Mike Ferguson

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information for publication in the Congressional Record regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 2638, the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009: 1. Micro Electrical Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Technology and Plastic Armor. Applications Account: Army Research, Development, Test and Evaluation. Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Picatinny Arsenal. Address of Requesting Entity: Picatinny Arsenal, Picatinny, NJ 07806- 5000. Description of Request: Funding in the amount of $1.6 million will be used by Picatinny Arsenal in collaboration with Bell Laboratories and the New Jersey Nanotechnology Consortium for research and development of body armor materials using nano technologies, Micro Electrical Mechanical Systems (MEMS) and new plastic armor composites. The development of MEMS technology focuses on lightweight, low power technologies that enable the implementation of new capabilities in current armament and equipment as well as next generation solutions for the war fighter. 2. Strattice Dermal Matrix Research. Account: Army Research, Development, Test and Evaluation. Legal Name of Requesting Entity: LifeCell Corporation. Address of Requesting Entity: One Millenium Way, Branchburg, New Jersey 08876-3876. Description of Request: Funding in the amount of $2.4 million will be used for research and development of skin graft technology, with the goal of developing an off-the-shelf transplantable graft from porcine tissue for combat casualties with full-thickness burns and other skin and dermal deficits. The project is a 3-year research and development program seeking to evaluate the potential for grafting of the scaffold onto full-thickness dermal wounds with full integration and regeneration of intact skin. This scaffold will provide a platform technology for development of other products for repair of tissue loss, meeting significant unmet medical needs in both military and civilian trauma.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Speaker, I first want to thank my friend and colleague, Mr. Crowley, for working with me on this resolution, and I appreciate his leadership on the floor today. I want to thank Chairman Berman of the committee and Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen for their strong support in helping us bring this resolution to the floor today. This Congress is committed to protecting and preserving the cultural heritage of all national, religious, and ethnic groups, including sacred sites such as the cemeteries here in the United States and around the world. There are over 20 bilateral agreements between the United States and foreign governments assuring the protection and preservation of cultural property. However, in recent months, the bilateral agreement between the United States and Lithuania has, unfortunately, been broken. We're disappointed that there has been a lack of meaningful action by the Lithuanian Government in preserving the Jewish cemetery in the Snipiskes area of Vilnius, Lithuania. Instead of preserving this site, the government in Lithuania has allowed an apartment complex to be built over the assumed boundaries of this particular cemetery. Now, cemeteries are sacred sites and are established to remain undisturbed in perpetuity, and the sanctity of a cemetery is determined by the bodies and the families of those bodies that are buried in them. This resolution expresses this body's deep commitment to preserving these sacred cultural sites. Those buried there and their families deserve nothing less than that. As I close, I just want to again thank the chairman of the committee, my friend from New York (Mr. Crowley) and the ranking member of the committee, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. I also want to thank my legislative director, Mandy Tharpe, who worked very hard on drafting this legislation, and all the members of the staff for helping us with this important resolution.

Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Speaker, today we have a stark contrast between the Republican approach to solving the energy crisis in our country and the liberal Democrat and the radical environmentalist approach to solving the energy crisis in our country. We are going to look at two different pieces of legislation, the American Energy Act written by Republicans and some of our friends on the Democratic side, and the Democrats and radical environmentalist no- energy plan that we will have to vote on today. Because it might not be easy to see this chart, I am going to go down this chart. Real offshore exploration for new energy: Republicans say yes; Democrats say no. Renewable energy without raising your taxes: Republicans say yes, Democrats say no. Real oil shale exploration to find new energy: Republicans say yes; Democrats say no. Drilling off the Arctic coastal plain: Republicans say yes; Democrats say no. Emission-free nuclear energy to help us find new electricity and power: Republicans say yes; Democrats say no. Clean coal technology: Republicans say yes; Democrats say no. Increasing our refinery capacity in our country: Republicans say yes; Democrats say no. The Democratic energy plan is a sham. Vote it down.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. I thank the gentleman from Georgia. I rise in support of H.R. 1424, the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Addiction and Equity Act of 2007. This legislation brings treatment to individuals that desperately need the help. Addictions and mental illnesses are afflictions that have long been stigmatized and brushed aside by our society and institutions. Most of us have had a loved one or family member touched by mental illness or addictions. We know their painful stories all too well. Many individuals go years without treatment for serious illnesses due to society's stigma on mental illnesses. These individuals need and should receive the same care and treatment as if they had any other illness. However, I do have deep concerns about how this bill will be funded. Funding this legislation comes at the expense of United States medical researchers, which is ironic, since these are the folks who we look to to develop treatments for many of these very health conditions. One of the offsets included in this legislation is a more than 30 percent increase in the Medicaid prescription drug rebate, which is a punitive and unwarranted move against the same medical researchers that we are relying on to find cures and treatments for illnesses and diseases. By increasing their cost and slapping a new tax on their work, we will be reducing their ability to invest in research and development of new products, new drugs. I believe that is profoundly shortsighted and misguided, and I believe it will set back the cause of research, which would ultimately lead to treatments for many of the diseases and afflictions that we are talking about here today. Therefore, while I support and am a cosponsor of the underlying legislation, I urge that this particular misguided offset be struck from the bill as we negotiate with our colleagues in the Senate on a final version of this important legislation. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman, Mr. Deal, for his leadership. I thank Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Ramstad for their work.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to offer a motion to recommit H.R. 4137, the College Opportunity and Affordability Act, back to the committee. I offer this motion to recommit because this legislation falls short of funding two very critical programs for the education of people in our country. We must ensure that we are fully funding two very important programs, Pell Grants and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IDEA, before moving forward with other programs. Both the Pell Grant program and IDEA have been underfunded for years. This body has promised to fully fund these programs for all Americans, individuals and States, and, sadly, today this body is going to break that promise once again. These are commitments that Republicans and Democrats together have made over the years, and together we have fallen short. Today we have an opportunity to change that. While I am sure the additional programs in today's legislation are worthy programs, we must first guarantee that we are meeting the requirements of current programs before adding more responsibilities to the Department of Education. Individuals in this country depend on Pell Grants and special education funding. For years, these two programs have been successful and are critical to ensuring that all Americans have access to a quality education. It is crucial that we bring these programs up to their full funding levels before adding new spending programs. This motion establishes better funding priorities than the underlying bill. Funding special education and Pell Grants for the higher education of individuals in this country should be the number one priority of the education programs for this body. Currently, IDEA, our special education program, is only being funded at 17 percent of the added cost of educating individuals with disabilities. The Federal Government has been authorized to fund up to 40 percent of the total cost of special education in our States. The fiscal year 2009 budget request is for $11.28 billion. This represents 17 percent of the added cost of special education. To fund IDEA to the level the Federal Government has promised, this request needs to be, should be, $26.55 billion. This creates a funding shortfall of over $15 billion for IDEA. Pell Grants are authorized to be $9,000, the maximum award, under this legislation. However, the current level is less than half of that, the discretionary maximum of $4,241. Including mandatory spending in the maximum Pell Grant, it is still only $4,371, which is only 49 percent of the authorized level. Now, as a nation, Madam Speaker, we pride ourselves on our education system. How can we be proud of a piece of legislation that funds our longstanding key educational programs at only 42.5 percent of the authorized level? It doesn't sound like something to be proud of. How can we be proud of a piece of legislation without this motion to recommit that doesn't set the right funding priorities for our Nation? Members on both sides of the aisle know that one of the heartfelt items that I have worked on in my years in this body has been fully funding our special education programs. We have worked on it together. We have sometimes had success, and sometimes we haven't had the success that we would have liked. But together, today, we have an opportunity to fully fund IDEA and to fully fund the Pell Grant program, these two programs which are so instrumental in helping give young people in our country the educational opportunities that they so desperately need and deserve. Let's fully fund the Pell Grant program. Let's fully fund IDEA to keep our commitment to our special needs students. Let's vote ``yes'' on the motion to recommit. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FERGUSON. Madam Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. FERGUSON. I am in its current form.

Mr. FERGUSON. Madam Speaker, I offer a motion to recommit.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for the time. I want to thank Chairman Pallone for his work on this legislation as well. I rise today in support of H.R. 4848. This important legislation will extend the current mental health parity laws to individuals that desperately need coverage and care. Madam Speaker, I dare say every single one of us in this Chamber, and probably everyone we know, knows someone, cares about someone, perhaps a member of our very own family, who has faced the challenge of mental illness and who could benefit from additional mental health coverage. Thousands and thousands of people suffer from mental health illnesses and addictions in our country. My family is no different from any other family who maybe has a loved one or a member of that family who has dealt with these very significant and difficult problems. This legislation would continue bringing much-needed treatment to those who are in such need. Addictions and mental illnesses are afflictions that have long been stigmatized and brushed aside by our society and our institutions. Not only is this societal perception deterring many individuals from seeking and receiving much-needed treatment, but also the lack of insurance coverage for such treatments prevents many individuals from gaining access to the critical help and the treatments that they need. Many individuals go months or maybe even years without treatment for serious illnesses due to the stigma that our society has placed on these serious diseases. They feel like they must hide their illness from their friends or their family while trying to lead a normal life. However, these illnesses and the individuals who suffer from them deserve care and treatment just as if they were suffering from some other illness or disease. The victims of mental illness should no longer have to suffer in silence and in secret. For too long, people have been told they must take care of themselves while battling these diseases and illnesses. Those battling their debilitating effects haven't been able to receive the stability of care that's available when adequate health insurance coverage is in place. The legislation we are considering today takes steps in the right direction by continuing the current mental health parity laws. However, current laws are not perfect, and they need to be amended to improve the health care of mental addictions and illnesses in our country. I have been a proud cosponsor of the mental health parity efforts in the past, and I will continue to be an ardent supporter of these efforts to have full mental health parity in America. I support legislation that was already mentioned, the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act, which is legislation that would make full mental health parity the law of the land. This legislation is needed, and it should have been passed long ago. This legislation has been championed by my good friend Patrick Kennedy, the Member from Rhode Island, who we just heard from. He's been such a leader on this effort, and he and Jim Ramstad of Minnesota, from our side of the aisle, have really worked so hard and so diligently on this legislation. I really believe that through their work, and the work of many of us, we will help to deliver what people battling addiction and mental illness have long needed and want; that is, the help that they need. We have to continue to ensure that every individual has access to the health care coverage that they need. Every single individual that's affected by these sicknesses should not be without mental health coverage in our country. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4848 to continue to provide mental health coverage to the thousands of individuals who are so desperately in need of that help.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Mr. Stu Piken upon his retirement from civil service in February. For the past 10 years, Mr. Piken has served as Deputy District Engineer for Project Management in the New York District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He is the senior civilian responsible for more than $650 million in projects for civil works, military, hazardous and toxic waste remediation and interagency agreements. After my first election to the House in 2000, I have worked closely with him on a project of great importance to the 7th District that I represent, the Green Brook Flood Control Project. In September 1999, portions of my district were devastated by Hurricane Floyd. Among the areas hardest hit were the communities of Manville and Bound Brook, New Jersey. The flooding in these communities resulted in two deaths, the evacuation of thousands of citizens, damages exceeding $100 million, major disruption to municipal services, and disruption to the lives of thousands of my constituents. The Green Brook Flood Control Project began in response to Floyd and other storms. The Army Corps of Engineers is implementing the project--which includes a system of levees, flood walls, flood gates, pumping stations and retention basins--to protect low-lying communities along flood plains of the Raritan River and its tributaries. Green Brook has received more than $65 million in federal funding since 2001, and Mr. Piken has been instrumental in its progress. Before his current assignment, Mr. Piken served in the North Atlantic Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, on a special assignment as the Director of Programs. In that position, he was responsible for the development of the water resources program for the Northeast as well as the management of all military design and construction in the Northeast and Europe. I join the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in thanking Stu Piken for his dedicated service--especially to the constituents I represent--and I wish him the best in his future endeavors.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to announce that I recently honored Harold C. Hill of the Scotch Plains Rescue Squad with the top award at the First Annual Volunteer Awards Breakfast, which I held in Bridgewater, NJ, November 29, 2007. Offering one's time and energy to help others and make a difference is what being a member of a community is all about, and I created this event and award to recognize the importance of volunteering in our society. In preparation for the event, I contacted numerous volunteer organizations in New Jersey's Seventh District--which includes portions of Hunterdon, Middlesex, Somerset and Union counties--and asked them to nominate an individual who has made exceptional contributions to the community. I was thrilled to see the number of nominations we received. Any of our nominees are worthy of recognition, and my staff and I were faced with the difficult task of selecting a recipient of our top award. In the end, we found Mr. Hill to be the most notable of the many outstanding candidates, and I am sure anyone who knows him and is familiar with his dedication to his community was not surprised. He was born and raised in Scotch Plains, NJ, and has served for 50 years as a member of the town's rescue squad, an all-volunteer organization that serves and protects more than 25,000 residents. Records indicate that during his service, Mr. Hill has answered more than 12,300 calls for assistance to the residents, businesses and visitors of Scotch Plains, and he still actively rides as an emergency medical technician answering more than 250 calls a year. He also has been instrumental in assisting the squad in maintaining and upgrading ambulances and equipment, and is an exemplary role model to other members of the squad. As devoted as he has been to serving his community, perhaps Mr. Hill's most impressive service was to his country. He is an American hero who served honorably in the Korean war, was twice wounded and was decorated with the Purple Heart. It is with great pride that I thank and congratulate all of our nominees for their service and recognize Harold Hill for his exceptional commitment to others.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Councilman Werner Schon and his service to the residents of Mountainside, New Jersey. Councilman Schon is the longest serving councilman in Mountainside history, having served for 25 years, including 3 years as council president. He has also served as the town's fire commissioner, during which time he helped to acquisition fire vehicles for his town. When the New Jersey Department of Transportation attempted to close a U-Turn on a local highway, Councilman Schon worked diligently to alert the Department about safety concerns connected with such a move, and he successfully prevented the closure. Werner Schon is retiring from public service in Mountainside and will be honored at the town's reorganization meeting on January 2, 2008. I join the residents of Mountainside in wishing Councilman Schon many happy years of rest and relaxation with his family, and I am pleased to honor his service to Mountainside.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the Greater Somerset County Chapter of the American Red Cross, which today is celebrating its 90th anniversary. The American Red Cross has a rich history of providing relief and assistance to victims of fires, floods and other natural disasters, dating back to its founding by Clara Barton in 1881. The organization is a great American success story, as it relies on the contributions of volunteers, and gains its funding through private donations and fees from health and safety services. The Greater Somerset County Chapter evolved as a conglomeration of smaller chapters in central New Jersey, the first of which was the Bound Brook Chapter in 1917. This chapter includes 15 municipalities, providing residents with access to emergency and disaster services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including blood-donation programs, preparedness education, health and safety training, and medical transportation services. I would also like to recognize the important work that the Greater Somerset County Chapter's members performed for the residents of New Jersey that I represent during flooding that occurred in recent years, particularly in the towns of Bound Brook and Manville. The vital services provided by these volunteers--and the care and compassion displayed during these difficult times--epitomized the mission of the American Red Cross. Madam Speaker, the Greater Somerset County Chapter, as well as the American Red Cross as a whole, represents the best in helping Americans in their time of need. I am proud to represent an area that is home to such a fine organization, and I am pleased to congratulate the Greater Somerset County Chapter of the American Red Cross as it celebrates its 90th anniversary.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Mayor Frank J. Ryan and his service to the residents of Bound Brook, NJ. Mayor Ryan is a graduate of Bound Brook High School and is married to Rachel ``Te.'' He is a father of two, and grandfather of four. Mayor Ryan served with honor in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. In 1959, Mayor Ryan was elected to the Board of Education, where he served for 7 years before also serving as the president of the Board of Education between 1966 and 1968. In 1998, he was elected to the Borough Council and in 2000 was elected mayor of Bound Brook. Together, Mayor Ryan and I have worked on flood control for the Bound Brook portion of the Green Brook Flood Control Project. To date, we have secured more than 50 million Federal dollars and have completed more than half of the project. Mayor Ryan has been and remains a strong advocate of the project; earlier this year he travelled to Washington to personally promote continued Federal funding for the project with senior members of the House Appropriations Committee. Mayor Ryan is retiring this year from elective public service in Bound Brook. On behalf of residents of Bound Brook, I wish Mayor Ryan many happy years of rest and relaxation with his wife, Te, and I am pleased to honor his service to Bound Brook.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the Suburban Chamber of Commerce of Summit, New Providence, and Berkeley Heights, New Jersey as it celebrates its 90th Anniversary Gala this evening. Since 1917, the Suburban Chamber of Commerce has been serving local business interests in and around the city of Summit. The Chamber is a fixture in the community, serving the interests of a wide variety of businesses and professionals, and providing valuable help to charitable organizations. For the past 25 years the Chamber has overseen the Suburban Chambers Foundation, a charitable organization whose most important projects include scholarships for graduates of Summit, New Providence and Berkeley Heights high schools, and the Vest-A-Cop program which helps pay the costs of bullet-proof vests for local police officers. The Chamber plays a key role in developing and bringing the community together. Each year it promotes numerous local events and charities, including the Summit Summer Street Fair, Santa's Arrival, First Night' Summit, the New Providence Christmas Walk, the Berkeley Heights Fall Festival, and May is Pride in Berkeley Heights. I am proud that the 7th District that I represent is home to a fine organization so dedicated to fostering community, and I am pleased to honor the Chamber's 90th anniversary today.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Madam Speaker, I rise to bring to the attention of the House of Representatives and commend former New Jersey State, Senator Raymond H. Bateman on the occasion of his 80th birthday. Senator Bateman achieved an exemplary record of public service to Somerset County and the State of New Jersey. He served with distinction in the New Jersey Legislature for 19 years, including being elected by his colleagues as Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the New Jersey Assembly and New Jersey State Senate, and for three terms as President of the Senate. Senator Bateman also served as Acting Governor of New Jersey for more than 100 days and was the Republican Party nominee for Governor in 1977. Senator Bateman's career reminds us all that true public service does not take partisanship into consideration. During his tenure in the state legislature, Senator Bateman developed close personal and professional relationships with former Governors Meyner, Hughes, Cahill and Byrne to solve many of the challenges of the day. Senator Bateman never cared from which side of the aisle an idea originated; he cared only that it was a good idea. As a result, Senator Bateman's influence and wisdom are woven into the history of New Jersey. A champion of public education, Senator Bateman authored ``The Bateman Act,'' landmark legislation that provided for the first time a school funding formula to meet the State Constitution's requirement that every child in New Jersey receive a thorough and efficient education. He also authored legislation creating the community college system in New Jersey. Those who have watched a Bruce Springsteen concert or cheered for the Giants, Jets, Devils or Nets at the Meadowlands owe a debt of gratitude to Senator Bateman. His 1971 legislation establishing the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority paved the way for the construction of the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Throughout his long life, Senator Bateman has exemplified the spirit of former President Theodore Roosevelt in his love for nature's beauty. From the rocky shores of Pleasant Pond, Maine, to the banks of the Pequest River in Warren County, New Jersey, Senator Bateman's skill as an avid trout fisherman is deservedly renowned. He has long been a champion of efforts to preserve open spaces in Somerset County. His early appreciation of and support for preserving New Jersey's Pinelands helped ensure that this critical ecosystem would forever be protected. During his long and distinguished career, Senator Bateman received numerous awards and honors. For example, he was one of the five Jaycees' ``Young Men of the Year'' of New Jersey in 1962; he earned the ``Assemblyman of the Year'' award from the New Jersey Association of Freeholders in 1967; he earned the Somerset County Education Association's ``Distinguished Service Award;'' he earned the ``Outstanding Citizen'' award from the Somerset Valley Chamber of Commerce in 1977; and he was named the Rotary Club of Branchburg's first Paul Harris Fellow in 1993 in honor of the founder of Rotary International in 1905. Continuing his lifelong commitment to education, Senator Bateman in 1978 was appointed to the Somerset County College (now called Raritan Valley Community College) Board of Trustees and served as the Board's Vice Chairman. In 1978, he became Chairman of the Board of Trustees and served in that position for 25 years; Senator Bateman will serve as a Trustee until 2009. His leadership and vision helped transform Raritan Valley Community College into one of the top community colleges in New Jersey and the Nation. Raritan Valley Community College in 2006 awarded Senator Bateman with an Honorary Degree, and in 2006 he was presented with the New Jersey Council of County Colleges' ``Community College Spirit Award.'' As long and distinguished as his public record of achievement is, Senator Bateman is first and foremost a son, husband, father, grandfather and friend. A lifelong New Jerseyan, Senator Bateman was born on October 29, 1927, in Somerville, New Jersey, as the son of Lydia and C. Palmer Bateman Sr. Senator Bateman was married for 49 years to the former Joan Speer, and together they had six children, Caren, Raymond, Christopher, Robin, Michael and Joananne. Those blessed to be acquainted with the Bateman family know firsthand that they personify Senator Bateman's generosity, zest for life and sense of community. His ten grandchildren similarly reflect his love of sports, the outdoors and the importance of family above all else. Those of us who followed Senator Bateman into public service are at a distinct disadvantage, for Senator Bateman's shadow is long and his reputation is without equal. Senator Bateman established the standard for selfless service to our fellow citizens; it is a standard other public officials only strive to meet. Somerset County and the State of New Jersey are better for Senator Bateman's service. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Raymond H. Bateman as his family and friends gather this weekend to celebrate 80 truly remarkable years and to wish him many more happy, healthy and fulfilling years to come.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Madam Speaker, my colleague from Utah, Mr. Matheson, and I are introducing legislation to improve public health and specifically to provide a more comprehensive approach to combat antimicrobial resistance. Simply put, the ``bad bugs'' evolve and build resistance to our antibiotics and we need to do more to keep up with them. As a member of the Energy & Commerce Committee, I and my colleagues, recently completed reauthorization of the user fees supporting drug and device approvals by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The bill included several provisions aimed at enhancing antibiotic research and development and improving the resistance information available. New antibiotics are an important part of addressing this problem, but a multipronged approach is necessary to make a significant difference. The story of a young, active 17-year-old girl, Rebecca, from New Jersey caught my attention. Rebecca lost her life due to methcillin- resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), an antibiotic-resistant infection. Her mother, Linda, is willing to share her daughter's story because she was a public health nurse for 15 years and she wants us all to learn from their tragic experience. Rebecca's death changed her family, and it should change us too. For more than a decade there have been countless studies and reports proving antimicrobial resistance is a real and growing problem. The Institutes of Medicine, the World Health Organization, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, have all helped to define the problem. The data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have demonstrated the growing trend in resistant infections. We have missed opportunities to swiftly identify and address resistant infections allowing the spread of these bad bugs--these infections don't recognize state or national borders. Nearly seven years ago, the Interagency Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance published (in January 2001) its Public Health Action Plan to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance. The Action Plan identifies 13 ``top priority'' action items regarding surveillance, research and education. Regrettably, there has not been adequate funding to implement even the top priority items of the plan and this is an area that will benefit from improved leadership and coordination--especially because it is an issue that crosses many agencies and requires involvement from all stakeholders. The Strategies To Address Antimicrobial Resistance (STAAR) Act enhances leadership at HHS to work with the various agencies and solicit outside expertise. It reauthorizes and enhances the current Interagency Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance, section 319E of the Public Health Service Act. The bill improves data collection on antibiotic use, supports education to encourage appropriate use of antibiotics and provides an organized system of surveillance and isolate collection. New Jersey, like other states in the Northeast, has a unique problem that is quickly spreading to other parts of the country--the emergence of Klebsiella pneumonia, a bacteria that is resistant to almost all antibiotics available on the market. The trend was not immediately noticed and as a result, the bacterium spread to other parts of the country. The STAAR Act establishes Antimicrobial Resistance Clinical Research and Public Health Network sites which will be coordinated across the United States to improve our information about emerging infections, as well as conduct and support research. This is an issue that requires action, not more study and more talk. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation to combat antimicrobial resistance.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support for the passage of the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007 (FDAAA). This critical piece of legislation reauthorizes the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) and provides the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with additional resources to further promote and protect the public health. The FDAAA reinforces and expands FDA's comprehensive authority in all aspects of drug regulation--including with respect to drug safety and labeling--and takes the nation's drug safety system, which is already the most rigorous, and makes it even stronger. I commend my colleagues and their dedicated staff on both sides of the aisle who worked tirelessly to ensure that this bill was completed in a bipartisan manner before the September 30, 2007 expiration of the existing PDUFA program. The funds from PDUFA are used to allow FDA to hire additional staff to perform its critical drug review functions while maintaining the same exacting standards for safety and efficacy. Additional funding provided as part of FDAAA will allow the FDA to expand drug safety monitoring, hire additional staff for post-market surveillance, and modernize its information technology systems. Expanded resources will also enable FDA to hire additional employees to review broadcast drug advertisements prior to public dissemination, helping to ensure that benefits and risks of prescription drug products are clearly and accurately communicated to the public. The legislation creates strong incentives for companies to submit such advertisements to the FDA before they are aired. In passing the FDAAA, Congress also reauthorizes the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act (BPCA) and the Pediatric Research Equity Act (PREA), both of which were set to expire on September 30. Since its original passage, the BPCA has done more than any other initiative to generate vital information about the use of medicines in pediatric populations and to promote research on the use of pharmaceutical products in children. The BPCA and PREA were designed to work in tandem to promote and support pediatric research. Therefore, it is critical that these two programs remain linked, as they are in the FDAAA. Since its original enactment in 1992, PDUFA has been a resounding success. It has enabled the timely review of new medicines while at the same time preserving FDA's strict and objective review process. As a result, more than 1,000 new medicines have been made available to patients over the past 15 years. These medicines have helped millions of people lead healthier, more productive lives, and contributed to a longer life expectancy than ever before. By reauthorizing PDUFA and passing the drug safety enhancements contained in the FDAAA, Congress has helped to ensure FDA's continued role as the authority on drug safety and drug regulation.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Marcel Marceau, who died September 22, 2007, at the age of 84. Marcel Marceau revived the art of pantomime, performing across the world beginning after World War II. Through his on-stage persona, ``Bip,'' Marceau was known for his ability to capture the full range of human emotions without using words. Although he became famous as a performer, Marceau's most admirable accomplishment was not on the stage. As a French Jew born Marcel Mangel, during World War II he changed his name and joined the French Resistance to save Jewish children from the Holocaust. He and his brother forged documents to trick the Nazis into thinking that children were too young to be deported, and also helped kids escape into Switzerland. Speaking years later about his actions and about those who were lost in the Holocaust, which included his father, Marceau said: ``Among those kids was maybe an Einstein, a Mozart, somebody who (would have) found a cancer drug. That is why we have a great responsibility. Let us love one another.'' Just as the Holocaust demonstrated the worst evil that humans are capable of, the response by individuals like Marcel Marceau represented the best in human compassion.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to state my support for Taiwan's admission to the United Nations. Taiwan has been a sovereign state with a democratically-elected government since 1949 and it is only fair that they be allowed to represent their 23 million citizens in this international body. Taiwan has a steadily growing economy, a stable, democratically elected government and their own educational and legal system. They are a strong ally of the United States, and it is only right that we support them in their ongoing effort to gain U.N. membership.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Kingston amendment. I have got short time, but earlier this year the Energy and Commerce Committee had a hearing on drug safety, and my good friend, the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. DeGette), summarized the problem with drug importation by referencing a New York Times article just that week. She said, ``Counterfeit drugs made in China were exported to Panama for sale, and they included a deadly toxin . . . 365 families reported deaths as a result of the tainted cough syrup and fever medication.'' My friend, Ms. DeGette, continued: ``Mr. Chairman, the dangers from counterfeit and contaminated drugs are frighteningly real, even under the current construct. Permitting reimportation would significantly increase the risk of counterfeit, misbranded, and adulterated drugs that would end up in my constituents' homes.'' I agree with my friend from the other side of the aisle, the dangers related to drug importation the FDA needs the authority to prevent counterfeit medicines from coming into America. I urge my colleaues to support the Kingston Amendment.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer this amendment to this important bill that would add an additional $50 million to help American students who require special education. First, I want to commend the chairman of the committee and the ranking member for their outstanding efforts to recognize that insufficient funds for special education that are so desperately needed in this country, I know that in committee they added an additional $335 million to IDEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. But having talked to and listened to the stories from teachers and educators and parents from my district and elsewhere who work in special education in my home State of New Jersey, I believe we must try to do even more, and we can certainly do more to recognize the important needs of these particular students and these particular programs. Mr. Chairman, Congress, in 1975, enacted the landmark IDEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which mandated that every student, including those students who have special needs or disabilities will receive a quality and appropriate public education. The law also committed the Federal Government to contribute 40 percent of special education costs, which are often several times higher than the cost of educating other students. Washington, of course, has never met this long-standing, but unfulfilled, commitment to aid States in paying for special education. And as a former teacher, I know firsthand the value of education for every student and the importance of ensuring that every child, including those who have disabilities, experience the thrill of learning. School administrators and teachers and parents all across my district tell me that more special education funding is needed to meet the growing demands in our schools. As teachers seek to improve academic standards and accountability, increased Federal special education funding is critically important to help schools to meet these important obligations to special education students and their families. Washington, as we know, has never met that 40 percent funding threshold. And while Federal education funding has increased by more than 258 percent between 1995 and 2006, this year it still only represents 17.2 percent of the cost of serving students with disabilities. My home State of New Jersey is a national leader in special education. Parents with kids who have special needs and disabilities literally move into our State. They come to New Jersey, particularly parents who have children with autism, they literally move to New Jersey so their kids can enroll in our State's special education programs. This year alone, New Jersey education officials estimate that they're going to spend more than $4 billion in combined Federal, State and local funds to administer special ed programs to almost 250,000 students. Of course there's more than 7 million students nationwide who qualify for these programs. Mr. Chairman, I have been in this House for 6\1/2\ years. And I know that certain years funding levels for special education have been increased and other years they have not been increased. It can be fairly characterized as kind of going in fits and starts. Some years we've made big and new investments, and other years, frankly, we haven't. Six years ago, when I first came to this House and to this Chamber, the first bill I ever introduced in this body was a bill that would fully fund our special education classrooms. I did it with the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Kennedy). He and I have worked together, and I know many others have worked together, to work to fully fund our special education classrooms. Indeed, today I remain and I am the lead Republican sponsor of legislation right now that would fully fund our special education classrooms. But despite many of our best efforts, we have not reached that goal yet. And I know that the chairman, the gentleman from Wisconsin, and the ranking member, Mr. Walsh from New York, they have made extraordinary efforts toward this goal as well. The spirit of this amendment, my amendment, is to make for this year one additional effort to move us in the right direction. Like many of you, I've been in these classrooms. I've observed some of our special needs kids in action. I've seen the heroic efforts of their parents and their teachers and the administrators who work so hard to give them the chance at success in life that they really need and deserve. We've done some to help them. And this bill today, frankly, does even more. But thanks to the efforts of Chairman Obey and Mr. Walsh, and others, I really know we are working hard toward this goal. But I respectfully ask that we try to do just a little bit more this year, and by approving this amendment we will be able to do that. I ask my colleagues respectfully to support this important amendment so that we can say we did everything we probably could to help these students who need that extra chance in life. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.