Lynn Jenkins

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. I thank my friend, the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie), for yielding time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1877, the Mental Health First Aid Act of 2016. The first step to help someone suffering with a mental illness get the help he or she needs is to be able to quickly spot the signs of mental illness and know where to point that friend, colleague, neighbor, or family member. H.R. 1877 will help police, first responders, veterans' advocates, teachers, and others spot the signs and get people the help they need. It authorizes a grant program that has been included in appropriations bills the past few years and enjoyed great support from Congress and the public. The grant money will go to fund State Bureaus of Prisons, veterans' advocacy groups, EMT and EMS teams, police officers, and firefighters. These important groups will be educated in spotting signs of mental illness in the people they work and live with so they can find help for these individuals. We hear about the state of our mental health system every day and the state of the VA dealing with injured veterans. We hear about police and first responders called to a scene where someone has become dangerous and they are not sure the best way to respond. H.R. 1877 will help those people know how to respond so that the situation can stay in control and the risk of harm to folks is lessened. The kinds of education programs that this legislation will provide authorization for have been shown to be effective and efficient at teaching people the signs of mental illness and how to drop the stigma of that illness so that someone in need can get help. I am glad that we have decided to take action here today. It is well known that this piece of legislation has been one of my top priorities since coming to Congress, and I am thankful to my colleagues on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Chairman Upton and Congresswoman Matsui, for taking it up and supporting it. Congresswoman Matsui and I worked on this bill because we both saw the need for training in communities so that people in a position to do so could help those suffering with mental illness. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important bill.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Congressman Loebsack and I worked together to introduce this measure, once again, in a bipartisan fashion. I, too, want to thank him for understanding the problem rural doctors face with this supervision mandate and for his willingness to work with me to introduce this bill. I urge my colleagues in the House to pass this measure, once again, unanimously, so that we can provide the rural doctors of this country with a little more certainty and take away the threat of an unnecessary burden. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Smith), an esteemed member of the House Ways and Means Committee.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of H.R. 5613, the Continuing Access to Hospitals Act of 2016, a policy this Congress has passed unanimously in 2014 and 2015. Every year across Kansas, hospitals in rural communities must wait to see if they will have to comply with a burdensome Federal regulation that makes caring for patients more difficult, while providing no additional benefits. Back in January 2014, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began enforcing a requirement that physicians must supervise outpatient therapeutic services at critical access hospitals and other small rural hospitals. This meant that routine outpatient therapeutic procedures, such as the application of a splint to a finger or a demonstration of how to use a nebulizer, had to be directly supervised by a physician. Thankfully, Congress passed an extension of a moratorium on that supervision requirement in 2014 and again in 2015. Here we are again today to try to give a little bit of certainty to these very important rural and critical access hospitals. There are over 1,300 critical access hospitals that serve rural Americans in nearly every State, and these facilities simply lack the resources to fulfill this burdensome mandate. Before 2014, physicians at rural hospitals were not required to directly supervise these types of outpatient therapeutic services, and asking them to do so now, after unanimously passing identical extensions the past 2 years, will only jeopardize access to care. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on H.R. 5613, currently under consideration.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5613) to provide for the extension of the enforcement instruction on supervision requirements for outpatient therapeutic services in critical access and small rural hospitals through 2016, as amended.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter).

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Brady), the esteemed chairman of our House Ways and Means Committee.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Paulsen), a member of the Ways and Means Committee and an author of one portion of this bill.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Boustany), our leader on the Ways and Means Committee and a subcommittee chairman.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of H.R. 1270, the Restoring Access to Medication and Improving Health Savings Act. This bill contains policies that folks on both sides of the aisle can support and have supported in the past. With the cost of health care rising, from hospital stays to doctor visits and prescription drugs, and the ever-present regulatory burdens of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, H.R. 1270 combines three measures that put the people back in control of their own healthcare spending, gain more access to the over-the-counter medications they need, and decrease government spending. One of the most head-scratching provisions of ObamaCare requires people to get a doctor's prescription if they want to buy over-the- counter medicines at a pharmacy with their HSA money. This provision is just about the polar opposite to what most folks think of when buying aspirin or other common medicines at their pharmacy. Instead of simply walking in and paying with their HSA card for that medicine, they are turned down and told to set up an appointment with their doctor just to get a script for that medicine. It does not decrease costs for the patient or the government. It actually increases the burden people have to get those medications. Now they must make the appointment, wait for days or weeks for the visit, and take that doctor's time away from sick patients, all to get some allergy medicine. H.R. 1270 will allow people to use their HSAs to buy over-the-counter medications at pharmacies because, when someone needs some allergy medicine during this time, they should be able to get that medicine whenever they need it. With that, H.R. 1270 will allow people to put more into their HSA accounts and match the amount of their deductible and out-of-pocket costs. It will allow people to contribute $6,550 individually and $13,100 for a family, and those amounts will grow with inflation. Another provision that makes it harder to use an HSA declares that taxpayers may use HSA funds only for qualified medical expenses incurred after the establishment of the HSA, which might be some time after the establishment of the associated high-deductible health plan, or HDHP. The provision would treat HSAs opened within 60 days after gaining coverage under an HDHP as having been opened on the same day as the HDHP. Also, for eligible older, married Americans, this bill allows them to contribute catch-up contributions to one shared HSA, simplifying the saving process and ultimately enabling them to save more and gain more control over their own health care. Finally, H.R. 1270 will better protect taxpayer dollars and modify existing limits on the amounts to be repaid by those whose advance payments exceed the ObamaCare subsidy to which they are entitled. This is a bipartisan offset. Twice, Congress has voted to increase the amount of improper ObamaCare subsidy overpayments that need to be repaid. Increasing the recovery of improper subsidy overpayments was first proposed by Senate Democrats in the 2010 Medicare doc fix and extenders legislation. Former HHS Secretary Sebelius described this offset as making it ``fairer'' for all taxpayers. As currently structured, the Democrats' healthcare law fails to adequately protect taxpayers from overpayments of the Federal subsidies to purchase health insurance, even in the case of fraud. The current law limits the amount of money that can be recouped if recipients receive a greater subsidy than they are entitled to, even if that means keeping thousands of extra dollars in overpayments. H.R. 1270 ensures full repayment for those making more than 300 percent of the Federal poverty level and doubles the current repayment cap for those between 250 and 300 percent of the Federal poverty level. This is not a tax increase or a way to punish those who receive a pay increase; rather, it is a measure to show our constituents that we are taking care of their tax dollars by requiring the return of overpayments. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. 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 H.R. 1270, currently under consideration.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 793, I call up the bill (H.R. 1270) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the amendments made by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act which disqualify expenses for over-the-counter drugs under health savings accounts and health flexible spending arrangements, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Holding), a member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to come to the House floor in support of the IRS Oversight While Eliminating Spending Act, sponsored by my colleague, Mr. Smith. I spent many years practicing in the tax area as a certified public accountant, so I understand firsthand why tax day has become a dreaded annual burden to so many Americans. The economy has yet to rebound from the recession, and wage growth is stagnant; but, in 2016, individuals will spend more on their taxes than on clothing, food, and housing combined. While Americans continue to face the threat of increasing taxes-- thanks to this administration--the tax process has gotten only more complicated and confusing. On top of that, the IRS has mishandled taxpayer funds, has provided inadequate customer service, and has proven to be unwilling or unable to change. This commonsense legislation brings us one step closer to providing the proper oversight over the IRS' activities. At the moment, the IRS currently charges user fees, and Congress has no say as to how these fees are used. I am extremely disappointed this agency is playing politics with these fees. They cut the fees allocated to customer service by 73 percent this year, and they reallocated those funds in an effort to try to extract additional fees from the American taxpayer. Folks are already paying more than enough in taxes. If the IRS wants taxpayers to pay fees, then they need to account for how they are using every last cent of that money. Oversight from Congress will ensure no frivolous use by a wasteful IRS. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. We cannot continue to reward inefficient bureaucracies. The American people deserve to have a say in how the IRS spends our hard-earned tax dollars.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 100th birthday of Carl Nordstrom of Topeka on March 5. Carl has devoted his life to public service. He was the executive director of the Kansas Association of Commerce and Industry from 1970 until 1982. He was cofounder of Leadership Kansas, inspiring leaders to maintain and strengthen the social, business, and political fabric of our State. In 1983, Carl was named Kansan of the Year by the Native Sons and Daughters of Kansas. A graduate of Topeka High School and Washburn University, he participated in many amphibious landings in the Pacific during World War II. He is a past president of the Washburn Alumni Association and is in the Washburn Athletic Hall of Fame. He remains to this day a leader and teacher in the University United Methodist Church in Topeka. Happy 100th birthday, Carl Nordstrom, and thank you for your service to Kansas.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his good work on this issue. As I visit with folks at home in Kansas, they often express their frustration with Washington. Uncertainty is the enemy, whether in tax policy, regulatory policy, or health policy. Folks simply need to know what the rules will be so they can plan accordingly. As a former CPA who worked in the tax area and a former State treasurer, I have seen firsthand how uncertain tax policies that expire every year negatively impact our hardworking businesses and families. I am pleased we have secured a tax package that will bring much more certainty to families and businesses across the country fighting to create jobs in our still-struggling economy. This legislation will help bring us closer to the stable tax policies our economy desperately needs. This bill is another step in the right direction toward a confident America, built on principles and values that hard work should equal success. This legislation will grow our economy, put more money back in the folks' pockets, and rein in the IRS. With these foundations, we can continue to make strides towards a progrowth agenda that helps businesses succeed, creates more jobs, and stimulates the economy.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Congress still has a great deal of work to do to rein in spending. While conversations to reduce Federal spending continue, we must also continue to pay down our existing debt. The Default Prevention Act before us today provides a responsible way to deal with our debt crisis and protect the full faith and credit of the United States. As we all know, if the U.S. defaulted on a debt payment, it would do serious harm to the economy and to the hardworking Americans who make this country great. This bill ensures that, even if the debt limit is reached, the U.S. Treasury would not default on our existing obligations to pay down the debt. Again, this legislation does not increase the debt limit. Instead, it actually prevents Treasury from issuing new debt to pay for any new spending unless Congress passes a law to increase the debt limit, a conversation for another day. This bill, guaranteeing our debt, makes it possible to pay all the bills that the minority claims to want paid. This bill takes the important step of ensuring that Social Security benefits are paid in full and on time. This legislation is a commonsense measure that will protect our Nation's credit and integrity. Once again, I strongly urge my colleagues to support it. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Madam Speaker, as I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock).

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock).

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise), our whip.