Larry Bucshon

Mr. BUCSHON

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I remind my colleagues that the Democrats control the White House and the Senate. I rise today to discuss once again the Biden administration's foolish rush-to-green agenda over U.S. energy dominance. I support an all-of- the-above energy strategy. Actually, our allies are requesting U.S. LNG. I was just in Japan and Europe, so my colleague's previous statement otherwise is false. The decision to freeze the approval process for new plants to export liquefied natural gas will stifle the U.S. economy, signal weakness to our key allies, embolden our adversaries, and likely increase worldwide CO2 emissions. This ban sends a clear message that the Biden administration would rather appease radical environmental groups than unleash American energy. This is about election-year politics, not pragmatism. I join my colleagues today in calling for the House to pass H.R. 7176, the Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act of 2024, reversing the Biden administration's de facto ban. The bill is also paramount to global energy security, including, as I previously mentioned, the Asia-Pacific and European areas of the world. Studies show also that LNG exports could add upward of $73 billion to the U.S. economy. Mr. Speaker, to ensure American energy leadership and security, Congress must pass H.R. 7176.

Mr. BUCSHON

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I am rising today to advocate for America's patients and their physicians. Over the past 3 years, doctors across the Nation have more than stepped up to the challenges that they have encountered, COVID, often risking their own health and safety to protect our communities. That not only includes the physicians; that includes the nurses, the technicians, and everyone in America's hospitals. However, when Congress left town in December, we once again let down America's doctors by allowing a 3.37 percent Medicare payment cut to hit January 1. As a cardiothoracic surgeon for 15 years, I have seen firsthand the consequences of cuts like these. What are the consequences? Access to quality healthcare for rural America that I represent, underserved urban America, the American people. The payment cut to physicians will impede patients' access to care while increasing the gap between physician expenses and reimbursement rates. I want to associate myself with Dr. Murphy's comments. Costs are dramatically going up, and, if that continues, more and more of America's physicians will not take Medicare. I didn't say Medicaid. I said Medicare. Given the existing shortage of physicians in the United States, the combination of declining reimbursement and rapidly rising costs threatens to drive more doctors out of the profession, particularly, as I mentioned, in rural and underserved urban America. It has led to a lot of consolidation, as Dr. Murphy mentioned-- physicians being consolidated into a large medical practice or employed by large hospital systems. Fortunately, we have a window of opportunity to right this wrong and support the thousands of hardworking men and women serving millions of Medicare beneficiaries. We must stop the bleeding and eliminate the full 3.37 cut by January 19. Congress must also implement a permanent solution that will halt the downward spiral of physician reimbursement and provide much-needed and deserved stability for America's doctors. Again, if we want access for America's seniors to the Medicare program, we have to act. We have to act soon. Again, it is not just physicians out there not taking Medicaid. They are not taking Medicare. I have elderly in-laws and an elderly mother. They have experienced this. In fact, we had a hearing in the Committee on Energy and Commerce a couple of weeks ago. There was an economist there. He couched it in a way that was positive. He said, Well, 60 percent of America's seniors are not having trouble finding a primary care physician. When it came around time for my questioning, I said, Well, I want to rephrase that. Forty percent of America's seniors are struggling to find a primary care doctor. That is a big number, folks. Forty percent of America's seniors are struggling. Their physician retires. Their physician moves. Trying to find a new primary care doctor is a big challenge. We cannot let this continue--again, urban America and underserved areas, rural America that I represent. In 2023, for a more permanent solution, I introduced the bipartisan Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act, which would tie the annual physician fee schedule updates to inflationary measurements, the Medicare Economic Index, or MEI. That is both fair and efficient. It has been promoted. Almost every medical society in America thinks this is a good idea. I don't have the graph in front of me but let me just tell you what it shows. Outpatient and inpatient hospital care gets an update based on inflation every year. Providers do not. As Dr. Murphy outlined, it has been at least a 20 percent cut just based on that in the most recent history, and even more if you factor in the massive inflation-- which thankfully is down--that we had last year and the year before. The current path toward further consolidation, physician burnout, closure of medical practices must be corrected. If we don't correct this, the problems I outlined are going to continue. I urge congressional leadership to address this critical issue, and I will continue to advance patient-centered solutions that empower patients and support innovation to ensure that all Americans have access to quality, affordable healthcare.

Mr. BUCSHON

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, after 26 plus years of service with Toyota Motor North America, Leah Curly, plant president, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana, Inc. (known to us in the Hoosier state as ``TMMI Princeton''), is retiring. In her role as president, TMMI, Leah oversaw all production and administrative functions related to the assembly of the Toyota Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, and Sienna. In 2023, Leah and her team led the transformation for TMMI to assemble two all-new vehicles, the Toyota Grand Highlander and TMMI's first Lexus vehicle, the Lexus TX. During her career, Leah has served in many leadership positions at TMMI and served as president, Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia from 2017 through 2019. In 2013, Leah received the Manufacturing Institute Step Ahead award, recognizing female leadership in manufacturing, twice named as one of the 100 leading women in NA Automotive by Automotive News. In 2022, she was inducted into the Women of Manufacturing Hall of Fame and was named one of the top 250 most influential business leaders in Indiana by IBJ media. Leah studied Industrial Electronics at the University of Evansville and Ivy Tech Community College in Evansville, Ind. She holds a TPC Certification in Industrial Electronics. She has served on the National Board of Directors of the Manufacturing Institute and is a member of the Education Alliance, a private, non-profit organization that advocates for public school student achievement. Leah Curry's outstanding leadership, personal initiative, and devotion to the greater community of Princeton, Indiana, reflect great credit upon herself, the Hoosier State, and the United States of America.

Mr. BUCSHON

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5378, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act. This bill, which was a product of thorough bipartisan work across three committees, is one of the strongest healthcare bills I can remember voting on since coming to Congress in 2011. Honestly, it really is. I want to say that again: It is one of the strongest healthcare bills I can remember voting on since coming to Congress. I thank Chair Rodgers, Ranking Member Pallone, and the members of the other two committees for their hard work on getting this bill to the floor. At nearly $13,000 per person, or about 18 percent of the GDP, U.S. national health expenditures far exceed other high-income countries, and they continue to rise at unsustainable rates. Congress must enact serious reforms that spur competition and show taxpayers where all of these healthcare dollars are going. They are certainly not always going to them. The problem is not limited to one part of our healthcare system, and so the solution must also reach across the entire system. This legislation seeks to increase transparency and lower costs related to hospital care, outpatient services, and prescription drugs, among other things. It also reauthorizes community health centers and supports disproportionate share hospitals. Finally, we cannot get control of our national debt and deficit unless we first have transparency in our healthcare system, one of the largest expenditures that the Federal Government has. This bill is a tremendous step in that direction. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support this legislation, and I urge all my colleagues to support it.

Mr. BUCSHON

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in favor of H.R. 4531, the Support for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act. I was exceedingly proud to work on the SUPPORT Act when it was first passed in 2018 in response to the opioid crisis. The legislation brought about many positive changes, but substance abuse and addiction continue to threaten individuals and communities in every congressional district across the country and across all socioeconomic classes. With over 100,000 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. last year alone, we must continue working to increase access to, and availability of, lifesaving treatments and recovery services. I am particularly happy to be reauthorizing the CORC, or Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers program, which will directly affect my home State of Indiana. Regrettably, per capita rates of drug overdose deaths in the Hoosier State are higher than the national average. The CORC program helps coordinate the targeted resources available for those who need help overcoming opioid use disorder. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this critical piece of legislation.

Mr. BUCSHON

Mr. BUCSHON. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4468, the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales Act. I support EVs, but this administration continues to push a rush-to-green agenda that prioritizes government mandates over the American people. The American people have spoken through their shopping habits. EVs sit unsold on lots nearly twice as long as internal combustion engine vehicles due to a lack of charging infrastructure and high costs. On average, EVs cost $16,000 more than internal combustion engine vehicles. We all want to reduce emissions, but EVs are not the solution that the administration says they are. The amount of raw materials in one long-range battery EV could instead be used to make 90 hybrid electric vehicles. The overall carbon reduction of those 90 hybrids over their lifetimes is 37 times as much as a single battery EV. Where are the raw materials developed? Mostly in China. Should we be dependent on them? Preserving consumer choice is critical to maintaining competition in the automotive markets and ensuring access to reliable and affordable cars for all Americans. You cannot force Americans to buy cars they do not want any more than you can force energy transitions that can't be accomplished.

Mr. BUCSHON

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to raise further awareness of an issue of great importance to this legislative body and to many of our constituents: the problem of drug shortages, specifically cancer drug shortages. As a physician, I know this has been a problem for decades, and there isn't one solution to the problem. Let me tell you some personal stories I have heard recently. I heard this month from a family in my district with a 5-year-old son battling pre-B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. For 2\1/2\ years now, the family has been facing heartbreaking challenges, which have been made significantly worse by shortages of generic medications. First, their son was supposed to receive cytarabine, also known as ARA-C. This is a generic chemotherapy medication the family should have been able to inject into the little boy's thigh at home, during a particularly fragile stage of their son's treatment. Instead, the family was informed that shortages would prevent them from obtaining that form of medication, and they would need to deliver all chemotherapy through a central port intravenous line. Repeated access to the central port line led to an infection and ultimately a 3-week hospital stay hundreds of miles from their home in Evansville, Indiana. On top of that, the family has experienced shortages of dexamethasone, a generic corticosteroid that supports the immune system and helps the body to endure heavier rounds of chemo and blood thinners needed because of his port, and finally, even antibiotics needed when his suppressed immune system needed help. This wasn't the first story I had heard of the troubling news about drug shortages. Earlier this summer an oncologist in my district brought to my attention the fact that his practice was short on chemotherapy drugs. Subsequently, we found out this was a nationwide issue. In fact, they were so short that they were forced to, essentially, ration the medication needed by his patients with cancer. I was really shocked that in our country we would have to potentially ration chemotherapeutic agents due to a shortage. We subsequently found out it was due to a manufacturing issue overseas. As a physician myself, I cannot imagine being put in a position where I might have to choose which of my patients on this day might receive lifesaving treatments. As the Energy and Commerce Committee--of which I am a member--and other committees are considering legislation on drug shortages, let's think critically about how to enact meaningful reforms that will address the roots of these problems and allow for long-term change to mitigate chronic drug shortages. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to remember that real people are affected by these shortages every day. Our constituents and all Americans are affected by this problem. Mr. Speaker, let's pass meaningful legislation to help resolve these chronic drug shortages.

Mr. BUCSHON

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 752) to require SelectUSA to coordinate with State-level economic development organizations to increase foreign direct investment in semiconductor-related manufacturing and production, as amended.

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

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 752, the Securing Semiconductor Supply Chains Act of 2023, sponsored by Ms. Eshoo of California and Mr. Pence of Indiana. I am pleased that we can look at ways to attract investment into our country as opposed to shifting more demands onto our taxpayers. This legislation requires SelectUSA to find ways that we can bolster foreign direct investment in U.S. semiconductor supply chains. Semiconductor technology powers much of our modern economy, including payment cards, automobiles, cell phones, and the list goes on. While we have led in chip design over the years, we have seen chip manufacturing and its surrounding supply chains shift overseas. Among the many lessons we learned from COVID-19 and the pandemic is that the United States must lead in both the design and production of semiconductor chips to ensure we do not fall behind China. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence), one of the primary sponsors of the bill.

Mr. BUCSHON. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BUCSHON. Madam Speaker, I also urge support for H.R. 752, the Securing Semiconductor Supply Chains Act of 2023, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BUCSHON

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2544) to improve the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, and for other purposes.

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

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 2544, the Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act, introduced in partnership with Representative Kelly of Illinois. This critical legislation would improve the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network by allowing the Health Resources and Services Administration to make the OPTN contracting process competitive. The same entity has operated the OPTN contract since it was established nearly 40 years ago. Recent reports and bipartisan congressional investigations have shed light on logistical and technological flaws within the OPTN that may have jeopardized patient safety and may have led to lifesaving organs not being transplanted. We must pass H.R. 2544 to increase competition and make sure the best organization is selected to operate the OPTN. This will hopefully lead to more organs being transplanted and saving lives. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2544 allows HRSA to improve the OPTN program. It clarifies that HRSA does not have to implement a single contract for all aspects of the program and encourages a competitive process to choose the best contractors for each OPTN function. Nothing in this legislation precludes HRSA from awarding UNOS a contract for each function. As a physician in Congress, my focus with this legislation is on ensuring that HRSA has the authority that it needs to act on behalf of patients and that the best innovators are able to compete and play their part in saving lives. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BUCSHON

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Chair, I support Mr. Miller's amendment, which would require the Attorney General to issue interim final rules to implement this act 6 months after the date of enactment. Fentanyl-related substances will still be permanently placed in schedule I immediately. They should be placed there. This amendment would accelerate the timeline for which the Attorney General would be required to issue the interim final rule and, therefore, speed up the implementation process. I believe this amendment improves the bill and is necessary, especially at a time when fentanyl has become the leading cause of death for 18- to 45-year-olds. I urge a ``yes'' vote on this amendment.

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Chair, this amendment will provide clarity that research conducted by the Department of Defense is included in the research registration process outlined in the bill. It also requires the Office of the Inspector General at the Department of Justice to study and report on its findings. The research provisions in the HALT Fentanyl Act align the research registration process for schedule I drugs with those of schedule II. This is imperative for the research community to better understand how certain schedule I drugs affect people's health. This amendment strengthens the bill, and I urge a ``yes'' vote on this amendment.

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. First of all, I thank the gentlewoman for sharing her story. These are stories from across America. I empathize with her story, and I am thankful that her mother is in recovery. Mr. Chair, this amendment would prevent the underlying bill from taking effect until the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Attorney General each certify that this bill will lead to a reduction in overdose deaths. In 2021, nearly 108,000 people died of drug overdoses, 71,000 of which were from synthetic opioids, including fentanyl or fentanyl- related substances. That equates to nearly 200 fentanyl-related deaths per day. This amendment is a poison pill that would allow the Biden administration to indefinitely delay the permanent scheduling of fentanyl-related substances, which means after the temporary scheduling order expires at the end of 2024, if HHS or the AG has chosen not to act, these fentanyl-related substances could become street legal. Mr. Chair, I don't want to take that chance. Permanently placing fentanyl-related substances into schedule I is the Drug Enforcement Administration's top legislative priority. The numbers are heartbreaking. We need to act now to pass the HALT Fentanyl Act to keep fentanyl-related substances off our streets and out of our communities. In terms of further steps to address overdose deaths, I am glad the Energy and Commerce Committee has led the way and will continue to do so. Last Congress, the House passed legislation with broad bipartisan support to reauthorize many key use disorder and treatment programs. This summer Energy and Commerce plans to examine the impact of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, passed with broad bipartisan support 5 years ago, to address the opioid crisis. However, we don't need to wait. Let's pass the HALT Fentanyl Act now, which adds fentanyl-related substances to schedule I upon passage rather than ceding authority to the Biden administration on when this should be effective. Mr. Chair, I urge a ``no'' vote on this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Chair, again, we need to implement the HALT Fentanyl Act now. Any further delay, including the Biden administration slow- walking its implementation, is unacceptable. I again urge a ``no'' vote on this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Chair, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. BUCSHON

Mr. BUCSHON. Madam Chair, I point out that this is fentanyl poisoning, and just because people use illicit drugs, they certainly don't deserve to die from it. Madam Chair, I rise in strong support of the HALT Fentanyl Act. In 2022, roughly 75,000 Americans died from poisoning by synthetic opioids, largely illicit fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances. Illicit fentanyl poisonings are now the number one cause of death among adults ages 18 to 49, as has been pointed out many times. People who have died from illicit fentanyl poisoning are not just statistics. They are someone's child, sibling, parent, family member, or close friend. It is happening in every community across America. It doesn't discriminate against socioeconomic class, race, or religion. Just last week, a Federal grand jury indicted a man in Evansville, Indiana, my hometown, for selling counterfeit prescription pills laced with fentanyl over social media that caused at least three poisonings and the death of a 19-year-old woman in 2022. Last fall, a Federal grand jury indicted another man in Evansville who sold fentanyl pills in 2021 that ended up killing a 3-year-old toddler and resulted in nonfatal poisonings of two other children in a home after they found illicit fentanyl pills in a nightstand and took them. These are heartbreaking stories, and we in this body have the power to do something to help prevent more of them from occurring. Let's pass the HALT Fentanyl Act and give hope to Americans whose family, friends, and loved ones, who have been impacted by illicit fentanyl poisonings, that their loved one's death was not in vain. Support this bill.

Mr. BUCSHON

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained due to travel delays. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 213 and YEA on Roll Call No. 214.

Mr. BUCSHON

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the passing of my good friend and mayor of Rockport, Indiana, Donnie Winkler. Donnie tirelessly led the Rockport community with a smile and a good sense of humor. For years, his work ethic and sense of duty helped raise the bar for all those living in Spencer County, Indiana. His motto: ``Do what you do; do it well and thoroughly,'' is something he took with him in all aspects of his life. From his time spent as a farmer, industrial worker, National Guardsman, husband, father of four sons, entrepreneur, small business owner, general contractor, riverboat cook, building inspector, jailor, visionary, and finally as mayor, you saw this motto in all he did. I am proud to have had the opportunity to know Donnie Winkler. My heart goes out to his family, friends, and the entire Rockport community during this trying time. Godspeed, Donnie.