Henry Waxman

Mr. WAXMAN

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from the State of Washington, Dr. McDermott, who is the ranking member of the Health Subcommittee of Ways and Means. (Mr. McDERMOTT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from Connecticut, Rosa DeLauro.

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining on both sides.

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional minute to the gentleman.

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from New York (Ms. Velazquez).

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer), a member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. WAXMAN. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WAXMAN. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WAXMAN. We have two speakers left.

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the Democratic leader.

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Doyle), a very distinguished member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. WAXMAN

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 252, as amended, and urge my colleagues to support the bill as well. As amended, S. 252 is comprised of the authorization or re-authorization of three different programs. Together, these provisions constitute a bi-partisan and bi- cameral effort to address three pressing issues. Title One of the bill would reauthorize and improve the Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers Who Deliver Infants Early--or PREEMIE--Act. The PREEMIE Act was first enacted in 2006 in response to an alarming rise in preterm births. Provisions in Title One reauthorize Centers for Disease Control and Prevention research, surveillance, and prevention activities. The title also extends provider education and training and public education activities; and it adds use of telehealth technology for management of high-risk pregnancies among preferences for telehealth network grants. This title codifies a Department of Health and Human Services Advisory Committee on Infant Mortality and directs this Committee to examine preterm birth activities across the Department. And it calls for HHS coordination of hospital readmissions studies focused on premature infants. Title One represents a renewed commitment to our nation's efforts to reduce premature births, the leading killer of newborns. Title Two of S. 252 (as amended) would allow the National Institutes of Health to establish a national pediatric research network dedicated to finding treatments and cures for pediatric diseases and conditions-- especially those that are rare. In addition to the research itself, Title Two places special emphasis on professional training for future pediatric researchers. These and other related components of Title Two are intended to build on the strong body of pediatric research that NIH already conducts and supports. The goal of this title is to ensure that universities, hospitals, and other nonprofit entities focused on pediatric research have the infrastructure necessary to make clinical research opportunities more accessible to kids and their families. In turn, we hope and expect their work will advance progress towards treatments and cures for many devastating diseases and conditions. I would encourage NIH to take full advantage of this opportunity. The third and last title of the bill builds upon the 2000 Chimpanzee Health Improvement Maintenance and Protection or CHIMP Act and allows NIH to fulfill its commitment to retiring hundreds of chimpanzees from research. Among other provisions, the CHIMP Act established a sanctuary system for the lifetime care of chimpanzees retired from research and limited NIH spending on care for these chimpanzees. We are fast-approaching the spending cap set forth in the CHIMP Act. This title authorizes spending for the care and maintenance of chimpanzees owned or controlled by NIH--out of the amounts made available to the agency--for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018. This title ensures the agency can continue caring for the more than 100 chimpanzees currently in sanctuary. This title also makes it possible for NIH to continue implementing Institute of Medicine recommendations on the use of chimpanzees in research and transition other chimpanzees to sanctuary over time. As I have noted, this package is a bi-partisan and bi-cameral initiative that reflects the work of several members of the Energy and Commerce Committee. I especially want to note Congresswoman Eshoo, the Democratic sponsor of the original PREEMIE Reauthorization Act and Congresswoman Capps, the Democratic sponsor of the original National Pediatric Research Network Act. I also want to commend Chairman Upton, Chairman Pitts, and Ranking Member Pallone for their leadership in bringing this bipartisan package of public health legislation to the floor. Finally, I want to acknowledge Senate HELP Committee leadership--Senators Harkin and Alexander--for their effort on these measures. I urge my colleagues to vote for S. 252, as amended.

Mr. WAXMAN

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 330, the HIV Organ Policy Equity Act or HOPE Act. And I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for passage of S. 330 today, which will send this bill on to the President for his signature. In the early years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the National Organ Transplant Act was amended to ban the transplantation of organs infected with the HIV virus. Today--more than two decades after this ban was put in place--an HIV-positive diagnosis is no longer a death sentence. More and more HIV-positive Americans are living longer with antiretroviral treatment and finding themselves on waitlists for organs along with tens of thousands of others. Organ transplantation also now occurs using Hepatitis C-positive organs for transplant in patients who have the Hepatitis C virus. This development is notable given similarities in the transmission modes of the HIV and Hepatitis C viruses. The HOPE Act updates the National Organ Transplant Act to reflect the current medical and scientific understanding of HIV/AIDS. The bill creates a pathway for future HIV-positive to HIV-positive organ donation--beginning first with research. The Secretary of Health and Human Services is directed to develop research criteria for HIV-posiive to HIV-positive organ donation. The Secretary is also required to conduct an annual review of research results and--if she deems the research findings warrant this action--direct the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network to revise standards for organ transplantation with HIV-infected organs. S. 330 also amends the Federal criminal code to specify that organ donation consistent with the HOPE Act would not violate the current prohibition in Federal law. I believe this measure represents an important step forward in updating our organ transplant procedures to reflect the current state of the science. Importantly, S. 330 could also increase organs available for donation--saving hundreds of lives each year. I want to commend Congresswoman Capps and Congressman Harris for their leadership on this critical issue in the House. I also want to acknowledge the contributions of Senators Boxer and Coburn, the sponsors of the legislation we are considering today. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the HOPE Act and sending this commonsense, bi-partisan measure to the President.

Mr. WAXMAN

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise as a member of the Safe Climate Caucus to address the important issue of climate change. EPA reported some good news today: carbon pollution from power plants has dropped 10 percent from 2010 to 2012. Some of this drop was due to fuel switching from coal to natural gas, which is less polluting; some was due to increased energy efficiency; and some was due to growth in clean, renewable sources of electricity like wind and solar. Our challenge is to continue these reductions. Market forces alone will not be enough. The Energy Department says that carbon pollution has crept up this year as coal prices fell and usage increased. That is why we need the new regulations proposed by EPA to limit carbon pollution from new power plants, and that is why we need limits on pollution from existing power plants. The history of the Clean Air Act has shown us we can have both a strong economy and clean air. Our health, our environment, and our economic prosperity depend on developing the clean energy technologies of the future.

Mr. WAXMAN

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a true American Hero. This weekend, Walter Crenshaw, Jr. will celebrate his 104th birthday. As the longest living member of the Tuskeegee Airmen, he has led a remarkable life. In October 1942, Walter Crenshaw was inducted into the United States Army Air Corps, ultimately attaining the rank of Sergeant. Sergeant Crenshaw was stationed at Tuskegee Army Air Field (TAAF) in Tuskegee, Alabama from 1942 through 1944. He served as the Administrative Assistant to the Provost Marshall during the initial training for the 99th Pursuit Squadron's training period as well as the 332nd Fighter's Squadron. An additional 500 cadets would follow during his service. Sergeant Crenshaw was responsible for the induction and background work on each cadet. As a result, he came to know each man personally. The Tuskegee Airmen broke through racial, military and political barriers to become the first African American military aviators in the United States Armed Forces. Sergeant Crenshaw was among the men to successfully join this courageous group of men. He has been since honored for his service, receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor and the Harriet Tubman Living Legends Award, and his profile is a permanent part of the exhibit, ``Tuskegee Airmen, Men in Flight'' at the California African American Museum in Los Angeles. After leaving the service, he and his wife lived in Detroit while he served for 22 years as the Head of Shipping Clerk for Railway Express. They retired to Santa Monica in 1977, where Mr. Crenshaw kept active with photography and taking classes at Santa Monica College. At least four days a week, he would bike to the Santa Monica Pier to fish. Now, he currently resides in the Veterans Home of California in West Los Angeles on the VA Medical Center Campus. His many interests include Jazz, particularly Duke Ellington, watching baseball games, and attending the First A.M.E. Church in Los Angeles. The Crenshaw family now spans four generations. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Sergeant Crenshaw, an American treasure, and wishing him a healthy and joyous 104th birthday.

Mr. WAXMAN

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the 170th Anniversary of B'nai B'rith International. I am proud to acknowledge the accomplishments of the oldest existing Jewish service agency and celebrate their achievements. On October 13, 1843, twelve German Jewish immigrants convened to address the challenges of their growing community. Immediately, they established a financial support system for families of the deceased, open a Jewish public library, and assisted flood victims in Baltimore. They also began to speak out against anti-Semitism. These early priorities of advocacy, education, and community support can still be seen in B'nai B'rith's work around the world today. B'nai B'rith is one of Israel's strongest advocates in the United States and Europe. Working with policymakers in the United States, the European Union, and the United Nations, B'nai B'rith has championed Israel's right to defend itself, advanced the rights of Jewish refugees in the Middle East, and ensured that life insurance companies cannot refuse coverage due to travelling to Israel. B'nai B'rith has also sustained the health and well-being of the aged through advocating for senior services, tirelessly working for affordable access to medical care, and providing housing for seniors. In partnership with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, B'nai B'rith is the largest Jewish sponsor of subsidized housing in the United States. Residents are accepted regardless of religion, race, or handicap. Following the Jewish tradition that every life is sacred, B'nai B'rith assists victims of natural disasters around the world. From the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, B'nai B'rith is on the front lines helping those who need it most. This esteemed organization is a beacon to all who strive for a safer, healthier, more tolerant world. I welcome the opportunity to stand with B'nai B'rith International on the 170th anniversary of its establishment.

Mr. WAXMAN

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the second International Day of the Girl Child, which takes place on October 11. This day was designated by the United Nations General Assembly to promote girls' rights and shine light upon the discrimination and inequalities that girls suffer to this day. In December 2011, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to declare October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child to ``recognize girls' rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world.'' The theme this year is ``Innovating for Girls' Education'' because education is the key to ensuring women's social and economic empowerment in this world. It leads to lower poverty, lower mortality rates, democratization, and fewer child marriages. This is not just a far-away problem. American youth can take action now working to ensure that women's rights and girls' rights are a priority in our foreign policy and by advocating for educational opportunities for girls at home and around the world. Annie Gersh from Marlborough High School in Los Angeles is doing that now. She is on my Youth Advisory Board and was a teen advisor for Girl Up, a project of the UN Foundation. I am proud that Annie is a constituent, and I hope that she and other young people like her will continue their fight for girls' rights in America and around the globe.