Cathy McMorris Rodgers

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I encourage a ``yes'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7213) to amend the Public Health Service Act to [enhance activities of the National Institutes of Health with respect to research on autism spectrum disorder and enhance programs relating to autism/reauthorize certain programs with respect to autism spectrum disorder?], and for other purposes, as amended.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7213, the Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support Act, or the Autism CARES Act of 2024, led by Congressman Chris Smith. First, I am grateful for all the work that has been done and the tremendous leadership of Representative Smith. He has been a fierce advocate and a leader on these issues for decades. Autism affects an estimated 1 in 36 children in the United States with recent studies showing an increasing prevalence nationwide. Research has also shown that early intervention and therapies often lead to positive outcomes later on in life for individuals with autism. The Autism CARES Act of 2024 will reauthorize critical programs and activities and support autism research, services, training, and monitoring across the Federal Government. Importantly, it also takes steps to ensure the public and all individuals within the autism community have an opportunity to engage in and are included in the research process and other activities related to autism spectrum disorder. I appreciate the passionate engagement and support from stakeholders throughout this process, and I am really grateful that we are considering this bill on the floor tonight before the program's September 30 expiration. I encourage my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the prime sponsor and the champion of the legislation.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter).

Mrs. RODGERS

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

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Molinaro).

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I encourage a ``yes'' vote on this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 8089) to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to require certain additional provider screening under the Medicaid program, as amended.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. 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 material in the Record on the bill.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 8089, the Medicare and Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act is a straightforward bill, and I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Mike Garcia) for putting forth this proposal. The bill would require States to regularly check the Social Security Administration's Death Master File for doctors who are enrolled in their Medicaid programs and to remove the doctors who are already dead. It almost sounds silly, but it can be quite serious. When a doctor dies, their national provider identification, or NPI, is not immediately deactivated. The NPI of the deceased physician is low-hanging fruit for a hacker to steal and start billing Medicaid with. This can go on for a long time if no one is checking for suspicious activity. To address waste, fraud, and abuse, States will need to be an active partner. Removing deceased doctors from a State's Medicaid program is a simple step States can take. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Mike Garcia).

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I also encourage a ``yes'' vote on the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. RODGERS

Mrs. RODGERS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 8084) to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to require States to verify certain eligibility criteria for individuals enrolled for medical assistance quarterly, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. 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 material in the Record on the bill.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, according to the HHS Office of Inspector General, States pay hundreds of millions per year to Medicaid-managed care organizations to care for beneficiaries who have passed away. It feels almost impossible to believe that precious Medicaid dollars intended to help pregnant women, children, and those in need would instead go to insurance companies to help manage care for people who are already deceased. Yet, it is happening. H.R. 8084 will hopefully change this by requiring States to check the Social Security Administration's Death Master File every quarter to identify individuals still enrolled in the State's Medicaid program who are deceased. This is a commonsense solution that will better serve the people Medicaid is intended to help. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), the subcommittee chair of the Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee of Energy and Commerce, and the prime sponsor of this legislation.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. 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 in the Record on the bill.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6160) to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize a lifespan respite care program, as amended.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6160, led by Mr. Molinaro, which reauthorizes the Lifespan Respite Care Program administered by the Administration For Community Living. This program helps support State systems to provide community-based respite care services to family caregivers tending to children and adults with disabilities and chronic conditions. There are about 53 million family caregivers in the United States, more than 5 million who are parents or guardians caring for children with special healthcare needs. Many family caregivers have unmet respite needs, and studies show that increasing respite accessibility can decrease burnout rates and help individuals continue caregiving. Reauthorizing the Lifespan Respite Care Program will continue vital resources for family caregivers so they can operate at their highest potential. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Molinaro), the prime sponsor of this legislation.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 4351) to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize certain poison control programs.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. 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 in the Record on the bill.