Michael Burgess

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Chair, I yield myself the balance of my time. I would just restate that this amendment takes us in the wrong direction; so I urge my colleagues to vote in opposition to the amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, on October 27, 2015, the House considered H.R. 3819, the Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2015. This act extends the Positive Train Control implementation deadline to December 31, 2018. The House passed H.R. 3819 by voice vote. Had this been a recorded vote, I would have voted no on H.R. 3819.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, today, I note with great concern the divisive involvement of Russian forces in Syria. Due to the failure of this administration to articulate a strategy, Russia has now stepped in to conduct its own strategy, including airstrikes. United States adversaries have picked up on the administration's lack of a well-articulated strategy in Syria. Sources say that Russian forces are launching deliberate airstrikes on Syrian groups backed by the CIA. While conducting these contentious attacks, Russia has violated Turkish airspace. NATO has warned President Putin to halt the airstrikes, but where is President Obama with his warnings? If sources are accurate, the administration has abandoned CIA-backed fighters. President Obama is fearful of taking the necessary steps. But given his failings in the region, is anyone surprised by Russia's actions? This unrest contributes to the growing refugee crisis, putting a strain on our own country and others to manage the influx of refugees fleeing the turmoil that this administration has helped to create. As warned in Proverbs 28:19, ``Where there is no vision, the people perish.''

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Diane Callahan, who is retiring after 15 dedicated years of public service in Highland Village. The city has benefited immeasurably from her unfaltering precision, unfailing commitment, and unwavering devotion to the residents she serves. Ms. Callahan began serving the City of Highland Village in 2000 as an administrative secretary. She performed zealously in this role by compiling meticulous reports and utilizing her comprehensive knowledge of city policy to the benefit of constituents and businesses alike. In 2008, after several years of ardent work and study she earned her Texas Registered Municipal Clerk certification. In 2011, Ms. Callahan was appointed City Secretary of Highland Village. In large part due to her efforts, the City of Highland Village has operated efficiently and reliably, thereby solidifying the quality of life residents of the city have come to enjoy. Ms. Callahan had an extensive breadth of duties as Highland Village's City Secretary. She was responsible for keeping all seven council members informed on city events and developments as well as maintaining city ordinances, coordinating municipal and special elections, and responding in a timely manner to public information requests. Ms. Callahan performed these duties with sterling customer service. In 2014, Ms. Callahan attained the title of Certified Municipal Clerk, an award distributed by the International Institute of Municipal Clerks, in recognition of her vast experience and attendance at an exhaustive number of educational programs. Additionally, Ms. Callahan was honored by the North Texas Municipal Clerks Association as the 2015 Municipal Clerk of the Year. This most recent achievement is a testimony to the professional reputation she has built with her commitment to excellence. As Ms. Callahan retires, she is highly esteemed by her colleagues and the community she has served for 15 years, and she will be greatly missed. It is my privilege to honor such an outstanding citizen and serve the City of Highland Village in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to encourage support in promoting National Manufacturing Day, an annual event that is recognized on Friday, October 2. During a time in which the manufacturing sector is under a number of challenges, Manufacturing Day aims to revitalize the image of manufacturing and to bring awareness of this sector's many contributions to the economy and to the United States' competitiveness. As the chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, I intend to support this day of recognition on October 2 in my district, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same in their districts. Manufacturing Day also serves as an opportunity for manufacturers across the country to highlight their work. Manufacturing is imperative for the future of the United States' economy, and it encourages the growth of American innovation, a skill that must continue to be fostered in this generation and those generations yet to come.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Jim A. Coffey who is retiring after 30+ years of dedicated public service with the University of North Texas Police Department. Promoted to captain in 2007, Coffey has served within the UNT Police Department in multiple capacities. He is recognized as a consummate law enforcement professional, an event management expert, a public speaker regarding crime prevention and esteemed mentor to aspiring police officers. Coffey is an integral part of the university community and widely known by students and professors for his passion and dedication for his job. As an alumnus of UNT, Coffey has come full circle, beginning his tenure as a part-time student and transitioning into a full-time staff member in the police department. As he progressed through the ranks from Communications Officer to Support Service Division Captain, he made a positive impact on his colleagues and will leave a lasting legacy on the UNT campus. His resume boasts numerous awards, honors and positions of leadership, including UNT Police Department Certificate of Merit, UNT Staff Council Chair, Leadership Denton graduate, Officer of the Year in 1988, and Excellence in Public Service Award in 2003. I and my staff appreciate the assistance and support we have received from Captain Coffey over many years of working with UNT. I am honored to represent him in the U.S. House of Representatives, and I gladly join the UNT administration, faculty and his police department colleagues in celebrating Captain Jim Coffey's excellent service and wishing him well in his future endeavors.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Denco Area 9- 1-1 District as they celebrate their 25th Anniversary. Previously known as the Denton County Area Emergency Communication District, Denco was authorized by the Texas Legislature, established in Denton County through local election on August 25, 1987 with the strong support of county and local officials, and commenced operation on August 18, 1990. Denco established the first emergency response telecommunications system with 9-1-1 service for Denton County. This vital organization has provided ground-breaking service for North Texas citizens by delivering efficient and effective response for those caught in emergency situations. They also have provided annual educational programs to 68,000+ school-aged children regarding the proper use of a 9-1-1 call. As a leader in emergency assistance, Denco is to be commended for their numerous accomplishments and enhancements to their infrastructure and service capability over the years. They were the first district in Texas to provide a 24/7 response program. I am honored to join Denco in celebrating this important milestone, a significant achievement in their history as well as an event to be noted and appreciated by the communities they serve. As a worthwhile organization committed to ensuring the safety of Denton County residents, I am proud to represent the Denco Area 9-1-1 District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the E-Warranty Act of 2015 modernizes current warranty requirements by allowing manufacturers to post product warranty information online. I certainly want to thank Senator Fischer and Congressman Mullin for crafting bipartisan legislation opening a path for manufacturers to conduct their business more efficiently in the digital age. This legislation will give consumers better access to warranty information, while retaining flexibility for sellers and reducing costs for manufacturers. The Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously forwarded the companion bill, H.R. 3154, to the House floor in July after consideration by the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade. The subcommittee has been studying how the use of the Internet and other advanced technologies is generating great advances for consumers and creating jobs. Simple things like this will create savings across multiple industries. We will continue to look for ways to roll back outdated regulations that slow down our e-commerce, economy and hurt jobs. This legislation does just that by bringing warranty regulations into the 21st century. I urge my colleagues to vote for S. 1359. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 1359) to allow manufacturers to meet warranty and labeling requirements for consumer products by displaying the terms of warranties on Internet websites, and for other purposes.

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

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Mullin), the author of the House-sponsored legislation.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I would just simply add that I encourage all Members to vote in favor of the legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, early last month the negligence of the Environmental Protection Agency caused the release of over 3 million gallons of wastewater at the Gold King Mine near Silverton, Colorado, causing arguably the biggest environmental disaster of this year. While over the congressional August work period, I was able to visit the spill site and, with elected officials, was able to view it for myself. As you can see, there is still considerable effluent coming out of the mouth of that mine as of 2 weeks ago. Mr. Speaker, I will just ask: Has anyone been fired? Has anyone been held accountable at the Environmental Protection Agency for this disaster? No, they have not. What would have happened had a private company been responsible for a disaster of this order of magnitude? I shudder to think where those people in charge of that company would be today. The EPA did not follow its own procedures. It did not have proper communications equipment at the site of the disaster. They had no satellite phone. They had no radio. As a consequence, they did not notify local officials until a day later of what had occurred at the mine. They have also refused to answer questions about the potential health risks in the polluted water to humans and animals downriver. The long-term effects of the EPA's neglect will be unknown, but I submit they will be significant for years to come.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and Christian ministry of Dr. Joe Bob McGinnis. The residents of Roanoke and surrounding communities were blessed to have had such a wonderful Pastor, neighbor, and friend. Dr. Joe Bob McGinnis was born September 30, 1947 in Brownwood to Dr. Robert W. and Joyce McGinnis He earned his B.S. degree and doctor of divinity degree from Dallas Baptist College and his master of divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. For the past 44 years, Dr. McGinnis preached and brought the Word of God to people all over Texas. He pastored several churches including Northrich Baptist Church in Richardson, First Baptist Church in McAllen, as well as the church that he founded, Rockhaven Church in Roanoke. Joe Bob loved the Lord and his entire congregation. He offered words of comfort and peace to those who were suffering while also preaching The Word boldly and fervently. Dr. McGinnis is survived by his wife, Brenda, daughter, Taylor Hubbard, and son Josh. Dr. McGinnis' efforts to spread the Gospel of Christ will not be forgotten as he leaves behind his beloved church and thriving congregation in Roanoke. Each year he led Trophy Club's National Day of Prayer event and delivered thoughtful and timely devotions recognizing the faith foundation of our country. I personally appreciated his prayers for myself and other public officials. It is an honor to have represented such an esteemed constituent in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the upcoming Sturgis motorcycle rally, which will be celebrating its 75th anniversary this year in Sturgis, South Dakota. Since the rally's inception in 1938, Sturgis has grown from a single race to a weeklong event attended by hundreds of thousands from across the United States and, indeed, around the globe. Each year more and more riders are using their motorcycles to go to the store, go to work, or just go for a ride. This growing popularity is good for our Nation. Motorcyclists ease road congestion, reduce overall fuel consumption, and decrease wear and tear on our Nation's infrastructure. As a cochairman of the Congressional Motorcycle Caucus, I offer my best wishes to the attendees of this year's event. Here is to good weather and safe travels while celebrating the freedom to ride.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I certainly thank him for having this bill on the floor this afternoon. I am pleased the House is considering this bipartisan, bicameral legislation. S. 971 is identical to H.R. 2196, the Medicare Independence At Home Medical Practice Demonstration Improvement Act, which I introduced with Mr. Roskam of Illinois and Mr. Thompson of California. The bill extends the Medicare independence at home medical practice demonstration program for an additional 2 years. S. 971 passed the other Chamber with unanimous consent in April. Let me reiterate that this bill has cleared the Senate, and we have the opportunity to actually advance this bill today and have it become law shortly. Now, more than ever, it is essential that we consider innovative ways to deliver care that is led by providers. Individuals are aging into Medicare at a rate of 10,000 seniors a day, with many of the most elderly being severely disabled or home limited. It just so happens that one of the best ways to both lower costs and improve care is to return to the simple house calls of the past. The independence at home program puts patients and their families first by allowing them to stay at home as long as possible and incentivizing their providers to coordinate the care they provide to their patients. This program targets Medicare beneficiaries with multiple chronic conditions who have the highest healthcare costs, require more services from providers, and have a greater need for coordinated care. Independence at home allows providers to take a more active role in patient care and is proving to decrease unnecessary hospitalizations, unnecessary ER visits, and unnecessary nursing home visits. Independence at home offers incentives to doctors, specialists, and nurse practitioners to better coordinate care for patients while also cutting costs. This is accomplished by requiring that these groups attain a savings of at least 5 percent of which each qualified patient would otherwise have cost the Medicare system. I will say it again: The program has and must deliver savings by law. If these providers fail to achieve the mandatory 5 percent savings, they face removal from the program; however, if they are able to accomplish the 5 percent savings threshold, these groups may keep up to 80 percent of the savings. This program is proving to reduce costs and increase quality by reducing duplicative and unnecessary services, delaying or eliminating the need for nursing home placement, and reducing readmissions to the hospital simply by having a coordinating team of providers. In addition to saving Medicare money, the patient and their family are able to spend quality time at home, instead of the doctor's office or a hospital. In fact, these programs must improve patient and caregiver satisfaction for the program to continue. This demonstration program is generating substantial savings and positive outcomes. While the Congressional Budget Office estimated a zero score on June 12, a week later, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released practice results from year one of the program, showing a savings of $25 million the first performance year. Since CMS has been able to release the data, we are confident that if the Congressional Budget Office were to look at this bill again, they would estimate savings for the program, and we expect higher savings in coming years. Without this extension, there would be a disruption in care for Medicare beneficiaries and lost savings that are being generated for the Medicare Program. A vote in favor of S. 971 is a vote in favor of ensuring improved, better managed care for chronically ill Medicare beneficiaries and smarter spending in the Medicare Program. This bill has gone through regular order. It passed the Ways and Means Committee. I would like to thank Chairman Ryan and Ranking Member Levin for that. I would also like to thank the Ways and Means Committee staff on both sides of the dais, as well as the Energy and Commerce staffs, for discharging and advancing the bill. I want to thank Representative Roskam and Representative Thompson and their staffs. I certainly want to thank J.P. Paluskiewicz and Lauren Fleming from my office who have worked to get this bill to the floor. Mr. Speaker, the program has been a success. Mr. Speaker, the program has no cost. Mr. Speaker, the program is generating savings. If it does not generate savings in the future, it goes away. This program is generating higher satisfaction for Medicare beneficiaries. If it does not generate beneficiary satisfaction in the future, it goes away. The Senate has already passed this bill by unanimous consent. Mr. Speaker, there is no reason for us not to do so as well. I urge everyone to vote in the affirmative.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, Friday afternoon of last week, this House passed what may well be the most important piece of legislation that will be passed in our lifetimes. I am talking about H.R. 6, the 21st Century Cures Act. This is legislation that is to improve and enhance the discovery, development, and delivery of new medicines, new devices, lifesaving efforts that can bend the course of someone who is trapped right now in an intractable disease. We all know what they are: Alzheimer's, diabetes, recalcitrant cancers, heart disease. What if we were to be able to solve one of these riddles? What a boon that would be to the Federal budget because, as we can see, in the outyears of expenses for health care, it is nothing but up. In May of 2012, Glen Campbell and his family came to the Library of Congress. They came and testified before the Senate, and they gave a very moving presentation on why it was important to deal with diseases such as Alzheimer's. In fact, that night, when Glen Campbell gave a concert at the Library of Congress--you can see him here with his daughter Ashley as they were playing on stage--it was a wonderful reminder just what is at stake here. What if we could provide one more time for a daughter to smile at her father because we have found, finally, the cure for this intractable disease? It is time to get the Senate to move and get this done.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, may I ask of the gentleman from Massachusetts if he has additional speakers?

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to the time remaining?

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute. This past weekend, in an op-ed piece that was published online, Mr. James Pinkerton wrote: As Abraham Lincoln said a century and a half ago, the Federal Government should only be doing things that people can't do for themselves. Medical cures are a great example of something people can't do for themselves at home. That is what we are about this afternoon, providing the rule to allow for the consideration for the cure of the 21st century. It is an important rule, and the underlying bill is important. I urge all Members to support both the rule and the underlying bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

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

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Mr. Speaker, this is a momentous bill that will be before us today. This is analogous to the time back in the 1970s when the National Cancer Institute was authorized by Congress in the Nixon administration. This is an opportunity to take that leap forward and perhaps deliver some of those cures that so many of our constituents have waited for for so long. Mr. Speaker, we all value institutions and institutional knowledge and institutional learning, but, Mr. Speaker, we also acknowledge that there are times when we have got to be disruptive. There are times that you have to forget the past and move into the future, and this is one of those times. We are all familiar with the fact that, yeah, the neighborhood bookstore may be gone, but we can order stuff online from Amazon. Disruptive technology is as important in medicine as it is anywhere else. This bill is paid for. This bill is offset. It sunsets in 5 years' time. But, as I was reminded by my colleague, the gentleman from Maryland, Dr. Andy Harris, a few days ago, while this bill is offset, while we are paying as we go for the increases for the National Institutes of Health and the FDA, what if--what if--one of those moonshots succeeds? In May of 2012, Glen Campbell came and played a concert at the Library of Congress. This is him and his daughter Ashley. They were on the stage. Glen Campbell went public with the knowledge that he has Alzheimer's disease. He struggled at several points during that concert. It was, in fact, amazing to watch him play his instrument. At times he couldn't remember the words to the song, and Ashley would help him. This is a shot where they did ``Dueling Banjos''--very, very accomplished and skilled instrumental work that they both did on their instruments that they were playing. What if? What if we were to deliver that moonshot and provide that cure that would have prevented Glen Campbell from falling into the recesses of Alzheimer's illness? What if that cure were within our grasp? What is worse is what if that cure is on a shelf or in a test tube somewhere and we just haven't quite gotten around to its evaluation? This is important stuff. Glen Campbell narrated the soundtrack of my life as I was growing up, from Delight, Arkansas, a gentleman of our generation who was so important to so many of us as we were growing up, and he shared with us there on the stage his story and his daughter's story. You can see his daughter Ashley looking at her dad. If we could preserve her ability to smile at her dad for a little longer, wouldn't that be worth some of the fighting that we do here? This bill is offset. This bill is paid for. Mr. Speaker, today's rule provides for consideration of this critical bill, a bill that will transform and advance the discovery, development, and delivery of treatments and cures. I applaud all Members who have worked on this thoughtful piece of legislation, along with Energy and Commerce staff on both sides of the aisle. All members of the Committee on Energy and Commerce were asked to bring their ideas to the table, and we worked to include as many as we possibly could. I want to express my sincere thanks to all the great attorneys at the Legislative Counsel who worked around the clock to deliver us the legislative language. I want to thank Chairman Upton, Representative DeGette, as well as Chairman Pitts and Ranking Members Pallone and Green for their leadership throughout. I want to thank all of the staff who have worked so hard over the past year; really, literally, all hands were on deck. There is not one staffer of the Subcommittee on Health of the Committee on Energy and Commerce that does not have their fingerprints all over this bill. I certainly want to thank J.P. Paluskiewicz, Danielle Steele, and Lauren Fleming from my office, who have put in that additional effort to help deliver this product. Mr. Speaker, this is an important piece of legislation in front of us today. We do, unfortunately, have a lot of distractions, but let us not be distracted from providing the tools for the next generation of doctors, a generation that will have more ability to alleviate human suffering than any generation of doctors has ever known because of our actions here on the floor of the House today.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute. I would point out that once again reauthorization of the National Institutes of Health occurred in this Congress in the waning days of the 109th Congress in December of 2006. Mr. Barton reauthorized the NIH at a $31 million base to increase by 5 percent per year. We were told at the time that that was not enough and, with biomedical inflation at 8.8 percent a year, that it was, in fact, a cut. Mr. Speaker, in fact, what happened was then, of course, the Democrats took control of the House and the Senate the following year, and they never appropriated the NIH to that 5 percent figure. Now, this is not about Republicans and Democrats. This is about finding cures for the 21st century. The gentlewoman is correct in that we do direct some of the research dollars within the NIH. You will recall, when the stimulus bill passed in 2009, $10 billion went into the NIH right then to be spent that year. We ended up filling up and filing paperwork from leftover projects, but we got very few deliverables out of that. This directs that research into high-risk, high-reward areas. We need the deliverables from the NIH. I reserve the balance of my time.