Fred Upton

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would just like to reference the kind remarks by my friend, the gentlewoman from Colorado. This is the start of the next Congress. We are certainly looking forward to governing in a bipartisan way. That is what our committee has done for hundreds of bills in the last number of years. I look forward to that continued partnership. I know Chairman Walden on the full committee looks forward to doing that as well. This is just the first step, literally one of the first days, obviously, in the new Trump administration, but we look forward to working with the Senate to get this bill to the new administration and get it signed into law, showing, again, the bipartisan support. I want to compliment my friend, my colleague from Massachusetts (Mr. Kennedy), for his good work on this. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.'' I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 590) to foster civilian research and development of advanced nuclear energy technologies and enhance the licensing and commercial deployment of such technologies.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 590, the Advanced Nuclear Technology Development Act of 2017. This is a bipartisan bill. It passed in the last Congress as well. It was cosponsored and led by Congressmen Latta and McNerney. And it will help American innovators and entrepreneurs develop and license advanced nuclear technologies. The U.S. will require reliable, baseload, and affordable energy in decades to come, and nuclear power has to remain an integral part of our electricity generation portfolio. Unfortunately, an outdated and rigid regulatory regime will stifle new nuclear technology development. This bill will help modernize the regulatory framework for the 21st century to be adaptive, technology inclusive, and certainly predictable. Advanced nuclear technologies may provide breakthroughs in safety and efficiency over the existing fleet of nuclear power plants. Absent the proper regulatory framework, our nuclear scientists and industry will look to other parts of the world to construct game-changing nuclear technologies. So the U.S. has to remain a global leader to create and maintain highly-paying and highly-skilled jobs right here at home. This bill is a step towards ensuring that the NRC has the necessary expertise and the resources to be able to review and license new technologies and reactor designs, while appropriately collaborating with the Department of Energy's nuclear energy research programs and the private sector. With the Federal Government, national labs, universities, and private industry all working together towards a common goal, the future of nuclear industry energy is certainly bright. In the last Congress, as I mentioned at the beginning, this legislation passed unanimously out of the Energy and Commerce Committee and passed the House by a voice vote. I am pleased to support this legislation again, as part of our efforts to address burdensome regs that stifle economic growth and new technologies. I urge all of my colleagues to support it. I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Washington, DC, January 23, 2017. Hon. Greg Walden, Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing concerning H.R. 590, the ``Advanced Nuclear Technology Development Act of 2017,'' which was introduced on January 20, 2017. H.R. 590 contains provisions within the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology's Rule X jurisdiction. In order to expedite this bill for floor consideration, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology will forego action on the bill. This is being done on the basis of our mutual understanding that doing so will in no way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology with respect to the appointment of conferees, or to any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matters contained in the bill or similar legislation. I would appreciate your response to this letter confirming this understanding, and would request that you include a copy of this letter and your response in the Congressional Record during the floor consideration of this bill. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. Sincerely, Lamar Smith, Chairman.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter).

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to again support this legislating on a bipartisan basis, and I thank all of my colleagues for speaking in support of it. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 518) to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to exclude power supply circuits, drivers, and devices designed to be connected to, and power, light-emitting diodes or organic light-emitting diodes providing illumination from energy conservation standards for external power supplies, and for other purposes.

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

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise certainly in support of H.R. 518. Regulations are based on the state of technology at the time that they are developed and may have the unintended consequences of hindering new advances in products. Such has been the case with the Department of Energy's efficiency standards for external power suppliers, EPS. As the regs on the books now stand, it is not legally possible to make certain types of light -emitting diode--LED--devices, as well as some kinds of ceiling fans. So this bill, H.R. 518, the EPS Improvement Act, provides a carefully tailored solution to the problem. And I want to thank two Members, Republican and Democrat, Mr. Guthrie and Ms. DeGette, for their good work on behalf of both the manufacturers, as well as the users, of these products. The bill carves out an exception for these devices while giving DOE the option of setting separate efficiency standards that are more suited to them. This bill has been thoroughly vetted--yes, it has. It was included in last year's energy package. And although that bill didn't make it to the finish line for unrelated reasons, language virtually identical to that in H.R. 518 enjoyed very strong bipartisan and certain bicameral support. In addition, the bill passed the House on suspension last year as well, but failed to make it on the Senate calendar. For the sake of the manufacturing jobs that are associated with these products as well as the consumers and small businesses that rely on them, I would urge all of my colleagues to support and vote for H.R. 518. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers on this side of the aisle either. I would urge my colleagues on both sides to again vote for this bill. Let's hope that the Senate can get it on their plate and get it to the President for him to sign into law. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning in support of S. 612, the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act, and I would urge every one of my colleagues to join me in that support. As everybody knows, families in Flint, Michigan, have not been able to trust the drinking water coming out of their taps for more than 2 years. Bottled water and filters are only temporary solutions. In August, I traveled to Flint with my friend and colleague Dan Kildee from Michigan. We visited health facilities and homes, and we heard firsthand from hundreds of residents. No matter where we went, we heard the same voices. Folks in Flint are tired of the partisan blame game. They really are. They wanted answers and they wanted results, and that is what this bill does. That is why we worked so hard to have language included in this bipartisan legislation that will authorize funding to help improve the health of the folks in Flint and other communities who have had Federal emergencies declared due to the unsafe levels of lead in their drinking water. Our package authorizes $100 million in Safe Drinking Water Act capitalization grants to States responding to a Presidentially declared disaster for health threats associated with the presence of lead or other drinking water contaminants in a public water system. This bipartisan package also expresses that $20 million should be approved under the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act for eligible projects. It authorizes $20 million for the creation of a lead registry and advisory committee at the Department of HHS and authorizes an additional $15 million appropriation for the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act at CDC. It authorizes $15 million for the Healthy Start Initiative at the Department of HHS. It also authorizes 30 new Army Corps of Engineers projects across the country, including critical harbor maintenance provisions that are vitally important in the Great Lakes. This fully offset package will not only serve as the basis for responding to decaying lead service lines across the country, but also responds to the tragic toll that has been taken on the minds and bodies of Flint's youngest victims and similar communities due to repeated exposures to elevated concentrations of lead in drinking water. Simply put, Flint needs action. This bipartisan legislation delivers that. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, first, I must join a long line of folks congratulating our friend and chairman of the important Appropriations Committee, the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers), for great service, assembling a wonderful, hardworking staff, and making sure that, particularly at Christmastime now, we are not going to be looking at shutting down the government. I rise in support of this CR, the continuing resolution. I want to just inform a couple of my colleagues of some of the very important provisions that are included in this package, including funding to begin some of the work enacting 21st Century Cures and relief for families in Flint, Michigan, and elsewhere around the country. There is not a single person in this Chamber watching at home today who has not been touched by disease in some way. We have said all too many goodbyes to the people that we hold dear. Every day, countless folks living vibrant lives are delivered unexpected diagnoses. It is a cycle that repeats itself over and over in every community. Life can change in an instant, and hope seems sometimes out of reach. Whether it be Alzheimer's, lupus, MS, cancer, you name the disease--diabetes. That is why both the House and the Senate overwhelmingly passed the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act with 392 votes in the House and 94 in the Senate just yesterday. It is set to be signed into law next week, and our effort will help change the conversation on innovation and research. But it is patients that it is going to help the most. This bill fulfills our commitment to hit the ground running immediately in our effort to deliver cures now, delivering valuable funds in this fiscal year, something that was critical as we worked together on both sides of the aisle in both the House and the Senate to get it done. The bill also fulfills our commitment to the folks of Flint, Michigan. Again, an issue that we have dealt with. I commend Mr. Kildee, who is on the floor, for working with him in a bipartisan way. The system failed them at every level of government. But that is not what the folks in Flint wanted to hear. They wanted answers. This bill finally delivers that, and it has been a long struggle. And, again, I commend the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee) for his leadership on this. We worked together. This bill provides the effort to right those past wrongs. They want answers and results, and this bill delivers exactly that. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass this bill and send it to the Senate and then to the President.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 174) directing the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make a correction in the enrollment of H.R. 34, with the Senate amendment thereto, and concur in the Senate amendment.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 934, I call up the bill (H.R. 34) to authorize and strengthen the tsunami detection, forecast, warning, research, and mitigation program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and for other purposes, with the Senate amendment thereto, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. McSally), my friend who is, again, a strong advocate of this legislation.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn), the vice chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, who, again, helped so much with the medical community to rally around and provide us the input necessary to move this bill to where it is today.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton), who is the former chairman and now chairman emeritus of the Energy and Commerce Committee. My friend, the Honorable Joe Barton, really helped us push this bill every step of the way. (Mr. BARTON asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on H.R. 34.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 3 minutes. Mr. Speaker, there is not a single person in this Chamber or watching at home today who has not been touched by disease in some way. We have all said too many early good-byes to folks that we hold dear--families robbed of a parent who will never get to see their child's milestones, a child born without the gift of a future. Every day, countless folks living vibrant lives are delivered unexpected diagnoses. It is a cycle that repeats itself over and over in every community. Life changes in an instant, and hope seems out of reach, whether it be Alzheimer's, lupus, MS, cancer, you name it. No matter where you are from, one thing that binds us all together is that we all want more time with our loved ones. That is why we are here today, because the clock is ticking for patients and their families. So, Mr. Speaker, this brings us to the 21st Century Cures Act. This bipartisan bill will ensure that our health system can keep pace with the incredible advances in science and technology. In Cures, we have got a medical innovation game-changer that will deliver hope to patients across the country. We have been here before. In July of 2015, after a series of roundtables, hearings, white papers, and public feedback, the House overwhelmingly voted in support of 21st Century Cures. Sure, we have encountered a number of detours and obstacles along the path to Cures, but we have taken great inspiration in those patients who have partnered in this effort to persevere, stay positive, and continue forward to get the job done, just like my two little Michigan girls, Brooke and Brielle, who are battling SMA, do every day. Each day, they muster incredible strength and courage, conquering challenges that most folks will never encounter in a lifetime. So 3 years ago, we had an idea that, yes, we could do better. We needed to do something to transform our health research system to effectively fight disease in this century. Finding cures and boosting research and innovation was absent from any policy to-do list. People didn't seem to care that the gap between biomedical innovation and our regulatory process was widening, or that of the 10,000 known diseases-- 7,000 of which are rare--there are treatments for only about 500. We needed to change the conversation and restore urgency. And working together, we have. First, we listened to more than just Brooke and Brielle, but to Barb, Becky, Lisa, Geno, the Dons, the Betsys, little Max, and our own little Steve LaTourette who always sat in the corner. Virtually everyone here had a story to tell and for folks here to listen to. Science and biomedical innovation have made incredible strides over the last two decades: mapping the human genome, new biomarkers, and personal healthcare apps. Each have offered new opportunities to find new treatment and cures. But the way the FDA and the NIH apply these new innovations to our regulatory process, in fact, has lagged behind.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself an additional 2 minutes. These agencies and the rules and regs they produce, affecting the discovery, development, and delivery of lifesaving drugs and devices, also need modernization and innovation. They need a game-changer, and now we have it. This legislation breaks down regulatory barriers and expedites the approvals for drugs and devices, coupled with billions more for research. The former head of the NCI and the FDA, Andy von Eschenbach, has called this the most transformational biomedical legislation in the past 3 years. He is right. But this package is not just about Cures. No. It also achieves several additional top-line priorities for our Energy and Commerce Committee, including valuable resources to fight the opioid epidemic and delivering landmark mental health reforms spearheaded by Dr. Tim Murphy to help families in crisis and treat mental illnesses rather than incarceration. This is, without a doubt, the most important and impactful bill that we will enact in this Congress. Patients aren't interested in debating the timelines. The failure rates, the size and cost of conducting clinical trials, are at an all- time high. They just know that despite the promise of scientific breakthroughs, they can't get the therapy that might save their life. That is why we need this bill. I want to give a special thanks to my many partners, including especially Diana DeGette, not to mention Joe Pitts, Frank Pallone, Tim Murphy, and Lamar Alexander, the leadership on both sides of the aisle in both Chambers. I thank my truly brilliant committee and personal staff led by Gary Andres and Joan Hillebrands, Health Counsel Paul Edattel, and, of course, my wife, Amey. We are on the cusp of something special, a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform how we treat disease. With this vote, we are taking a giant leap on the path to Cures. Working together, we will deliver Cures now. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus), one of the senior subcommittee chairmen on the Energy and Commerce Committee, one that helped lead the fight all across the Nation in support of this bill. (Mr. SHIMKUS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murphy), one of the subcommittee chairmen who helped craft the bipartisan Murphy mental health bill, which passed the House 422-2 earlier this year, and is a very valuable member of the committee.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie), a member of the committee and a leader in pushing this bill forward.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Lance), another valuable member of the Health Subcommittee and someone who pursued this legislation from the very get-go.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), a valuable member of the Health Subcommittee and whose father once chaired that subcommittee.