Larry Bucshon

Mr. BUCSHON

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 134, the Alzheimer's Accountability and Investment Act led by Senators Collins and Markey. The House companion bill, H.R. 620, is led by Representatives Smith of New Jersey and Tonko. In the United States, health and long-term costs for individuals living with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias are projected to reach $360 billion in 2024. Around 64 percent of these costs are expected to be covered by Medicare and Medicaid with patients on the hook for the other $90 billion in out-of-pocket spending. This tremendous cost does not even include the value of our unpaid caregivers, which was estimated to be $350 billion in 2023, amounting to over 18 billion hours of care. In addition, individuals with dementias are more likely to have other chronic conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and kidney disease. This bill would require the NIH to submit an annual budget estimate to Congress so that we may effectively assess the current resources needed to achieve the goals of the National Alzheimer's Project. Continued investments in research to prevent and treat Alzheimer's disease and dementia will improve the quality of life for millions of Americans, with the simultaneous hope of achieving significant long- term financial savings. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I encourage a ``yes'' vote on this bill, 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. 3884) to amend title XI of the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the program providing for sickle cell disease and other heritable blood disorders research, surveillance, prevention, and treatment, 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. 3884, the Sickle Cell Disease and Other Heritable Blood Disorders Research, Surveillance, Prevention, and Treatment Act led by Congressman Michael Burgess. Sickle cell disease is the most common inherited blood disorder in the United States and impacts about 100,000 Americans. This disease causes red blood cells to become rigid and form into a crescent, or sickle, shape; restricts blood flow; and can lead to serious health problems throughout the body. H.R. 3884 will continue important programs and activities administered by CDC and HRSA that are aimed to support research, prevention, and treatment for sickle cell disease and other blood disorders through fiscal year 2028. It is critical to reauthorize this legislation so patients, families, and providers can be further educated on the condition and foster partnerships between clinicians and community organizations to help improve access to care. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess).

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter).

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I encourage a ``yes'' vote on the bill, 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. 2706) to prohibit discrimination on the basis of mental or physical disability in cases of organ transplants, 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. 2760, the Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act, led by Representative Cammack. This bill prohibits covered entities from determining that an individual is ineligible to receive a transplant or denying a transplant based solely on the fact that the individual has a disability. H.R. 2706 will clarify that organ transplant discrimination on the basis of disability is prohibited and require the HHS Office of Civil Rights to review these claims in an expedited manner to ensure a timely resolution. There have been too many instances in which individuals with disabilities have been denied a lifesaving organ transplant, and this is unacceptable. Congress has the opportunity to help ensure individuals with disabilities are treated fairly within the organ transplant system. No one should be denied access to an organ transplant just because they have a disability. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Cammack).

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Florida.

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I encourage a ``yes'' vote on this bill, 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. 3433) to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to molecularly targeted pediatric cancer investigations, and for other purposes, 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. 3433, the Give Kids a Chance Act of 2024, and thank Representatives McCaul, Eshoo, and Bilirakis for their hard work on this important piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker, I am excited that we have reached broad bipartisan agreement on this comprehensive bill, which will provide hope to approximately 30 million Americans affected by rare diseases. Currently, only about 500 of these diseases have FDA-approved treatments. This legislation will foster the development of more pediatric rare disease treatments by strengthening the orphan drug pathway, ensuring drugs are studied for children battling cancer, and reauthorizing the rare pediatric disease priority review voucher program, which is set to expire on September 30. The PRV program has been a lifeline for patients who require specialized treatments that would not be developed without the incentive this program provides. I am also supportive of the other provisions in this bill, which would increase organ transplant rates by strengthening OPTN operations and require the FDA to establish an office in a country that has signed the Abraham Accords. I am grateful to Representatives Harshbarger and Vargas for their leadership on this effort to facilitate operations between the FDA and regulatory authorities and innovators in Abraham Accords countries. There has been a lot of discussion about moving supply chains for medical products back to the U.S. and our allies, and this office is a good step to help do just that. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul).

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis).

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Harshbarger).

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I encourage a ``yes'' vote on this bill, 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. 5526) to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to clarify the application of the in-office ancillary services exception to the physician self-referral prohibition for drugs furnished under the Medicare program, as amended.