Debbie Dingell

Mrs. DINGELL

Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2271, the Scarlett's Sunshine on Sudden Unexpected Death Act. This bipartisan legislation would address the longstanding tragedies of sudden unexpected infant deaths and sudden unexplained death in childhood, which collectively cost thousands of lives each year and result in heartbreak that no parent should ever have to experience. Every year, about 3,500 babies die suddenly and unexpectedly in the United States before reaching their first birthday, a category of deaths known as sudden unexpected infant deaths. Additionally, approximately 400 children between the ages of 1 and 18 also die unexpectedly from sudden unexplained death in childhood. More research into the causes of SUDC and SUID is needed, and this legislation will redouble our efforts to better understand these tragedies and prevent future deaths. Scarlett's Sunshine on Unexpected Death Act will establish grants to national and State organizations, as well as nonprofits, to improve data collection related to these deaths. The legislation will also provide additional resources to increase education about safe sleep practices for children and infants, as well as authorizing funding to ensure death reviews are completed for all infant and child deaths. It will provide support services for grieving families who are impacted by these tragedies. Mr. Speaker, improving data collection and analysis of SUDC and SUID is a critical step in helping us understand and prevent these tragedies and ensure that no parent has to live with the pain that comes with losing a child. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representatives Moore, Cole, and Herrera Beutler for leading this legislation and their years of advocacy and efforts on this issue. Mr. Speaker, I also acknowledge Stephanie Zarecky. This legislation is named after her daughter, Scarlett, who tragically passed as a result of SUDC, and we wouldn't be here today without her leadership and pushing for action. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2271.

Mrs. DINGELL

Mrs. DINGELL. Madam 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 H.R. 4585.

Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I want to thank both of my colleagues for their leadership on this issue and for the willingness to talk about it publicly because we do need for people to acknowledge that it is a normal feeling, and it is okay. I have seen it in my own family and wish that we had been willing to talk about it before it had been too late. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Beyer).

Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4585, the Campaign to Prevent Suicide Act. This legislation will further facilitate access to existing Federal resources on suicide prevention by creating a national suicide prevention media campaign to help raise awareness of the lifeline as well as advertise the new 988 number when it becomes available. Additionally, the Campaign to Prevent Suicide Act will also provide guidance to TV and social media companies on how effectively to communicate about suicide prevention through the creation of a media and best practices tool kit. Given the significant mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring that Americans have access to the support they need during these trying times is more important than ever. With multiple studies pointing to the pandemic's significant impact on mental health, including a fourfold increase in depression reported by the CDC this summer, we cannot lose sight of this longstanding public health issue. I appreciate Representatives Beyer's and Gianforte's work on this legislation, which will provide resources for outreach on suicide prevention during a time when it is needed more than ever. We need to lift the stigma from people talking about this. It happens in every family and in every place. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support passage of this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. DINGELL

Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5619) to authorize a pilot program to expand and intensify surveillance of self-harm in partnership with State and local public health departments, to establish a grant program to provide self-harm and suicide prevention services in hospital emergency departments, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 5619.

Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, the gentleman is absolutely correct at how important a piece of legislation this is. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5615, the Suicide Prevention Act. Currently, there is no complete data about suicide attempts or other instances of self-harm in the United States. This fragmented and incomplete reporting hinders our ability to track trends and target suicide prevention resources where they might be the most effective in preventing these tragedies from occurring. The Suicide Prevention Act will help strengthen data and reporting on suicide by authorizing funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to collaborate with State and local health departments to improve the tracking of these incidents. This enhanced data collection will allow for earlier intervention and better understanding of suicide trends, helping to better identify and treat at-risk individuals. The legislation also creates a SAMHSA grant program to fund self-harm and suicide prevention services in hospital emergency departments. This includes screening at-risk patients, providing services as needed, and referring patients for follow-up care for long-term self-harm and suicide prevention. Hospital emergency departments are on the front lines of providing critical behavior health services, and these resources will help identify and treat individuals at the highest risk for suicide and self-harm. Madam Speaker, I appreciate my colleagues, Congressman Stewart and Congresswoman Matsui, for leading this important legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support its passage. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. DINGELL

Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5663) to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to give authority to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, to destroy counterfeit devices, as amended.

Mrs. DINGELL. Madam 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 H.R. 5663.

Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I also thank Mr. Guthrie and Mr. Engel for their leadership. I think the American people understand this issue more now than ever, unfortunately. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5663, the Safeguarding Therapeutics Act. Madam Speaker, this legislation provides FDA additional authority to take action to protect public health and safety by extending the agency's administrative destruction authority for counterfeit medical devices, including diagnostic tests and surgical masks, as well as combination products, like vaccines, that may pose a threat to public health. Given the global marketplace and extended supply chains for complex medical products, counterfeit medical devices are becoming increasingly common, both in the United States and abroad. These counterfeit products pose a significant risk to patient health and safety, and ensuring that FDA has the appropriate authority to take action by seizing and destroying counterfeit medical devices will help safeguard America's health. Under current law, counterfeit medical devices and combination products are typically shipped back to the sender because of the limitations in FDA's existing authority. This allows dangerous counterfeit devices to remain in the supply chain, continuing to represent a significant risk to consumers. The Safeguarding Therapeutics Act is a straightforward, commonsense approach to this issue with bipartisan support that will provide FDA with authority it already possesses with respect to counterfeit drugs. Given the deficiencies highlighted with certain aspects of the healthcare supply chain throughout the current pandemic, taking action to further safeguard the supply chain from potentially dangerous products is more important than ever. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleagues on the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Representatives Guthrie and Engel, for their work on this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support its passage. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. DINGELL

Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4564, the Suicide Prevention Lifeline Improvement Act of 2020. This legislation will provide additional resources and authority for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, ensuring that it will have the infrastructure necessary to meet both current needs and the increased volume of outreach expected when the 988 number is formally adopted. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline currently expects 12 million calls over the next 4 years, equivalent to the total number of calls from 2005 to 2017. Given this increased demand, the current authorization level of approximately $7.2 million per year is insufficient to meet expected need for the lifeline's critical services for those in crisis. This legislation increases the authorization for the lifeline to $50 million each year through fiscal year 2022, allowing it to effectively manage the increased call volume while reducing wait times. Additionally, the Suicide Prevention Lifeline Improvement Act will create a new pilot program to deploy innovative technologies through social media, texting, and other platforms, connecting Americans where they are to the lifeline. It will also establish a plan for maintaining the lifeline program and provide additional study and recommendations from HHS on ways to further strengthen access to this program. I thank and appreciate Representatives Katko, Beyer, and Napolitano for their leadership in offering this legislation, and continuing to push for reforms to strengthen the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan effort to strengthen access to this critical resource for Americans in crisis. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. DINGELL

Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, once more we thank our Nation's first responders for all they are doing for us, and I urge my colleagues to support them by supporting this legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1646, the Helping Emergency Responders Overcome, or HERO Act of 2019. We have seen the extraordinary actions of America's first responders in recent months in helping to keep our Nation safe. From the courage and the bravery of firefighters in Western States as they confront an unprecedented fire season, to public safety and paramedics responding to hurricanes on the Gulf Coast, to the frontline health workers fighting COVID-19, we all owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude. This includes supporting the mental health needs of these individuals. Exposure to stressful, life-threatening situations, and traumatic events can impact one's mental health. Unfortunately, we see this impact every day with first responders facing higher rates of suicide and other mental health issues. However, we still lack data on the full scope of the problem, as well as treatment strategies to address the unique stresses that our Nation's first responders face. The HERO Act would create a National Public Safety Officer Suicide Reporting System to help us better understand the prevalence of these tragedies within the public safety officer community regardless of their employer. It would also establish a grant program for peer support, behavioral health, and wellness programs within fire departments and EMS agencies. The legislation also will develop and disseminate resources to educate health professionals about the unique mental health challenges facing our Nation's first responders and evidence-based therapies to address these issues. I would like to thank Ami Bera for his leadership and thoughtful advocacy on the HERO Act and urge my colleagues to support its passage. I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Washington, DC, September 15, 2020. Hon. Frank Pallone, Jr., Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Pallone: I am writing you concerning H.R. 1646, the ``Helping Emergency Responders Overcome Act of 2019,'' which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and then to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology (``Science Committee'') on March 8, 2019. As a result of our consultation, I agree to work cooperatively on H.R. 1646 and in order to expedite consideration of the bill the Science Committee will waive formal consideration of this legislation. However, this is not a waiver of any future jurisdictional claims by the Science Committee over the subject matter contained in H.R. 1646 or similar legislation. I also request that you support my request to name members of the Science Committee to any conference committee to consider this legislation. Additionally, thank you for your assurances to include a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter in the committee report for H.R. 1646 and in the Congressional Record during floor consideration thereof. Sincerely, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Chairwoman, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1646.

Mrs. DINGELL

Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I, too, urge adoption of this important piece of legislation to remove barriers so people are able to go to the doctor, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3935, Protecting Patients Transportation to Care Act. This legislation will add nonemergency medical transportation services for individuals without other means of transportation to the list of benefits required by law under Medicaid. NEMT, N-E-M-T, benefits have been a mandatory Medicaid benefit by regulation since the program's beginning in 1966, and the benefits are clear. Transportation is one of the most common barriers to care for low-income patients, and reliable transportation to and from medical appointments is a cornerstone of healthcare access. NEMT provides over 100 million rides to Medicaid beneficiaries each year, and this lifeline is critical to patients with chronic conditions like kidney disease or diabetes. Additionally, it allows seniors and Americans to remain in their homes and continue to live independently. The NEMT benefit is especially critical to beneficiaries seeking care during this current public health crisis, which has placed additional burdens and barriers to care. The Protecting Patients Transportation to Care Act will codify this benefit and maintain robust program integrity protections. In addition to safeguarding the lifesaving NEMT benefit, the legislation is scored as having no cost by the Congressional Budget Office. I would like to thank Representatives Carter, Cardenas, Graves and Bishop of Georgia for leading this bipartisan effort and urge my colleagues to support its passage. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. DINGELL

Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. DINGELL. 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 H.R. 7574.

Mrs. DINGELL

Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.