Buddy Carter

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for holding this Special Order to discuss such an important issue. Mr. Speaker, as a lifelong pharmacist, I have experienced firsthand the struggles that medical professionals and Americans face with prescription drug abuse. Many don't realize, but medical professionals are not immune to prescription drug abuse. I have had several colleagues in the pharmacy profession who have struggled with prescription drug abuse. In addition, I was the cosponsor in the Georgia General Assembly when the Georgia Prescription Drug Monitoring Program was created. I believe that PDMPs are one of the most important tools in the fight against prescription drug abuse. As a pharmacist, I experienced several customers who would walk into my store with an out-of-State driver's license. As you can imagine, I was a little hesitant to fill a prescription of someone who has a Kentucky driver's license when my store is in south Georgia. I believe the best way to address this issue is to work as a team. Physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and anyone else who is part of an individual's medical team has a role to play. We must work together if we want to win against this powerful epidemic. In addition, community leaders, community service centers, and any other entity that is involved in community health has a role to play. We must all work together as a community to help people who are struggling with addiction. I encourage all of my colleagues to get involved in this issue. It is one that will destroy your communities and its families from the inside out, and you won't know you have a problem until it is almost too big to fight. Again, I want to thank the gentleman from New Hampshire for holding this Special Order. I hope we can continue to work together on this issue because this work will never be done.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. I thank the gentleman from Florida for yielding and for his efforts and the efforts of all of those who are involved in this legislation. Mr. Speaker, my concern here is twofold. First of all, as a pharmacist with over 30 years of experience and practice, this is a deep concern of mine. Secondly, I believe we have a duty to our servicemen and -women who have sacrificed their lives to serve and protect our country. Studies have shown that soldiers and veterans use opioid painkillers far more frequently than civilians because their military training and combat lead to far more injuries. In fact, a report by the American Public Health Association found that the fatal overdose rate among VA patients is nearly double the national average. Something needs to be done. The VA is doing a disservice to our veterans by prescribing too many opioids at too high quantities. That is why H.R. 4063 is so important. H.R. 4063 directs the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to jointly update the VA/DOD Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Opioid Therapy for Chronic Pain so it adequately reflects the current environment we face with opioid abuse. It also directs the VA to modify and establish initiatives and protocols to better address the misuse of opioids by our veterans. These changes, I believe, will be one step toward ensuring that the services provided to our men and women of the military will improve their overall care and will move us closer to fulfilling our duty of servicing our servicemen and -women. I ask all of my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4901, the Scholarship for Opportunity and Results Reauthorization Act. As many will remember, the House passed a similar bill, H.R. 10, last year with 240 votes. H.R. 4901 makes three specific changes to H.R. 10 to ensure the D.C. scholarship program continues to run efficiently and effectively for the foreseeable future. First, this bill creates additional reporting requirements for the administrator of the scholarship program to ensure that the program is operating effectively. Second, it requires that any District of Columbia school that participates in this scholarship program must be accredited. Finally, the Department of Education has been withholding funds from the scholarship program and excluding qualified students from participating. H.R. 4901 ensures that the Department of Education cannot withhold funds from the scholarship program and that they cannot exclude students that are qualified to participate. With these changes, this D.C. school scholarship program can continue to run efficiently and allow low-income families to better their educational experience and opportunities. I encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 4901.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.J. Res. 88, a resolution disapproving of the Department of Labor's final rule that changes the definition of fiduciary. This new definition hits low- and middle-income savers the hardest and would leave many unable to save for retirement at all. Additionally, it would make it significantly more difficult for small businesses to seek the investment advice they need to provide for their employees in order for them to plan and save for retirement. In having owned and operated community pharmacies for nearly 30 years, I take pride in having provided my employees with the tools they have needed to achieve financial independence, and retirement investment plans are one of the most important tools in this effort. Like many small business owners, I consider my employees to be part of my family. That is why H.J. Res. 88 is so important. The new rule is a classic case of the Federal Government's stepping in the way of the Main Street success story with a ``Washington bureaucrats know best'' mentality, and it must be stopped. Americans have the right to choose how they save and what to save for, and this final rule from the DOL will only increase burdens on Americans and small businesses, limit opportunities, and ultimately hurt their chances to plan for their futures.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Saturday, April 30, as National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. In the 30 years I served as a community pharmacist before my election to Congress, I saw prescription medications save lives. However, at the same time, I watched people's addiction to those same medications ruin careers, families, and lives. Today, 44 people in the U.S. die every day from prescription painkillers and overdoses. Overdoses are now the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S., exceeding even car accidents. Prescription medications have become the target of theft and abuse. It is critical we are all playing our part in combating the prescription drug abuse epidemic by safely disposing of unused medications. On Saturday, across the country, the DEA will host collection sites where Americans can drop off their pills and other solid, unused prescription drugs. In the First Congressional District of Georgia, I am proud to say that 12 military and law enforcement organizations will be hosting collection sites. To find a collection site near you, visit www.dea.gov, and click on the ``Got Drugs?'' icon. The service is free, with no questions asked. Together, we can end this epidemic plaguing our Nation, and I encourage everyone to take part in this event.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I commend Representative Yoho for holding this Special Order on executive overreach. As a lifelong healthcare professional and former businessowner, I believe the healthcare industry is flooded with examples of President Obama's administration overreaching its authority and either ignoring congressional intent or refusing to enforce laws enacted by Congress. As recent as last Monday, April 18, the FDA issued new guidance related to the Drug Quality and Security Act and compounding pharmacists. On November 27, 2013, President Obama signed the Drug Quality and Security Act, DQSA, into law. Within the DQSA, several important provisions were related to the oversight of compounding human medications. In fact, DQSA created two types of compounding pharmacies, 503A pharmacies and 503B pharmacies. 503A compounding pharmacies are small, community pharmacies that only compound small quantities of medication to a very limited number of doctors and patients with very specific needs. A perfect example of this is a servicemember who has lost a limb in war. Some servicemen and -women who have lost their limbs experience significant amounts of pain that regular medication does not adequately address. Compounded medication helps with this specialized need. 503B compounding facilities are those outsourcing facilities that manufacture compounded medications and ship them all over the country. When Congress debated DQSA, many statements were made by both House and Senate congressional Members stating that there was no intent for this bill to restrict State pharmacy licensing boards and their local control of small, community pharmacies. In fact, the FDA was directed by Congress that, in regards to inspection standards, 503B facilities would be the only ones subjected to good manufacturing inspection standards. You would think that that would make sense, that only manufacturing facilities would be subjected to good manufacturing practice standards. In addition, congressional intent was clear that 503A community pharmacies could continue to provide office-use compounded medication as they had always done. Did FDA adhere to the obvious congressional intent of DQSA related to compounding? No. FDA's recent guidance states that all medication that is compounded by small, community pharmacists needs to have a specific patient prescription. Your local dermatologist, who keeps a local anesthetic in the office to remove skin to test for cancer, is going to have to write a prescription, have the patient go to the pharmacist, get their prescription filled, and then schedule another appointment before checking to see if they have skin cancer. This goes against all congressional intent, to allow State pharmacy boards to continue local control of their small pharmacies. Now, all State pharmacy boards that allow office use have had their powers taken away from them. The FDA guidance also pointed out that, except under certain circumstances, good manufacturing inspection standards will always be used to inspect all compounding pharmacies. So pharmacists who provide specialized compounded medication to one patient with a specific need will be subjected to large corporation inspection standards that will cost significant financial investments. In essence, the FDA has ignored congressional intent related to the DQSA and has ultimately eliminated an entire sector of the healthcare industry that was providing specialized care to patients with special needs. In fact, the HHS informed my office that, if we continue to pursue this matter and try to rein in the FDA's overreach, we, Congress, would be responsible for the next 100 deaths from compounded medication. This example is just one of many that I have experienced with this administration. Recently, HHS instituted a rule that would require pharmacy benefit managers to update their maximum allowable cost list every 7 days. These MAC lists control what pharmacists are reimbursed. If they are not updated regularly, pharmacists lose business because they are not reimbursed by Medicare at the present market price. A recent call with the inspector general of HHS informed my office that pharmacy benefit managers are not complying with this new rule because HHS has not designated anyone to ensure that pricing lists are updated every 7 days. Mr. Speaker, let me rephrase that. HHS is not enforcing their rules on MAC price updating because no one is assigned to enforce this law. You would think that, if a rule was created, the agency would work to enforce that rule, but apparently not. Over the last 7\1/2\ years, President Obama's administration has shown a complete disregard for Article I of our Constitution and the powers that our Founding Fathers wanted this institution to have. They interpret enacted legislation against the intent of Congress, they refuse to enforce laws that were meant to bring transparency to the American people, and they choose when congressional direction is applicable law and when it is not. This body should take a long, hard look at the actions of these agencies. They are not following the law and intent that was created by this body, and action should be taken to remove these bureaucrats so the American people can have the government they deserve. Again I want to thank the gentleman, Representative Yoho, for bringing this to light. This is a very serious subject that needs to be addressed.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Richmond Hill High School marching band for being selected to perform in the 2016 National Cherry Blossom Parade. The Richmond Hill band has gained many accolades and enjoyed numerous successes since its beginning 9 years ago. Membership in the band has become popular among students, as it has grown from an original 90 musicians to nearly 200. The band has also competed and performed across the State of Georgia and twice at Universal Studios in Florida. The selection process to perform at the National Cherry Blossom Parade is highly competitive. High schools, universities, and specialty marching bands from all across the U.S. apply to march in the parade. Crowds of people line the streets, and thousands at home watch on TV as these bands march down Constitution Avenue. The band also used the visit to Washington as an educational experience. The students spent time visiting many museums and monuments on The National Mall. It is with great pride that I rise today to honor the members of the Richmond Hill marching band for their hard work, determination, and perseverance to become a successful marching band. It is truly an honor for them to perform at the parade.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize April 17 as World Hemophilia Day, a day where the international community speaks as one to honor the hundreds of thousands of people across the globe suffering from hemophilia. Now, more than ever, we must renew our commitment to hemophilia patients, ensure that they can receive the most advanced care known to modern medicine, and redouble our efforts to discovering new treatments--and ultimately a cure--for this dangerous condition. Hemophilia is a genetic disorder that prevents blood from clotting properly, making even seemingly slight injuries a terrifying prospect for a bleeding episode that can lead to serious injury and even death. While the disease is rare in statistical terms, an estimated 400 newborns are diagnosed with the disease every year, and approximately 20,000 hemophiliacs live in the United States at this very moment. And all too often, this vulnerable patient population is put into jeopardy by the financial hurdles obstructing access to the intensive care needed for combatting such a pervasive disease. Too many American families are faced with the daunting challenge of tackling the financial burden of hemophilia--a burden that can grow to $250,000 a year or more. This World Hemophilia Day, I stand to speak out on behalf of the patients battling this complicated disease and hope that by raising awareness in this body, we move closer to a day where the treatment of hemophilia is practical, sustainable, and accessible for all Americans.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise to express my support for H.R. 2666. In 2015, the FCC reclassified Internet service providers as title II common carriers, giving themselves the ability to regulate Internet rates and user privacy. The administration has promised that this new agency power will not be used to regulate broadband rates; however, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has admitted that the FCC should have the authority to do so. This regulatory uncertainty is why this bill is needed. H.R. 2666 would prohibit the FCC from regulating rates charged for broadband Internet access and would hold the administration to the promise it made to American consumers. Preventing government interference with broadband retail rates would give smaller providers greater confidence when making investments, particularly those that would increase Internet access in rural and small communities. I urge my colleagues to help prevent the government micromanagement of Internet access by supporting H.R. 2666.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Charles Skipper for his 30 years of dedication and hard work for Glynn County Schools. One of his most passionate endeavors, Mr. Skipper coached the Brunswick High School baseball team for 28 years, 5 of them as head coach. Brunswick High Baseball won 314 games during the time he was on the coaching staff for a win percentage of 60 percent. In total, Coach Skipper coached Brunswick High School in 12 playoff appearances, including sub-region championships in 2004 and 2007. He was named to be a coach on the Georgia Dugout Club All-State team in 2007 and 2011 and has received the Quarter Century Award for service to the game of baseball by the American Baseball Coaches Association. In the course of 30 years, Coach Skipper's dedication to the Glynn County School system also included coaching football and teaching Physical Education as well as health and fitness courses. After many years of impacting young lives, Coach Skipper is retiring. I rise today to thank him for his work with the Glynn County school system, thank him for the lives that he shaped, and to congratulate him on his coaching successes.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, as the gentleman has stated, this is a serious problem. This is a problem that I have dealt with as a professional pharmacist for many years. I have dealt with it in my retail setting in my pharmacies, as well as a consultant pharmacist in a long-term care facility in skilled nursing homes. I have seen the advances that we have made in medicine over the years. I have seen us go from only having the original antipsychotics, Haldol, which was always accompanied by a prescription for Cogentin to mask the side effects that the Haldol was going to have. I have seen the evolution of the atypical antipsychotics, which, while they do have some side effects themselves, are nowhere near the side effects that the original antipsychotics had. I do thank the gentleman for bringing this important issue to light, and I do have a few comments that I would like to make. First of all, medication plays a major role in the treatment for many mental illnesses. With the growing burden of mental disorders worldwide, pharmacists are ideally positioned to play a greater role in supporting people with a mental illness. There is a growing amount of evidence to show that pharmacist-delivered services in mental health care help address the barriers that are hurdles for the broader mental healthcare team. Pharmacists have three roles they can play in helping our country address the mental health crisis. First, pharmacists can play a major role in the multi-disciplinary teams addressing health care and can support early detection of mental illness. With more pharmacists coming out of school with greater clinical experience, pharmacists can work in new roles, such as in case conferencing or collaborative drug therapy management. These new roles would also benefit from increased pharmacist involvement, such as the early detection of mental health conditions, development of healthcare plans, and follow-up of people with mental health problems. Secondly, pharmacists can play a role in supporting quality use of medicines and medication review, strategies to improve medication adherence and antipsychotic polypharmacy, and shared decision making. Pharmacists would have a large impact regarding medication review services and other pharmacist-led interventions designed to reduce inappropriate use of psychotropic medicines and improve medication adherence. Finally, pharmacists can help address barriers surrounding the implementation of mental health pharmacy services with a focus on organizational culture and mental health stigma. Over the years, the relation between the pharmacist and the physician has become more collaborative and cooperative. With this new relationship, pharmacists can work with physicians to develop strategies to change the attitudes and stigma surrounding mental health. As my colleague from Pennsylvania, Representative Murphy, continues to fight for this cause, I hope he will consider me and the profession of pharmacy as a friend and collaborator so we can fight to end the mental health crisis in this country. Again, I want to thank the gentleman for yielding me this time and for bringing this most important subject to light.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 2512 to add the Zika virus to the list of tropical diseases under the FDA Priority Review Voucher program for tropical diseases. While evidence of human infection by the Zika virus has been reported for over 60 years, there has been little progress in the development of treatment or vaccines. Existing incentives have been insufficient to encourage development of new and innovative treatments for the virus. However, with the recent spread of the virus from South America to the Caribbean and North America, the level of infection has reached pandemic levels. Although the Zika virus may be rare in the United States, the increase of airline transportation, immigration, and tourism only creates an environment for the Zika virus to be easily transmitted. S. 2512 would allow the FDA Priority Review Voucher program to work exactly as intended. It would add the Zika virus to the list of tropical diseases that are available under the voucher program. This bill would ultimately accomplish two goals. First, it would provide an incentive for drug developers in the form of fast-track approval of therapies to treat the Zika virus. Second, it would create an avenue where treatments for the virus would get to patients quicker and ultimately end this pandemic outbreak. This legislation is vital to ensuring the health and safety of our Nation. I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. O.C. Welch for his success in business and his dedication to making the Savannah community a better place to live. Mr. Welch is the definition of a self-made man, whose hard work and natural business sense launched a career in the car business that grew into a large and prominent enterprise. Throughout his life, Mr. Welch has been committed to giving back. He is a devout Catholic who supports many projects in the Diocese of Savannah, not the least of which is his alma mater, Benedictine. In 2012, Mr. Welch used a Super Bowl commercial to offer a reward for information regarding the unsolved murder of a volunteer firefighter. The commercial led to the arrest and conviction of the killer. In the years since, Mr. Welch has not wavered in his crusade against crime in our community. More recently, Mr. Welch took up the cause of his beloved Bacon Park Golf Course, where he got his first job. After seeing the once pristine course fall into disrepair, he invested millions in restoring its historic Donald Ross design and rightful place in the community. These are only a few examples of the incredible impact Mr. Welch has had. I rise today to thank him for his continued commitment to our community.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Ben Slade and all of his accomplishments as Executive Director of the St. Simons Land Trust. Over the last 11 years, the St. Simons Land Trust has worked to preserve land on St. Simons Island, Georgia, which is home to 12,000 residents, a multitude of marshes, creeks, rivers, and fish, as well as the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale. The Land Trust works with willing property owners to preserve the beautiful land of this region and its significance to Georgia's natural habitat. Mr. Slade has worked with the St. Simons Land Trust since its inception, leading the company from a small group to an organization that now includes 1,250 member households and 776 acres of land. During his time with the organization, Mr. Slade's numerous accomplishments have been critical to the environmental success of the island. One of his most important accomplishments was his leadership in the purchase of the 604 acre Cannon's Point area on St. Simons--the last intact maritime forest on the island. Over Mr. Slade's career, he has continuously worked to aid the St. Simons community including his time as the Chairman and CEO of the First Federal Savings Bank of Brunswick, the founding Chair of Habitat for Humanity of Glynn County, and President of the Chamber of Commerce. Later this year, Mr. Slade will retire as the Executive Director of the St. Simons Land Trust. I rise today to recognize his effort and accomplishments in bettering the island of St. Simons and wish him the best with his future endeavors.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the 37th Anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act and to recognize the long- standing U.S.-Taiwan relations. For the past 37 years, the Taiwan Relations Act has served as the cornerstone of the friendship between the United States and Taiwan that has been a mutually beneficial economic, cultural, and strategic relationship. The United States and Taiwan share many of the same values, including democracy, freedom of speech and rule of law. The relations between our two countries have grown to include areas of trade, national security, and people-to-people exchanges. Taiwan has also joined the United States in providing essential humanitarian aid and promoting peace throughout the world. As a member of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, I am continuously supportive of efforts to strengthen the friendship between our two countries. In commemorating the 37th Anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act, I commend the work that has been done between our two countries to further democracy, and I look forward to strengthening our relationship with Taiwan in the future.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Brunswick, Georgia's involvement in the United States' World War II effort and, in turn, the newly commissioned United States Naval Ship (USNS) Brunswick. Soon after the United States' entrance into World War II, German U- Boats began to sink American cargo ships at an unprecedented rate-- stalling America's war machine and creating a severe crisis for American ships at sea. In 1942, to curtail the crisis, Vice Admiral Emory S. ``Jerry'' Land contacted the J.A. Jones Construction Company of Brunswick, Georgia, with a request to build the fastest cargo ships of the time. Although J.A. Jones was a ``building'' contractor company with no previous experience in building sea-going vessels, J.A. Jones unbelievably met the challenge. The company produced 99 ships in 2 years. In December 1944, the U.S. Navy requested 6 ships built that month and J.A. Jones responded by building 7. The J.A. Jones employees even worked through Christmas Day and denied receiving a payment for the extra ship they built. I rise today to recognize these brave men and women from Brunswick, Georgia, who kept America's war machine running through World War II as well as the USNS Brunswick, which was named in honor of the men and women of Brunswick's effort during the war. I wish the sailors of the USNS Brunswick the best in living up to the name of their ship.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize David Pringle on his retirement and to congratulate him on his 37 years of service to Aflac Insurance Company. Mr. Pringle began his work with Aflac as a sales associate in Mississippi, North Carolina, and West Virginia. Through hard work and dedication to the company, he was promoted to the senior vice president of government relations in 1990. He has maintained that position ever since. One of Mr. Pringle's most notable accomplishments for Aflac is Aflac's State employee training program, which he developed while working at Aflac's global headquarters. Through his years of service, Mr. Pringle has established himself as an expert in the field of health care, writing several publications on healthcare reform and insurance policies. Mr. Pringle's dedication to Aflac and his service to the betterment of the entire insurance industry will certainly be missed. I wish him the best with his future endeavors.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize March 2016 as Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month. This month marks the 30th anniversary of President Reagan's declaration of March 1986 as Hemophilia Awareness Month. One of the most troubling bleeding disorders is hemophilia. Hemophilia affects roughly 20,000 people in the U.S. and 1 in 5,000 newborns. Treating the disorder is complicated, as well as expensive, as there is no known cure, and treatment may cost $250,000 a year. Another bleeding disorder is Von Willebrand disease, or VWD, which results in bruising, nosebleeds, and excessive bleeding following surgical procedures. VWD occurs equally in men and women and is estimated to affect more than 3 million Americans. Through this greater awareness of bleeding disorders, we can work toward earlier diagnoses and the prevention of complications, unnecessary procedures, and disabilities.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership on this important situation. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 639. Mr. Speaker, we are here again discussing the President and his executive actions. Back in November of 2014, President Obama announced a series of executive actions that would have provided amnesty to approximately 5 million additional illegal immigrants. Amnesty for these 5 million illegal immigrants would have been in addition to the millions who were provided amnesty under the administration's 2012 actions. The President continues to degrade the rights of American citizens and ignores the U.S. Constitution which this country was founded on. The checks and balances that our Founding Fathers established made it specifically clear that they wanted Congress to enact laws that shape our country, not the President. That is why I am supporting House Resolution 639. House Resolution 639 will allow the Speaker of the House to submit to the U.S. Supreme Court its opinion, arguing that the President's executive action on amnesty for illegal immigration is unconstitutional. Congress must be able to express its arguments that the President's executive order on amnesty is unconstitutional so we can continue to maintain the balance of power between Congress and the President. I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 639 so we can continue to deny the President's overreach of power and uphold the rights and responsibilities given to this body by the Constitution.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Savannah's St. Patrick's Day parade as well as Mr. Michael Foran, the 2016 grand marshal of the St. Patrick's Day parade. The St. Patrick's Day parade is a family tradition for all Savannahians and many tourists alike. After 190 years of the St. Patrick's celebration, the Savannah parade has grown into the third largest in the world. I would like to congratulate the St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee on 192 years of festivities. I know this year's committee will present an excellent parade. I would also like to congratulate Mr. Foran as the 2016 grand marshal. Holding all the characteristics of a great grand marshal, he fits the bill of a true Savannahian. As a member of a proud Irish family, Mr. Foran is the perfect person to receive this distinction. I want to thank Mr. Foran and his family for their continued service to the entire Savannah community.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Liberty County men's high school basketball team on their State Championship title. On March 3rd, 2016, the Panthers defeated Jonesboro High School from north Georgia to win the Class AAAA State Championship and the school's first ever State Championship in any sport. Davion Mitchell, an impressive player for the team all year, scored 14 points--all in the second half. The Macon Coliseum crowd erupted during the game when Mitchell, who has already committed to play basketball at Auburn University, scored his first points of the game in the second half. The team's scoring was led by Richard LeCounte with 20 points and Will Richardson with 19 points. Jaalon Frazier helped the team tremendously on the defensive end by grabbing 15 rebounds. I would like to congratulate each member of the Liberty County men's basketball program as well as their coach, Julian Stokes, on all of their hard work this year. I wish them the best of luck in future seasons and many more State Championships to come.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 3797, the Satisfying Energy Needs and Saving the Environment Act, or the SENSE Act. Mr. Chairman, coal refuse is an aboveground waste product of coal mining that can pose a number of environmental and safety threats to our country. To address these threats, specialized power plants, known as coal refuse-to-energy plants, were developed to recycle their waste product while generating affordable, reliable electricity to the American people. Yet, the EPA has continually written rules and regulations that will ultimately shut down these specialized plants. The Agency's Cross-State Air Pollution Rule and their Mercury and Air Toxics Standards include certain emission limits that are just not achievable for coal refuse-to-energy plants. These EPA regulations will cost and result in billions of dollars in environmental cleanup. This could all be prevented by refuse-to-energy plants. That is why H.R. 3797 is so important. It will provide targeted modifications to the EPA rules as they apply to coal refuse-to-energy plants. There are no major initiatives. There are no new laws being created. We are only making target modifications to EPA's Cross-State Air Pollution Rule and their Mercury and Air Toxics Standards so Americans can receive safe, affordable energy, keep their jobs, and have a cleaner environment. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3797 so that we can make sure that we continue to create more jobs while making our environment cleaner.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Senator Tommie Williams and his retirement from the Georgia State Senate. Since first being elected to office in 1998, Senator Williams has spent the last 18 years representing his South Georgia constituents in extraordinary fashion. Through the years, Senator Williams' hard work and passion has flourished as he has moved through the ranks from majority leader to President pro tempore, always working to keep Georgia's economy growing. As a true conservative from Lyons, Georgia, a great friend, and a passionate lawmaker, Senator Williams' service to the State of Georgia will be missed. I wish my friend the best of luck in his future endeavors.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4557, the BRICK Act. Once again American businesses find themselves facing millions of dollars in compliance costs due to burdensome EPA regulations. It is estimated that the EPA's Brick MACT rule may cost the brick and ceramics industry up to $100 million per year, with the cost of compliance for the average facility at approximately $4.4 million. In addition, the industry will not be able to meet the requirement deadlines imposed by the rule, which is currently being challenged in Federal court. The EPA's first attempt at a Brick MACT rule was judicially vacated, but not before the industry spent millions in compliance measures ultimately found to be invalid. Small brick and ceramics businesses have been the hardest hit by the first rule, and if this situation repeats itself, many of these businesses will be forced to close their doors for good. H.R. 4557 would provide much-needed regulatory relief to brick and ceramic businesses by stating that no additional compliance measures shall be mandated by the EPA until judicial review of the rule is completed. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, which will protect a vital industry and its thousands of jobs from potentially devastating regulatory uncertainty.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 3716, the Ensuring Access to Quality Medicaid Providers Act. A recent report by the HHS inspector general found that more than 1 in every 10 Medicaid providers who were terminated for fraud, integrity, or quality in one State were still participating in another State's Medicaid program. To ensure that Medicaid patients are receiving their care from a qualified, licensed doctor, H.R. 3716 provides that disqualified providers be reported within 21 days to CMS, and each Medicaid provider must be enrolled with the State Medicaid agency. H.R. 3716 also provides that State Medicaid programs include an electronic directory of physicians who serve Medicaid patients. Today, many Medicaid patients have a hard time finding a doctor and instead rely on the emergency room. With an established directory, Medicaid patients will be able to know which doctors are available to them and will ultimately get better care. I encourage my colleagues to support the reforms in H.R. 3716 so we can make sure that Medicaid patients are receiving the care and attention they deserve.