Frank Pallone

Mr. PALLONE

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

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

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I would ask bipartisan support for this bill, which will continue the objective of trying to coordinate better between the two agencies, the FCC and the NTIA. Madam Speaker, 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. 5657.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5657, the Medical Marijuana Research Act. Last week, Congress considered and passed the MORE Act, which effectively removes marijuana from the strictest category of regulation under the Controlled Substances Act. Today, medical marijuana is approved and regulated in 37 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These actions highlight the need for increased research about safety and efficacy of the marijuana products being consumed by millions of Americans. Unfortunately, comprehensive research on marijuana has been regulated in a restrictive, time-consuming way, and the current body of research is not representative of the products available to the average American adult consumer. H.R. 5657 is a bipartisan bill that streamlines the registration process for scientists seeking to engage in cannabis research. It also maintains the appropriate oversight and control by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The bill requires HHS and DEA to respond to registration applicants in a timely manner and expands the number of federally approved manufacturers and distributors that can supply marijuana products for research purposes. The bill also creates a special process to allow State-authorized marijuana to be used for research purposes. This is an important step toward understanding the positive and negative health effects of the products being frequently consumed by people across our country. The House passed this bill by a voice vote in the 116th Congress. The Senate also passed a similar measure last Congress and did so again by unanimous consent last month. Madam Speaker, I want to thank Representatives Blumenauer, Harris, Holmes Norton, Dingell, Cohen, Griffith, Lee, and Case for their leadership on this issue. I look forward to working with them and our colleagues in the Senate to expand comprehensive cannabis research and protect the health of our constituents. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Dingell), who is one of the sponsors of this legislation.

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

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me agree with my Republican colleague that this is very important because there really hasn't been enough research done on marijuana and the impacts of it. That is why this bill really needs to pass, and I urge my colleagues, on a bipartisan basis, to support it. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Eshoo for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1916, the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act, a bipartisan bill that will help patients with congenital anomalies and birth defects get the necessary treatment that they deserve. Three percent of American children are born with congenital anomalies or birth defects that affect the way they look, develop, or function, often for the rest of their lives. These children require serious medical treatment. But for far too long, insurance companies have been unfairly denying treatment, despite an official medical diagnosis, by deeming it cosmetic or because the treatment involves dental services. This is unacceptable. This treatment is critically important and medically necessary, particularly for children with serious dental anomalies. During our legislative hearing on this bill in committee, we heard from Kevin Koser about his family's longstanding struggles to get his son Kannon's medical treatment covered. Kannon was diagnosed with ectodermal dysplasia when he was 1 year old, and this had a drastic impact on his health and quality of life. Ectodermal dysplasia is a congenital anomaly that affects the development of the hair, skin, teeth, and other body parts. Kannon sprouted his first tooth at the age of 4, and this has severely restricted his diet and impacted his ability to speak. In accordance with the treatment plan established by his doctor, his family began pursuing dentures for Kannon; however, their family health plan denied the medically necessary treatment for Kannon and deemed it as not a covered benefit. The Koser family is not alone. Madam Speaker, there are countless children across the country whose medically necessary treatments are unfairly denied by insurance companies. These children may have to forego the care they need to live healthy and fulfilling lives because their families simply cannot afford the treatment. Too often, their families are stuck with the financial burden of paying out of pocket for medically necessary treatment despite having health insurance, and children like Kannon are forced to delay necessary care that is meant to restore bodily function. The National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasias estimates that some families will pay upwards of $150,000 out of pocket in their lifetime for medically necessary treatments. This is for medical care that should be rightfully covered by insurance. The Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act will require all individual and group market health plans to cover medically necessary treatment resulting from congenital anomalies and ensure that children like Kannon get the treatment they need. This is important, commonsense legislation that has--as Ms. Eshoo said--310 bipartisan cosponsors. I commend Ms. Eshoo for her leadership on this legislation as the prime sponsor of the bill. This important bill will improve the health and well-being of countless Americans and ensure that individuals born with congenital anomalies have the opportunity to live a healthy life. Children like Kannon and his family should have the peace of mind to know that medically necessary treatment will be covered. Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Schrier), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1017, I call up the bill (H.R. 6833) to amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act, the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to establish requirements with respect to cost-sharing for certain insulin products, 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 insert extraneous material on H.R. 6833.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Affordable Insulin Now Act, which is critical to protecting more than 7 million American patients who rely on insulin. Today, one in four Americans who need insulin report either having cut back or skipped doses because the cost is simply too high. That is heartbreaking and unacceptable. No one should have to ration their insulin to help reduce costs, risking their health and, in some tragic cases, actually costing them their lives. This bill will make insulin more affordable by capping the out-of- pocket cost for consumers in both Medicare and the private insurance market at $35 a month. This will address the vast disparities between what people pay for insulin in other countries as compared to the United States. Right now, Americans are paying more than 10 times the price for insulin as people in other high-income countries. That is simply not fair. Right now, one out of every five Americans who depend on insulin have out-of-pocket costs of significantly more than $35 per month. That is unconscionable considering that insulin has been in use for over a century. I have heard my Republican colleagues contend that prices for insulin are coming down but, in reality, prices are going up for the consumer. The list prices set by the manufacturer, which patient cost-sharing is based off of, keep going up. In fact, reports note that the average retail price for insulin rose 54 percent--more than double--from 2014 to 2019. Now, Madam Speaker, I continue to strongly support comprehensive efforts to rein in the soaring costs of prescription drugs and empowering Medicare to negotiate fair prices, but we cannot afford to wait any longer to address the price of insulin. I commend Representatives Craig, Kildee, and McBath for their leadership and hard work in bringing this important legislation to the House floor. I urge my colleagues, on a bipartisan basis, to support this lifesaving legislation. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the majority leader, who, along with the rest of the leadership, continues this effort to address affordability.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. Craig), the prime sponsor of the bill, who is constantly working to address affordability issues for Americans.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo), chair of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Health.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky), the chair of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Schrader), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New Hampshire (Ms. Kuster), a member of Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I would inquire how much time is remaining on each side.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to gentlewoman from Georgia (Ms. Bourdeaux).

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman of New Jersey (Mr. Payne).

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, we are at a crucial moment in our Nation's history, and Congress has the chance to reinvigorate our economy and ensure that we can outcompete every other nation. The America COMPETES Act will put us on a course to lead the pack in creating the strongest and most advanced economy of the 21st century. Today's actions move us one step closer to making this legislation a reality. Over the past 40 years, America's manufacturing sector has lost market share to economic competitors like China. This decline in manufacturing, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, has led to severe supply chain disruptions across our economy that have raised prices for consumers. As the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I would like to highlight several important provisions in the America COMPETES Act that will help reverse this trend, strengthen our economy, bolster our Nation's supply chains, and ensure that more critical goods are made right here in the United States. The legislation invests $45 billion in grants, loans, and loan guarantees to support supply chain resilience and manufacturing of critical goods, industrial equipment, and manufacturing technology right here in the U.S. It also invests $52 billion for the CHIPS for America Act, incentivizing private-sector investments in semiconductor fabrication. This funding will help eliminate disruptions in the semiconductor supply chain from abroad that have hurt American automakers, medical supply chain companies, and manufacturers of heavy machinery. The bill invests $3 billion to help build a domestic solar manufacturing supply chain so we can aggressively counter China's control of the solar chain that jeopardizes our energy security interests. The bill also keeps our electric grid secure and resilient in the face of evolving cybersecurity and physical security threats. Madam Speaker, the America COMPETES Act also improves our medical product supply chain and strengthens our Strategic National Stockpile. During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were widespread shortages of essential medicines, medical supplies, and some personal protective equipment. This legislation increases our domestic drug manufacturing base by expanding the use of advanced and continuous manufacturing practices. It also establishes a $1.5 billion supply chain manufacturing pilot program that will help maintain domestic reserves of critical medical supplies. It creates a $10.5 billion program that awards grants to States to expand or maintain a State strategic stockpile of products essential in the event of a public health emergency. Finally, Madam Speaker, the America COMPETES Act will help innovate our wireless supply chain and network security by funding the deployment of cutting-edge technology and ensuring that next-generation mobile wireless networks and technologies are safe and secure from foreign adversaries. Madam Speaker, for far too long, America has relied heavily on other nations to manufacture critical goods essential to our economy. That must come to an end as we work together to reinvigorate our manufacturing base and create new, good-paying jobs here at home.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, it is my honor to recognize Mr. Joseph Mossa. Mr. Mossa will be honored by the Amerigo Vespucci Society of Long Branch, New Jersey as the 2022 Man of the Year, and I would like to join with its members in congratulating Mr. Mossa. Joseph Mossa takes great pride in his family and heritage. The son of Carmine Anthony and Maryann (Cuccinello) Mossa, he was named after his maternal grandfather Joseph Cuccinello and can trace his lineage to various parts of Italy. He maintains his Italian heritage through his involvement with the Amerigo Vespucci Society and by sharing his travel experiences to Italy with others. A member of the Amerigo Vespucci Society for more than a decade, Mr. Mossa has become an active and integral member. Currently serving as Vice President, Mr. Mossa has held several, executive positions on the board and has undertaken various projects and events, including the Saint Joseph's Dinner. Near and dear to his heart, Mr. Mossa brought back the annual dinner in honor of his late father, which he continues to chair today. Mr. Mossa received his bachelor's degree in Marketing from King's College in Pennsylvania and has led a successful career in sales, receiving accolades for his performance. In addition to his work with the Amerigo Vespucci Society, Mr. Mossa is a member of the Business Advisory Council at King's College--McGowan School of Business and an usher at Saint Veronica's Parish, among other previous community service roles. Despite his active leadership in the community, Mr. Mossa devotes his life to his family. Together with his wife, Lindsay, he has three daughters and a son-in-law. Madam Speaker, I sincerely hope that my colleagues will join me in congratulating Mr. Joseph Mossa as he is honored by the Amerigo Vespucci Society and thanking him for his service to the community.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.