Frank Pallone

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1600) supporting the critical role of the physician assistant profession and supporting the goals and ideals of National Physician Assistant Week, as amended.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Michael Blandina, a resident of Brick Township, New Jersey and dedicated member of the community. On October 30, 2010, Mr. Blandina retired from his position as Manager of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission in Lakewood, New Jersey. He is also recognized for his work with various political organizations in Ocean County, including the Brick Township Democratic Municipal Committee where he serves as Chairman. Today, I applaud Mr. Blandina, as his achievements should serve as an inspiration to us all. Mr. Blandina began his professional career as a Special Police Officer with the Brick Township Police Department in 1983. He valiantly served the constituents of Brick Township for seven years. In conjunction with his service as Special Police Officer, from 1985 through December 1999, Mr. Blandina served in the Tax Assessor's Office. His outstanding abilities and commitment were evident as he soon rose to the position of Principal Assessing Clerk. After approximately fifteen years of service to the Tax Assessor's Office, Mr. Blandina soon accepted a position with the Administration Department where he assisted constituents with various local issues. His responsibilities also included coordinating media related events for the Township of Brick. During his tenure, Mr. Blandina also spent summers working in the Recreation Department, specifically assisting the Township Recycling Program. In June 2007, Mr. Blandina accepted a position as Manager of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission in Lakewood, New Jersey. Throughout his professional experience, Mr. Blandina's generosity has undoubtedly touched many lives and has helped countless people throughout central New Jersey. Mr. Blandina is also a valued member of various local and political organizations. Since 1983, he has proudly served on the Brick Township Democratic Committee, eighteen of those years as Municipal Chairman. He has also served as Democratic Finance Committee Chairman and has dedicated his time to assisting the Ocean County Young Democrats. Similarly, Mr. Blandina has assisted with the Ocean County Columbus Day Parade Committee, one of the largest parades and ethnic festivals in the state of New Jersey. His other affiliations include the Ocean County Saint Patrick's Day Parade Committee, The Girls Scouts of the Jersey Shore Awards Reception Committee, Brick Township Democratic Club, among others. Mr. Blandina continues to mentor, exemplifying confident leadership and management skills. As a result of his outstanding service, Mr. Blandina has been the recipient of numerous awards. He has received Brick Township Democratic Club's ``1999 Democrat of the Year'' award and the Columbia Civic League of Ocean County's ``1999 Man of the Year'' award. He has also been the recipient of the Heritage Festival Ball Committee's ``2003 Outstanding Ethnic Leader'' award and Brick UNICO Chapter's ``2004 Italian American of the Year'' award. Madam Speaker, please join me in acknowledging Mr. Blandina's multiple years of service to the Ocean County community. His dedication and commitment are positive examples of what steadfast determination and hard work can accomplish.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, let me associate myself completely with the remarks that the gentleman from Texas just made. I do think that it is significant that we are able to negotiate on a bipartisan basis a 1-year extension to avoid these cuts to the doctors, and I do believe we need to work together on a bipartisan basis to achieve a permanent fix in the next Congress.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr). (Mr. FARR asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. PALLONE. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, first of all let me say, as I did the other day, as you know, about a week ago we passed an extension to eliminate the cut in the SGR, the doctor's fix, until the end of this month. This bill before us today would take this for another year, until the end of December of 2011. And at the time, the gentleman from California (Mr. Herger) also got on the floor and made statements which I think totally do not represent what we were doing. First of all, I would say with regard to the doctor's fix, nobody wants a 25 percent cut in doctor's reimbursement rate, and that is why we were here last week for the extension to eliminate that cut until the end of this year, and that is why we are today, to eliminate that cut until the end of 2011. But the fact of the matter is it is the Republican Party and it is the party of the gentleman from California (Mr. Herger) in the House that refused to vote for a permanent fix when we passed it in the Democratic majority over a year ago. As I said that day, only one person, Dr. Burgess who is a physician on our committee, voted with the Democrats for the permanent fix. It is as a result of the inability and the unwillingness of the Republicans to do anything about this doctor's cut or reimbursement cut that we had to pass, I guess, five different short-term fixes. Now granted today we are going to have a year extension, and I am certainly happy that the Republicans have agreed to a year extension, but they still have not come along to a permanent fix and they have not helped us in our efforts to achieve a permanent fix. So for the gentleman to suggest that somehow the Republicans have been helpful and they wanted to deal with this problem is, in my opinion, simply not accurate. Now, let me dispel another thing. There is nothing in this bill that would in any way disrupt or repeal the health care reform, the landmark legislation that the Democrats passed again this year without any support from the other side of the aisle. If there was any remote suggestion that we were repealing or this was the beginning of the repeal, as the gentleman suggested, of the health care reform, not one Democrat would support that; and I certainly would not. The fact of the matter is that the health care reform was fully paid for. And the fact of the matter is that it did not in any way affect Medicare beneficiaries. We actually improved benefits for Medicare beneficiaries in the health care reform. We basically filled up and eliminated the doughnut hole. We also provided more money for copays so seniors who are poor or lower income would not have to do copays for preventative care. And the list of additional benefits for Medicare beneficiaries under the larger health care reform goes on and on. I could list more. So the suggestion that we somehow were cutting Medicare benefits is simply not true. The fact of the matter is that benefits were increased; the bill was paid for; and this bill today in no way takes away from that larger health care reform. Now we have paid for the health care reform. We have paid for the doctor's fix for an additional year in this legislation by making sure that people who were going to get a subsidy and who didn't qualify would have to pay it back. That is the only change. That is the way it is paid for here today. I just want to say, Mr. Speaker, this is a very important bill. It is a vital piece of legislation for America's seniors, persons with disabilities, and military families. Without this legislation, physician fees in Medicare and TRICARE would be reduced by 25 percent on January 1, just 3 weeks from now, and that kind of cut would threaten the ability of enrollees in Medicare and TRICARE to see their doctors. We can't allow that to happen. As I mentioned before, we have passed some short-term fixes. This is another short-term fix. But, thankfully, it is at least for another year until we can work out a permanent solution. The Democrats already passed that permanent solution without Republican help; but, unfortunately, therefore, it did not become law and we will have to address it again. The bill also provides help in 2011 to low-income Medicare beneficiaries in paying their part B premiums which are nearly $100 per month for many people. The legislation extends several important Medicare policies, including an exceptions process for therapy caps that allows Medicare beneficiaries to access medically needed therapy treatment. And it extends an important program that helps Medicaid beneficiaries work more hours without losing their Medicaid benefits. It is completely paid for over 10 years. It moved through the Senate by unanimous consent. It is really not controversial at all, and so I urge Members of the House to vote ``yes'' on this bill that provides stability to the Medicare program.

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

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Thank you, Chairman Dingell, and thank you for all the work you've done on this bill and so many other bills. There shouldn't be any more time for delay. Every time we have a food safety crisis, be it eggs or spinach or pepper or peanuts, we shake our heads at the vulnerability of our food supply and bemoan the fact that we don't have the tools to protect it. And these aren't isolated instances. Each year 76 million Americans are sickened from consuming contaminated food, and 5,000 of these people die. Is the bill we're going to vote on today perfect? Certainly not. But it's a bill that we can all be proud of. The Food Safety Act would give the FDA the ability, the authority, and the resources to protect American consumers from contaminated food. FDA will now better ensure food safety through more frequent inspection of food processing facilities, the development of a food trace-back system to pinpoint the source of food-borne illness, and enhanced powers to ensure that imported foods are safe. Perhaps most notably, the bill emphasizes prevention and safety that helps ensure that food is safe before it's distributed, before it reaches store shelves, before it reaches the kitchens of American families. We have the most productive and most efficient food distribution system in the world, but we need to make sure that we have the safest food supply. American families need to know the food they select from grocery stores and the meals they put on their kitchen tables are safe. We started this job in the House. Let's finish it today.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Rev. Dr. DeForest B. Soaries, Jr., a resident of Monmouth Junction, New Jersey and the Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset. Today, the church community gathers to celebrate Rev. Soaries' 20th Pastoral Anniversary. Rev. Soaries' pastoral ministry focuses on spiritual growth, educational excellence, economic empowerment and faith-based community development. His advocacy and dedication to members of the community are undoubtedly worthy of this body's recognition. Rev. Soaries' experience and activism in college laid a solid foundation for his future success. As a college student, Rev. Soaries led a campaign against drug use on campus. He later advocated for civil rights issues as a community organizer for the Urban League. He was also served as a National Coordinator in Operation PUSH. Rev. Soaries earned a Bachelor's of Arts Degree from Fordham University, a Master's of Divinity Degree from Princeton Theological Seminary and a Doctorate of Ministry Degree from United Theological Seminary. He is also the recipient of six honorary Doctoral Degrees from various institutions. Rev. Soaries is well known for being an active agent for change. He has guided members of the church and local community with financial education assistance and foreclosure prevention. Specifically, dfree is a program developed by Rev. Soaries to encourage participants to attain financial self-sufficiency. The dfree strategy teaches individuals to live without debt, within their means and pay their bills on time. As a result of his outstanding accomplishments, Rev. Soaries was the focus of the third installment of CNN's ``Black in America'' documentary ``Almighty Debt.'' It aired on October 21, 2010. This documentary highlighted three families from First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens who were facing difficult financial times as a result of issues including the recession, home foreclosure, unemployment and college tuition payments. In April 2007, Radio Talk Show Host Don Imus used racially insensitive language to describe the members of the Rutgers University Women's Basketball team. Rev. Soaries served as the mediator and facilitator between these two groups. From January 12, 1999 to January 15, 2002, Rev. Soaries served as New Jersey's thirtieth Secretary of State. He was the first African- American male to serve in this position. In his capacity, he served as senior advisor to the Governor on a wide range of public policies that effect various departments and constituencies. In December 15, 2003, Rev. Soaries was appointed to serve as Chairman of the United States Election Assistance Commission. This commission was established by Congress to implement the ``Help America Vote Act'' of 2002. Rev. Soaries' leadership in these endeavors is worthy of our praise and commendation. As a result of his exceptional work, Rev. Soaries was recently recognized by both houses of the New Jersey Legislature for his religious and community leadership. His work has also been featured in the New York Times, Ebony Magazine, Black Enterprise and Government Executive Magazine. Madam Speaker, please join me in leading this body in congratulating Rev. Dr. DeForest Soaries, Jr., as the parishioners celebrate his 20th Pastoral Anniversary. Rev. Soaries and the First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens are tremendously valued in my district and the State of New Jersey.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Sheriff Joseph Spicuzzo, a life long resident of Central New Jersey and an outstanding member of the community. Throughout his tenure, Sheriff Spicuzzo has contributed to labor organizations, made innovative improvements to the Sheriff's Department operations and enthusiastically dedicated his time to charitable organizations. Sheriff Spicuzzo will retire from his position after dedicating thirty years of service to the Middlesex County Sheriff's office. Today, I applaud Sheriff Spicuzzo, as his accomplishments should serve as an inspiration to us all. Sheriff Spicuzzo has a long and accomplished political career. From 1976 to 1980, Mr. Spicuzzo served as Mayor of the Borough of Spotswood, New Jersey. In April 1980, Mr. Spicuzzo was appointed Middlesex County Sheriff by Governor Brendan Byrne and completed an unexpired term. Since his appointment, Sheriff Spicuzzo has earned the respect and affection of his colleagues and constituents. He worked particularly well with the members of the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders as, together, they addressed a wide variety of issues affecting the County and its residents. Sheriff Spicuzzo's sincerity and concern for his constituents was apparent, as he consistently worked to improve services, and insured that the public was treated with dignity and respect. He has also been a tireless supporter of local law enforcement as well as State and Federal agencies. During his tenure, Sheriff Spicuzzo has been instrumental in implementing specialized programs including DWI checkpoints and ``Operation Spinal Cord''. Foreclosure property listings have also been published on the intemet in advance, informing and assisting the County and its residents. Sheriff Spicuzzo's thirty years of service to the County Sheriff's Department is an example of unwavering commitment and devotion. In addition to his role as Sheriff Mr. Spicuzzo has also served as Spotswood Democratic Municipal Chairman and Middlesex County Chairman. In his capacity as Middlesex County Chairman, he led the Middlesex County Democrats toward electoral success and increased the number of minority and women elected officials in the county. Before entering politics, Sheriff Spicuzzo's background included extensive involvement with various labor organizations. Influenced by both his grandfather and father, Mr. Spicuzzo began as a member of the Laborer's Union Local 156 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He also served as Business Agent for Local 196, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers. His passion and history with these organizations continues to reflect in his daily and political activities. Sheriff Spicuzzo is well-known for his compassionate and charitable contributions. Specifically, he has been commended for his tireless efforts on behalf of the Middlesex County Heart Association, most notably during radio station WCTC annual telethon. He has also offered his services to the March of Dimes, National Cancer Association, American Red Cross, United Jewish Appeal, B'nai B'rith Anti-Defamation League and the Salvation Army. As a result of his actions, Sheriff Spicuzzo was the recipient of the 1996 Hubert M. Humphrey Friend of Labor Award. He has also been honored with the 1980 ``Outstanding Young Man of America'' Award, the 1992 George Otlowski Citizen's League ``Man of the Year'' Award, the March of Dimes ``Franklin Award'', the Salvation Army ``OTHERS'' Award and was honored by the American Heart Association. Sheriff Spicuzzo currently resides in Helmetta with his wife, Mary Ann. He also has two children, JoAnn and Charlie, daughter-in-law Denise and two grandsons, Joey and Dominic. Madam Speaker, please join me in acknowledging Sheriff Spicuzzo's thirty years of service as Middlesex County Sheriff. His dedication and commitment are positive examples of what steadfast determination and allegiance can accomplish.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. I would also yield back the balance of my time and urge passage of the bill.

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 in the Record.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield to myself such time as I may consume. I rise today to offer H.R. 5470, a simple piece of legislation that provides a straightforward technical correction to the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Specific provisions in the Energy Independence and Security Act intended to increase the energy efficiency requirements for battery chargers and external power supplies have been implemented in a way that includes security and life safety products but yields no energy savings. The law requires the power supplies on these products to meet energy efficiency standards in a number of different modes, including off mode and standby mode. Security and life safety products, however, are always on and never operate in off mode or standby mode. Fire monitors, carbon monoxide monitors, intrusion detection sensors and access control readers require a constant, uninterrupted power supply. Security products are always in active mode, meaning they are connected to a main power source and remain active to detect and monitor various readings. To disconnect these devices from the transformer would destroy the integrity of the security system and compromise public safety and security. This legislation will provide an exemption for security and life safety products from these Federal energy efficiency requirements while still retaining the law's active mode efficiency requirements for these products. Without creating this correction for security and life safety products, the industry will be forced to spend millions of dollars to comply with an energy standard that will yield no energy savings and could actually cost jobs. Mr. Speaker, this commonsense correction to current law is supported by the security industry and a broad spectrum of environmental groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, and the Alliance to Save Energy. The bill also contains language which will mitigate any potential newfound concerns by limiting the duration of the exemption to allow the Department of Energy to modify it after July 2017. I would also note, Mr. Speaker, that the Department of Energy supports this correction, which is documented in response to a question for the record submitted by Senator Bingaman following a Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources hearing. It is also bipartisan. My colleague from Kentucky who is on the floor is also one of the cosponsors of this bill. I would urge all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this sensible technical correction and vote ``aye.'' Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5470) to exclude an external power supply for certain security or life safety alarms and surveillance system components from the application of certain energy efficiency standards under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. I yield the gentleman 1 additional minute.

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 in the Record.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel), who is the sponsor of the Gestational Diabetes Act, H.R. 5354, which passed the House earlier this year.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Scott).

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 2 minutes to a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Space).

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 1690. Earlier this year, the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee held a hearing on our collective battle against diabetes, the progress we have made so far and the challenges that remain. Over 30 years ago, Congress passed the National Diabetes Research and Education Act, the first significant legislation directed at coordinating and expanding the government's research and prevention efforts related to diabetes. While we have made tremendous progress in understanding and treating diabetes, it remains a significant public health epidemic. It's staggering to realize that over 23 million Americans have some form of diabetes today and the number is growing. Even more troubling is that 57 million Americans are at serious risk for developing type 2 diabetes, including women with gestational diabetes. Until recently, kids were rarely diagnosed with anything but type 1 diabetes. But the increasing rate of childhood obesity is changing the face of diabetes, and certainly not for the better. Furthermore, diabetes is the leading cause of heart disease, stroke, blindness, and kidney failure. As is often the case, diabetes disproportionately affects racial and ethnic minorities. American Indians have the highest prevalence of diabetes nationwide, and Hispanics and African Americans are close behind. Moreover, there is clear economic cost. It has been estimated that over $220 billion in medical expenses in 2007 can be attributed to diabetes. There are serious problems which need aggressive and innovative action. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases located at NIH and the Centers for Disease Control are both doing landmark research and surveillance work related to diabetes and have translated this into more effective prevention and treatment strategies, including the development of key therapies and technologies. I want to commend the sponsor of this legislation, the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. DeGette) not only for the work on this bill but for all the work on the Energy and Commerce Committee and also as the cochair of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus. I know I'm a member of it. It has well over 200 members, and it does a lot to raise awareness and increase education about the disease. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to now yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. DeGette), who is the author of the resolution and also the cochair of the Diabetes Caucus.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1690) supporting the observance of American Diabetes Month, as amended.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, this bill is a stopgap measure to guarantee that seniors and military families can continue to see their doctors during December while we work on a solution for the next year. Without this legislation, the fees Medicare pays to physicians will be reduced by 23 percent on December 1, this Wednesday. And because TRICARE, the civilian health program for military families and retirees, uses Medicare rates, fees for physicians seeing TRICARE patients would be cut by 23 percent as well. Madam Speaker, I have to say that kind of cut is obviously not reasonable. We have a responsibility to ensure that Medicare is a steady partner for physicians so that we are able to maintain the kind of excellent access to care that seniors and people with disabilities have come to expect from the program. Medicare enrollees still enjoy better access to care than anyone else in the country. The rate cuts created by the SGR would undermine that trust that seniors and physicians have historically had in the program. The 111th Congress has passed into law three SGR extensions of less than a year, and this will be the fourth. I think we need to stop legislating SGR policy in 1 to 6 month intervals in order to provide some stability to the Medicare program for 2011. And I hope that before the 111th Congress adjourns, we can pass legislation addressing all of 2011 at a minimum. I continue to be frustrated that we are unable to move beyond short- term fixes to this major problem facing the Medicare program. The House passed legislation in 2009 that I co-sponsored that would have dealt with this SGR problem for good; but until we have that long-term solution in hand, it is essential that Congress pass this legislation to ensure that seniors and military families do not experience a disruption in seeing their doctors this December. This legislation, Madam Speaker, is completely paid for over 10 years. According to the rules of the statutory PAYGO law, we aren't supposed to pay for SGR bills; but this one is paid for despite that. It moved through the Senate by unanimous consent. And so, Madam Speaker, there is no conceivable reason in my opinion to oppose this legislation. I would urge Members to vote ``yes'' on this bill and help me pursue a longer solution before Congress finishes business for this year. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendments to the bill (H.R. 5712) to provide for certain clarifications and extensions under Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program.