Frank Pallone

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute. Madam Speaker, I just want to take this opportunity to thank my committee staff who worked so hard on this legislation for so many years. This day would not be possible if it wasn't for their dedication and constant perseverance: Tiffany Guarascio, Waverly Gordon, Rick Kessler, Una Lee, Jacquelyn Bolen, Saha Khaterzai, Rick Van Buren, Tuley Wright, Caitlin Haberman, Adam Fischer, Anthony Gutierrez, Tyler O'Connor, Medha Surampudy, Jacqueline Cohen, Dustin Maghamfar, Timia Crisp, and Brendan Larkin. Let me just say, Madam Speaker, I am still waiting for a couple more speakers. I just want to say that I cannot emphasize enough the significance of this legislation in terms of reducing costs for seniors through negotiated prices for Medicare, extending the Affordable Care Act, which has made so many people have health insurance who didn't have it before, and also addressing climate change, which is really the greatest crisis of our time. There is nothing that could be more significant in this legislation. Madam Speaker, I would inquire how much time is remaining.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute. I will speak briefly before I introduce our two leaders who have done so much on the Democratic side to make this bill a possibility today. The Republican leader said that we should listen to our constituents. Well, we have. Yesterday, I was at a senior center in Woodbridge, and a woman came up to me and said: You know, Congressman Pallone, I spend $1,500 a month on prescription drugs. And I was able to say to her: I am going to be in Washington tomorrow. I am going to vote on a bill that is going to cap your expenditures at $2,000 a year. Then I had another woman in a telehealth meeting earlier in the week who told me that she was so hot, because in New Jersey we have had the worst drought and the highest temperatures that we know in years, and she said: I have to go to a cooling center because of the heat, because of my health and the impact on my health. I was able to say to her: Look, it is going to take a while, but tomorrow--this Friday--I am going to vote on a bill that is going to address the climate change and the heating and the warming of this planet. Madam Speaker, I want to thank our two leaders for what they have done to bring this about today. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, to close the debate, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the Speaker of the House, who has done so much to bring this bill to final passage today.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in commemoration of the life of Sam Mills as he is posthumously enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 6, 2022. Despite often being overlooked due to his small stature as a linebacker, Sam Mills persisted and shattered misperceptions and records throughout his career. He never gave up on or off the field, fighting until the end of his two-year battle with cancer, which tragically took him too soon at the age of 45. Refusing to let his diagnosis stop him, Mr. Mills' motto to ``Keep Pounding'' became a rallying cry for his team and future generations of players. Born in Neptune and raised in Long Branch, Mr. Mills was a New Jersey native who always stayed true to his roots. A standout player for Long Branch High School, Mr. Mills was a first-team All-Shore selection in his senior year. His Long Branch jersey is proudly displayed in the high school gymnasium alongside his Carolina Panthers jersey. Each year, two players in the Shore Sports Network All-Shore Gridiron Classic are chosen to receive the Sam Mills Award in his honor. A walk-on at Montclair State, Mr. Mills left his mark on the university as he did in Long Branch. He set records, was recognized for his performance, and led the team as captain for two seasons. The university retired his jersey number and memorialized his legacy with a residence hall and the dining area, Sam's Place, named after him. In addition to his achievements on the field, Sam Mills graduated Montclair State with a Bachelor of Science degree and was later awarded an honorary doctoral degree from the university. He has been inducted into the Montclair State University Hall of Fame as well as the College Football Hall of Fame. Overcoming rejections by other leagues, Sam Mills played three seasons in the United States Football League (USFL), where his talent did not go unnoticed. When his USFL Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars coach Jim Mora was named head coach of the New Orleans Saints, he took Mr. Mills with him. Mr. Mills' athletic prowess and leadership helped the Saints to four playoff appearances in his 9 seasons with the team. He was then a key player with the 1995 expansion team Carolina Panthers, where he played until his retirement in 1997. At the end of his NFL playing career, Sam Mills recorded 12 seasons and 181 games, 5 Pro Bowl appearances, 3 All-Pro and All-NFC selections, and remarkable career statistics. After retiring as a player, Mr. Mills found his way back to the field in 1999, working as an assistant coach for the Carolina Panthers. Having nearly entered the teaching profession before joining the USFL, Mr. Mills was a natural as a coach. He continued to coach throughout his cancer treatments, inspiring the franchise to this day. ``Keep Pounding'' is inscribed in the collar of each team jersey, the Keep Pounding Drum is played before each home game, and a statue depicting Mr. Mills was erected outside their stadium. Likewise, both his Panthers and Saints jerseys are retired. Mr. Mills is remembered by his loving family, who will be in Canton, Ohio for the Pro Football Hall of Fame celebration, as well as former teammates, players, and coaches. His induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame ensures that future players and individuals alike will be inspired by his story. His character and tenacity are as much a part of his legacy as his statistics and accomplishments, and his impact on those he has mentored directly, and indirectly, is indelible. Madam Speaker, I sincerely hope that my colleagues will join me in honoring the life and accomplishments of Sam Mills. His election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2022 is well-earned and truly deserving of this body's recognition. Keep Pounding.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman from Colorado for yielding time, and I rise in strong support of H.R. 5118, the Wildfire Response and Drought Resiliency Act. Climate change and extreme weather are already wreaking havoc on American families and businesses. Every day, we read news stories about drought conditions in the West and the corn belt, wildfires displacing Americans from their homes, and the potential collapse of Texas' power grid from extreme heat and unreliable fossil fuel power plants. Just this week, in my home State of New Jersey, Governor Murphy is encouraging residents to conserve water due to dry conditions. Now, the impacts of climate and extreme weather are truly being felt everywhere. That is why I am proud to support this package of commonsense proposals, including many from the Energy and Commerce Committee, to mitigate the effects of extreme weather on our electric grid and water resources. I just want to highlight a couple of the key provisions from our committee. The bill includes legislation from Representative O'Halleran, requiring the Federal Government to identify grid infrastructure that is vulnerable to natural disasters. It includes Representative Casten's legislation to ensure that different regions of the country can share power during extreme weather events. The legislation also includes a provision from Representative Panetta to increase the energy resilience and productivity of critical facilities through investments in microgrids, energy storage, and energy efficiency. Finally, it includes two provisions championed by Representative McNerney. The first would help water systems implement water loss control programs and water efficiency programs, and the second directs the Federal Government to study the need and feasibility for standards to ensure that power plants are capable of operating in drought conditions. Madam Chair, this legislation is essential to helping us address the climate crisis. Frankly, this legislation should garner overwhelming bipartisan support. I can't understand why my Republican colleagues would oppose the bill. They have farmers in their districts whose crops are ravaged by drought. They represent homeowners displaced by wildfires. They certainly have constituents who use the power grid. Extreme weather clearly threatens our security, but my Republican colleagues seem content to watch the world burn. I am not, and neither are my Democratic colleagues. That is why I will vote for H.R. 5118, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Texas, the chairwoman, for all of her work on this bill. I rise in support of H.R. 4346, the CHIPS and Science Act, that will lower costs for consumers, create good-paying American jobs, and end our dangerous dependence on foreign manufacturers of critical goods. I would like to focus on two key initiatives from the Committee on Energy and Commerce. The American people may not know it, but semiconductors are integral to their everyday experiences. They are the microchips that are used in automobiles, consumer electronics, and washing machines. Over the past 30 years, America's share of semiconductor production has plummeted, jeopardizing our national security and economic welfare. The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the vulnerability of our semiconductor supply chains. As a result, automakers, medical supply companies, and manufacturers of heavy machinery faced severe disruptions, which drove up prices. The CHIPS and Science Act appropriates over $52 billion to ensure more semiconductors are produced right here in the United States, ending our reliance on other countries and lowering costs for consumers. But our competitiveness faces challenges elsewhere. Domestic vendors of communications network equipment have dwindled over the past several years, while the proliferation of networks using Huawei, a Chinese Communist company, have grown. Just this week, there were reports about how Huawei strategically deployed their equipment in U.S. networks to maximize their espionage capabilities. This legislation also invests $1.5 billion in the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund for the deployment and promotion of Open Radio Access networks, or Open RAN networks. This deals with 5G technology. This investment will help bring more diversity and innovation to wireless supply chains while also countering the spread of harmful network equipment, like Huawei, here and around the world. Mr. Speaker, this bill is a win-win for our global competitiveness, economy, and consumers. I urge all of my colleagues to support it today.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1254, I call up the bill (H.R. 3771) to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for research and improvement of cardiovascular health among the South Asian population of the United States, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and add extraneous material on H.R. 3771.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3771, the South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act of 2022. I thank Representative Jayapal and the bill's bipartisan sponsors for their work on this important piece of legislation. Heart disease, Madam Speaker, claims a life in the United States every 34 seconds. In 2020 alone, heart disease resulted in the deaths of 697,000 Americans. These statistics, which are troubling by themselves, are further shaped by systemic health disparities. Black men have a 70 percent higher risk of heart failure compared to White men, and Black women have a 50 percent higher risk compared to White women. Heart disease is the leading cause of death among Hispanic men, and for Hispanic women, heart disease is second only to cancer. The South Asian community is also disproportionately impacted by this deadly disease. While South Asians comprise 23 percent of the world's population as of 2020, they carry approximately 60 percent of the world's global burden of heart disease. The increased risk and disproportionate impact that heart disease has on the South Asian- American community in this country is often obscured by the lack of data specificity, as South Asian Americans are often grouped with other Asian Americans. So H.R. 3771 takes a multipronged approach to address these trends. The legislation allows States to direct culturally appropriate resources to communities that are disproportionately impacted by heart disease through grants, with the goal of increasing awareness and promoting prevention. The legislation also supports research efforts on cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and other heart-related ailments among at-risk populations. H.R. 3771 is a bipartisan, commonsense approach to an undeniable heart health and research gap for the South Asian-American community. These important investments will ensure a greater understanding with respect to individuals disproportionately at risk for heart-related disease and will help in our efforts to address disparities in heart health currently experienced by many Americans. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation. I just want to thank Representative Jayapal, again, because, as you know, Madam Speaker, I have a very large Asian-American community, and many of them, particularly the healthcare providers, have pointed to the problems disproportionately with heart disease. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Jayapal), who is the bill's sponsor.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may to consume to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Chu).

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Let me just thank, again, Ms. Jayapal and others on a bipartisan basis. This is a very important bill for my district in many areas where we have a large South Asian community. And one of the things that Ms. Chu mentioned was the data. Oftentimes, we don't have the data, and just getting the information, in itself, is going to be significant as a result of this bill. I ask for support on both sides, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I have an amendment at the desk that was made in order by the rule.

Mr. PALLONE. Yes, I will be the designee in lieu of Ms. Sherrill.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the underlying bill, H.R. 3771, and to offer an amendment that focuses on the impact of COVID-19 on rates of heart disease in at-risk communities. The COVID-19 pandemic has taken an immeasurable toll on the American people. Over one million people have lost their lives, and countless more will suffer long-term health impacts as a result of the disease. There is an undeniable link between COVID-19 infections and ongoing heart complications. A study published in Nature Medicine in February of this year concluded the risk of heart problems 1 year after COVID-19 infection is substantial. COVID-19 can indirectly attack the heart through lack of oxygen, causing the heart to overwork and contributing to cell death and tissue damage in the heart and other organs. It can also infect the heart's muscle tissue, leading to tissue damage and inflammation, stress cardiomyopathy, and blood clots. And as a result, COVID-19 has only widened heart health disparities around the country. During the pandemic, Black, Hispanic, and Asian populations in the U.S. experienced a disproportionate rise in deaths caused by heart disease. This amendment directs the Secretary of HHS to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, or another appropriate entity, to conduct a study on the relationship between COVID-19 and rates of morbidity and mortality as a result of heart disease in at-risk communities. We must take steps now to understand the scope of the relationship between COVID-19 and heart disease in our most vulnerable populations. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Jayapal), the sponsor of the bill.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I would urge support for the amendment, as well as the underlying bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam 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 H.R. 4990.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4990) to codify the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences and to direct the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to establish an initiative to support the development of emergency communication and tracking technologies, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4990, the ITS Codification Act. The Institute for Telecommunication Sciences, or ITS, is the premier engineering laboratory of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, or NTIA. Amongst its many responsibilities, ITS manages various technology development programs for NTIA and the Department of Commerce and oversees cutting-edge studies concerning the use of our country's airwaves. ITS has played a significant role in furthering telecommunication advancements for our country's benefit. H.R. 4990 recognizes the numerous contributions of ITS by providing it with additional statutory authority. Specifically, under this legislation, ITS will serve as the primary laboratory for the executive branch of the Federal Government. It will be charged with studying the use of innovative sharing technologies for our airwaves and improving the interference tolerance of Federal systems operating with, or using, Federal spectrum. The legislation also will allow the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information, acting through the head of ITS, to enter into agreements needed to carry out the functions of ITS. This bill also requires the Assistant Secretary to establish an initiative to support the development of emergency communication and tracking technologies. These technologies would then be used to locate individuals trapped in areas where mobile connectivity may not be available due to natural disasters or other devastating events. I commend Representatives O'Halleran and Carter for their bipartisan work on this bill. This is a good bill as it ensures that one of our Nation's key telecommunications facilities has the necessary tools and resources to not only continue to do its work but also expand its activities, including by enhancing rescue efforts for Americans trapped in disaster areas. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I look forward to its consideration in the Senate. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I would do the same. This is a significant bill. I urge everyone to support it on a bipartisan basis, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1256, I call up the bill (H.R. 4040) to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to extend telehealth flexibilities under the Medicare program, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and add extraneous material on H.R. 4040.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 4040, the Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act, bipartisan legislation, introduced by Representatives Cheney and Dingell. Over the course of this pandemic, telehealth has served as an important tool for staying connected to care without increasing the risk of exposure to COVID-19. And in the Medicare program, millions have utilized telehealth for the first time during the pandemic, thanks to actions taken early on by Congress and the administration. When the pandemic was beginning to take hold in America, Congress moved quickly to significantly expand access to telehealth for Medicaid beneficiaries. And this was critically important because Medicare beneficiaries are some of the most vulnerable to COVID-19. The waiver of Medicare's originating site and geographic restrictions during the public health emergency has allowed millions of Medicare beneficiaries nationwide to receive telehealth services, including audio-only services, without ever having to leave their homes. Now, the Energy and Commerce Committee has a long history of working to expand access to telehealth services in the Medicare program. For example, the SUPPORT Act expanded access to substance use disorder services delivered via telehealth. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 permanently expanded access to telemental health services and Medicare. And most recently, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 extended key telehealth flexibilities for an additional 5 months after the end of the public health emergency. So H.R. 4040 builds on the bipartisan telehealth extension included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022. The bill extends the same key telehealth flexibilities as the previous legislation, but now would extend them until December 31, 2024, essentially 2 more years. And this longer-term extension will provide beneficiaries and stakeholders with more certainty. It will also give policymakers time to assess the impact expanded telehealth services have had on the Medicare program and on beneficiaries' health and well-being, and the quality of care that they are receiving. So I thank the many Energy and Commerce Committee members who have been leaders on this issue over the years, such as Representatives Dingell, Eshoo, Matsui, Welch, Blunt-Rochester, Kelly, and many more. And I also commend Representative Cheney and Dingell for their bipartisan leadership on this legislation today. I look forward to working with all Members on a permanent solution to address telehealth coverage under Medicare but, in the meantime, this multi-year extension is critical for preserving access to telehealth services. The language included in the bill is the same bipartisan language previously negotiated by the House and Senate committees and the bill-- and I stress, Madam Speaker, that the bill is fully paid for. So I hope we can, once again, extend these flexibilities with strong bipartisan support. I urge all my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Dingell).