Gene Green

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise and voice my support for H.R. 3691, the Improving Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women Act. The Pregnant and Postpartum Women--PPW--program is administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration--SAMHSA--Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. The program was designed to expand the availability of comprehensive residential substance abuse treatment, prevention, and recovery support services for pregnant and postpartum women and their children. The program provides grants to public and nonprofit private entities to provide substance use disorder treatment to women in residential facilities. For too long our laws have taken a punitive approach with pregnant women and new mothers suffering from addiction. Criminal approaches have failed to work. Solutions should emphasize a nonpunitive, public health approach like the PPW program. Substance abuse treatment that supports the family as a unit has proven effective for maintaining sobriety and enhancing child well- being. Given the magnitude of this epidemic, there is a need for increased availability of treatment options that are responsive to women's complex responsibilities. H.R. 3691 reauthorizes residential treatment programs for pregnant and postpartum women. This vital program provides for substance use treatment for women in need as well as their minor children. Family- based treatment services include individual and family counseling, prenatal and postpartum care, and training on parenting. The bill will also create a pilot program to allow up to 25 percent of the grants to be made for outpatient treatment services. This will give State substance abuse agencies greater flexibility to provide access to treatment and address gaps in delivery of care for pregnant and postpartum women, including services in nonresidential settings, and encourage new approaches of services available to pregnant women along the continuum of care. I want to thank the bill's sponsor, Representative Ben Ray Lujan, who is a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Health Subcommittee, for his leadership in introducing this bill. I urge my colleagues to support the Improving Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women Act. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Ben Ray Lujan), the cosponsor of the bill.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), my colleague and neighbor from Houston.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 1818, the Veteran Emergency Medical Technician Support Act. Our Nation's servicemen and -women receive some of the best medical training and experience in emergency medicine while serving our country. Their commitment to duty, training, real-world experience, and ability to work effectively in challenging environments make them exceptionally well suited for working as emergency medical technicians, EMTs, upon their return to civilian life. However, experienced military medics who want to work in civilian EMT jobs are often required to repeat their medical training at the most basic level to receive certification in order to be hired. Depending on the State, a returning veteran may have to obtain or renew their EMS license. The requirements can vary significantly by State. This is an unnecessary impediment for both our service personnel and our communities that are in need of qualified emergency medical service personnel. We should not be keeping veterans out of the workforce and withholding valuable medical personnel from supporting our communities. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook, approximately 55,000 new civilian EMT and paramedic jobs have already been or will be created between 2012 and 2022. Highly skilled and properly trained veterans are well positioned to fill these essential provisions. H.R. 1818 will authorize a demonstration grant program for States to streamline certification and licensure requirements for returning veterans with military EMT training so they can work as civilian EMTs as quickly as possible. Streamlining the licensing process will make it easier for the civilian EMS community to hire experienced combat medics. This is not only beneficial to our veterans, but also to our communities, and it will enhance the level of care that is provided to our citizens. I thank the bill's sponsors--Representative Lois Capps, who is a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce and of our Subcommittee on Health, and Congressman Adam Kinzinger--for introducing and championing this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support the Veteran Emergency Medical Technician Support Act. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps).

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 4969, the John Thomas Decker Act. A crisis of this magnitude requires a multiprong, robust response across the full continuum of those exposed to and affected by addiction. People suffering from addiction are originally prescribed or exposed to opioids in a wide variety of circumstances, one of which is through youth sports injuries. H.R. 4969, the John Thomas Decker Act, will bring needed education on the danger of opioids and the benefits of alternative approaches to pain treatment to youth sports. The John Thomas Decker Act will direct the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Center for Injury Prevention to examine and report on what informational materials and resources are currently available to teenagers and adolescents participating in sports on the dangers of opioid use and misuse, alternative treatment options, and how to seek treatment for addiction. Based on the findings of this report, the legislation directs the CDC and the National Center for Injury Prevention to develop and disseminate such informational materials as necessary. Young people playing sports who incur an injury for which painkillers are frequently prescribed can be uniquely vulnerable to addiction if they or their parents, guardians, and coaches are not well informed of the potential for misuse, abuse, and addiction. H.R. 4969 will play a role in helping curb the epidemic opioid abuse and heroin use by ensuring adequate and appropriately tailored resources for our Nation's youth. I thank the bill sponsor, Representative Meehan, for introducing this legislation. I encourage my colleagues to support the John Thomas Decker Act. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 4586, Lali's Law. Mr. Speaker, between 2001 and 2014, there was a threefold increase in prescription drug overdoses and a sixfold increase in heroin overdoses in the United States. We must do more to prevent drug misuse and abuse to avoid these tragedies in the first place. We must also ensure that those suffering from addiction to prescription and nonprescription drugs have access to potentially lifesaving treatments when and where they need it. Naloxone has proven to be a successful lifesaving intervention for patients presenting with overdose if administered quickly. When used, naloxone helps restore breathing that has been stopped by the overdose and has potential for saving thousands of lives each year. H.R. 4586 would create a competitive grant program to help States increase access to overdose reversal medications. The primary purpose of the grant is to fund State programs that allow pharmacists to distribute overdose reversal drugs without a person-prescription to qualified individuals or entities. To be effective, overdose reversal drugs must be given to the patient almost immediately. In an emergency situation, the ability for emergency medical technicians, law enforcement, substance abuse treatment providers, and qualified individuals to have such medications on hand can make the difference between life and death. Qualified individuals and entities often need to possess treatment before a specific patient is identified. Many States have established and use these programs to allow local law enforcement officers or emergency medical technicians to carry and use the overdose reversal drug naloxone. H.R. 4586 would expand these programs by helping States develop standing orders and educate healthcare professionals about dispensing these medications without person-specific prescriptions. I want to thank the bill's sponsors, the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. Clark) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Dold), for introducing this legislation. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 4586. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. Clark), a cosponsor of the bill.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise to voice my support for H.R. 4599, Reducing Unused Medications Act. Opioid abuse in the United States is rising at alarming rates. In 2014, nearly 2 million Americans abused or were addicted to prescription opioids. Opioids are now one of the most prescribed classes of medications, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse estimates that over 70 percent of adults who misuse prescription opioids get them from a friend or relative. A promising step to reduce the number of prescription opioids is a permanent partial filling of these prescriptions. Current Drug Enforcement Administration regulations allow pharmacists to partially fill prescriptions for schedule III, IV, and V substances, however, only allow partial fulfillment of schedule II substances in long-term- care settings or to terminally ill patients and when the full prescription cannot be supplied. While these regulations do not explicitly prohibit a pharmacist from partially filling prescriptions for schedule II substances outside of these certain limited circumstances, DEA recognizes that the regulations lack clarity as to when partial filling of schedule II substances is permitted. This bill would provide clarity. The Reducing Unused Medications Act would allow pharmacists, at the request of patients or doctors, to partially fill prescriptions for schedule II drugs, such as opioids, meaning that a patient or doctor can request to receive a 10-day supply of a 30-day prescription initially and then return later to receive the remaining portion, if needed. This flexibility may help reduce the number of unused pills in circulation and reduce the risk of substance misuse, diversion, and overdose. The bipartisan bill before us reflects a careful compromise that holds the potential to reduce the amount of unused opioid medications in circulation and is an important step in helping curb a growing opioid epidemic. I want to thank Representatives Clark and Stivers for their leadership in sponsoring this bill. I urge my colleagues to support the Reducing Unused Medications Act. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. Clark), the sponsor of this bill.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 4982, Examining Opioid Treatment Infrastructure Act. Opioid use disorder is a chronic disease that can be effectively treated, but it requires ongoing management. As the current epidemic has drawn sharply into focus, significantly more resources are needed to ensure availability of and access to evidence-based treatment. A public health-based approach to drug abuse and addiction requires having broad-based treatment services available for those with opioid use disorders, including both behavioral therapies and proven medication-assisted treatment and insurance coverage for such treatment. Medication-assisted treatment is often in combination with behavioral treatment, which has been shown to be highly effective in the treatment of opioid addiction. However, many patients in need of treatment face significant barriers. Physicians cite barriers finding and placing patients in addiction treatment and recovery programs. Current capacity of treatment and recovery programs is inadequate to meet the population's needs. There are too few physicians and programs offering treatment and recovery services. In order to address these shortages, better information and data is needed for our existing opioid treatment infrastructure. H.R. 4982, the Examining Opioid Treatment Infrastructure Act, will direct the GAO to conduct a study on the inpatient and outpatient treatment capacity of the United States. It instructs the agency to examine the capacity of acute residential or inpatient detoxification programs, inpatient clinical stabilization programs, transitional residential support services, and residential rehabilitation programs. The GAO is directed to report on geographic differences in the availability of treatment and recovery programs for substance abuse disorders; the availability of programs that offer evidence-based treatment options, including the use of FDA-approved medications; and the number of patients' different treatment settings. Finally, the agency would include an assessment of the need for residential and outpatient treatment for substance use disorders across the continuum of care. We must face this crisis head-on and address the serious gaps in evidence-based treatment. The Examining Opioid Treatment Infrastructure Act will help us do this. I want to thank the bill's sponsor, Representative Bill Foster, for introducing this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support the act. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Foster), a cosponsor of the bill.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, having no further speakers, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4981, the Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Expansion and Modernization Act. Despite the fact that we are in the middle of an unprecedented opioid and heroin crisis, we know that treatment gaps continue to limit our ability to address the growing crisis. Only 1 in 10 people struggling with addiction receive any form of treatment, despite the fact that we have evidence-based, medication-assisted treatment for those struggling with prescription drug or heroin addiction. One available treatment is buprenorphine. The medication is safely prescribed from an office setting similar to any other medication a patient might take. Unfortunately, in the midst of our current opioid epidemic, currently, physicians are restricted to how many patients they are allowed to treat with this medication, and nurse practitioners and physician assistants are not allowed to treat patients with this medication at all. As a result, many patients are placed on prolonged waiting lists with addiction specialists as they await access to this treatment. This is not acceptable. We must significantly increase the cap of the number of patients a physician can treat, as well as permanently allow nurse practitioners and physician assistants to treat patients with this medication. Today's legislation is not perfect, but it is the first step toward reaching bicameral, bipartisan agreement on a package that meets these goals. I remain committed to working with my colleagues to expand access to this important evidence-based treatment as we move to conference with the Senate. I want to thank the bill's sponsors, fellow members of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Representative Paul Tonko and Representative Larry Bucshon, for introducing this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support the Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Expansion and Modernization Act. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Tonko), a fellow member on the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the hard work and dedication of workers in our district in Houston and Harris County, Texas who deserve a living wage, and I call on Congress to vote on raising the minimum wage. There are over 10 million Americans working full time today who earn below the poverty line--under $24,000 a year for a family of four. In my home state of Texas, over 450,000 people are paid the minimum wage, more than any other state. African-Americans and Hispanics are the most likely in our country to be among the working poor. Nearly 1-in-7 black and Hispanic Americans work full-time and live below the poverty line. Eight percent of all working women in our country, 5.5 million Americans, are among the working poor. Mr. Speaker, this is simply not right. Our country must value hard work and pay our workers a living wage if we are going to compete in the 21st century. I am a proud original cosponsor of the Raise the Wage Act. This bill would raise the minimum wage nationwide to $12 an hour by 2020, and index the minimum wage to inflation afterwards, giving 35 million Americans--more than one in four--a raise. Increasing the minimum wage would raise earnings by nearly $80 billion and grow our economy when millions of Americans can finally afford to buy a new television, automobile, or home. This bill would end the unfair treatment of tipped workers by giving waiters and waitresses the same minimum wage as other workers. America is a hardworking and compassionate country. We can no longer stand by while millions of our neighbors continue to live in poverty despite their great efforts. I urge my colleagues to stand with the American people and demand a vote to raise the minimum wage.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.J. Res. 88. One of the biggest concerns I hear from my constituents in Houston and Harris County, Texas is having enough money for retirement. For decades, we have seen the private sector moving their employees from defined benefit to defined contribution retirement plans. Now we're seeing growing pressure to move public sector workers onto defined contribution plans as well. Even more concerning is the current effort by multiemployer pension funds, like Central States, to pull the rug from under retirees and slash their pensions by hundreds of thousands of dollars. This pattern has troubled me for years and I hope Congress will take action to ensure workers in Houston and Harris County and throughout our great country who have worked for decades get the secure retirement they deserve. If American families are going to be required to secure their retirement in the private market, at the very least, they ought to have peace of mind that they are getting the best advice from financial professionals. The Labor Department and Secretary Tom Perez worked for years to put together a fair and balanced rule that will ensure that when it comes to saving for retirement, customers--in other words, the American people--come first by holding advisers and brokers to a fiduciary standard. The Council of Economic Advisers has reported that due to loopholes that had been on the books for 40 years, conflicted advice and hidden fees have cost American families $17 billion a year in lost retirement savings. These conflicts of interest can cost a retiree almost one- fifth of their savings by age 65. I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle today to stand with our nation's retirees and working families and vote down this irresponsible resolution.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding to me, and I also thank him for last Friday, when I was able to be in your district there along Brays Bayou in the Westbury area and the Meyerland area and see it. That happened in your district in southwest Houston, but it also happened in north Houston and east Houston. It was not as much as some of the tragedies in other parts of the county, but we have hundreds of homes that have been flooded. On April 18, the city of Houston in Harris County, Texas, was subjected to paralyzing flooding that claimed the lives of our citizens and required the rescue of 1,200 more. Approximately 2,000 housing units were flooded, and we are currently working to figure out where to house these folks who cannot return to their homes. This is the second major flooding disaster Houston has experienced in the last 6 months, and the city is expecting additional rain and thunderstorms this week. Residents of our congressional districts, as well my colleagues' member districts, have been severely affected, and we must stop the needless loss of life. The President has recognized the significance of the catastrophe and fulfilled a request for disaster declaration. Now it is the job of Congress to help our constituents. I have worked closely with my neighbor and friend, Representative Al Green, to introduce the Tax Day Flood Supplemental Funding Act. The legislation would provide $311 million to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for construction and, in many cases, completion of our bayous and flood control projects. Flooding is not new in Houston, but we have learned how to control it. Our bayou system has saved countless lives and millions of dollars in damages since being created. Unfortunately, due to the consistent budget pressure, the Army Corps of Engineers cannot adequately fund these projects that need to be finished. This bill would ensure that our Federal, State, and local authorities have the resources necessary to expedite the flood control projects we know protect people and property. Additionally, I want to make sure folks on the ground have the information they need to get back into their homes. If residents are subject to flood damage, please report flood damage by calling 311. Download the Houston 311 app and visit Houston311.org to submit flood damage reports. Residents must file an insurance claim with their home or their auto insurance company for damages they have incurred. Failure to file an insurance claim may affect your eligibility for the Federal assistance because, by law, FEMA cannot provide money for losses that are covered by insurance. Also, it is important to know that, if Spanish-speaking households have children that are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents, FEMA will assist you. Before submitting your application, folks should have the following information ready: their Social Security number, their home and auto insurance information, flood damage information, personal financial information, and personal contact information. You can apply by phone for FEMA assistance. You can call 1-800-621- 3362. Again, that is 1-800-261-FEMA, 1-800-621-3362. FEMA can offer two types of assistance: housing assistance, temporary housing, money to help repair or replace your primary residence. Nonhousing needs include medical, dental, funeral costs, clothing, household items, tools, home fuel, disaster-related moving and storage and replacement of disaster-damaged vehicles. After 24 hours, you need to follow up with FEMA. A FEMA inspector should contact you within 10 to 14 days. Mr. Speaker, we can help the victims in our neighborhoods, and we must help them. I urge this body to pass this emergency funding legislation so we won't have this tragedy again while we are trying to get people out of the water and back into their homes and back into a regular life. Again, I want to thank my colleague for having this Special Order tonight. Again, our office and all our congressional offices who are impacted across Houston--whether they be Republican or Democrat--are here to serve you and serve our constituents. I thank my colleague.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to co-chair the Congressional Charity Golf Classic. The real winners of this golf tournament are the wounded warriors we golfed with. Over the last number of years, since we have changed the format, we have been able to see the changes in them. There is a competitiveness between Republicans and Democrats, but we also play with a lot of people who have literally put their life on the line for our country. They have illnesses and disabilities that this program benefits. I want to thank my colleague from Tennessee. Coming from Texas, I will quit saying the best thing from Tennessee came out in 1836. It was a lot of fun, and I thank the gentleman for doing this.