Joseph Pitts

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, first, I want to thank Chris Smith for his leadership over the years. He is one of the people, along with Henry Hyde, that I admired from afar, and when I was elected 18 years ago, I told him I want to come and hold up his arms in this fight for life. He has been a real champion and just a terrific leader here in the Congress. I want to thank him for that. I heard in a congressional life forum a few years ago a lady by the name of Frederica Mathewes-Green--she was president of the Feminists for Life--and she said something I will never forget. She said: Abortion is the most violent form of death known to mankind. It is death by dismemberment, decapitation, and poisoning. She said: Abortion breaks a mother's heart. She said: There are always two victims in an abortion. One is the baby, and one is the mother; one is dead, one is wounded. I never forgot those statements of this great feminist leader. I think her focus is right. We need to keep that focus where it is, where she had it: on the mother, on the baby. We are talking here about babies who are in their 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th month of pregnancy. For the first 5 months, a woman could have an abortion, but after that, it bans abortion, and I want to say this: I was first elected in 1972, inaugurated 3 weeks before Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, so I have been involved in these battles for the whole time. This is the first time in my memory that our leadership has moved substantive legislation on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade on the day of the march. They should be applauded for that. This is significant. In 2 years, if things go the way we hope, with a new Republican President and a House and a Senate, 2 years from tomorrow, we could very well see this legislation signed into law. That is how important this is. It moves the bar back on Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, those two infamous decisions that have resulted in 55 million unborn children and women being affected by abortion. As Chris said, I was involved in authoring the Pennsylvania Abortion Control Act, but I also was involved in the Medicaid funding cutoff bill that passed in Pennsylvania--I think that was about 1978--and we had a reporting requirement in that bill, so that the abortions that were due to rape and incest had to be reported to the appropriate law enforcement or social service agencies. The year before our bill was passed into law, there were some 740 abortions, Medicaid-funded abortions, due to so-called rape. The year after our bill was signed into law, there were 38. This shows the importance of that provision into law of reporting to the appropriate authorities. If you remove that provision from the law--and some people want to do that--that would create a loophole for late-term abortions. As I said, for the first 5 months, a woman could have an abortion, but in the later term, they could not without the appropriate reporting to appropriate authorities. It would, I think, be a mistake, as some would like to do, to remove those requirements. I just might conclude by saying that we are one of only seven countries that allow abortion at any point of pregnancy. Some countries are appalled that the United States would permit these late-term abortions. We had a famous case in Pennsylvania, the Kermit Gosnell clinic, which was outrageous when people find out what happened in those late-term abortions. Scientific studies tell us that children feel pain in the womb. These are the children at this age who smile in the womb, who suck their thumb, who hiccup, who have dream patterns on the brainwaves, who react to light if it is intrauterine or a pinprick. These are very tiny but knowing, learning individuals. They have no one to speak for them. They are voiceless, so we have an obligation to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves, who can't run away, who face this horrific type of death, and the mothers who carry them. I would urge Members, just like as shown in the public polls, the majority of Americans support the legislation. I would like to thank the leadership for moving the legislation and like to say that we are admonished in the scriptures that if we see someone drawn to death and we do not speak up, we do nothing, that we will be held responsible because, really, nothing is doing something, silence is consent. With the other pro-life people, Members, and our great champion, I urge the Members to support this legislation.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Amendment X: ``The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.''

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, we have seen this administration casually ignore the law when it comes to immigration, EPA regs, and ObamaCare. Now, we are going to see whether they ignore the law when it comes to forcing churches in California to pay for abortion. For many years now, Congress has included language in the appropriations bills that prohibits States from forcing health insurance plans to cover elective abortion: the Weldon amendment, named for my good friend and former colleague, Dr. Dave Weldon of Florida. Now, the State of California has issued a bureaucratic edict that every health insurance plan in California regulated by the State must pay for the procedure, and this includes even plans purchased by churches, religious schools, and charities. HHS must not hesitate to protect the right of Americans to prevent their health care dollars from going to something they find to be profoundly immoral. The agency is required to inform the State of California of this violation and remind them that they risk the loss of Federal funds. There doesn't need to be any delay from HHS. This is exactly why the Weldon amendment was created.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, Jonathan Gruber, ``smart'' MIT professor, ObamaCare architect, who has had to apologize for repeatedly calling the American voters stupid, has received millions of taxpayer dollars from Federal and State governments. He now has an NIH--National Institutes of Health--grant that adds up to $2 million. This grant is for an analysis to determine how people choose their Medicare part D prescription drug plan. That might be something good for CMS and HHS to know, but it is far from the real kind of medical research we expect NIH to be doing. Just a few weeks ago, the Director was saying they lacked enough money to fund Ebola vaccines. That was before it became widely known that they were funding a grant for Swedish massage for rabbits and other outrageous grants. We expect NIH to fund groundbreaking medical research to prolong life, develop medicines, to cure and treat diseases, not economic research by a man who is now infamous for insulting the American public. Dr. Andy Harris and I wrote the Director with questions about this grant. I hope we hear soon before another check goes out the door.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, ``Lack of transparency is a huge political advantage. Call it the stupidity of the American voter or whatever.'' That was ObamaCare architect Jonathan Gruber speaking last year at the University of Pennsylvania. The broken ObamaCare promises are now legendary: ``If you like your health plan, you can keep it; if you like your doctor, you can keep them. The law will save American families money.'' Don't tell that to the 16th District business owners like Nelson Sensenig and Ron Fritz, who both recently contacted me to talk about their struggle to continue affording coverage for their employees. Both of them used to cover 100 percent of their employees' coverage. Now they can't afford to do so. Gruber, the MIT professor consultant, can jet around the country bragging about pulling one over on the American people--again, his quote: ``The stupidity of the American voters.'' What liberal arrogance. What he and the President did with ObamaCare has done tremendous harm to Americans struggling to provide for themselves and their families. That is why we must continue to fight for real health care reform.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the Lancaster Elks Lodge on their 125 years of service to our community. The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks was founded in 1868, and just over 2 decades later, the Lancaster branch first met, growing from 24 members at the beginning to more than 600 today. For nearly 150 years now, Elks have engaged in service to their communities, focused on veterans, youth, and our Nation. The Elks count among their past members a number of distinguished Americans, including five men who served as Speaker of this House. Nationwide, the organization donates $3.65 million to send kids to college. Locally, the Lancaster Elks are known for their children's sports leagues and events. The Elks support our local veterans and servicemembers, making sure that they are honored for their dedication to our country. Thank you again to the Lancaster Elks for their contributions to our community. I am looking forward to celebrating this great anniversary with them on November 1.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4771) to amend the Controlled Substances Act to more effectively regulate anabolic steroids, as amended.

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous materials into the Record on the bill.

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the Health Subcommittee ranking member, Frank Pallone, and I introduced H.R. 4771, the Designer Anabolic Steroid Control Act, DASCA, to end a loophole that allows designer anabolic steroids to easily be found online, in gyms, and even in retail stores. When taken by consumers, designer steroids, which are class III controlled substances, can cause serious medical harm, including liver injury, increased risk of heart attack, and stroke. They may also lead to aggression, hostility, and addiction. Designer steroids are produced by reverse engineering existing illegal steroids and then slightly modifying their chemical composition so the resulting product is not on the DEA's list of controlled substances. DASCA will help protect consumers from these harmful products by giving the DEA the tools and authority to properly classify designer steroids as controlled substances and increase criminal penalties for importing, manufacturing, or distributing them under false labels. DASCA would: Immediately place a number of known designer anabolic steroids on the list of controlled substances; Grant the DEA authority to temporarily schedule new designer steroids on the controlled substances list for 24 months, with the possibility of a 6-month extension so that if bad actors develop new variations, these products can be removed from the market immediately; Create new penalties for importing, manufacturing, or distributing anabolic steroids under false labels; and Authorize the Attorney General to publish a list of products containing an anabolic steroid that are not properly labeled. DASCA is supported by the American Herbal Products Association, AHPA; the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, CHPA; the Council for Responsible Nutrition, CRN; the Natural Products Association, NPA; and the United Natural Products Alliance, UNPA. I would urge all Members to support this critical piece of legislation. It is bipartisan. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this bipartisan legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 2154) to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Emergency Medical Services for Children Program.

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous materials into the Record on the bill.

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

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 2154, the Emergency Medical Services for Children Reauthorization Act of 2014, introduced by Senator Casey of Pennsylvania and Senator Hatch of Utah and championed in the House by Mr. Matheson of Utah and Mr. King of New York. A child's health care necessities are not the same as their parents. Children have special health care needs, and the emergency and trauma care system has been slow to develop an adequate response. Fragmentation and poor coordination among pre-hospital services, hospitals, and public health are problems that involve emergency services in general. The gravity of the problem is worse for children when hospitals lack the appropriate medical personnel, pediatric supplies, or transfer agreements that lead to better care within the ``golden hour,'' when chances for survival are higher. In 1984, Congress passed the Emergency Medical Services for Children, EMSC, as part of the Preventive Health Amendments of 1984. The program was last reauthorized in 2010 and aims to reduce child and youth mortality and morbidity caused by severe illness or trauma. EMSC was designed to ensure that pediatric service is well integrated into an emergency medical service system and that the entire spectrum of emergency services is provided to children and adolescents, as well as adults. The bill is almost identical to H.R. 4290, which the House passed last week. Voting for S. 2154 would send the bill to the President so we can continue this important program that helps our Nation's children. I ask my colleagues to vote for this important piece of legislation, which is bipartisan, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this bipartisan legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, Vladimir Putin lives in an alternate reality, one where the state is still all-powerful and can control reality for its citizens. In the 1930s, Stalin could make people disappear by sending them to the gulags and then erasing any mention of them in state archives. By controlling all information, he could pretend that black was white and up was down. Today, in Russia, Putin wants to pretend that the Ukrainian insurgency is homegrown, that Russian soldiers on the other side of the border are lost or just volunteers. He wants to pretend that Kiev is controlled by Nazis. His state-owned media dutifully reports these fictions as fact. The Soviet Union hasn't existed in more than 20 years. It collapsed out of weakness, and Russia remains weak and wholly dependent on energy exports today. Putin can pretend all he wants, but the reality is that he does not have the power of the secretary general or the czars. Let's not let him turn his dreams into reality by abandoning our friends and NATO allies. We must stand up for their freedom and support them more vigorously.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 717, I call up the bill (H.R. 3522) to authorize health insurance issuers to continue to offer for sale current group health insurance coverage in satisfaction of the minimum essential health insurance coverage requirement, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 3522.

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3522, the Employee Health Care Protection Act of 2014, sponsored by my good friend and colleague and important member of the Health Subcommittee, Dr. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. This bill is a necessary tool for America's workers that will allow for health insurance coverage in the small group market during the 2013 calendar year to be continued to be offered through calendar year 2018. In other words, if you like your group health insurance plan, you can keep it. It has been over 4 years since the Affordable Care Act was enacted, and we are still hearing from constituents, small business owners, and employees who are continuing to struggle with the adverse effects of this law. Here is what Roger from Columbia, Pennsylvania, wrote to me last year: I am the third generation family owner of a business. We have 32 employees and have been providing health insurance for our employees and their families for over 25 years. This week, we received a renewal notice from our current provider, which is a 40 to 50 percent higher premium than our current contract, with less overall benefit coverage. If we choose to renew early, before the ACA takes effect, our premiums will increase 11.4 percent. Our President told us that the ACA would decrease health insurance costs. My constituents--businesses, as well as individuals--have bitterly conveyed to me the myriad of concerns they face. Eastern Lancaster County School District announced it would ``outsource'' about 100 of its support staff workers to private companies to avoid possible penalties under ObamaCare. In Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, the community college decided to cut hours for 400 adjunct faculty and other employees, so it wouldn't have to pay $6 million in ObamaCare-related fees. From Auntie Anne's franchises, I have been told they have put their growth plans on hold, hiring has been pushed off, and they may no longer be able to afford to provide employee insurance coverage. In 2012, they experienced a 19 percent increase in insurance premiums and a 30 percent increase in 2013. Here is what Tom and Rosemarie had to say from Lititz, Pennsylvania: I have been crunching numbers to prepare for ObamaCare, and this is what I face: close my doors December 31, 2014 . . . or . . . pay $40,000 a year to insure my employees or ``pay'' a fine of $2,000 per employee per year over the first 30, at the price of $166 per month per employee over the first 30. So now, the 10 that have insurance, as well as my husband and I, will no longer be insured because the penalty is more affordable than to cover . . . this is ridiculous. I am outraged. Mr. Speaker, we can do better than this. We can enact patient- centered free market reforms, where private insurers engage in robust competition and create the same kind of market-based inducements to reduce prices and improve services that occurs in most other parts of the American economy. We can start by enacting H.R. 3522. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation. American workers who like their health care plan should be able to keep it, just like President Obama and the supporters of the Affordable Care Act promised. I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Ways and Means, Washington, DC, September 10, 2014. Hon. Fred Upton, Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Upton: I am writing concerning H.R. 3522, the ``Employee Health Care Protection Act,'' which is scheduled for floor consideration today. As you know, the Committee on Ways and Means has jurisdiction over the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. Section 5000A of the Internal Revenue Code requires individuals to maintain minimum essential coverage or pay a penalty. Section 2(b) of H.R. 3522, both as reported out of your Committee and Rules Committee Print 113-56, modifies which health care plans would meet the requirement of minimum essential coverage. However, in order to expedite this legislation for floor consideration, the Committee will forgo action on this bill. This is being done with the understanding that it does not in any way prejudice the Committee with respect to the appointment of conferees or its jurisdictional prerogatives on this or similar legislation. I would appreciate your response to this letter, confirming this understanding with respect to H.R. 3522, and would ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the Congressional Record during floor consideration. Sincerely, Dave Camp, Chairman.

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn), the vice chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia, Dr. Gingrey, another valued member of the Health Subcommittee.

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana, Dr. Bill Cassidy, a valued member of the Health Subcommittee and prime sponsor of the legislation.

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) another member of the Health Subcommittee.