Kim Schrier

Ms. SCHRIER

Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of H.R. 3391, the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act 2.0. This bipartisan legislation, sponsored by Representatives Wexton and Cole, plays a crucial role in providing essential support for pediatric cancer and disease research. This bill is named in honor of Gabriella Miller, a Virginia resident who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor at the age of 10. Gabriella was an inspirational activist who tirelessly advocated for research into childhood diseases like cancer until her passing in October 2013. Her strong voice and bravery turned tragedy into the original Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act, which was signed into law in 2014. This research program at the National Institutes of Health has made progress toward understanding childhood cancer and disease. The original law established a 10-year pediatric research initiative fund and authorized funding for childhood disease research. The law has also led to the founding of the Gabriella Miller Kids First Data Resource Center, a comprehensive data resource for research and patient communities meant to advance discoveries. Despite this progress, cancer is the top disease-related cause of death for children and teens in the United States. It is estimated that over 9,500 American children under age 15 will be diagnosed with cancer this year. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Representative Wexton, for her leadership on this legislation, and I encourage all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' to make a significant impact in the fight against pediatric cancer. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for the purpose of closing. Mr. Speaker, I simply would encourage all my colleagues to vote for this important bill to help cancer research, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. SCHRIER

Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the United States faces a significant crisis with one of the highest maternal mortality and morbidity rates among developed nations. According to the most recent data, in 2021, more than 1,200 women died as a result of pregnancy or childbirth, continuing an upward trend over nearly 20 years. Racial disparities in maternal outcomes continue with Black and indigenous women dying at three times the rate of White women. Additionally, rural areas experience higher rates of maternal mortality compared to urban areas, and yet, experts and research using the Maternal Mortality Review Committee data indicates that at least 80 percent of maternal mortalities are preventable. H.R. 3838, the Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act of 2023, is bipartisan legislation to reauthorize support for State-based Maternal Mortality Review Committees until 2028. These committees play a critical role in reviewing pregnancy-related deaths to identify causes and make recommendations for the prevention of future mortalities in their State. The legislation also requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the CDC, to work with HRSA, the Health Resources and Services Administration, to share best practices to prevent maternal mortality with hospitals and healthcare providers. Enacting this legislation will provide the needed ongoing support of Maternal Mortality Review Committees, ultimately enhancing the safety of women throughout their pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum experiences while reducing racial disparities and outcomes. The legislation is supported by over 85 organizations across the healthcare spectrum. I am pleased that it is before us today, and I encourage all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this important bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Castor).

Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Kelly).

Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for closing. I am so pleased this bill is before us today. I encourage all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this very important bill that will save lives. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. SCHRIER

Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3821, the Firefighter Cancer Registry Reauthorization Act of 2023, sponsored by Representative Pascrell from New Jersey. H.R. 3821 reauthorizes funding for the critical research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the CDC, to monitor and study the relationship between career-long exposure to dangerous fumes and toxins and the incidence of cancer in firefighters from 2024 to 2028. Created in 2018, the National Firefighter Registry was established to address knowledge gaps and improve nationwide data collection capabilities and monitoring of cancer incidence from a large and diverse population of firefighters. Studies have shown that firefighters may have a greater risk of some types of cancer due to their exposure to smoke, toxins, and hazardous chemicals. The registry's work is a collaboration amongst epidemiologists, public health experts, clinicians, and firefighters. Thousands of firefighters have enrolled, making it the most extensive initiative ever undertaken in our country to comprehend and mitigate cancer risks among firefighters. This bill is supported by the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the National Volunteer Fire Council, and National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, among others. I encourage all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this important bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell).

Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Let me emphasize, Mr. Speaker, how important it is that we look out for our heroes, our firefighters, as well as they look out for us. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this very important bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. SCHRIER

Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 498, the 9-8-8 Lifeline Cybersecurity Responsibility Act, sponsored by my colleagues, Representatives Cardenas and Obernolte. On July 16, 2022, the 988 lifeline became available to all landline and cell phone users to access a network of over 200 local- and State- funded crisis centers. The suicide and crisis lifeline is there for anyone who is struggling with anxiety, depression, or suicidal ideation. Since its launch, according to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation, the 988 lifeline has received almost 5 million contacts. Nearly 1 million are from the Veterans Crisis Line, a designated part of 988. The others have consisted of 2.6 million calls, almost three-quarters of a million chats, and more than 600,000 texts. In December 2022, the 988 lifeline experienced a cybersecurity breach, which resulted in a daylong outage across the country. This lifeline is imperative to suicide prevention and utilized by constituents in every one of our districts. The legislation on the floor today would require better coordination and reporting on potential cybersecurity vulnerabilities within the 988 lifeline with the goal of preventing future cyberattacks and disruption of services. The bill would require coordination between the lifeline and the chief information security officer at the Department of Health and Human Services to prevent cybersecurity attacks. The suicide hotline's regional and local network administrators would also be required to notify the government of cybersecurity vulnerabilities and incidents. Finally, the Government Accountability Office would be required to conduct a study evaluating cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities in the 988 lifeline system. Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this important bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from the State of California (Mr. Cardenas) to discuss this bill.

Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Mr. Speaker, I have visited the 988 center in my area and seen the dedication of the providers, and we need to make sure that we protect this lifeline from cybersecurity risks. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote for this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. SCHRIER

Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3836, the Medicaid Primary Care Improvement Act, sponsored by Representative Crenshaw from Texas and myself. As a primary care physician and a Congresswoman, I am excited to see the Medicaid Primary Care Improvement Act come to the floor today. Allowing Medicaid to utilize the direct primary care model is a huge shift in the way that Medicaid patients and doctors interact for the better. Direct primary care is structurally different than traditional care models, because it is not designed around fee-for-service billing, but, rather, focused entirely on providing patients the best care possible. This is made possible by having Medicaid pay an affordable monthly fee that, in turn, allows doctors with a set number of patients the time and flexibility to provide the best possible care and the ability to schedule appointments that are the right length in order to provide all of the support those patients need for optimal health. Some appointments might take 90 minutes. Some might take 10. In the direct primary care model, doctors have a number of patients, or a patient panel, that they are responsible for caring for, and a smaller patient population means more time spent on things like education, preventative care measures, and being able to talk through and address critical topics like nutrition, exercise, stress, and social determinants of health that can't always be thoroughly addressed during a typical time-limited primary care appointment. In turn, this means better patient understanding of and involvement in their own healthcare, fewer visits to the emergency room, and ideally better outcomes. Other trials of direct primary care have shown exactly those outcomes. Dr. Garrison Bliss is a pioneer in this effort, starting up the first direct primary care practice in Washington State in 1997. His last year in practice was 2020, the year we were met with COVID. He had just 450 patients with the average patient in their midsixties. Their age put them at an increased risk for COVID morbidity and mortality, and patients in this age group generally require more care or just a smaller-sized panel. Not a single one of his patients died from COVID during that first year, when we still didn't have vaccinations or treatments and we were still learning about the disease. He credits this to the fact that he could reach them, and they could reach him readily and have conversations about their care and talk with them about their COVID concerns. He could send out newsletters directly with pertinent information. If his patients had a question about whether or not to go to the emergency room, he was available to give advice by being there for his patients. Consulting with him prevented ER visits with no compromise in care. This model of care deserves to have more pilots around the country, hopefully with similar results, better outcomes, lower costs, tighter relationships between doctor and patient, and improved patient and physician satisfaction. If these benefits are consistently achieved, then all people, no matter their level of income or insurance, deserve the option of a direct primary care model, including Medicaid. I encourage all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 3836. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, whatever we can do to expand affordable care, improve healthcare, strengthen the doctor-patient relationship, and bring down costs is a win for our constituents. That is why I am excited to sponsor this bill, the Medicaid Primary Care Improvement Act, that allows the use of direct primary care. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote for this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. SCHRIER

Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3843, the Action for Dental Health Act, sponsored by Representatives Kelly and Simpson. Access to oral healthcare is critical to ensuring a person's overall health and well-being. Too often, however, oral healthcare is overlooked. Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease in both children and adults in the United States. In fact, more than one in four adults have untreated cavities, and nearly half of American adults show signs of gum disease. Clearly, we need to do more to expand access to oral healthcare, including strengthening the oral healthcare workforce. The Action for Dental Health Act will reauthorize State oral health workforce improvement programs. These programs seek to enhance dental workforce planning and development through the support of innovative programs that meet the individual needs of each funded State. I hope my colleagues will join me in this effort to strengthen and expand access to oral healthcare. I encourage all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 3843, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Kelly).

Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I speak now as a pediatrician. In addition to limiting children's consumption of sweet drinks and frequent snacking on carbohydrates, to providing fluoride for all of our patients, we absolutely need to expand the oral healthcare workforce to provide dental care for our patients. I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 3843, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. SCHRIER

Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3385, a bill requiring the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the NTIA, to assess the value, cost, and feasibility of a trans-Atlantic submarine fiber optic cable connecting the United States, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Ghana, and Nigeria, and to submit a report to Congress with its findings. The bill also directs the NTIA to report to Congress on the current state of telecommunications connecting the U.S. Virgin Islands and the United States, including an assessment of the lifespan and security of the telecommunications infrastructure linking the two. This assessment and report will provide the Energy and Commerce Committee with vital information on the strength and resiliency of communications infrastructure in the U.S. Virgin Islands. It will help us determine whether the American interests can be served by connecting the United States and the African Continent with undersea cable infrastructure by way of the U.S. Virgin Islands. H.R. 3385 is a critical step to enhance American communications security and competitiveness around the world. In recent years, the United States and many allies have recognized the threat posed by untrusted Chinese telecommunications equipment to our own national security. Thanks to the work of the Energy and Commerce Committee and our colleagues, we have taken steps to remove suspect equipment from the American communications networks to protect against attacks or sabotage by our adversaries, but this work is not finished because network security does not end at the water's edge. For decades, China and other adversaries have spent considerable time and money to deploy suspect telecommunications equipment and infrastructure across the African Continent. The assessment required in this bill is an important step to understanding the cost of securing the connection between the United States and our African allies, and how best to ensure a critical global communications channel is protected from the prying eyes of our adversaries. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Ms. Plaskett) for her leadership of this bill and the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Fulcher) for his partnership in this effort. This legislation is critical to enhancing our Nation's national security and the security of communications between the United States and our African partners. I look forward to reviewing the results of NTIA's assessment when it becomes available. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Ms. Plaskett), and I thank her for her leadership.

Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. I just want to emphasize that H.R. 3385 is a matter of national security. I thank Representative Plaskett for painting such a clear picture of that risk. For that reason, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. SCHRIER

Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3277, the Energy Emergency Leadership Act. This is a bipartisan bill that passed the House in the 117th Congress and is necessary to protect our energy grid from cyberattacks. Our energy infrastructure and grid have seen a number of attacks over the past few years from state actors and other malicious actors. We must defend our grid from cyberattacks. H.R. 3277 establishes a new Assistant Secretary position at the Department of Energy responsible for cybersecurity and emergency response issues. H.R. 3277 would give the new Assistant Secretary jurisdiction over all energy emergency and security functions related to energy supply, infrastructure, and cybersecurity. This includes responsibilities related to coordination, response, and restoration. Given today's national security concerns, it is crucial that all of these responsibilities rest with an Assistant Secretary at the Department of Energy, the agency with sector expertise. The bill would also vest the Assistant Secretary with the authority to provide DOE technical assistance and support to State, local, or Tribal governments upon request, and it would require the Assistant Secretary and DOE to coordinate with other relevant Federal agencies in carrying out the bill's provisions. DOE already does great work to protect our energy infrastructure. The Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response has been at the forefront of protecting our grid and coordinating responses to attacks. By codifying an Assistant Secretary for cybersecurity and emergency response issues, this legislation would go a long way in helping to protect the Nation's electric infrastructure from hackers and other bad actors that attempt to disrupt our energy grid and harm our economy, our daily lives, and our overall national security. I commend Representatives Blunt Rochester and Walberg for their bipartisan efforts to protect our energy infrastructure. I hope we can continue to work together on cybersecurity matters moving forward to defend our country from the ongoing threat of cyberattacks. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, energy security should be handled by the Department of Energy. This is important for our national security. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bipartisan bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. SCHRIER

Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ms. Wasserman Schultz for her incredible leadership at this very hard time. Mr. Speaker, on October 7, we witnessed the most horrific, gruesome, terrifying attack on Israel in its history. Thousands of Hamas terrorists invaded Israel and specifically targeted innocent civilians, including women and children. Twelve hundred Israelis were murdered, and women were specifically and systematically brutalized. Now, 115 days later, 132 hostages are still being held by Hamas. Officials believe 18 have died. The others remain in horrific conditions and have not received required medical checks from the International Red Cross. I have met with the families of several hostages, and they need our voices and our advocacy to help bring their loved ones home. Here are two: Naama Levy is 19 years old and is active in a peace movement bringing young Israeli and Palestinian people together seeking peace. Doron Steinbrecher is 30 years old, a veterinary nurse who was kidnapped from her home. Just imagine if your daughter, sister, or partner were held hostage by Hamas terrorists for 115 days and the torture of not knowing whether they are alive. Consider for a moment what it must be like to live a nightmare every day, wondering what horrors they might be enduring. Released hostages have reported sexual violence and rape, drugging, beating, branding, and deplorable conditions. Hamas has not allowed the ICRC to assess the condition of the hostages and has not provided proof of life. We in Congress, we in this country, need to do everything in our power to keep these hostages and their families in our hearts to tell their stories and to bring them home now.

Ms. SCHRIER

Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, once again, extreme Republicans are doubling down on their out-of-touch attacks on women as they renew their march toward a national abortion ban. Today, they brought to the floor bills called the Pregnant Students' Rights Act and the Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act. They are two bills with great names and terrible policies. The first stigmatizes students who seek abortion care. The second pulls money away from needy families in order to fund crisis pregnancy centers. These are sham centers that masquerade as clinics offering free pregnancy tests and ultrasounds, but they aren't. They often don't even have a healthcare provider and are designed specifically to dissuade women from considering abortion. As a physician who has had these nonjudgmental conversations with my own patients, I am disgusted by this manipulation of women who think they are receiving legitimate medical care but are really just getting propaganda. Make no mistake, Mr. Speaker. This is the march toward a national abortion ban. Vote ``no.''