Frank Pallone

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3537) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to support research on, and expanded access to, investigational drugs for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Quigley), the sponsor of the bill and the champion in the fight against ALS.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewomen from California (Ms. Eshoo), the chairwoman of the Health Subcommittee.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky), the chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, after listening to the personal stories on both sides of the aisle, I don't think anyone would question why this bill is important in order to provide hope to so many, as the speakers said, in order to try to find a cure and in order to try to find more treatments and clinical trials. All these are basically put into this legislation. Mr. Speaker, again, I urge unanimous support for this bill on both sides, 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 (H.R. 5487) to improve research and data collection on stillbirths, and for other purposes, as amended.

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 H.R. 5487.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Castor), who is a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and chair of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this critical legislation, 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 H.R. 5561.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Over the last 20 years, 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 the year 2000, Congress has passed and subsequently reauthorized Early Hearing Detection and Intervention programs, also known as EHDI programs; and these programs support State and territory programs and systems of care to identify and support children who are deaf or hard of hearing. As a result of these EHDI programs, early hearing loss screening, diagnosis, and treatment services have greatly increased over the last 20 years. Consider that before 1993, only 1 in 10 newborns were screened for hearing loss. Recent data indicates that today, 97 percent of all infants are screened within the first month of their lives; 77 percent of infants receive audiological evaluations and diagnosis by 3 months of age; and 70 percent of infants were enrolled in early intervention services before 6 months of age. These are remarkable achievements that help ensure all children with hearing loss have the same opportunities as children who can hear. So today, we are considering a bill that will help us build on these achievements. H.R. 5561, the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2021, would extend funding for the EHDI programs for 5 years through fiscal year 2026. This legislation will ensure that these services continue to be available for children that are deaf or hard of hearing. I want to commend our Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Guthrie for his leadership on this bill. I urge all my colleagues to support it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I urge support for 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 H.R. 5551.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 5551, the Improving the Health of Children Act, which reauthorizes the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. This center was established by Congress in 2000 to improve the health of millions of our Nation's most vulnerable citizens, our infants and children, people with disabilities, and people with blood disorders. It is the only center at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention whose mission focuses on these populations. Birth defects, Mr. Speaker, affect 1 in 33 babies and are a leading cause of infant death in the United States. Children with birth defects who survive often experience lifelong physical and mental disabilities. In addition, over 500,000 children are diagnosed with a developmental disability each year. Blood disorders such as sickle cell disease, anemia, and hemophilia, affect millions of people each year in the United States, cutting across the boundaries of age, race, sex, and socioeconomic status. So H.R. 5551, sponsored by Representatives Carter and Trahan, reauthorizes the work of this center for 5 years and helps maintain the programmatic focus of the center. It has been 15 years since the last authorization, and the importance of the center's work continues to grow. Whether it be supporting partnerships to continue research on autism or coordinating a rapid response to Zika, the center plays a critical role in preventing birth defects and helping people with disabilities and blood disorders live healthy and productive lives. So, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill so that we can ensure vital surveillance and research continue to focus on the well-being of people with birth defects, disabilities, and blood disorders. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Mrs. Trahan), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Democratic sponsor of this bill.

Mr. PALLONE. 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 (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, shall 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, as amended.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, valvular heart disease is a rising health threat to many otherwise healthy people. Each year, more than 25,000 Americans lose their lives to valvular heart disease, and they are predominantly young women. Unfortunately, the disease's reach is only increasing with more than 5 million diagnoses each year. Despite this rising incidence, there is so much that we do not know about valvular heart disease. Specifically, we do not have a good understanding about what makes the disease life-threatening. Today, we are taking an important step to address this gap by considering H.R. 1193, the CAROL Act. I commend Representative Barr for introducing this legacy bill in honor of his late wife, Carol, who died unexpectedly in June of 2020 from an underlying valvular heart disease condition. This bill will help other families avoid the same tragedy his family has faced. The CAROL Act will expand research on valvular heart disease and its treatment by authorizing a grant program administered by the National Institutes of Health in collaboration with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. It will also require the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to carry out projects to increase education, awareness, and diagnosis of valvular heart disease and to reduce cardiac deaths caused by valvular heart disease. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Miss Rice), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Panetta).

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time, as we hear from the Republican Members.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. Rodgers).

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, let me just say again what a tribute that Andy Barr has made to his wife. Madam Speaker, this is such an important bill in terms of trying to deal with this disease. Again, I urge bipartisan support, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1667) to address behavioral health and well-being among health care professionals, as amended.

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. 1667.