Frank Pallone

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I thank all of the members who were able to work together to produce this great legislation, and there are a lot. I thank Mr. McEachin, Mr. Olson, Mr. Kim, Mrs. Brooks, Mr. Brindisi, and Mr. Kustoff for introducing the Locking Up Robocalls Act, which was added to this legislation in section 9. I thank Ms. Clarke, Mr. Bilirakis, Mr. Van Drew, Mr. Rouda, Ms. Foxx, and Mr. Walberg for introducing the Ending One-Ring Scams Act, which was added to this legislation in section 10. I thank Mr. Crist for introducing his Spam Calls Task Force Act, which was added to this legislation in section 11. I thank Mr. Butterfield, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Soto, and Mr. Gianforte for introducing the Tracing Back and Catching Unlawful Robocalls Act, which was added in section 13. I thank Mrs. Dingell and Dr. Burgess for introducing their Protecting Patients and Doctors from Unlawful Robocalls Act, which was added to the bill in section 14. And I thank Mr. Flores and Mr. McNerney for offering their amendment to increase the financial penalties for illegal robocallers. Mr. Speaker, I also thank my partners--Mr. Walden, Mr. Doyle, and Mr. Latta--for working with me to introduce the bill, which included at introduction Mr. Latta's and Mr. Doyle's STOP Robocalls Act in section 8. I also would like to quickly thank the staff--Alex Hoehn-Saric, AJ Brown, Jennifer Epperson, Dan Miller, Robin Colwell, Tim Kurth--for all their hard work, and, in particular, Gerry Leverich, who is here, for all his time and energy to get this bill to the floor today. I am very proud for all our members and staff for this important bill. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a few letters and statements for the Record: a letter from AARP on behalf of its nearly 38 million members urging a vote in favor of the bill; a letter from more than 80 organizations representing consumers throughout the U.S., including Consumer Reports and the National Consumer Law Center, among others, urging strong support by members of the bill; and a list of supportive statements from carriers and relevant associations, including USTelecom, The Broadband Association; CTIA, The Wireless Association; NCTA, The Internet & Television Association; Charter Communications, and Verizon.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, again, this is a bipartisan effort and a bicameral effort. We are not doing messaging here, Mr. Speaker. This is a bill that will become law, and the President will sign it once we get it passed in the Senate and we have a final bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1058) to reauthorize certain provisions of the Public Health Service Act relating to autism, 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. 1058.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise in support of H.R. 1058, the Autism CARES Act, which will continue critical research, surveillance, education, early detection, and intervention programs for people living with autism spectrum disorder, also known as ASD, and their families. The number of children diagnosed with ASD has risen dramatically over recent years. While 1 in every 150 children was diagnosed with ASD in 1992, that number grew to 1 in every 59 children born in 2006. While some of this increase may be attributed to an overall higher number of people with ASD, a significant portion is likely due to increased efforts to diagnose people to get them the treatment they need. As efforts to identify individuals with autism have improved, so has the ability to intervene and treat them. Early intervention for children with ASD is associated with a positive outcome on developmental concerns. It is important that we continue to improve outcomes for children and all individuals with ASD, and that is what we are doing with this reauthorization of the Autism CARES program today. This bill would reauthorize funding for programs at the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Health Resources and Services Administration through 2024. The bill also expands efforts to conduct research and intervene with better treatment options for all individuals with ASD across their lifespan, regardless of age. Additionally, the bill aims to reduce disparities among individuals from diverse racial, ethnic, geographic, or linguistic backgrounds, and directs additional care to rural and underserved areas. Mr. Speaker, I am confident that this legislation will improve health outcomes and quality of life for millions of Americans living with ASD, as well as their families. For that reason, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting the bill today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Michael F. Doyle), the Democratic sponsor of the bill.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo), chairwoman of our Health Subcommittee.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin).

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I don't think I can stress enough how important this legislation is. I do want to thank my colleague from New Jersey, the chief sponsor, and also our Democratic sponsor, Mr. Doyle, for pushing very hard to make sure that this bill went through regular order in a timely fashion. I agree with Dr. Burgess that, hopefully, this is something the Senate will take up and will get to the President quickly. Mr. Speaker, I ask support by all of our colleagues for the bill, 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. 2035) to amend title XXIX of the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the program under such title relating to lifespan respite care, 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. 2035.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2035, the Lifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Act of 2019 sponsored by my colleague from Rhode Island, Congressman Langevin. I am proud to support this program because it provides much-needed respite services and educational resources to family caregivers of children and adults of all ages with special needs. Caring for a loved one can be incredibly rewarding but also demanding work. Surveys have shown respite is among the most frequently requested services by family caregivers. However, only a small percentage of caregivers can afford respite care. By reauthorizing and growing this program, we can expand access to these services across the country. States who receive grants under the Lifespan Respite Care program have the flexibility to support family caregivers in a variety of ways. For example, some States use funds for consumer-directed vouchers or for the training of volunteer and paid respite providers. My home State of New Jersey received a grant in 2011 and today still offers robust scheduled and emergency respite services to family caregivers. Without this program many families cannot afford these services. In addition to helping relieve the emotional and financial stresses associated with caregiving, respite care can also save families and the healthcare system money. Research has shown that supporting caregivers with respite services reduces the odds of hospitalization and nursing home entry. We know that more than 43 million adults are family caregivers of an adult or child with a disability or chronic condition, and the estimated economic value of family caregiving is approximately $470 billion annually. As our population ages, the need for long-term services and supports delivered in the home will continue to increase and, as a result, so will the burden on family caregivers. The Lifespan Respite Care program is the only Federal program that supports respite services for all ages and conditions, so I am glad that we are renewing our commitment to the program today. Mr. Speaker, I urge support for the passage of H.R. 2035, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin), who is the sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman from Rhode Island an additional 1 minute.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time and just urge support for this legislation. Again, this is bipartisan, and I thank everyone who worked on it. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, might I inquire as to how much time is remaining.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 776) to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Emergency Medical Services for Children program.

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. 776.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, for 35 years, the Emergency Medical Services for Children, or EMSC, program has been the only Federal grant program specifically focused on addressing the needs of children in emergency medical systems. If ever a parent or caregiver is required to call 911 to get emergency care for a child, they should know that the child will receive the medical care that they need. The EMSC program helps provide this peace of mind by enhancing care for all children, no matter where they live, travel, or go to school. The EMSC program invests in research, care delivery enhancements, data monitoring, innovation in both prehospital EMS settings as well as hospital emergency departments. The program has led to real results and better care for children. For example, research funded by EMSC has led to a new pediatric head injury algorithm, which has led to a reduction in unnecessary radiation exposure from CT scans in children who have suffered head injuries. Mental health and substance abuse screenings have been created to better assess children in emergency situations, and a full 50 percent of hospitals have adopted new guidelines to assist them in transferring children to appropriate facilities when specialized care is needed. Any doctor, nurse, or EMS provider will tell you that we can't simply treat children as small adults. They need specialized treatment and protocols to ensure that the care they receive is appropriate and available to them when and where they need it. Passing this 5-year reauthorization of the EMSC program will continue to provide innovative and appropriate care to children. Mr. Speaker, I hope all of my colleagues will join me in supporting this bill today, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I would urge support for this bipartisan legislation, 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. 2507) to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize certain programs under part A of title XI of such Act relating to genetic diseases, 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. 2507.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, every year over 12,000 newborns are born with conditions that require early detection and treatment. With proper screening, parents can receive education and children can receive appropriate follow-up and treatment and, ultimately, better long-term health outcomes. Over the years, as more screening tests and treatments have become available as we have expanded our medical and scientific knowledge, we have also seen greater potential for improving outcomes for children. However, prior to Congress passing the first Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act in 2008, a patchwork of State requirements for screening led to some newborns screened for many disorders and others for very few. Since the Newborn Screening law was enacted, we have seen tremendous progress around the country, with all 50 States screening for at least 29 recommended conditions. But as we develop new screening tests and treatments for diseases once thought untreatable, we must ensure that States are able to adopt recommended screening tests more quickly. The bill we are considering today will do that by reauthorizing the program for 5 years, with higher authorization levels, improved processes and pilot testing for new screening tests, and a study focused on how we can better modernize newborn screening for the future. This bipartisan bill will bring us closer to the goal of every child born in the United States receiving all recommended screening tests and will improve countless lives of the youngest Americans. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support it and ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing it today, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Roybal-Allard), the chairwoman of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee.