Cathy McMorris Rodgers

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Cammack).

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining on each side.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio, (Mr. Wenstrup).

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Stauber).

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from Minnesota.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Chairman, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Chair, I yield myself the balance of my time. We have worked together on important legislation to lower costs, provide more transparency, bipartisan legislation from the Committee on Energy and Commerce. I am quite disappointed today that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have refused to come to the table on this one. We just heard that there is no justification for this legislation. The ranking member actually said it is dangerous. Let me just point out again, nearly 200 advocacy groups, spanning the political spectrum, are calling on Congress to prohibit the use of QALYs and other discriminatory measures, perhaps because they see the VA's website today. Go to the VA's website and you will read, to date, the quality- adjusted life year, QALY, is the preferred metric for estimating health effect. We have also heard that this bill is a big giveaway, a blank check, to pharma. Republicans agree, we must lower the cost of prescription drugs, and we have worked on it. Discriminatory action, discriminatory metrics against people with disabilities and chronic illnesses is not the way to do it. We have heard today that the offset is a partisan pill. Let me just highlight that Senator Sanders is using the prevention fund. Senator Sanders is proposing right now to use the prevention fund to offset increased funding for community health centers. The Senate passed this provision 90-6. It is disappointing that now this is an issue of offsetting costs of no longer discriminating against those with disabilities. Yes, we have to offset the cost of no longer discriminating against those with disabilities. That is why there is even a CBO score on this bill. I also note that ``similar measures,'' which seems to be an issue today with my colleagues across the aisle, are current law for Medicare. We are simply expanding that same language in Medicare to other Federal health programs. Why have different standards? Mr. Chair, this should be the law of the land. This legislation is important. Those with disabilities and the advocacy groups are asking for Congress to take action. We have addressed the issues in the underlying bill. Mr. Chair, I urge support. I hope today that we can come together, Republicans and Democrats, as Americans, to protect the healthcare and the access to healthcare for every individual with disabilities and chronic illnesses. As I mentioned, we are all just one car accident or diagnosis away from being that person. Vote ``yes.'' Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time. Ms. McCollum. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to H.R. 485, the so- called Protecting Health Care for All Patients Act. The truth is this bill fails to protect health care for all patients. Instead, this bill undermines the Affordable Care Act by stripping funds from the Prevention and Public Health Fund, our nation's first mandatory funding system dedicated to improving our nation's public health system and lowering public health care costs. This critical funding has helped the Centers for Disease Control reduce the leading causes of death and disability nationwide and support early detection of and response to public health threats. This legislation is a step in the wrong direction. If passed, this bill would make it more difficult to improve the affordability of prescription drugs. House Republicans claim that this bill will help prevent discriminatory policies because it prohibits Medicaid, Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, Medicare Part D Plans (PDPs), the VA, and the Defense Health Agency from using Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs). The truth is federal law already prohibits Medicare from using QALYs in its coverage determinations, and state Medicare plans are required by law to cover all drugs. If House Republicans were serious about ensuring all Americans have access to affordable, comprehensive health care treatments, they would have supported clarifying amendments to this bill that would ban discriminatory practices. Instead, we are presented with another bill that does not address the problem and does not put the interests of patients and taxpayers first.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I missed votes this evening. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 20 and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 21.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Glenn Johnson for his 20 years of service as Mayor of Pullman and his dedication to the highest standards of servant leadership. Glenn has been a trusted member of the Pullman community for more than four decades. In 1979, he left behind a successful career in Sacramento, Calif. to become a professor at Washington State University's Edward R. Murrow College of Communications. For thirty- five years, he taught courses in communications and television news, always pushing his students to reach their full potential. Glenn quickly became beloved on campus, not only by his students. but by all of Cougar Nation for the spirit, talent, and tradition he embodied as ``The Voice of the Cougs.'' Even before Martin Stadium put in a quality set of loudspeakers, Glenn led the crowd in a call-and- response that has become legendary in Cougar football. To this day, every time Glenn calls out ``And that's another . . .,'' the crowd enthusiastically responds with, ``Cougar first down!'' In 2004, Glenn began his first term as Mayor of Pullman. Over the next twenty years and five terms, he earned the trust of Pullman residents, city officials, and business leaders alike through dedicated leadership and a commitment to making Pullman a special place to call home. He spearheaded investments and initiatives like Project Downtown, which continues to revamp the city center and inspire incredible growth. Mayor Johnson has also led with tremendous vision about the future of the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport. I have been blessed to work with him on various projects over the years to remodel the airport's infrastructure, the services it provides, and create the space for new economic opportunities across the region. Glenn's vision and determination were the primary reasons why the airport added a new runway back in 2019 and have been the driving force behind the brand new terminal that is set to open later this year. His leadership has been absolutely essential to the airport's success and ensuring it will continue to connect the Palouse and residents all across Eastern Washington with the rest of the world for decades to come. Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for Glenn's committed service to the Pullman community. He has been a fierce advocate for the city, and as he enters his well-deserved retirement, I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking him for his years of devoted service and wishing him well in this next chapter.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Nadine Woodward and thank her for both her dedication and service as the 45th Mayor of Spokane. Nadine has been a trusted member of our Spokane community since 1990, when she first arrived after earning her degree from the University of Portland. She began her career--and quickly became a household name-- working for two of our region's television news stations, KREM and KXLY. In 2019, after nearly three decades as a broadcast journalist, Nadine decided to step into the political arena and run for public office. In 2020, she was sworn in as mayor and got to work for our city. For 4 years, she worked tirelessly and dedicated herself to making Spokane a better place for people to live, work, and enjoy. This wasn't always easy. Mayor Woodward took office during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and she quickly proved herself to be the fierce leader we needed in times of uncertainty. She fought to protect individual liberty, get children back in school, and did everything she could to keep businesses open--all while making sure people had access to the health care they needed during an unprecedented time in our nation's history. Nadine also made it a top priority to support our city's men and women in blue who work around the clock to keep our community safe. She was instrumental in establishing a violent crime task force that empowered law enforcement officers to do their jobs and get dangerous offenders off the streets. She also tackled the homelessness crisis head-on, working hard to clean up Camp Hope, which was at one time the largest homeless encampment in Washington state and a hotbed for drug dealing and other criminal activity. Leading with compassion on this issue, Mayor Woodward worked side-by- side with shelter organizations to increase capacity by more than 500 beds. But she didn't stop there, instead championing efforts to increase homeownership within our community, working with the city council on the Spokane Housing Action Plan to help increase affordable and accessible housing options for families. The plan, which included new zoning laws to fast-track construction, will have a long-lasting impact by making it easier to create new residential areas that meet Spokane's current and future housing needs. Perhaps what I'm most grateful to Mayor Woodward for is her commitment to being a steadfast partner in the fight against fentanyl. It has been encouraging to work with her to bring together law enforcement, community leaders, and families in an effort to stop the flow of this deadly poison that is destroying lives and families in our city. Her leadership on this issue has been so important to not only raising awareness, but actually beginning to get these drugs off our streets. Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for Nadine's committed service to the Spokane community that I am blessed to call home. She has been a tremendous advocate for our city, and as she moves on from her position as mayor, I ask that my colleagues join me in thanking her for her years of devotion and public service.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1042) to prohibit the importation into the United States of unirradiated low-enriched uranium that is produced in the Russian Federation, and for other purposes, 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 into the Record on the bill.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 1042, the Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act, which I introduced with Mr. Latta. American leadership in nuclear energy and nuclear technology is critical to our economic and national security. One of the most urgent security threats America faces right now is our dangerous reliance on Russia's supply of nuclear fuels for our nuclear fleet. This threat has intensified as a result of the war in Ukraine. American nuclear fuel infrastructure has been stunted by policies that Russia has exploited by flooding the U.S. market with this cheaper fuel. Today that accounts for more than 20 percent of our nuclear fuels for American reactors. Last year alone, our industry paid over $800 million to Russia's state-owned nuclear energy corporation, Rosatom and its fuel subsidiaries. That number could be even higher this year, and these resources are no doubt going towards funding Putin's war efforts in Ukraine. Further, we have seen how Putin has weaponized Europe's reliance on Russian natural gas. There is no reason to believe that Russia wouldn't do the same with our nuclear fuel supply if Putin saw an opportunity. Rosatom has also supported China's nuclear energy ambitions. The risks of continuing this dependence on Russia for our nuclear fuel are simply too great. It is weakening America's nuclear fuel infrastructure, which has significantly declined because of the reliance on these cheap fuels. That is why I am leading H.R. 1042. Our bill bans fuel imports from Russia and sends a strong signal to the market that will help ensure America's nuclear leadership and fuel infrastructure. Our legislation also provides waivers to cover any supply gaps leading up to 2028, at which point no more Russian fuel will be allowed to be imported into the U.S. This bill both protects any short-term needs of the industry and provides the long-term certainty necessary to build out American capacity, as well as European capacity that serves our markets. H.R. 1042 has bipartisan support from the Committee on Energy and Commerce. It also has support from the nuclear industry, the nuclear fuels industry, and policy advocates. Additionally, the Biden administration has also said that a ban on Russian fuels is necessary to advance our domestic fuel build-out, including the fuels for advanced reactors. Across Europe, utility providers are starting to transition away from Russian fuels, announce new capacity, and invest in plant projects. We are seeing important fuel processes returning online in the United States. For example, the uranium conversion facility in Metropolis, Illinois, has restarted operations for the first time in years. That facility alone could meet the domestic uranium conversion needs within 2 years, but only if they have assurances that cheap Russian fuel won't undercut their business. The reality is, no facility owner is going to be able to invest to expand production capacity without the certainty of long-term contracts for their products. Those long-term contracts from fuel customers, the utility companies, will not be written if there remains uncertainty about Russian fuel continuing to flow into the United States, and the risk that Russia will once again be able to flood the market with cheaper products. H.R. 1042 provides those assurances to industry. American leadership in nuclear energy and nuclear technology is critical to our economic, energy, and national security, and a strong domestic nuclear fuel system, from mining to enrichment, is vital to our leadership. In the U.S. alone, nuclear energy provides nearly 20 percent of our electricity generation, all of which is emissions free. Nuclear plants operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, making them one of the most reliable, zero-carbon, baseload energy resources. H.R. 1042 will protect the short-term needs of the nuclear industry and provide the long-term certainty necessary to encourage investment and secure a durable domestic supply of fuel. I urge my colleagues to support the Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act to restore our industry and take down Russia's nuclear fuel empire. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I, too, urge support for this bill. I am pleased we have been able to come together to move this legislation forward, 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. 5378) to promote price transparency in the health care sector, and for other purposes, 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 include extraneous material in the Record on the bill.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of the Lower Cost, More Transparency Act. We all know that healthcare is too expensive, and the system is far too complicated. In the Committee on Energy and Commerce, we have heard countless stories about real patients who were victims of an opaque system and were on the hook for staggering amounts of money for seeing a doctor, going to a hospital, or getting medicine. We heard about a patient who tried to shop for her care and was billed thousands of dollars more than what she was quoted. We heard about a patient who was overcharged $11,000 by a hospital for services she didn't receive. We heard moving testimony from cancer patient advocates about policies we can enact right now to lower their drug costs. The Lower Costs, More Transparency Act includes these and other policies that would directly help all these patients. It lowers costs for Americans through increased healthcare price transparency. It ensures that senior citizens on Medicare never pay more for a drug because of where it is administered, and it makes drug prices transparent to help patients and employers get the best deals possible on medicines. Over 90 percent of Americans support increased price transparency in healthcare. By passing this bill, we will be delivering results people are counting on. Further, CBO confirms that the bill would save taxpayers more than $700 million over the next decade. I thank Chairman Jason Smith, Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, and Ranking Member Frank Pallone for their leadership. I thank Majority Leader Steve Scalise for working with us to bring this bill to the floor today. Also, a special thank you to Ranking Member Pallone's team, notably Tiffany Guarascio, Waverly Gordon, Una Lee, and Saha Khaterzai for working with us to find this bipartisan agreement. Finally, I thank my own staff, especially Grace Graham, Corey Ensslin, and Kristin Flukey for their tireless efforts that will make a meaningful difference for patients all across this Nation. In sum, this bill is a legislative opportunity, bipartisan, regular order, and fully paid for. It advances foundational healthcare reforms for patients, lowers healthcare costs, and reduces the deficit. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I would like to engage in a colloquy with Ranking Member Pallone. This bill codifies and strengthens healthcare price transparency requirements. Congress asserting itself to declare price transparency the law of the land is critical, but Congress can't account for every specificity and eventuality that is needed to ensure price transparency policies established by the Trump and Biden administrations are set in stone. We have to allow implementing agencies discretion to update regulations that reflect changes in terminology and technology over time. For example, with respect to health insurance price transparency, it is the intent of this House that this law shall be implemented to ensure that health plans report the prices that they have negotiated with the hospitals, other providers, and drug manufacturers to allow patients and employers purchasing coverage to use these data to drive down healthcare prices through open competition. Under existing regulations, health plans and insurers must disclose very specific price information for all healthcare items and services. This bill codifies the authority holding up those regulations to ensure that such robust data continues to be disclosed. These data include all billing codes and modifiers, using industry-standard, government-recognized, commonly used code sets used by all medical providers to define specific healthcare items and services. We ensure the data are accurate by requiring providers' ID codes, place of service codes, and health plan identifiers assigned to the group health plan and insurer, all critical information that makes price disclosures comparable across different health plans. It is our intent that the requirements for transparency in coverage should be as comprehensive as possible, without limitations. I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone), the ranking member for the purpose of a colloquy.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Pallone for his ongoing leadership, and I agree it is critical that the legislation meets our intent when it comes to ensuring that the PBMs must be transparent with multiemployer, public sector, and retiree-only health plans along with all other employer health plans. I do concur that we will address this issue in negotiations with the Senate, and I look forward to working to make sure this bill becomes law. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx), the chairwoman of the Education and the Workforce Committee. I appreciate her partnership on this legislation.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie), the chairman of the Health Subcommittee.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Smith), the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I, too, want to urge support for this major bipartisan legislation. It is very important healthcare legislation. We are concerned about consolidation within healthcare and the rising costs within healthcare. The first way we are going to address that is by demanding transparency. We have to know what the prices actually are so that we can empower patients and we can get some more competition within our healthcare system. I thank everyone who has worked together. This was a priority we laid out at the very beginning of this Congress. It has been months' worth of work. A big thank you, again, to the ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, as well as the other committees, the chairmanship of Virginia Foxx and the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Jason Smith, for working together. We have all contributed, and we have a better product because of it. I definitely urge support by my colleagues both Republicans and Democrats. This is one that we need to get on the President's desk with a big vote today. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), a subcommittee chair.

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Bucshon), the vice chair of the Health Subcommittee.