Frank Pallone

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield once again to the gentlewoman from California, the sponsor of the bill, the vice-chair of the Health Subcommittee and obviously someone who's worked very hard on so many health care initiatives, 3 minutes.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1014, the Heart Disease Education, Analysis Research, and Treatment (HEART) for Women Act. This legislation will go a long way in improving the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases in women. Heart disease and other forms of cardiovascular disease are the leading cause of death in the United States and a major cause of disability. More than 850,000 people die of cardiovascular disease in the U.S. annually, representing nearly 36 percent of all U.S. deaths. Although heart disease is sometimes thought of as ``man's disease,'' one in three American women die of heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases, making it the leading cause of death for both women and men in the United States. Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women aged 65 years and older and is the second and third leading cause of death among women aged 45 to 64 years, and women aged 25 to 44 years respectively. H.R. 1014 proposes to reduce the cardiovascular disease death rate for women through improved health education, gender-specific analysis and research, and increased access to screening for women. H.R. 1014 authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services to educate health care professionals and older women about unique aspects of care in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of women with heart disease and stroke. H.R. 1014 requires clinical data that is already being reported to the Federal Government by drug and advice manufacturers to be gender- specific. Additionally, the bill before us authorizes the expansion of the CDC's Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation (WISEWOMAN) program. This program, currently available in only 20 States, provides free cardiovascular screenings to low-income uninsured women. H.R. 1014 is the result of the leadership of Representative Lois Capps and Barbara Cubin and the hard work and cooperation of the Democratic and Republican members of the Energy and Commerce Committee. The bill enjoys the support of a majority of the House of Representatives and numerous public health organizations, including the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association, the Society for Women's Health Research, and WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease. I strongly urge all of my colleagues to vote to improve the health of women by passing this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the sponsor of the legislation, the gentlewoman from California, Congresswoman Roybal- Allard.

Mr. PALLONE. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening in support of H. Res. 1381, expressing the sense of the House that there should be an increased commitment to prioritizing prevention and public health for all people in the United States. At a time when our health care costs are rising exponentially, it's important now more than ever for us to prioritize public health spending. Spending on chronic diseases is particularly egregious as these diseases are the leading cause of preventible death and disability costing the Nation approximately $1 billion a year. If we can better manage this type of disease, we can dramatically reduce the costs of health care spending. We know from our past efforts with screenings and vaccines that prevention has proven to work to reduce incidences of illness. Accordingly, any step that we can undertake to prevent the spread of illness and disease needs to be implemented. I want to thank my colleague and friend, the gentlewoman from California, Congresswoman Roybal-Allard, for her and her staff's late- night work to bring this resolution to the floor this evening. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in support of its adoption. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I urge adoption of this MRSA Awareness Month Resolution.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening in support of H. Res. 988 designating the month of March 2008 as MRSA Awareness Month. MRSA is a type of infection that is resistant to treatment with regular antibiotics. While healthy individuals can acquire MRSA as well, it is most likely to occur among parts of our population least equipped to deal with its effects such as those individuals in hospitals and health care facilities who have weakened immune systems. The latest information regarding MRSA is disconcerting. Infections are on the rise as hospitalizations associated with MRSA more than tripled from 1999 to 2005. We must do more to raise awareness and stem the tide of this infection. The resolution before us recognizes the need to continue research to find the best ways of preventing hospital and community-acquired MRSA. As a community, we must be careful to prevent overuse of antibiotics and to create hygienic and sanitary conditions in our hospitals and other health care facilities. This resolution also lends support to advocates, health care practitioners, and others on the front line in the battle against MRSA. Through a unified effort, we can provide hope for those who are personally affected by this infection. I want to thank my colleague, Congressman Matheson of Utah, for his hard work in bringing this resolution to the floor. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in support of its adoption. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 988) designating the month of March 2008 as ``MRSA Awareness Month,'' as amended.

Mr. PALLONE. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers. I would urge passage of this resolution with regard to sudden cardiac arrest. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I would yield 2 minutes to the sponsor of the legislation, the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps).

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 393, a resolution expressing support for the goals and ideals of National Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month. While many of us are aware of the importance of maintaining a healthy diet in order to mitigate the risk of heart attacks, there is much less information concerning the risk of cardiac arrest. However, the dangers to the public are no less severe. It's estimated that more than 250,000 people die each year from sudden cardiac arrest. Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart stops functioning properly, usually as a result of an irregular heart rhythm. Any type of heart disease can lead to cardiac arrest. Often, though, two or more major coronary arteries are narrowed due to fatty buildups. H. Con. Res. 393 recognizes October as an appropriate month to support National Sudden Cardiac Heart Awareness. This resolution would support efforts to educate the American public about cardiac arrest and raise awareness regarding prevention and warning signs. It's especially important that warning signs are recognized immediately because death can occur in as little as 6 minutes after experiencing cardiac arrest. Moreover, women and African Americans need to make themselves particularly familiar with this health problem as they are at a higher risk than other populations. I want to thank my colleague, Representative Pickering, for his work in bringing this resolution to the floor. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of H. Con. Res. 393. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I would yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Roybal-Allard).

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1042, supporting the We Don't Serve Teens Campaign. Underage drinking is an ongoing problem in our country, as over half of high school seniors drink alcoholic beverages, while more than a quarter of them engage in binge drinking. Binge drinking at a young age is an especially troubling activity, as those teens are more susceptible to both alcohol addiction and dependence. Besides binge drinking, teens who drink are more likely to engage in other risky behavior, including smoking, having sex without birth control, and drinking and driving. This last behavior should be a particular concern to everyone as the combination of inexperience behind the wheel and alcohol often results in a deadly conclusion. Currently, car crashes rank as the leading cause of death among individuals ages 15 to 20. We must all work to prevent such tragedies from occurring. The resolution before us supports the goals and ideals of campaigns working to improve long-term health, encourages Americans to use resources to help combat underage drinking, and commends organizations that are already working to reduce underage drinking. I want to thank my colleague, Representative Bono Mack, for her leadership on this resolution. It's an important issue to address. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in support of its adoption. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1042) supporting the We Don't Serve Teens campaign, as amended.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I urge passage of the Physician Workforce and Graduate Medical Education bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening in support of H.R. 2583, the Physician Workforce Enhancement Act of 2008. This legislation seeks to address shortages in the physician workforce by creating a loan program for rural and urban hospitals to start residency training programs. Demand for primary care has grown due to an increase in the number of people living with chronic diseases and due to the long-term care needs of an aging population. However, recent trends show that the growth in the physician workforce is not keeping pace with the growth of the general population. In fact, there has been a decline in the number of medical students and training opportunities for primary care in certain areas of practice, including pediatrics, which are expected to have more critical shortages in the future. H.R. 2583 seeks to address the physician shortage by establishing a loan program for eligible hospitals to establish residency training programs in allopathic and osteopathic medicine with a preference for hospitals located in rural areas. Residency training programs are an integral way for rural and small urban communities to attract physicians as it encourage doctors to put down roots in the community where they completed their residency. One important source of funding for residency training programs is Medicare. However, the Medicare program caps the number of residents and fellows eligible for Medicare reimbursement. This can narrow the number of resources available to some smaller hospitals that have the greater need for residents that will later serve the community as physicians. That cap was implemented at the time when it appeared that the physician workforce would enjoy surpluses for some time, and that the use of managed care services would reduce the demand of medical services. But both trends have significantly reversed in recent years, precipitating the need for a new strategy to improve the health and vitality of the U.S. physician workforce. H.R. 2583 provides such a strategy. This legislation will make great strides in attracting new physicians to serve in rural and small urban districts that need them most. I want to urge my colleagues to support the passage of this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. I yield the gentlewoman an additional 2 minutes.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield at this time 5 minutes to the sponsor of the bill, the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Hooley).

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening in support of H.R. 6901, the Meth Free Families and Communities Act. Despite recent Federal efforts to curb abuse, meth addiction remains a national epidemic. In 2006, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health estimated that 1.9 million Americans age 12 and older had abused meth at least once in the year prior to being surveyed. Recent trends suggest that meth use is up among women, including pregnant women and women of child-bearing age. H.R. 6901 would amend the Public Health Service Act to improve prevention and treatment programs for meth addiction. The bill expands grants available for student-driven meth awareness programs, and prioritizes grants that are intended to reach areas lacking in mental health professionals and substance abuse treatment options. This legislation seeks to improve treatment for meth addiction to pregnant and parenting women, and aims to help professionals recognize vulnerable populations for the purpose of preventing and treating addiction. H.R. 6901 also provides information and educational materials to employers and employees about drug testing policies and programs. H.R. 6901 helps our communities battle meth addiction by providing targeted education and treatment programs to the areas and people that need it most. It is the result of the very hard work of Representatives Hooley and Cubin. I urge my colleagues to support the passage of the bill. I want to particularly thank Representative Hooley for her work on this legislation. As many of you know, she will not be with us after this session and I very much regret that because of all she has contributed as a congresswoman over the years. But passage of this bill is important to her legacy and important for the American people. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. 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 the bill under consideration.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6901) to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the establishment of a drug-free workplace information clearinghouse, to support residential methamphetamine treatment programs for pregnant and parenting women, to improve the prevention and treatment of methamphetamine addiction, and for other purposes.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I urge adoption of this bill, the Paul Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Community Assistance, Research, and Education Amendments of 2008.