Larry Bucshon

Mr. BUCSHON

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7188) to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a national, evidence-based education campaign to increase public and health care provider awareness regarding the potential risks and benefits of human cell and tissue products transplants, 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. 7188, the Shandra Eisenga Human Cell and Tissue Product Safety Act led by Representative Moolenaar. This bill was drafted in response to the passing of Shandra Eisenga of Marion, Michigan, on August 10, 2023, due to complications from a tuberculosis infection. Ms. Eisenga contracted TB after receiving a bone graft in April 2023 using a tissue donation from an infected donor. She was 1 of 36 patients in seven States to contract TB from a tissue donation originating from this donor resulting in 2 deaths. The bill would help raise awareness about the risks and life- transformative benefits of human cell and tissue product transplants through a public awareness campaign. It would also require the FDA to take additional steps to promote public health by issuing and updating relevant guidance for industry on determining eligibility of donors of human cell and tissue products. This path forward will increase patient safety and public trust in these lifesaving medical products. 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 Michigan (Mr. Moolenaar).

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am glad we are here today. I was a healthcare provider before I was in the Congress for 15 years, and I find when you have legislation like this that comes up, it is surprising that we have to, literally, as they say, have an act of Congress to protect patients, but today is one of those days. In the healthcare space, it always disappoints me when you see, whether it is providers or whether it is organizations that provide tissue, like this, where it seems like their moral character is compromised by the quest for profit. To me, it couldn't be worse. One of the goals that I have had since I have been here--and this will probably be my last time on the House floor managing a bill since I am retiring--is to put patients first. Any legislation that we propose, bipartisan legislation that we do, that is the number one goal. The number one goal should not be talking about the finances or other things related to legislation. We do have to talk about some of those things, but at the end of the day, the goal here is to make sure that the American people get quality, affordable healthcare that is safe and that they don't get transplants like this that have contaminated tissue that, in this case, has resulted in her death and the death of one other person, plus who knows how many other people of the 36 have struggled with their medical care based on this. The other thing is, I wish this was an isolated incident in the healthcare space. Let me say that the vast majority of people across the healthcare space, from providers on down to companies, do things right. They do things the right way, but every once in a while, you will find organizations or people who do not. Mr. Speaker, it is surprising to me that we have to address this with the FDA because you would think that already--this is part of the problem when you put specific diseases in for what the FDA has to look at. They have to look at HIV and syphilis and other things, but these tissues can have almost anything there. We need to make sure that they have the power and, honestly, the legislative authority to accomplish the goal that we all have, and that is to protect patients. Mr. Speaker, I think this is a very important piece of legislation, and it is bigger than just this legislation. This is something that will, in perpetuity, protect patients so we don't end up having situations like this. Mr. Speaker, I don't have any other speakers on the legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. I thank the gentlewoman for her kind words. The Energy and Commerce Committee is a committee that works in a broad, bipartisan way to accomplish all kinds of things. I think if you look back at this Congress or previous Congresses, the number of pieces of legislation that come to this floor that have gone through our committee in a bipartisan way, you would find that is a substantial percentage of bills that come across this floor. It has been an honor and privilege to work with all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. Mr. Speaker, I encourage a ``yes'' vote on this really important legislation, 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. 6020) to amend the Public Health Service Act to eliminate consideration of the income of organ recipients in providing reimbursement of expenses to donating individuals, 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. I rise in support of H.R. 6020, the Honor Our Living Donors Act, or the HOLD Act, led by Representative Jay Obernolte. This legislation will support living organ donors who give the miraculous gift of life to patients in need and their families. Donating an organ is a selfless act. The financial burdens of donation should not stand in the way of people who are motivated to give the gift of life. Organ donors often take time off work and undergo invasive medical procedures to help patients in need. Under current law, a living donor's ability to be reimbursed for qualified expenses is based on the income of both the donor and recipient. This has proven to be an unnecessary barrier to living organ donation and has resulted in most living organ donors financing their own donations. The HOLD Act would ensure that more heroic living donors are able to access qualified reimbursements associated with organ donation. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BUCSHON

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 insert extraneous material into the Record on the bill.

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6829) to amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize and support the creation and dissemination of cardiomyopathy education, awareness, and risk assessment materials and resources to identify more at-risk families, to authorize research and surveillance activities relating to cardiomyopathy, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6829, the Cardiomyopathy Health Education, Awareness, and Research, and AED Training in the Schools Act, or the HEARTS Act, of 2024, led by Committee on Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone. In the United States, more than 30,000 children are diagnosed with some form of cardiomyopathy, and more than 2,000 children and adolescents die from a sudden cardiac event each year. Research and experience have shown that immediate use of an automated external defibrillator, or AED, for short, or CPR can double or triple an individual's chance of survival. The HEARTS Act of 2024 would authorize and support programs to coordinate related research, promote access to AEDs and CPR training, and raise public awareness of cardiomyopathy within schools, local health departments, and communities. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, 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 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 move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 133) to extend the National Alzheimer's Project.

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 133, the NAPA Reauthorization Act led by Senators Collins and Warren. The House companion bill, H.R. 619, is led by Representatives Tonko and Smith of New Jersey. In the United States, one in nine people aged 65 and older currently suffer from Alzheimer's disease. Unfortunately, this number continues to grow with some estimates projecting the overall number to rise to 12.7 million Americans by 2050. Congress established the National Alzheimer's Project in 2011 with a goal of building upon, raising awareness of, and helping to coordinate current Federal efforts to combat Alzheimer's disease and related dementia through earlier diagnosis, prevention, and improved treatments. This bill would support and improve the National Alzheimer's Project, including expanding membership of the advisory council to include those individuals battling this disease and those at high risk for developing Alzheimer's. 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 Georgia (Mr. Carter).

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. 8108) to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to add a Medicaid State plan requirement with respect to the determination of residency of certain individuals serving in the Armed Forces, 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 insert extraneous material into the Record on the bill.

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mrs. Kiggans for bringing forth such an important solution for our military families. H.R. 8108 would ensure that military families can maintain access to essential care when they are required to move States for Active Duty. According to the Medicaid and CHIP Payment Access Commission, as many as 867,000 Medicaid enrollees have primary insurance through TRICARE, including as many as 220,000 children. In most instances, servicemembers rely on TRICARE as their insurer to cover most of their needs, but for individuals who also have a disability--take, for example, a military family with a child with a disability--Medicaid will often step in to cover additional care, like home and community-based services. Those services help with daily living activities and are essential to keeping people with disabilities healthy and independent in their communities. Unfortunately, many State Medicaid programs limit access to home and community-based services and often do so by creating waiting lists. It can take years for a patient to get off the wait list and get the level of care that they need. For military families who rely on Medicaid to pay for home and community-based services, moving from one State to another requires the family to join the new State's waiting list and start the whole process over again. H.R. 8108 makes clear that Active-Duty military families required to move across the country for their service to this country cannot lose access to current home and community-based services or lose their spot in line on their home State's waiting list. These necessary changes will help reaffirm our commitment to our military families who don't need additional hoops to jump through or stress in a time of reassignment. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mrs. Kiggans for her leadership on this important issue. 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 Virginia (Mrs. Kiggans).

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I encourage everyone to vote ``yes'' 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 (S. 134) to require an annual budget estimate for the initiatives of the National Institutes of Health pursuant to reports and recommendations made under the National Alzheimer's Project Act.

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.