Frank Pallone

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Today I rise in support of S. 4978, the State Offices of Rural Health Program Reauthorization Act of 2022. Since 1991, the Health Resources and Services Administration's State Offices of Rural Health Program has assisted States in strengthening rural healthcare delivery systems by maintaining a central hub for rural health in each State. This bill would reauthorize the program for 5 years, through 2027. Madam Speaker, this legislation could not come at a more crucial time. Today, rural Americans face a far greater risk of death from many of the leading causes of death for adults in our country, including heart disease, cancer, stroke, and chronic lower respiratory diseases. In addition, unintentional injury deaths among rural populations are approximately 50 percent higher than among urban populations. These adverse effects in rural areas also translate to pediatric populations. A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that children living in rural areas with mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders faced more community and family challenges than children living in urban areas with the same disorders. Adolescent suicide rate is also approximately 47 percent higher in rural areas. HRSA's State Offices of Rural Health Program has met the health needs of rural Americans head on for the last 30 years. The program provides funding for an institutional framework that links small rural communities with State and Federal resources to develop long-term solutions to rural health programs through research, as well as dissemination of information and solutions to barriers to rural health. These offices must also coordinate all activities in the State related to rural healthcare and conduct recruitment and retention activities for healthcare professionals to serve in rural areas. Madam Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 4120) to maximize discovery, and accelerate development and availability, of promising childhood cancer treatments, and for other purposes.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of S. 4120, the Senate companion to H.R. 7630, the Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act. Last night, this bill passed in the Senate by unanimous consent, and I am glad that we are now considering it under suspension. Mr. Speaker, cancer is the leading cause of death in American children, yet only 4 percent of the National Cancer Institute's budget is dedicated to childhood and adolescent cancer research. Since its original implementation, the STAR Act has provided resources for State cancer registries to identify and track pediatric cancer incidence, enhance research on childhood cancer survivorship and innovative treatment models, and support the pediatric cancer workforce. The bill before us reauthorizes the STAR Act for 5 years at $30 million per year, requires a report on researcher access to cancer biorepository samples, and expands research to evaluate survivorship and treatment approaches in children and adolescents with cancer. I thank the House and Senate sponsors and families across the country who have advocated for this important reauthorization. I look forward to the STAR Act passing and adding on to the Energy and Commerce Committee's efforts in the 117th Congress to enhance pediatric cancer research, such as the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act 2.0 and ARPA-H. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, again, this is an important piece of legislation. I ask all Members on both sides of the aisle to support it. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE

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 S. 1541.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 1541, the Martha Wright- Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act of 2022. Communications technology has evolved rapidly in recent years, benefiting all of us. Whether it is a small business using broadband to find new customers, the delivery of healthcare through telehealth, or having educational resources for job training available at our fingertips, modern communications have made a significant economic impact but also a very clear human impact, as well. This became even more pronounced during the COVID-19 pandemic, as we relied on communications networks to remain connected, even when we couldn't be together. Mr. Speaker, we know that maintaining connections with loved ones and our community is crucial. Whether a simple phone call or a video chat, staying in touch with a friend or loved one down the street or across the country is incredibly meaningful. These connections are also important to individuals who are incarcerated, but for them, this communication is far more costly and difficult than it should be. Studies have shown that regular contact with family members lowers the rate of recidivism. Yet, due to a broken system, it can sometimes cost as much as $1 a minute to make a call to or from a prison, jail, or other confinement facility. This can make it all but impossible for some families to maintain contact with a son or daughter, mom or dad, or sister or brother, especially if and when in-person visitation is limited, as it has been during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is no coincidence that incarcerated persons are subjected to these exorbitant rates. In most if not all cases, one company has a monopoly in the facilities it serves. Unfortunately, kickbacks, not competition, are often the deciding factor in which company is selected. The Federal Communications Commission has previously exercised the authority it has to reduce some of the rates charged in confinement facilities, but its authority is currently limited, preventing it from fully solving this persistent problem. Recently, a court found that it cannot regulate the rates charged for calls made between confinement facilities and people within the same State. This bill would give the FCC this authority and also clarify its authority over video communications. It is my hope that this bill will help reduce financial burdens that prevent people from being able to communicate with loved ones and friends. I commend my friend, Representative Rush, for steadfastly championing this issue for so long. I hope we can pass this bill today and send it to the President's desk so he can sign it into law. That would be a fitting tribute to another piece of legislation that Representative Rush got signed into law before retiring at the end of this Congress. I am going to miss him here in the House and in the Committee on Energy and Commerce, where he has been a strong and passionate leader for decades. I also thank Senators Duckworth and Portman, who worked so hard to find compromise and pass this bill in the Senate, along the way garnering the support of a diverse group of organizations, including the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the Color of Change, and the National Sheriffs' Association. This is a bill we can all be proud of supporting. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, let me thank everyone. This is obviously a very important piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker, I urge support on a bipartisan basis, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3405) to require the Federal Communications Commission to issue a rule providing that certain low power television stations may be accorded primary status as Class A television licensees, and for other purposes.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 3405, the Low Power Protection Act. Now more than ever, local television is the lifeline of our communities. People across the country rely on their local broadcasters for news, emergency information, and entertainment, particularly at an unfortunate time when local newspapers are either shutting down or cutting back on news coverage. The Low Power Protection Act would help ensure that broadcasts in some rural communities are better protected from interference, just like larger stations that operate in bigger markets. Specifically, the bill would require the FCC to issue rules allowing low power television stations that serve markets with fewer than 95,000 households to apply for an upgraded license. If granted, the low power television station would be protected from harmful interference, allowing the station to deliver important news, emergency information, and entertainment without disruption. This local news and information can be lifesaving in times of emergency, and we need to ensure that local communities can access this information during times of crisis. The bill is supported by the National Association of Broadcasters, among others. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in supporting the Low Power Protection Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I also urge my colleagues to support this bill on a bipartisan basis, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE

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 S. 198.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of S. 198, the Data Mapping to Save Moms' Lives Act. The United States has the highest rate of maternal mortality across developed nations. And while maternal mortality and morbidity are problems that affect women throughout the country, these concerns are especially pronounced in Black and Native American communities. Maternal mortality rates for Black women are three times higher than those of White women, and the rate of death for American Indians and Alaska Native women is two times higher. This is simply unacceptable, and we should be taking action to reverse these disturbing numbers. Technology, Mr. Speaker, has a role to play but requires modern connectivity like high-speed broadband to provide the most potential. For instance, access to telehealth services like routine checkups, health monitoring, and updated prescriptions can go a long way in ensuring the health and safety of both the mother and child. This legislation before us today seeks to help lawmakers, public health officials, and the public at large to consider issues of connectivity and maternal health outcomes in tandem. Once implemented, it will provide a better idea for how connectivity and health data intersect. This will help us better target telehealth services to vulnerable populations in communities at risk of maternal mortality and morbidity. Specifically, Mr. Speaker, it will require the FCC to integrate publicly available data related to maternal health, including mortality and severe morbidity, into its Mapping Broadband Health in America platform. The FCC will be required to consult with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to determine the right data to include for this effort. We have worked closely with our Senate colleagues to get this legislation enacted, and I want to acknowledge and thank Senators Rosen and Fischer for their leadership on the bill. This bipartisan Senate bill incorporates the text of the House-passed version championed by Representatives Butterfield, Bilirakis, and Lisa Blunt Rochester. This initiative, Mr. Speaker, combined with other good work that we in the executive branch have done, will help us better understand the communications barriers that some pregnant women face so that we can explore connectivity policies that help keep these women safe and healthy. Mr. Speaker, for these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support S. 198, the Data Mapping to Save Moms' Lives Act in a bipartisan manner, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 198) to require the Federal Communications Commission to incorporate data on maternal health outcomes into its broadband health maps, as amended.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I, once again, urge that we support this bill on a bipartisan basis, and I urge all my colleagues to support it. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 4052) to reauthorize a program for early detection, diagnosis, and treatment regarding deaf and hard-of-hearing newborns, infants, and young children, and for other purposes.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on S. 4052.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of S. 4052, the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act. Last year, we passed the House version of this bill, H.R. 5561, which was sponsored by Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Guthrie and Representative Matsui. I thank both of them for their leadership on this issue. Over the last 20 years, Mr. Speaker, we have been very successful in addressing one of the most common birth defects affecting America's children: congenital hearing loss. Children with this condition are born with hearing loss and are at risk for delays in speech, language, social, and emotional development. Fortunately, early detection and intervention is highly effective in preventing these adverse effects. Since 2000, Congress has passed and subsequently reauthorized Early Hearing Detection and Intervention programs, also known as EHDI programs. These programs support State and territory programs and systems of care to identify and support children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Thanks to these programs, early hearing loss screening, diagnosis, and treatment services have greatly increased over the last two decades. Consider that before 1993, only 1 in 10 newborns were screened for hearing loss. Today, according to data from the Centers for Disease and Prevention, 97 percent of all infants are screened within the first month of their lives. Furthermore, 60 percent of infants receive audiological evaluations and diagnosis by 3 months of age, and 72 percent of infants were enrolled in early intervention services before they are 6 months old. These are remarkable achievements that help ensure all children with hearing loss have the same opportunities as children who can hear. Today, we are considering a bill that will help us build on these achievements. S. 4052, the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act, would extend critical funding for EHDI programs for 5 years through fiscal year 2027. This legislation will ensure that these services continue to be available for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, again, I urge all Members to vote for this on a bipartisan basis and mention that when it passes today that it will go to the President's desk. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 1193) to amend title IV of the Public Health Service Act to direct the Director of the National Institutes of Health, in consultation with the Director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, to establish a program under which the Director of the National Institutes of Health shall support or conduct research on valvular heart disease, and for other purposes.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1193.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, 1 year ago, the House passed the CAROL Act by voice vote. I am pleased the Senate finally considered the legislation and worked to keep it in a bipartisan bill. Valvular heart disease is a growing issue in our country. It is a condition where one of the heart's four valves is damaged and does not regulate blood properly. Nearly 25,000 Americans die each year from complications caused by valvular heart disease. Yet, we do not know much about it. This bill will bring us closer to finding answers. The CAROL Act expands research on valvular heart disease at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute with the goal of generating data and assessing potential risk factors associated with valvular heart disease. This bill convenes a workshop of experts to collaborate and develop recommendations for the identification and treatment of individuals who are at risk of sudden cardiac death caused by valvular heart disease. The bill also supports education efforts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to increase awareness of valvular heart disease and reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death. I commend our colleague, Representative Barr, for leading this legislation in honor of his late wife, Carol, who passed unexpectedly due to an underlying valvular heart disease condition. I hope that this legislation will help avoid similar tragedies for other families across the Nation. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and join us in honoring the life of Carol Barr. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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