Brett Guthrie

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, through the years, since this medical device fee has been put into place, has Congress taken action to make sure an agency is efficient; that it does its job to make sure that our drugs and medical devices have efficacy, but also are safe? So we make them more efficient and we have drug companies, device companies, other companies, generic companies, trying to get their devices or their pharmaceuticals approved so they can bring them on the marketplace that are safe and efficient. So this is really an example of Congress working together to move this process forward. And the innovations that have come out in the last few years, if we look at what has gone on in the diabetes world with the artificial pancreas, all the pumps and insulin devices, to hepatitis C, pharmaceuticals and other ways, and just so much more, what is going to happen in the next 5 years as we continue to move this process forward? We had a hearing in the Subcommittee on Health on ALS, and we had an ALS patient before us who just wants hope. So all of that is accounted for in this process. We, as Members of Congress, we, as members of the Committee on Energy and Commerce have worked together to make the process streamlined, to make sure we have efficient, efficacy, and safe products. Our hope and our prayers from this is the science will come into place so those who testified before our committee with rare diseases will have the opportunity and hope to be healed. I urge my colleagues to support this piece of legislation. A lot of hard work went into it. A lot of lives can be affected by it. I encourage everyone to vote for it. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Bucshon).

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I am proud to be here today. I worked with my colleague, Diana DeGette. We had hearings on the cost of diabetes and on the supply chain, and we said this is something we can work on together. And we did work on it together. And most of those provisions are in a bipartisan H.R. 19, the Lower Costs, More Cures Act. Madam Speaker, I am fighting for my constituents to have lower insulin costs. But I think, more importantly, I am fighting for my constituents to deliver a cure for diabetes. Our experts say it is not impossible to have a cure for diabetes in the next decade. And we need to continue to push policies that promote innovation, not slow it down. So the Lower Costs, More Cures Act will help patients, including seniors, afford monthly insulin prescriptions without discouraging future investments in breakthrough medications. I encourage the majority to come back with H.R. 19, Lower Costs, More Cures Act, and let's work together, instead of the rhetoric that we just heard from our respected leader. Let's work together and do it in a bipartisan way, the way we tried to do it in the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my former legislative assistant, Katherine Fleming. Katherine served Kentucky's Second District in my Washington, D.C. office for over five years. After interning in my office in 2013 as a student at Furman University, she joined my office full-time in 2016. Katherine advised me on issues ranging from financial services to transportation, as well as my work for the House Education and Labor Committee and the Energy and Commerce Committee. A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Katherine is a dedicated public servant, who cares deeply about helping the Commonwealth. I thank Katherine for her service to the Second District and wish her the best in this next chapter of her career.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the service of my friend and district office staffer Greg Burkot. A proud Bardstown resident, Greg served the Second District as a field representative from 2009 to 2021. He represented my office in Edmonson, Hart, LaRue, Meade, and Nelson Counties and was a key liaison to constituents in those communities. Greg and his wife, Paula, have two daughters, the apple of his eyes, Rebecca and Allyson, with their husbands, and their three grandchildren. They are also active in their community and church. I will miss Greg's welcoming personality, and I thank him for his service to the Second District and the Commonwealth. I wish Greg the best on his retirement, and I hope he and Paula enjoy this next chapter of their lives as parents and grandparents and as retirees.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of S. 1543, the Suicide Training and Awareness Nationally Delivered for Universal Prevention Act, or STANDUP Act. The House version of this bill, H.R. 586, was led by Representative Scott Peters along with Energy and Commerce Committee colleagues Bilirakis, Blunt Rochester, Upton, and Tonko. It passed this Chamber unanimously last May. This legislation helps promote suicide awareness and facilitates prevention training for students and young Americans. For the last decade, suicide has been the second-leading cause of death for Americans ages 10 to 24 and the 10th leading cause of overall deaths in the United States. Initiatives that empower students with knowledge of the warning signs and resources for prevention can help in preventing suicide, which this legislation will help to accomplish. The pandemic has greatly impacted the mental health of Americans across the country. It is critical that we continue addressing these growing challenges and work to prevent youth suicide while promoting the mental wellness of all. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about S. 1662, the Supporting the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health and the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the Food and Drug Administration Act. The companion version of this bill, H.R. 3743, was led by Energy and Commerce Committee colleagues Representatives Hudson and Eshoo and passed the House in December. Unleashing biomedical innovation in the United States is critical in saving lives and maintaining our global competitiveness. We saw how important it was to invest in creating new treatments during the COVID- 19 pandemic, and we need to carry that momentum into the future. S. 1662 authorizes increased transfer authorities from the FDA and NIH to the Reagan-Udall Foundation and the Foundation for NIH, respectively. Allowing FDA and NIH to transfer additional resources to these public-private partnerships will give the Reagan-Udall Foundation and the Foundation for the NIH more flexibility to meet the growing research demands and accelerate future medical innovations. And I close with this: I was in Brussels last week. I am on the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. I was with our allies as everything took place that we all saw in Europe. This is the Energy and Commerce Committee. We have done some wonderful work on these bills, and they are important. But I will tell you, as I just talked about innovation and world leadership, it reminded me of this. We were energy independent a couple of years ago, and I will tell you, people in my part of the country, and I am sure all over the country, are struggling with what they are paying for gas. But I will tell you this: I was with our European allies, and they are terrified about what this is going to do to the oil markets. What we are doing now is just not sanctioning the Russian oil because we are all terrified of that. So hopefully, the Energy and Commerce Committee will have the opportunity to look at the policies, why we are no longer energy independent and how we can move forward. I saw the President's Press Secretary, Ms. Psaki, talking on an interview show yesterday. They asked her was the President going to do something to relieve fossil fuels, and her answer was, well, this just shows why we shouldn't be dependent on fossil fuels. Well, the answer is this is why we shouldn't be dependent on foreign fossil fuels when we have them available to ourselves. Of course, the interviewer didn't ask the following question: Well, maybe that is the case, but what are we going to do in the next weeks, months, and through the summertime? We all know, because we see it on the television, that it is a dire situation. But when you look them in the eyes and you see it in their faces--the Ukrainians were eligible to come to this meeting, but obviously, they weren't there. We did have Zoom meetings with them. But we looked at our European allies, and it is a tough situation. We can make it better. We can make it better for ourselves. We can make it better for them. I think it is the right thing to do. So, hopefully, we will have the opportunity to move forward. But the bills that we are talking about today in my subcommittee are important, and I recommend this bill be passed, as well. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 854, the Methamphetamine Response Act. The companion version of this bill, H.R. 2051, was led by Representatives Peters, Curtis, and Harshbarger in the House. Methamphetamine is a highly addictive stimulant that is illicitly trafficked throughout the United States. This dangerous substance is associated with psychosis, cardiovascular dysfunction, infectious disease transmission, and overdose. The Drug Enforcement Administration even issued a public safety alert for the first time in 6 years in September 2021 warning Americans about the increase in the lethality of fake prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine. In response to recent trends and alarming increases in methamphetamine-involved overdose deaths, S. 854 would designate methamphetamine as an emerging drug threat and would direct the Office of National Drug Control Policy to develop a methamphetamine response plan. The development and the implementation of this plan will help coordinate efforts across the Federal Government to more effectively address this emerging drug threat. I will say, we absolutely have to have this in place, but it stops at the source. I was able in early January to go to the border, and I was outside of El Paso--actually in New Mexico, but outside of El Paso. The Border Patrol agents took me to the point where, on January 20, 2021, they ceased building the wall; and they said this is where a lot of the drugs are flowing through, and they were talking about meth, and they were also talking about fentanyl. Fentanyl, as we know, mostly originates in China, but it comes through Mexico, so it is just a failure of so many different policies. It comes through Mexico and comes across the border. They said because of the volume of people coming up through the border without the remain in Mexico policy and the wall that it is numbers. If hundreds of people are coming, and we can catch 20 percent of them; and you can put fentanyl--I know we are talking about methamphetamine, but it comes together--you can put fentanyl in a water bottle and bring it through. We are doing this bill today, which is great, but if the CR expires on March 11, illicit fentanyl and fentanyl analogues will be street- legal in the United States. This committee needs to bring the HALT Fentanyl Act to the floor and permanently ban illicit fentanyl. Seventy percent of all overdose deaths in Kentucky in 2020 were from illicit fentanyl. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill. This is a serious bill. I actually had a sheriff from Nelson County, Kentucky, who was visiting, and he said: We can tell the price--because they do the controlled buys--in the amount of money I have to use to buy meth, the cost, I can tell you what has happened at the border because if it is low, it means we are flooded with it because the border is not in control, and right now the price is so low, the only thing that my drug enforcement officers have said to me is that, well, there is no longer any meth labs or many meth labs, if any, in rural Kentucky because so much is coming from Mexico it has put them out of business. So they don't have to go clean up meth labs as they find them, but it is a tough consolation. We need to pass this bill, and we also need to pass the HALT Fentanyl Act. We need to get control of our southern border to keep these drugs from flowing into the country illegally to begin with. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from Louisiana for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise today to address the rising number of drug overdoses. It is one of our greatest public health threats, and illicit fentanyl is the main driver. The class-wide ban of fentanyl analogs expires February 18, and if Congress does not act to extend the ban on fentanyl analogs, many of these illicit drugs would essentially become street legal. For context, fentanyl analogs have been found to be four to five times more potent than fentanyl, and fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin. In Kentucky, fentanyl was responsible for over 70 percent of all drug overdoses in 2020, and even tragically, took the life of a 2-year-old who ingested opioids laced with fentanyl that he found in his mom's purse. More recently, a 13-year-old overdosed from fentanyl in Connecticut, and authorities recovered around 1,000 bags of fentanyl in his bedroom. The purpose of permanently scheduling in a class-wide ban is to save lives by reducing a criminal's incentive to develop new variations of fentanyl analogs to try to evade law enforcement. And we have seen fewer new fentanyl analog encounters during this ban. I am working to permanently schedule fentanyl analogs by passing the HALT Fentanyl Act. And I am disappointed that today the Democrats blocked consideration of the HALT Fentanyl Act. Now is not the time to scale back our fight against these deadly drugs. We need to permanently schedule fentanyl analogs and secure our southern border to stop these poisons from reaching our communities, or else thousands more American lives will be at stake.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the 77 Kentuckians who lost their lives to the horrific tornadoes that devastated our Commonwealth this December. May we continue to lift up all of those who were affected by these storms and support the rebuilding of homes, businesses, and livelihoods. We lost 17 Kentuckians in my district, all in my home county of Warren County. We must ensure their memories are never forgotten, and I ask that Americans keep these families and these names in their prayers: Alisa Besic, Alma Besic, Elma Besic, Samantha Besic, Selmir Besic, Nariah Brown, Nolynn Brown, Nyles Brown, Nyssa Brown, Rachel Brown, Steven Brown, Terry Jayne, Say Meh, Cory Scott, Victoria Smith, Mae White, and Robert Williams, Jr. May they rest in peace.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Eric Bergren's 27 years of service to Kentucky's Second District. Eric, a graduate of UMass, started working for Kentucky's Second District in 1994. Eric worked his way up from an intern to become the chief of staff under Congressman Lewis, my predecessor. During that time, Eric met his wife, Kathy Reding, a native of Howardstown, Kentucky, in the Second District. Eric and Kathy are now proud parents of Cecelia and Julia. Eric has been at my side since 2009 when I was sworn in. I believe I have had the best chief, and others have affirmed that. On a personal note, we have both watched our kids grow up and shared with each other the joys of being a father. Madam Speaker, I am losing a chief but I am not losing a great friend. Thanks for everything, Eric, and I wish you the best for your next chapter.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Barr), my good friend.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I almost always enjoy when the Republican leader comes to Kentucky, whether it is going to see Corvettes or the Abraham Lincoln birthplace. Unfortunately, we got to spend time together honoring Carol when we attended her funeral in Lexington. I know he was a dear friend of Carol's. He is not just our Republican leader, but he was a dear friend of hers as well. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. McCarthy), the Republican leader.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise), the Republican whip.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Wenstrup), a good friend of Andy's, and I know he has taken Andy under his wing over the last year. It is hard to believe it has been over a year.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, again, this is a great legacy for a great woman and her children. Every time I see them, we all tear up but we know that they are carrying on her legacy. I know that her husband is here today moving forward with her legacy. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the passage of the bill, and I thank the gentleman for yielding to the gentlewoman from Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1193, the Cardiovascular Advances and Opportunities Legacy Act, or the CAROL Act, introduced by my good friend and fellow Kentuckian, Representative Andy Barr. Mr. Speaker, Congress is like a family, and we certainly laugh together and we certainly argue with each other, but there are times we cry with each other. I will never forget the phone call that I received from Robert Aderholt telling me that Carol Barr, who was a wonderful woman, wonderful wife, and wonderful mother, had passed away. Our friend and colleague, Representative Andy Barr, has introduced this bill to honor his wife, who passed away from mitral valve prolapse. Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death for most demographic groups in the United States. Over 600,000 Americans die from heart disease each year. This is equal to one person every 36 seconds. We know that taking early action is critical to surviving a heart condition. People need to know the warning signs and symptoms. Understanding the gaps in education and information sharing will help the healthcare system better detect these warning signs. This bill authorizes grants administered by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to support research on valvular heart disease and convenes subject matter experts to identify research opportunities to develop more informed treatment guidelines for patients with valvular heart disease. It also instructs the CDC to increase public awareness about the symptoms associated with valvular heart disease and effective strategies for preventing sudden cardiac arrest. This bill will provide timely investments to adequately inform others about valvular heart disease and ultimately save lives. Mr. Speaker, as I said, every 36 seconds, one person dies from heart disease. It is a life; it is a wife; it is a mother; it is Carol Barr. That is who we are here today to honor. We should use the horrible tragedy that the Barrs have gone through to prevent other families from going through the same thing. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have remaining?

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter).

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote for this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5551, the Improving the Health of Children Act, led by my Energy and Commerce Committee colleagues, Representatives Carter and Trahan. Birth defects, unfortunately, are very common in the United States. According to recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, 1 in every 33 babies are born with a birth defect each year, and birth defects are the leading cause of death for all babies. H.R. 5551 reauthorizes through 2026 the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, which has been critical to improving the lives of children with birth defects and their families. This would reestablish critical programming related to birth defects, intellectual disabilities, and child development in order to bolster the center's research efforts and improve more lives. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 5561, the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act, which is also co-led by my Energy and Commerce Committee colleague, Representative Matsui. Hearing loss in children continues to be all too prevalent in the United States. According to recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, almost 15 percent of children ages six to 19 experience either low or high-frequency hearing loss in one or both ears. The Early Hearing Detection and Intervention program, administered through CDC and the Health Resources and Services Agency, has helped providers to quickly identify babies and young children who are born deaf or hard of hearing, which has led to improved health outcomes and brought hope to so many families. H.R. 5561 reauthorizes Federal support for these important statewide programs that promote early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of deaf and hearing impaired newborns, infants, and young children through 2026. My bill will redouble our efforts to truly open the world of communication to children experiencing hearing loss. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5487, the SHINE for Autumn Act of 2021, led by Representatives Herrera Beutler, Roybal- Allard, Mullin, and Castor. Each year, about 24,000 babies are stillborn in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite medical innovations, stillbirth rates remain relatively unchanged and affect women of different ages and backgrounds. No family should have to go through such an unthinkable tragedy, and this is, unfortunately, far too common. H.R. 5487 aims to prevent stillbirth through enhanced research, surveillance, and reporting. Specifically, the bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to better support States in collecting more complete stillbirth data. It also establishes a National Institutes of Health fellowship program focused on stillbirth research and pathology. This legislation will help provide much-needed outreach and education on stillbirths, giving healthcare providers additional tools to improve health outcomes for mothers and babies who deserve a fighting chance at life. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.