Brett Guthrie

Mr. GUTHRIE

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 yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4976, the Opioid Review Modernization Act of 2016, introduced by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Lance). Opioid use disorder and overdose deaths have reached epidemic levels. A comprehensive approach is needed to reverse these trends and the tragic toll they have taken on families and communities across our country. The Food and Drug Administration does have a critical role to play in such an approach. Patients living with serious pain must have access to safe and effective therapies to help them function and lead productive lives. FDA reviews prescription pain relievers, like all new drug products, to determine whether their benefits outweigh their risks. It is important that the FDA hear recommendations from expert advisory committees prior to making key product and labeling decisions, particularly to ensure that any such risks are effectively communicated, understood, and mitigated. Specifically, H.R. 4976 requires that FDA receives input from an advisory committee regarding approval of new opioids that do not utilize abuse-deterrent properties, in addition to developing a framework for labeling any opioid intended for pediatric use. The bill also requires the agency to finalize guidance on evaluating abuse deterrence in generic opioid medications and issue recommendations regarding prescriber education tied to the risk evaluation mitigation strategy programs. This bill would strengthen FDA's Opioid Action Plan, defining outcomes with meaningful timeframes. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4976. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3680) to provide for the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a grant program for co-prescribing opioid overdose reversal drugs, as amended.

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 insert extraneous materials in the Record on the bill.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3680, the Co-Prescribing to Reduce Overdoses Act of 2016, introduced by my colleague on the Energy and Commerce Committee, Mr. Sarbanes of Maryland. In 1999, there were 6.1 overdose deaths per 100,000 Americans involving opioid analgesics and heroin. By 2014, that number doubled to 14.7 overdose deaths. The rate of overdose for individuals aged 24 to 34 nearly tripled, going from 8.1 overdose deaths per 100,000 to 23.1 overdose deaths. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist that can prevent opioid overdose deaths by binding to the opioid receptors in the body and preventing the overdose. The World Health Organization estimated that, if naloxone was more widely available in the United States, more than 20,000 overdose deaths could be prevented annually. H.R. 3680 is a step in promoting wider access of naloxone or other opioid-overdose reversal drugs that may come to market. It directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a grant program for coprescribing opioid reversal drugs and helps develop best practices for doing so. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster), the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes) bringing this forward and all the bipartisan work that was put into it. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. 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. 4978) to require the Government Accountability Office to submit to Congress a report on neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) in the United States and its treatment under Medicaid, as amended.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Jenkins), my friend and the sponsor of this legislation.

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 yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner), my good friend.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), my friend and colleague from the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Barr), my good friend and fellow Kentuckian.

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

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Poliquin).

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my friend from West Virginia and our colleague from Illinois for moving this forward. I urge the passage of H.R. 4978, and I would like for my colleagues to vote for this. 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. 3691) to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the residential treatment programs for pregnant and postpartum women and to establish a pilot program to provide grants to State substance abuse agencies to promote innovative service delivery models for such women, as amended.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3691, the Improving Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women Act of 2015, introduced by my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee, Mr. Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico, Mr. Tonko of New York, Ms. Clarke of New York, Ms. Matsui of California, and Mr. Cardenas of California. In most instances, withdrawal or detoxification is not clinically appropriate for pregnant women with opioid use disorders. The withdrawal symptoms associated with discontinuing opioid use in pregnant women can lead to miscarriage or other negative birth outcomes. Buprenorphine and methadone can be used to treat a woman's opioid use disorder while pregnant. Such treatment can result in improved outcomes for both mothers and babies. Unfortunately, babies exposed to opioids in utero may be born with neonatal abstinence syndrome, NAS, which refers to medical issues associated with opioid withdrawal in newborns. Mothers suffering from opioid use disorder may be sent home with babies who have NAS with very little guidance or support, which can have negative consequences for their babies. NAS can result from the use of prescription opioids as prescribed for medical reasons, abuse of prescription opioid medication, or the use of illegal opioids like heroin. The grant program reauthorized in H.R. 3691 helps support residential treatment facilities where women and their children receive support, education, treatment, and counseling that they need to address opioid addiction and NAS. The newly created pilot program will allow States more flexibility in providing these services for women and children in need. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter).

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

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to vote for H.R. 3691. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE

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 to insert extraneous materials into the Record.

Mr. GUTHRIE. 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 of 2016, introduced by my colleagues on the Committee on Energy and Commerce--Mr. Kinzinger from Illinois and Mrs. Capps from California. Members of the U.S. military who trained as combat medics face State licensing challenges when they try to find similar work after discharge. Many States do not recognize their qualifications as being applicable to the licensing requirements of the civilian healthcare system for emergency medical services, such as EMTs or paramedics. State licensing laws vary, and while some States make exceptions for former military medics to allow for reciprocity and a chance to sit for the licensing exam without repeating their training, many States do not. This legislation would provide grants to States with emergency medical technician shortages so as to help streamline State requirements for veterans to enter the EMT workforce without there being an unnecessary duplication of their training. This will help them more easily transition to their becoming civilian EMTs. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kinzinger), my colleague and good friend on the Committee on Energy and Commerce, who is a veteran Air Force pilot himself.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Costello).