants from this program to support women through both the promotion of preventive and prenatal services for pregnant women, like connecting women to physicians, helping them get medications, and through the utilization of risk reduction services such as smoking cessation. Again, I tell you this to reiterate that these are good programs. This is a good program that we are reauthorizing today and it is worthy of our attention and support. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, today's rule provides for consideration of two important pieces of legislation to restore sanity to the administration of the Social Security program and to provide critical tools for disadvantaged homes in helping families raise their children with the best possible practices. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Brady, Mrs. Noem, and Mr. Smith for the work on each of their respective pieces of legislation, and I urge Members of this body to support both bills and the rule which will provide for their consideration.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 4 of rule XVI, I move that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 3 p.m. tomorrow.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the City of Denton, Texas as they dedicate a 9/11 Firefighters Memorial Bell Tower featuring an I-beam from the World Trade Center and Denton's original bronze fire bell. The Memorial was dedicated on the 16th anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York City, Washington, D.C., and rural Pennsylvania. An I-beam from the World Trade Center stands at the bottom of the 30-foot bell tower structure, which protects the I-beam below and frames the entrance to the Denton Firefighters Museum and Central Fire Station. The monument provides a visual representation of New York's landmark Twin Towers and displays the number 343 in remembrance of the firefighters who were killed at Ground Zero, as well as the words courage, dedication, and service, in honor of all firefighters. The bell tower structure also features Denton's original bronze fire bell from City Hall West, which hangs at the top of the monument. The bell once sounded three times a day and was used to alert residents of fires. Cast originally in 1884, the bell was recently refurbished and made fully operational to make the same sounds as heard in historic Denton. The dedication of the monument occurred as part of a special memorial event featuring retired New York City firefighter Bill Spade, who was at Ground Zero on September 11, 2001. Mr. Spade is the only survivor of the twelve responding firefighters on FDNY Rescue 5, a unit of the Special Operations Command. He shared his experiences from that unforgettable day, and put into perspective the debt of gratitude each of us owes to first responders that serve their communities each day. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the City of Denton as they honor the firefighters lost while responding to the attacks on our country in 2001, as well as the men and women currently serving Denton under the direction of Chief Paulsgrove and other leaders like him across Denton County. This recognition is well- deserved, and I am honored to represent these professionals and their families in the 26th District of Texas.