Brett Guthrie

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I rise to speak today in support of H.R. 1635, the Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act, which I introduced earlier this Congress with my friend, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon. As the school year begins, high school seniors across the country are trying to figure out their next steps. Many of these students will ultimately decide to attend a traditional 4-year university or community college program. Parents and students know too well that the cost of college tuition has climbed dramatically over the last decade. I know that many families are worried about how to afford a college education. As college tuition has risen, student loan debt has surged to more than $1.4 trillion, surpassing both national auto loan debt and credit card debt. This should be a concern to everyone, not only to those with loan debt to their names. Many borrowers are entering the workforce with overwhelming debt that will play a role not only in their own lives, but in the health of the American economy as a whole. Student loans can, of course, play a positive role in helping students attend college when they borrow mindfully and responsibly. Unfortunately, many students enter into binding loan contracts with their respective universities without fully appreciating the gravity of the financial decision they are making and the consequences it can have on their futures. A recent survey of current students and new graduates with a high level of debt found that more than 40 percent had no recollection of having received financial counseling, even though current law requires that students receive entrance counseling before receiving their first loan. It is vitally important for students to be equipped with all the facts of their loan agreement so they can finance their postsecondary education responsibly and with eyes wide open. The Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act is designed to improve financial aid counseling for students receiving a Pell grant or a Federal loan. H.R. 1635 increases the timing, frequency, and content of mandatory student loan counseling. Under current law, borrowers are required to receive counseling only when they arrive on campus and upon graduation, which makes it easy for borrowers to lose sight of just how much debt they are acquiring each year and the responsibility they bear to pay it back. H.R. 1635 requires financial counseling for students and parents who participate in Federal loan programs before they sign the dotted line on their loans. After that, students would participate in annual counseling so they can continue to understand their financial obligations and how new loans would affect their payments later on. The importance of annually providing information was dramatically reinforced in a recent year when Indiana University reported they were able to reduce undergraduate Stafford loan disbursements by 11 percent--11 percent--or $31 million, by telling students annually what their monthly payment would be after graduation before the students took out loans for the next school year. This was more than a fivefold decrease in outlays compared to public schools nationally. In addition to making the counseling an annual event, this bill would require the counseling to include recommendations to students to pursue all available grant, work study, and scholarship assistance prior to taking out loans, as well as provide them with information about the differences between Federal and private loans in bankruptcy. Exit counseling would include information about the borrower's remaining loan balance as well as what to anticipate throughout repayment of the loan. The legislation would also require borrowers to affirmatively provide consent each year before receiving additional Federal loans instead of automatically receiving the full offered amount every year. The bill also equips low-income students with enhanced information about the terms and conditions of the Pell Grant Program by providing annual financial counseling to all grant recipients. The counseling will include information about the expenses the grant covers, the level of assistance the students are able to receive, and ways to seek additional assistance in the case of changing financial circumstances. Under current law, Pell grant recipients are not required to receive any counseling. This bipartisan legislation will help America's students and families borrow responsibly and understand their aid package better so that new graduates have the very best chance of success upon graduation. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx), the chairwoman of the full committee.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Estes).

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe), my good friend from the eastern part of the great State of Tennessee and the chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Ferguson).

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg), my good friend.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen), my good friend.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, this is important. It is a first step, but it is a big step and an important step as we look at what is going on in the cost of our higher education. Mr. Chairman, I know that, in our beloved Commonwealth, our Governor and our legislators are trying to deal with the demands on the budget, and they are working hard on it. But in the meantime, the costs to go to school in our Commonwealth and across the country have increased. Students have to rely more on Federal subsidized loans and Pell grants. We hear stories, like the one that Dr. Roe talked about, of people leaving professional school with a six-figure debt. But we hear about an awful lot of people who have $6,000, $7,000, and $10,000 worth of debt. They have to drop out, and they have no degree, and they have a hard time paying it back. This bill lays out, through the course of their time in school, for each year, what their payments will be, and it walks them through what they really need. Do they need to take out the full loan? Back when colleges weren't that expensive, I remember people saying: Take out the full loan; that is the cheapest money you will ever have. Well, it becomes the most expensive money you have ever had over time, as interest rates build up and other things move forward. This bill is to make sure students are aware. It is something we agree on. We do it bipartisan. I expect a big bipartisan vote, and we do work together. There are issues that we have differences of opinion on, and there are issues that we have similar opinions on. When I was home in my State in August, people would say: Can't you find things to work together on? And we do, as a matter of fact, on most of the things we do. It is just not what tends to get out into the news. So I appreciate the hard work of my friend from Oregon, and I appreciate the hard work of our committee. Mr. Chair, I urge the passage of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to this amendment, but I do not intend to oppose it.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Chairman, this amendment will provide borrowers with critical information on aggregate loan limits, which is particularly important for transfer students, as my friend just explained. This disclosure will encourage borrowers to thoughtfully plan their college expenses and will help students make informed decisions when transferring schools. I thank my colleague for offering this amendment, and I urge my colleagues to support it and the underlying bill. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Wendell Lawrence upon his retirement as Executive Director of the Lincoln Trail Area Development District (LTADD) on August 1, 2018, after 35 years of service and more than 20 years as Executive Director. LTADD provides economic and workforce development services for Breckinridge, Grayson, Hardin, Larue, Meade, Nelson, and Washington Counties in Kentucky's Second District. Wendell began his lifetime of service in the U.S. Army and retired as a captain from the U.S. Army Reserve after serving for 23 years. He has worked for LTADD since 1983, where he has proven himself an invaluable member of our local community and advocate for the region. Under his leadership, LTADD has grown and has helped countless Kentuckians find jobs.. Wendell has worked with Fort Knox, other community stakeholders, and the government to direct resources to the Lincoln Trail area, and our community is better off for his service. I want to thank Wendell for his years of service to our community. He will be missed, but I wish him and his family the best in his retirement.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Fort Knox Centennial. Fort Knox plays a vital role in our national security, and I am extremely proud to represent Fort Knox in Congress. After serving as a military installation going back to the Civil War, ground was officially broken for the installation we know today as Fort Knox on August 16, 1918. Established as an artillery camp during World War I, Fort Knox was used as an active training center and housed soldiers returning from the war. During World War II, Fort Knox was chosen to be the headquarters of the Armored Force, which trained soldiers in the use of armored vehicles, and remained the Armor headquarters until 2005. Since then, Fort Knox has been the home of a number of commands, including the Human Resources Command, Recruiting Command, and Cadet Command. Famously, Fort Knox is also home to the U.S. Department of Treasury's Bullion Depository. Fort Knox is a leader in military innovation with its award-winning energy conservation program. Fort Knox is home to the future of our Armed Forces. Here's to the next 100 years.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to give my sincere thanks to Michael Mann who will be moving on from my office at the end of this week to begin law school at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law. Born and raised in Springfield, Kentucky, Michael has always shown great pride in his Washington County roots to anyone who has walked through our office door. On top of everything he has done for Kentucky's Second District, he has balanced his job in Washington, D.C., while serving in the Kentucky National Guard. We are sorry to see him leave, but I know that he will go on to great things back home in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. I wish him the best of luck in law school.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I rise in support of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act. Kentucky has been one of the hardest hit by our Nation's opioid crisis, and I have heard from many Kentuckians across the Second District about the devastating effects the opioid crisis is having in the Commonwealth. Parents have lost children to opioid use disorder. Employers are having a hard time finding employees. And the opioid crisis has taken a terrible toll on our communities. Last Congress, I was proud to work with my colleagues as we crafted the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act. We also passed the 21st Century Cures Act. We have come together to build on those two laws with more legislation to address the ongoing opioid epidemic. Over the past 2 weeks, we have passed more than 50 bills out of the House, including my bill, the Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Act. Today, we vote on the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, the culmination of our work over the past year to combat the opioid crisis. I urge my colleagues to support this important bill that will help all Americans affected by this awful epidemic.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend Representative Kinzinger, Representative Clarke, Representative LaHood, and Representative Davis for their work on this important bipartisan bill. H.R. 5590 requires the Department of Health and Human Services to develop an opioid addiction plan to evaluate what HHS is doing across the department to address the opioid crisis and how it can be improved. This action plan will include an evaluation of coverage and reimbursement rates for nonopioid pain treatments, the potential role of medical devices in addressing this crisis, and the availability of treatment for rural and medically underserved communities, among other components. In addition, Medicare and Medicaid are on the front lines of this epidemic, and we need to be sure that they are not creating adverse incentives that can harm beneficiaries with coverage and reimbursement decisions. The issues addressed in this bill will also provide an informative review of how CMS can continue to fight this national crisis. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support and pass this bipartisan bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Washington, DC, June 7, 2018. Hon. Kevin Brady, Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Brady: On May 9 and 17, 2018, the Committee on Energy and Commerce ordered favorably reported over 50 bills to address the opioid epidemic facing communities across our nation. Several of the bills were also referred to the Committee on Ways and Means. I ask that the Committee on Ways and Means not insist on its referral of the following bills so that they may be scheduled for consideration by the Majority Leader: H.R. 1925, At-Risk Youth Medicaid Protection Act of 2017; H.R. 3331, To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to promote testing of incentive payments for behavioral health providers for adoption and use of certified electronic health record technology; H.R. 3528, Every Prescription Conveyed Securely Act; H.R. 4841, Standardizing Electronic Prior Authorization for Safe Prescribing Act of 2018; H.R. 5582, Abuse Deterrent Access Act of 2018; H.R. 5590, Opioid Addiction Action Plan Act; H.R. 5603, Access to Telehealth Services for Opioid Use Disorder; H.R. 5605, Advancing High Quality Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders in Medicare Act; H.R. 5675, To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require prescription drug plan sponsors under the Medicare program to establish drug management programs for at-risk beneficiaries; H.R. 5684, Protecting Seniors from Opioid Abuse Act; H.R. 5685, Medicare Opioid Safety Education Act; H.R. 5686, Medicare Clear Health Options in Care for Enrollees (CHOICE) Act; H.R. 5715, Strengthening Partnerships to Prevent Opioid Abuse Act; H.R. 5716, Commit to Opioid Medical Prescriber Accountability and Safety for Seniors (COMPASS) Act; H.R. 5796, Responsible Education Achieves Care and Healthy Outcomes for Users' Treatment (REACH OUT) Act of 2018; H.R. 5798, Opioid Screening and Chronic Pain Management Alternatives for Seniors Act; H.R. 5804, Post-Surgical Injections as an Opioid Alternative Act; and H.R. 5809, Postoperative Opioid Prevention Act of 2018. This concession in no way affects your jurisdiction over the subject matter of these bills, and it will not serve as precedent for future referrals. In addition, should a conference on the bills be necessary, I would support your request to have the Committee on Ways and Means on the conference committee. Finally, I would be pleased to include this letter and your response in the bill reports and the Congressional Record. Thank you for your consideration of my request and for the extraordinary cooperation shown by you and your staff over matters of shared jurisdiction. I look forward to further opportunities to work with you this Congress. Sincerely, Greg Walden Chairman.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials in the Record on the bill.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5590) to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide for an action plan on recommendations for changes under Medicare and Medicaid to prevent opioids addictions and enhance access to medication-assisted treatment, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, 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. 5801) to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide for requirements under the Medicaid program relating to the use of qualified prescription drug monitoring programs and prescribing certain controlled substances, as amended.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I urge 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, this bill, cosponsored by myself, Representative Griffith, Representative Fitzpatrick, and Representative Blackburn, requires Medicaid providers to check the prescription drug history of a beneficiary through a qualified prescription drug monitoring program, or PDMP, before prescribing a schedule II controlled substance. This is a crucial step in helping us get a grip on the crisis we are facing. Currently, 49 States have a PDMP program, and the final State, Missouri, has begun creating a PDMP program. However, only 13 States require the prescribers check the patient's prescribing history prior to prescribing controlled substances, despite the fact that studies show that mandatory PDMP access laws are effective in reducing prescription drug abuse and, in particular, opioid abuse. For example, evidence from New York suggests that PDMPs are associated with a 75 percent decrease in the number of beneficiaries who got a prescription drug from more than one prescriber and dispenser. Implementation of Florida's PDMP was associated with a 25 percent decrease in mortality related to oxycodone. Both the current and past administrations have noted that PDMPs should be leveraged in the opioid crisis and are most effective when they are used by all clinicians. This bill requires that States have a qualified PDMP by October 1, 2021, and provides enhanced matching funds from fiscal years 2018 to 2021 for States to establish data-sharing agreements with bordering States. Finally, the bill requires CMS to publish best practices for how States and covered providers can use PDMPs to reduce the abuse of controlled substances. Medicaid patients are especially vulnerable to being harmed by the opioid epidemic. This bill is an important step and one that I believe will help us address the scourge that is the opioid crisis. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Griffith for his leadership on this issue, which has been invaluable. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE

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

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. 6042, which will ensure the proper implementation of the electronic visit verification system, or EVV, in State Medicaid programs. EVV provides a way to track the delivery of in-home Medicaid personal care services to help prevent instances of fraud and abuse and to protect patients, ensuring they get the services they are entitled to receive. Many frail, disabled, or otherwise homebound patients benefit from and even rely on Medicaid personal care services and home health services. Yet the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General, OIG, found in recent years that the existing program safeguards at the time were often ineffective, despite the fact that they were intended to prevent improper payments and to ensure medical necessity, patient safety, and quality care. Furthermore, the OIG warned that fraud in this area was on the rise, which endangers vulnerable patients and wastes taxpayer money. EVV systems were developed to protect some of the most vulnerable Medicaid recipients. Last Congress, in response to the OIG report, I wrote and included a provision in the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act to require State Medicaid programs to use EVV to track all personal care services conducted in a patient's home. In the time since the implementation of Cures, I have received feedback that more time is needed to implement EVV systems to make sure that they are properly and fully integrating the EVV technology. This year, I worked with Congresswoman DeGette and Congressman Langevin to introduce H.R. 6042, which gives States an extra year to put in place their EVV systems and ensure stakeholder input. Home visits are a critical part of providing quality care to patients, many of whom have disabilities and rely on extra care in their homes. H.R. 6042 will make sure that EVV can be implemented effectively. Thanks to hard work, the bill has changed a little bit working with Congresswoman DeGette, who came to me and said we want to make sure that we have stakeholder input. That is included in this version of the bill that is before us now. Her diligence in doing that has been very helpful, and I appreciate her efforts in that. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill to provide a simple fix for the benefit of improved accountability and patient care in State Medicaid programs. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to close. Mr. Speaker, I didn't see my friend from Rhode Island on the floor when I was speaking earlier on Ms. DeGette and her work in this. He has been working really hard. I appreciate my friend from Rhode Island leading on this issue and us being able to work together and our staffs working together to make something very important like this. His input was very important on the stakeholder issue, as was Ms. DeGette's. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.