John Larson

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, we recently witnessed an unprecedented attack on the Capitol as a joint session of Congress convened to count and certify the Electoral College votes. This was an attack on not only the hallowed halls of the Capitol, but on the very heart and soul of our democracy: it was an attack on the peaceful transition of power. There can be no doubt who instigated the insurrectionists and incited them to domestic terrorism. The President of the United States called on his supporters to march on the Capitol. He told them: ``We're probably not going to be cheering so much for some of them because you'll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength, and you have to be strong.'' In 2017, Dr. Harold Schwartz wrote this op-ed, published in the Hartford Courant. In it, he describes several mental disorders that may be applicable to the President. It has proven to be remarkably prescient and foreshadowed the events of January 6, 2021. I include it in the Record here so that Members and the public may draw their own conclusions about the President's fitness to serve out the remainder of his term. I, for one, believe that the President is a malignant narcissist lacking the capacity to discharge the duties of his office and call on the Vice President to invoke the 25th Amendment. I'm Not Diagnosing Trump: Just Saying . . . (By Harold I. Schwartz) Psychiatrists are prohibited by the so-called Goldwater Rule from diagnosing public figures they have not personally assessed. This prohibition followed the 1964 election, when Barry Goldwater was the Republican candidate for president and felt by many to have extreme views. He was castigated in a survey of American psychiatrists and unfairly labeled with virtually every diagnosis in the book. Fearful of the implications of diagnosing from afar, the American Psychiatric Association prohibited this activity to protect the credibility of American psychiatry and the privacy, dignity and confidentiality of public figures. On the one hand, the prohibition makes sense. On the other, it's a gag rule preventing psychiatrists from contributing to the conversation. It may not be necessary, however, for a psychiatrist to offer a diagnosis to join the discussion of just what is (or is not) wrong with Donald Trump. Mere information may suffice. In this spirit I bring you, straight from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (the DSM-V, psychiatry's diagnostic bible), the descriptions of several mental disorders. Far be it from me to say they apply to Mr. Trump. You may decide. Let's start in the Personality Disorders section. There are many disorders within this category and their features often mix and match. Here are the characteristics, right out of the DSM-V of someone with Narcissistic Personality Disorder (You only need five to qualify): 1. Has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements) 2. Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty or ideal love. 3. Believes that he or she is ``special'' and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions). 4. Requires excessive admiration 5. Has a sense of entitlement (i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations 6. Is interpersonally exploitative 7. Lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others. 8. Is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her. 9. Shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes. Another interesting personality diagnosis is Antisocial Personality Disorder, the technical term for the more commonly used psychopathy. I have selected criteria that you may find most salient (you only need three to qualify): Deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure. Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead. Irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults. Consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations. Lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated or stolen from another While it's not a formal diagnosis, people who combine very severe narcissism with severe psychopathy are said to have Malignant Narcissism syndrome--it is the very worst forms of narcissism and psychopathy combined. You really don't want to have a malignant narcissist in your life. And because I've already suggested that elements of the various personality disorders often combine, here are a few of the features of Paranoid Personality Disorder that may be of interest: suspicion that others are harming or deceiving him or her, reading hidden demeaning or threatening meanings into benign remarks or events, persistently bearing grudges (unforgiving of perceived injuries), quick to counterattack to perceived attacks on his or her character. To qualify for any of the personality disorder diagnoses, the individual must either be distressed by these characteristics or, in some way, dysfunctional. Very successful people can be dysfunctional in many aspects of their lives. Still another diagnosis is Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Just a few of the criteria for this include: the failure to give close attention to details, difficulty sustaining attention to tasks, an avoidance of tasks that require sustained mental effort and easy distractability. The definition of delusional thinking might be of interest. Delusions are defined as fixed false beliefs. But a fixed belief is not a delusion, as odd as that may seem to many, if it is accepted and shared by the social cultural group the believer finds himself in. In a severe personality disorder it may be difficult to distinguish a fantastical wish from a delusion. But we are splitting definitional hairs here. I must reiterate, lest I find myself at odds with my professional organization: I have never interviewed Donald Trump and I am not diagnosing him. I am merely directing your attention to information that anyone can find in the diagnostic manual. It would be improper of me, as a psychiatrist, to do more. On the other hand, you don't need a psychiatrist . . . er, a weatherman, to know which way the wind blows.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, the American people are incredibly frustrated, and rightly so. This relief package, while a step forward, should have been passed months ago. House Democrats first passed the Heroes Act in May; at the same time, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called for a `pause' and Senate Republicans refused to act until now. More than 315,000 Americans have died from COVID-19. Experts have said if we had made a larger investment in testing and tracing, many of these deaths could have been prevented. Millions of Americans are unemployed and many are facing food insecurity. Our state and local governments, including first responders, have been on the frontlines of this pandemic but are being left out of this relief package. We can and we must do more. As I have said before, we cannot get the economy up and running until we conquer the virus. Today's relief package makes significant investments in testing and tracing efforts, vaccines, therapeutics, and medical supplies and funding for underserved communities, all of which are critical to crushing this pandemic. This package provides help for the millions of Americans who are struggling right now. It strengthens critical programs for those who are unemployed by extending and enhancing unemployment insurance and rental assistance. It also offers $600 in direct payments to low- and moderate-income Americans and includes a $13 billion increase in food assistance programs to help the millions of families facing food insecurity. This bill also includes vital funding for small businesses, including specific funding for arts and cultural programs and smaller businesses who weren't able to access the initial relief funding. These are welcome steps forward, but they are just a down payment on what needs to be done.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, on Monday, December 7th, I attended the funeral service of a dear friend and mentor. A complex, sensitive, intuitive observer of this human comedy we call life. Jeremy Dodd was a remarkable man. I include in the Record this brief introduction is his obituary written by his son, Owen, and a poem entitled, ``The Dash.'' In 1978, Jeremy and I worked down the hall from one another. I knew of him because his father was a United States Senator from Connecticut, who the Irish and Americans across the country had always taken great pride in his role in the Nuremberg Trials, and also his brother Chris, who at the time was the sitting member of Congress from the 2nd District and would go on to follow his father and become a United States Senator. Jeremy historically and culturally knew politics, he gained that knowledge from growing up in a family immersed in it. Beyond politics, he could conduct conversations on any subject, from sports, to theater, literature, art, and photography--he had a feel for life and a keen way of listening to others. Moreover, a very likable man able to focus in on the simple aspect of human interaction--the handshake, the greeting, and a smile. Most of all, he was great fun, always able to use self-deprecating humor and weave stories of life, history and literature from his unique perspective. That perspective was usually made clearer or more fuzzy depending on what we ordered from the top shelf. He was above all genuine, not without his faults, but his virtue far surpassed what he would call his inconsistencies. He was great company: engaging, quick- witted, and loved a good laugh. The funeral was in the ancestral neighborhood of his grandparents and where his father, Tom, and his mother, Grace, are buried in an old Irish cemetery. The center of which was the Church of St. Michael the Archangel built by the Irish who lived in the area. The wooden beams, the stained-glass window, the tiled floor, wooden confessional, all works of art in their own right. Before the funeral began, I had the opportunity to talk with Owen, Jeremy's son who was my press secretary, and present him with a flag flown over the United States Capitol in his father's honor. I also spoke with his uncle, United States Senator Chris Dodd, whom I had been a district coordinator for in his 1980 run for the Senate and when I came to the Congress in 1998 he took me under his wing and always gave wise counsel and stellar advice. He told me he was going through Jeremy's belongings and came across this poem that Jeremy was very fond of. He then thanked me for being there and gave me this poem called ``The Dash.'' It is my honor to introduce it and include it in the Congressional Record. This poem, written by Linda Ellis, aptly describes Jeremy, his family, his father, his brother U.S. Senator Dodd, his son Owen, and the entire Dodd family: a family that was an exemplary example of public service, love of country, ever committed to making a more perfect union and being defined by their accomplishments between ``The Dash.'' In Loving Memory of a Man Who Took the Road Less Traveled: Old Saybrook--Jeremy (Jerry) Murphy Dodd, 82, died peacefully on November 27, 2020, due to complications from Alzheimer's disease. Jerry leaves his loving and only son, Owen M. Dodd, his former spouse Barbara M. Dodd and his four siblings Thomas J. Dodd his spouse Mary O'Neil Dodd, Mary Carolyn Dodd, Senator Christopher J. Dodd and his spouse Jackie Clegg-Dodd, Nicholas Owen Dodd, and his loving friend, Joanne Hoye. He also leaves behind eleven nieces and nephews and an extensive loving family. In addition, Jerry joins his late sister, Martha Dodd-Buonanno. Jerry is the third child of the six children born of Mary Grace and Senator Thomas J. Dodd. He was born in New Haven, CT, on September 23, 1938, amid the New England Hurricane--one of the most destructive and deadliest hurricanes to make landfall in Connecticut. Raised in the Nutmeg State, he called home in North Stonington, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook and West Hartford. He graduated from the Cheshire Academy and then served in both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Coastguard where he was honorably discharged from both services. He then went on to study at Mexico City College, Mexico City, Mexico earning his bachelor's in history. After graduating in 1962, as a fluent Spanish speaker, he hitchhiked through Central and South America during a time of political upheaval and great transition in the region. This momentous time was influential in shaping Jerry's worldview especially as it pertained to helping those who need it the most. Upon returning to the United States, he found his passion in life, photography. Jerry would study photography under the famous photographer John W. Doscher at the Doscher Country School of Photography in Vermont and would go on to take the portraits of Depression Era photographer Walker Evans and the renowned ornithologist and painter, Roger Tory Peterson. Jerry's innate photographic talent focused on families, portraiture, and legal photography, where he excelled and was in high demand across the state. Later in his life, he devoted his time to social work. He worked with community service programs that were committed to the rehabilitation of formerly incarcerated persons as he believed firmly in providing a second chance for people. He believed deeply in his work and it came from a belief of a higher-good where one should work towards something larger than oneself. Jerry was a lover of life who cherished animals, hiking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and sailing on the Connecticut River in his wooden boat, Mrs. Jones. He was a voracious reader and lover of history who understood that we all have a story to tell, and he was eager to hear the histories of those he met throughout his life. His indelible humor was contagious to others, and his magnetic personality was a complete joy to be around. He has truly left the world and its inhabitants better than where he found them. There will be a private ceremony at St. Michael the Archangel Church in Pawcatuck, Rhode Island on December 7, 2020, where he will be laid to rest next to his mother and father in the Dodd Family plot. The Dash (By Linda Ellis) I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend. He referred to the dates on the tombstone from the beginning . . . to the end. He noted that first came the date of birth and spoke of the following date with tears, but he said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years. For that dash represents all the time they spent alive on earth and now only those who loved them know what that little line is worth. For it matters not, how much we own, the cars . . . the house . . . the cash. What matters is how we live and love and how we spend our dash. So think about this long and hard; are there things you'd like to change? For you never know how much time is left that still can be rearranged. To be less quick to anger and show appreciation more and love the people in our lives like we've never loved before. If we treat each other with respect and more often wear a smile . . . remembering that this special dash might only last a little while. So when your eulogy is being read, with your life's actions to rehash, would you be proud of the things they say about how you lived your dash?

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 578) to amend title II of the Social Security Act to eliminate the five-month waiting period for disability insurance benefits under such title for individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. ALS is a devastating and cruel disease. There is no cure for ALS, and ALS always leads to a premature death. On average, people live only 2 to 5 years after getting a diagnosis of ALS. Earlier this year, I lost my dear friend and former Chief of Staff, Elliot Ginsberg to ALS, and previously lost a near and dear friend, Danny Jones, who I went to grammar school with and played basketball with, who later led Central Connecticut in his collegiate years. Every year, approximately 5,000 Americans are diagnosed with ALS. Over time, people with ALS lose their ability to speak, to eat, to move, and even to breathe. They are unable to work due to their severe disabilities, and they lose their jobs and their employer-based health insurance. I have witnessed this happen to both them and, as importantly, their family members, and to see the agony and the suffering and yet the dedication and love that they go through. Recognizing the devastating nature of ALS, in 2000, Congress passed bipartisan legislation that waived the 24-month waiting period for Medicare for people with ALS. Today, we consider the ALS Disability Insurance Access Act of 2019. This bipartisan legislation will end the 5-month waiting period for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits for people with ALS. Madam Speaker, I want to give special thanks to Representative Seth Moulton, who has been a champion on this issue, along with the 305 Members of the House of Representatives who have cosponsored Representative Moulton's bill. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the ALS Disability Insurance Access Act of 2019. Our actions today will provide people with ALS quicker access to the Social Security and Medicare benefits they have earned. Madam Speaker, I would also like to commend my colleague on the House Ways and Means Committee, Bill Pascrell, for his passionate leadership and untiring advocacy on behalf of those suffering with Huntington's disease, a terrible disease which affects children as well as adults. Today, we are passing this bill for many with ALS, but we also know there are many devastating diseases, such as Huntington's and metastatic breast cancer, which also deserve the same benefits and to have bills in Congress that will provide just that. We need a solution for everyone. People with the kinds of severe disease and disabilities that qualify them for Social Security really need the benefits they have earned as soon as possible. I hope that in the next Congress we can try to help everyone, by doing what Bernie Sanders and Lloyd Doggett and others have proposed, to eliminate these waiting periods across the board. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Moulton), the distinguished gentleman who has championed this bill.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Quigley), considered the greatest hockey player in the Congress.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin), a distinguished gentleman who has been a lifelong fighter on behalf of people with disabilities.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Judy Chu), a gracious and distinguished lady on the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, at this time, it is my privilege to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Danny K. Davis), who I say is the voice of God. When you hear him speak, I think you will agree with me.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, at this time, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline).

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I have great gratitude for my distinguished colleague from New York (Mr. Reed), and I thank Seth Moulton for his outstanding work on this bill. I urge my colleagues to support S. 578, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1375) to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for transparency of Medicare secondary payer reporting information, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include any extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, H.R. 1375, the Provide Accurate Information Directly Act of 2019, as amended, or the PAID Act, improves financial accountability by strengthening reporting regarding Medicare Advantage enrollees between the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, CMS, and liability and other nongroup health plans. Similar measures are already in place for traditional Medicare. With one in three Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, it is time that we enact this measure to bring parity for the program. At its core, this is a good governance program, which will improve integrity overall, and that is always welcome. I would like to especially thank our fellow Ways and Means Committee member Ron Kind, who has worked tirelessly at this to make sure that we corrected this anomaly in the legislation. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Washington, DC, December 8, 2020. Hon. Richard Neal, Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Neal: I write concerning H.R. 1375, the PAID Act, which was additionally referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce (Committee). In recognition of the desire to expedite consideration of H.R. 1375, the Committee agrees to waive formal consideration of the bill as to provisions that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee. The Committee takes this action with the mutual understanding that we do not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or similar legislation, and that the Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as this bill or similar legislation moves forward so that we may address any remaining issues within our jurisdiction. I also request that you support my request to name members of the Committee to any conference committee to consider such provisions. Finally, I would appreciate the inclusion of this letter in the Congressional Record during floor consideration of H.R. 1375. Sincerely, Frank Pallone, Jr., Chairman.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, again, I would like to thank our colleagues on both sides of the aisle, with a special thanks to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Estes) for his continued work on this. Ron Kind from Wisconsin has been fighting for practical, commonsense legislation like this almost every day that he has been in Congress since I have known him. A true sign of a Harvard quarterback is that he continues to be persistent. I want to thank him again for his hard work. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1375, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2477) to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish a system to notify individuals approaching Medicare eligibility, to simplify and modernize the eligibility enrollment process, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, H.R. 2477, the Beneficiary Enrollment Notification and Eligibility Simplification Act of 2020, as amended, includes four policies that improve Medicare enrollment, access, and quality of care. First, the BENES Act, as I shall continue to call it, introduced by my colleague, Representative Raul Ruiz, fills a longstanding gap in education for older adults and people with disabilities, eliminating needless multimonth coverage gaps in Medicare by mandating that part B insurance begin the first month following an individual's enrollment during both the later months of the beneficiary's initial enrollment period and during the general enrollment period. The BENES Act also provides increased notification to better inform older adults and people with disabilities about Medicare eligibility enrollment. The BENES Act also allows the Federal Government to create a part B special enrollment period for exceptional circumstances, like natural disasters. Complex Medicare enrollment rules and inadequate notification cause tens of thousands of older adults and people with disabilities to face lifetime fines, coverage gaps, and other harmful consequences. Individuals who miss their initial Medicare enrollment window may pay lifetime late enrollment penalties, experience lengthy gaps in outpatient health coverage, or face unaffordable and unexpected out-of- pocket healthcare costs. The bill under consideration today also includes two provisions based on legislation again championed by Ron Kind from Wisconsin. The first will provide access to immunosuppressive therapy to individuals after a kidney transplant. I have heard from the Hartford Hospital kidney transplant group and National Kidney Foundation how vitally important this legislation is, and I am pleased that it is included. The second provision will make improvements to reporting regarding Medicare Advantage enrollees between the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and liability and non-group health plans to improve financial accountability. Finally, H.R. 2477 includes language from H.R. 5821, the bipartisan Helping Our Senior Population in Comfort Environments Act, or the HOSPICE Act, introduced by my Ways and Means colleagues, Representatives Jimmy Panetta and Tom Reed. This policy addresses vital program integrity concerns identified by the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Inspector General in 2019 through a series of much-needed reforms that provide additional oversight and transparency of Medicare hospice providers. The changes in this bill align the HHS Secretary's oversight tools with those of other Medicare providers, including skilled nursing facilities and home health providers. These reforms are vital to improving the quality of care delivered to some of the most vulnerable patients in the healthcare system. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Panetta), a distinguished member of the Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.