Frank Pallone

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. 4067.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4067, the Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council Act. As we have seen throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our Nation's communications networks play an important role in our daily lives. Indeed, these networks have helped us remain connected when we were not able to see family and friends in person. It is vital that we continue to do all we can to protect this critical infrastructure and ensure it is reliable and available to all Americans. The Federal Communications Commission's Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council, or CSRIC, is meant to do just that. It is made up of government leaders at the Federal, State, and local levels, and includes thought leaders from industry and public interest organizations. The council provides the FCC with recommendations on the best practices and actions the agency could take so that our communications networks are secure, reliable, and compatible with each other. CSRIC has been in existence since 2009 and was recently rechartered by acting FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel for another 5 years. CSRIC has served the FCC well by operating in a collaborative manner with representatives from private industry, government, and other key stakeholders. This year the council will be cochaired by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and will include even greater participation from the public interest community. But given the important objectives of CSRIC, we should not leave it to the FCC's discretion on whether to recharter this council or not every 2 years. Instead, CSRIC must become a permanent fixture at the FCC. H.R. 4067 requires the Federal Communications Commission to do just that. Under this bill, the FCC would be required to establish a permanent council to advise the agency on the security, reliability, and interoperability of communications networks within 90 days. This council would include representatives from trusted communications companies, public interest organizations, academic institutions, as well as Federal, State, local, and Tribal governments for a term of 2 years. This bill also requires the council and its working groups to submit reports offering their recommendations to the chair of the FCC every 2 years. In turn, the FCC must make these reports publicly available on its website. I want to thank Representatives Schrader and Slotkin for their leadership on this bill, as well as Representative Walberg for working with us to move this bill through the Energy and Commerce Committee. This bill is an important step in protecting our communications networks from bad actors and foreign adversaries. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure, I look forward to its consideration by the Senate, and I reserve 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. 4028.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, again, this is part of our effort to enhance economic growth with regard to trusted communications vendors both here and abroad. I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Philip Christopher as he is honored with the Hermes Award at the 30th Hermes Expo Awards Dinner on October 20, 2021. Mr. Christopher's contributions to the Hellenic business community are truly deserving of this award and this body's recognition. Mr. Christopher embodies the American Dream and exemplifies the mission of Hermes Expo International. Born in Cyprus, Mr. Christopher immigrated with his family to the United States as a young boy. Today, Mr. Christopher is a successful businessman, esteemed community leader and passionate philanthropist. In addition to his professional work to strengthen the business connections between the U.S. and foreign companies, Mr. Christopher is a tireless advocate of justice for Cyprus and his efforts to support the Greek Cypriot community here and abroad are immeasurable. Founder, President and CEO of American Network Solutions LLC, Philip Christopher is a prominent leader in the business community with more than 30 years of experience in the industry, including leadership roles with Audiovox Communications Corp., UTStarcom Personal Communications and Personal Communications Devices. Mr. Christopher also lends his professional expertise to various industry organizations and has served on numerous boards and foundations, including the New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens Board of Directors and the White House Economic Council. Madam Speaker, I sincerely hope my colleagues will join me in congratulating Philip Christopher on receiving the prestigious Hermes Award and thanking him for his continuous advocacy on behalf of Cyprus and U.S.-Greek relations.

Mr. PALLONE

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

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I, too, would say this is an important bill, both from the point of view of moving toward more domestic manufacturing and addressing the supply chain shortages that we saw during COVID-19 for drugs. Madam Speaker, I ask for Members to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2379) to amend the 21st Century Cures Act to reauthorize and expand a grant program for State response to the opioid use disorders crisis, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Trone), the author of the bill.

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. 2379.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2379, the State Opioid Response Grant Authorization Act of 2021. The substance use and opioid crisis continues to be a public health emergency and has evolved into a devastating dual threat when combined with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Opioids are the leading cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States. Tragically, last year, more than 93,000 Americans died from an opioid overdose. That is the highest 12-month death toll since the beginning of the opioid epidemic. Now, experts suspect that the COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbated this terrible record last year. Overall, it is estimated that more than 20 million Americans have a substance use disorder. While treatment and services are available, many do not have access to or are not aware of the care in their communities. H.R. 2379 basically supports our ongoing work to combat the opioid crisis, and the legislation enhances our efforts in the 21st Century Cures Act and the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act. It does this by authorizing the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration State Opioid Response grant program, better known as SAMHSA's SOR grant program. The bill also aligns the authorization with authorities included in the 21st Century Cures Act. Although the SAMHSA grant program has been funded through the appropriations process since 2018, it does not have a statutory authorization. This legislation provides that important authorization and ensures future funding. Today, the SOR grants are used to enhance prevention and recovery activities across the States, including support services to address stimulant misuse and use disorders. These grants also reduce barriers to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder, which is critical to addressing the treatment gap and reducing the number of overdose deaths. This bill also provides Congress more information and transparency about existing funding, including the formula used to make allocations to States. This information will allow us to examine how changes to these allocations impact the progress States are making to address the opioid crisis. It is important for this program to direct resources to communities most in need or where surges in opioid or stimulant use are occurring, and this information will help us make sure that resources are getting to where they are needed the most. I want to thank the sponsor of the bill, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Trone), for his leadership on this issue. I also want to thank my Republican committee colleagues for their support on this legislation, as we continue our work to address the substance use crisis in this country. Madam Speaker, the bill unanimously passed the House last year. I urge my colleagues to support it once again today. I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, again, this is a very important bill addressing the opioid epidemic with these various grant programs. Madam Speaker, I would ask for support on a bipartisan basis, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline).

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. 654.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 654, the Drug-Free Communities Pandemic Relief Act. Since 1998, the Drug-Free Communities Program has been a pillar of our Nation's drug, alcohol, and tobacco prevention efforts. The program is designed with community-based approaches in mind to reach at-risk communities, including racial and ethnic minorities and the LGBTQ community. It is estimated that one in five Americans live in a community with a Drug-Free Communities Coalition, and over 300,000 partners are engaged in prevention efforts. Like many mission-driven, community-service organizations, Drug-Free Communities Coalitions have faced unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many have had trouble sustaining their programming amid increasing rates of substance use. This is in part due to an inability to meet the matching fund requirements required of those receiving Drug-Free Communities grants. H.R. 654 would allow the Drug-Free Communities Coalitions to seek matching fund waivers and resume their work to enhance drug, alcohol, and tobacco prevention efforts. The legislation also allows additional funds to be made available for expanded technical assistance by the Drug-Free Communities Program, as requested in the administration's fiscal year 2022 budget. This additional support would provide critical resources to the Drug-Free Communities Coalitions facing the greatest challenges posed by the pandemic. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 654, a bipartisan bill that will allow important work to continue in our communities. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I urge support for this bill. It is very important in terms of trying to promote these coalitions at a local community level to prevent drug overuse. Madam Speaker, 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. 3635) to amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to the Strategic National Stockpile, and for other purposes.

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. 3635.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3635, the Strengthening America's Strategic National Stockpile Act of 2021. This bill makes long-overdue improvements to the Strategic National Stockpile to ensure we have access to critical lifesaving medical supplies during public health emergencies. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a lot of attention around the Strategic National Stockpile and our preparedness for this pandemic. The stockpile was not stocked as it should have been and this bill makes important improvements to correct that for the future. The bill will ensure that the Strategic National Stockpile, also known as SNS, is operating at its highest potential moving forward in order to continue to respond to COVID-19, and also to prepare for the next public health emergency. This bipartisan bill seeks to reduce America's dependence on foreign sources of critical medical supplies, including personal protective equipment. It does this by boosting domestic manufacturing to make those supplies in the United States and promoting private-public partnerships to ensure a coordinated response. The legislation also makes needed improvements to the Strategic National Stockpile to ensure it is fully equipped with medical supplies that are safe and in working order. Importantly, the bill also improves transparency around the readiness of the Strategic National Stockpile and how requests from States and Tribes are being managed. It also directs the Department of Health and Human Services to develop and implement improved, transparent processes for these types of requests moving forward. This will be critical for ensuring adequate supplies within the Strategic National Stockpile, as well as informing readiness efforts in the States and also at Tribal levels. As healthcare systems all across our Nation continue to be stretched to the limit combating the COVID-19 Delta variant, we need to continue to push solutions that support our public health and national security response capability. The improvements to the Strategic National Stockpile put forward in this bill are critical to protecting our frontline workers and patients with the supplies that they need to stay safe. Madam Speaker, I commend the bipartisan leadership of Representatives Slotkin and Hudson in preparing this bill. This bipartisan bill was passed out of the Committee on Energy and Commerce and by this House unanimously last Congress. Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to once again join me in strong support of this important bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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