Brett Guthrie

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2715) to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to extend the destruction authority of the Secretary of Health and Human Services to articles that present a significant public health concern, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the legislation and include extraneous material on H.R. 2715.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, it looks like we have two friends from Louisiana supporting this and who sponsored this bill today, Mr. Higgins and Mr. Carter. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Higgins).

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I really appreciate my friends from Louisiana, both of them, for bringing this forward. This is important. Think about what we are talking about here. Contaminated seafood, illicit drugs, and all of these other things are getting stopped at a port of entry, but FDA has no authority to destroy them. As my friend from New Jersey said, they get returned and come in through another port. As good as our people are at our ports of entry, if you keep sending the same thing through over and over, eventually it is going to get through. It makes no sense not to allow the FDA to destroy these products. Mr. Speaker, I support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2821) to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, to publish a final rule relating to nonclinical testing methods.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this legislation.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2821, led by my colleagues Representative Carter of Georgia and Representative Barragan, which requires the Secretary of HHS to publish rules amending certain regulations by replacing references to ``animal'' tests, data, studies, models, and research with the broader term ``nonclinical'' tests, data, studies, models, and research. Biomedical research typically utilizes animal models to explore biological processes, analyze diseases, and explore potential therapies. However, given the concerns and scientific limitations of animal testing, researchers have increasingly turned to new approach methodologies to evaluate drugs when scientifically justified. The scientific community has worked diligently to balance animal welfare concerns and the value of animal tests and research. I am pleased with the progress to date and look forward to seeing continued evidence-driven advancements in this space. I commend the administration for their work to phase out animal testing where it is scientifically appropriate and for achieving the key goals in the first year of implementing the roadmap to reducing animal testing in preclinical safety studies. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague from Georgia for putting this bill forward, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter), a dear friend, a great member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and a leader in this effort with the FDA. With pharmaceuticals, just about anything that is very important to the American people, he is an absolute leader in that.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I encourage a ``yes'' vote on this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4348) to reauthorize the Kay Hagan Tick Act, and for other purposes.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the legislation and to include extraneous material on H.R. 4348.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4348, led by my colleagues, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett), which authorizes the national and regional centers for excellence in vector-borne disease in the CDC's cooperative agreements with health departments in high-risk areas for vector-borne diseases. Vectors like mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas carry dangerous diseases, and vector-borne diseases can happen to anyone. They can have debilitating effects. Preventing these diseases is a bipartisan issue that I hope we all can support. In addition to thanking the bill's sponsors for their leadership in advancing the efforts to reduce the alarming threat of vector-borne disease, I also thank the administration for their support of this bill and for their commitment to the American people by combating Lyme disease, which affects almost half a million Americans annually. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).

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

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I encourage a ``yes'' vote on this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5160) to reauthorize the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 5160.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5160, led by my colleagues Representatives Smith and Matsui to reauthorize the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program and the National Cord Blood Inventory program. The C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program supports patients across the country with identifying matching and facilitating the distribution of bone marrow peripheral blood stem cells and cord blood donors for those who need blood stem cell transplants. This is critically important for those patients without a related family member who is unable to donate. For some patients, blood stem cell transplants are an opportunity for remission or even a cure when other treatments have failed. This bill ensures patients have access to these lifesaving opportunities. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), my good friend.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), a very important member of our committee and chairman of the Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I encourage a ``yes'' vote on the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3747) to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Project ECHO Grant Program, to establish grants under such program to disseminate knowledge and build capacity to address Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, and for other purposes, as amended.