Greg Walden

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Madam Speaker, pursuant to section 11 of the ``Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act of 2020'' (P.L. 116-189, S. 2330), I appoint the following individuals to the Commission on the State of U.S. Olympics and Paralympics: Ms. Melissa Stockwell, Colorado Springs, CO; Mr. Rob Mullens, Eugene, OR; The Honorable Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr., West Lafayette, IN; and, The Honorable Joseph E. Schmitz, Falls Church, VA.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to mark the passing of a longtime friend and community leader, Ken Hattrup of Sherman County, and The Dalles, Oregon. Ken was born in Keuterville, Idaho, on July 28, 1928. He was one of six children. About 7 years later, his family moved to The Dalles, Oregon, where he graduated from St. Mary's Academy High School in 1946. Along the way, he met his future wife, Marie von Borstel. In the spring of 1951, Ken and Marie were married. Shortly thereafter, Uncle Sam came calling, and Ken was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he served during the war in Korea. After he returned home and earned a degree in economics, they settled on a wheat ranch in Sherman County. Like most ranchers I know, Ken loved the land and practiced progressive conservation efforts. He enjoyed hunting, traveling, and playing cards with friends. It is reported that he was a popular poker dealer at the veterans' home in The Dalles, bringing much joy to those who, like him, wore our Nation's uniform and preserved our freedom and way of life. I always appreciated Ken's friendship and counsel over the years. Mylene and I extend our deepest sympathies to his family during this difficult time of loss.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman from Texas an additional 1 minute.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7898, a technical corrections bill introduced by Dr. Burgess. The 21st Century Cures Act had a major provision, led by Dr. Burgess, regarding information blocking. This is a process where a healthcare provider or an electronic healthcare record vendor will not move a patient's data between care settings or erects significant technological or financial barriers to do so. The 21st Century Cures Act was significant in that it banned the practice of information blocking, which is a key patient protection and an effort to transform our healthcare delivery system. Patient access and control over personal health information should be at the center of our efforts in securing high-quality and patient-driven care. The Energy and Commerce Committee delivered this win for patients, and today, we need to make a minor but very important technical correction to ensure our policy is enforced. H.R. 7898 would clarify the authority of the Department of Health and Human Services inspector general regarding information blocking, to make crystal clear that the IG has the authority to enforce this ban, to go after bad actors, and to protect patient access to personal health data. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess), the author of this provision and our ranking member, the top member on the Republican side, on the Health Subcommittee.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I don't have any other speakers on my side. I encourage Members to support this really important legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Kevin Hern).

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Mfume) for bringing us this legislation and for his very kind comments about my service and the future that lies ahead of me, perhaps. I appreciate his leadership and his kind words. I, too, rise today to speak on H.R. 1966, the Henrietta Lacks Enhancing Cancer Research Act of 2019, which was sponsored by the late, great Representative Elijah Cummings originally. This bill is named after Henrietta Lacks, a woman of color who donated her cells, without her knowledge and consent, to Johns Hopkins in 1951, beginning what was the first human cell line able to reproduce indefinitely. Her cells have been used in biomedical research around the world. H.R. 1966 requires the Government Accountability Office, or the GAO, to study how Federal agencies have addressed barriers to participation in cancer clinical trials by individuals from underrepresented populations and to provide recommendations for addressing such barriers. The intent of the bill is laudable, as racial and ethnic minorities are currently underrepresented in clinical trials. I know that has been an issue even in the COVID trials. I have talked to the people who have developed these vaccines, and this is a real issue they face, trying to get the right mix to reflect the community and make sure that everyone who takes the various drugs and vaccines are represented in these trials. It is a concern, because people of different ages, different races, different ethnicities, they simply may react differently to medical treatments. So we have to get this right. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my friends from Maryland for bringing this legislation to the floor, and I, of course, pay homage to Representative Cummings for his initial leadership on this as well. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess) and I ask unanimous consent that he be allowed to control that time.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1570, the Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act of 2020. This is really important legislation, as you have heard, and it has received strong bipartisan support from literally hundreds of our colleagues, including myself. It was a key provision of a bill I actually introduced last year, H.R. 19, the Lower Costs, More Cures Act of 2019, which had a lot of bipartisan solutions to lower drug prices without hindering the development of new therapeutics or cures. So I am happy to see the House take this action on this critical component of that other legislation. This bill would address an oversight in Medicare that requires beneficiaries to cover the cost of an unexpected polyp removal when provided a free screening colonoscopy. These surprise medical bills, as I would call them, create financial barriers for patient access to these lifesaving screenings, which can save thousands of lives a year. In the United States, colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths, Mr. Speaker. Screenings are the most effective way to detect and treat this devastating disease early on, and efforts must be made to ensure individuals have access to these important services. By removing these financial barriers for patients, this bill would enhance screening efforts and ultimately save lives. The bill is offset with another policy from H.R. 19 that would require pharmaceutical companies to report their average sales price, ASP. Right now, certain companies are exploiting a little loophole in the current law where they are not reporting their ASP and drawing down higher reimbursement rates from Medicare as a result. This creates an unfair advantage with competitors who are doing the right thing, as the statute intended, and reporting their data. I am glad this package includes these two provisions of H.R. 19, further adding to the number of provisions from this bill that I hope are enacted into law during the remainder of this Congress. While I urge support of this bill that would end surprise billing for this select group of Americans, I am disappointed Congress has yet to pass a bill that would end surprise billing for all Americans. Mr. Pallone and I have worked closely on this legislation. We have a bipartisan bill. It is ready to go, and we could pass it into law before the end of the year and put an end to surprise billing for all Americans, not just those with an unexpected polyp removal. I urge Congress to take further swift action to do what the American people want us to do. Let's end surprise billing once and for all for everyone. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend from Illinois for his generous comments and his great leadership, and I wish him well in the future. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the underlying bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my dear friend and colleague from Georgia (Mr. Carter) for his leadership on so many issues before the committee and for his very kind and generous words. I will miss serving with Mr. Carter. He has been a terrific member of the committee, and he, too, will have a great future ahead. Mr. Speaker, our next Member, I should call him the deputy mayor of Washington, D.C., because that is kind of what you are when you are the ranking member of the House Administration Committee. He has been a passionate advocate on the next bill, but because of a meeting he has coming up, I am going to yield to him now, so he can make that scheduled appointment, to talk about this bill and the next bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis).

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend and colleague from Virginia for not only his very kind comments but also his incredible work ethic. I will tell one quick story about Morgan Griffith. I had a little bill, a suspension bill, that Mr. Blumenauer and I had to do a land exchange up on Mount Hood. It flew through here one night, first night of votes, and got two dissenting votes. One of them I understood, but his dissenting vote I didn't understand. I went up to him, and I said: I am going to win this. There are only two noes. But why did you vote no? He said: Well, I read the bill, and it referenced this memorandum of understanding between the Forest Service and Mount Hood Meadows about this land exchange. I tried to get a copy of that MOU, and I couldn't get it before I voted on the bill, so I voted no. Well, the bill didn't get through that Congress. It got through the House, but not, of course, the other body. So the next Congress, we did it again, and I made sure that Mr. Griffith had that memorandum of understanding related to this little land transfer bill in an area that Mr. Blumenauer and I share, and he voted with us on that measure. I thought: He is a pretty darn good, thorough legislator if he is reading every suspension bill and every land transfer bill and diving into the weeds. Americans need to know what a great man he is. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter).

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Harris).

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Harris), who has been a real leader on this and so many other healthcare-related issues.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support of H.R. 3797, the Medical Marijuana Research Act introduced by my colleague and friend from Oregon, Representative Blumenauer, my friend from Maryland, Representative Andy Harris, among others. I am sort of surprised we aren't taking this up at 4:20 in the afternoon rather than 2:10, but we will let history deal with that. Mr. Speaker, Federally sanctioned research on marijuana is incredibly challenging. It is a schedule I controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act, meaning that researchers seeking to investigate a drug have to work with the Department of Health and Human Services and the Drug Enforcement Administration to meet certain Federal requirements in order to conduct that research. In addition, international obligations outlined in the United Nations drug control treaties impose requirements that impact the supply of research-grade cannabis. Currently, those conducting federally- sanctioned research can only study marijuana that is sourced through the National Institute on Drug Abuse's single DEA licensee: the University of Mississippi. Unfortunately, that marijuana is chemically distinct from what is commercially available from State-legal dispensaries, such as in my home State of Oregon. What does that mean? Well, it means that we have little to no data on the actual health impacts of products in States that have legalized cannabis for medical or recreational use. States that have pursued marijuana legalization have largely done so in an information vacuum, with less understanding of what it does than virtually any nutritional supplement currently on the market, and with far less information than they have on legal substances that are easily abused, such as alcohol or tobacco. We don't even know at what point it is unsafe for marijuana users to drive. The THC levels that States have set for driving legal limits or for purposes of food consumption are simply arbitrary. Mr. Speaker, in Oregon, for example, cookies infused with THC are limited to 5 milligrams of THC per serving, or 50 milligrams per package. Now, you go across the Columbia River to the great State of Washington, and their limit is 10 milligrams or 100 milligrams. So there is little to no scientific evidence to support either of these levels. We simply don't know. Mr. Speaker, here is what we do know: There have been increases in cannabis-related poison control center calls, emergency room visits, and impaired driving incidents. Nationwide exposure in youth is increasing, with record numbers of 8th through 12th graders regularly vaping marijuana products. So we need research that reflects the reality of what is on the market. Products containing CBD derived from the hemp plant have become commonplace across the country in pharmacies and health food stores, and even in fast food chains since hemp was removed from the CSA in the 2018 farm bill. Now, these products often contain claims that they can effectively treat everything from depression and inflammation to cancer or Alzheimer's. However, none of these claims have been evaluated or approved by the FDA, meaning patients may be relying on the unsubstantiated claims of CBD products and foregoing other proven medical treatments. Mr. Speaker, like cannabis, while there is potential for CBD to provide patient benefits, the research and science lag far behind the market and the agencies are simply struggling to catch up. Last week, the majority forced this Chamber to vote on the MORE Act, which completely removed marijuana from the list of scheduled substances under the Controlled Substances Act--among many other things in that bill--and they didn't have the data to justify this policy decision. Not only was this legislation incredibly premature, it could also potentially put the U.S. in violation of international treaty obligations. Any discussion of de-scheduling must be preceded by a fuller understanding of the potential risks associated with cannabis use, which we currently do not have. And the current research restrictions on fully studying cannabis have effectively created a catch-22 in the rescheduling debate. So evaluations by the FDA and the National Academies have both concluded that the lack of research is a significant factor in denying previous administrative rescheduling petitions. More research, better data, remain the critical first steps to any future policy discussions. Making it easier to research cannabis is common ground that I think we can all agree upon and pursue together. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues, and especially Representatives Harris and Blumenauer, for working tirelessly to bring us this bipartisan, commonsense legislation. This bill will help improve the marijuana research landscape and give consumers the information they need. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself a minute or so here to thank my friend, the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) who, as you all know, is a terrific legislator, a bright mind. And he, too, has served his country with distinction in uniform and here in the Congress, and he will have a great future going forward in this institution. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter).

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, it is a great privilege now to recognize the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie), who is the top Republican on the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee and has really done incredible work as we put together our package on Operation Warp Speed and the second wave issues involving COVID, which I recommend to my colleagues to take a look at. He is also a great legislator in working out bipartisan issues like this. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie).

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5758, the Ceiling Fan Improvement Act. This legislation was introduced by my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee, Representatives Guthrie and Schakowsky, to make technical corrections to the Department of Energy's energy conservation standard for large-diameter ceiling fans. This legislation did go through regular order and it did pass the full committee on a voice vote. H.R. 5758 would amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to adjust compliance requirements, and that will resolve a discrepancy in the regulations that may have the unintended consequence of allowing some large-diameter fans with low airflows to meet the minimum standards. The Department of Energy confirmed the need for a statutory revision and submitted technical assistance to aid in the drafting of this legislation, which we are appreciative of. This is a good bipartisan bill, like the others before it today, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers on my side of the aisle. It is good legislation, bipartisan. It should become law. I urge its passage, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I don't believe I have any other speakers on my side of the aisle on this measure. I urge its passage, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to thank my dear friend and colleague, Mr. Olson, who we all know, it turns out, is from Texas 22; and his wife, Nancy. I wish them the very best in their lives ahead. Mr. Speaker, since he is talking about a little history, I want to talk about a little history, too, before I turn to my friend from Georgia to speak on this bill, and that is that something really, really, really important happened not too far from my home State of Oregon. In Fort Lewis, Washington, on this date 58 years ago, this gentleman from Texas 22 arrived on this planet. Today is his birthday, and I hope the House will join me in acknowledging Mr. Olson's birthday. He was born in the great State of Washington, as it turns out, but he is Texas through and through. So happy birthday to Mr. Olson. Mr. Speaker, I would turn now to the only pharmacist in the United States Congress, which has really been important in our legislative efforts on the Energy and Commerce Committee. He knows so much about how to take care of people when they are at the counter, how to make sure they get what they need, and what they face when they come there in terms of costs of medicines and everything else. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter), who is a terrific member of the committee.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, before I yield to the author of the bill, the gentleman from Texas, I can tell you, Texas has few stronger advocates, if any, than Mr. Olson. And Texas 22, his congressional district, has had an incredibly effective voice in the United States Congress. He, like I, will be leaving at the end of this session, but he has left his mark on all kinds of positive policy improvements in the Federal Government. Now, I don't know about you, Mr. Speaker, but there probably aren't many of us who could cite our friend's district by number, but somehow Mr. Olson, when you look at him, you know it is Texas 22, and you know about the Houston Astros. Now why, I don't know. But that is a subject for another day. What I do know is, he has been an able and effective legislator on the Energy and Commerce Committee in this House. He has served his country in many capacities, including in the military. He will be missed in this assembly, but his work will go on. His work today is noticed, once again, in a bipartisan way. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Olson), although I do have another speaker.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1426, the Timely Review of Infrastructure Act. This legislation was introduced by my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee, Representative Pete Olson and Representative Mike Doyle, to help the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recruit and retain highly specialized personnel in the STEM fields. This legislation went through regular order, and it passed by vote voice in the committee. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, otherwise known as FERC, is an independent agency. Mr. Speaker, it regulates the interstate transmission of electricity, natural gas, and oil. FERC's responsibilities also include reviewing and approving the siting of large-scale infrastructure projects such as LNG export terminals, electric transmission lines, interstate pipelines, and all the associated environmental and safety requirements. While FERC receives annual appropriations from Congress, FERC recovers 100 percent of its appropriations through the collection of annual charges and filing fees. This unique structure, where the industry essentially covers FERC's costs, has resulted in a lean and efficient agency, and it helps keep costs down for consumers. In testimony before the Energy and Commerce Committee, FERC explained that it faces a growing challenge to recruit and retain a highly skilled workforce to keep up with the demands of our rapidly growing energy infrastructure. FERC has especially had difficulty hiring engineers throughout the agency, with many candidates citing compensation rates as, frankly, the main issue. H.R. 1426 would improve FERC's workforce by granting the Chairman authority to adjust compensation for a certain category of STEM workers. This fix would help FERC carry out its mission in a timely, efficient, and effective manner without any additional cost to our taxpayers. I want to thank Mr. Olson and Mr. Doyle for working together in a bipartisan way, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the legislation. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend and colleague, the good doctor from Indiana. We are so blessed in this institution to have people with such incredible backgrounds, intellect, capability, and just the overall human experience that they can bring to help us be better legislators and develop better policy. I think when we listen to each other, when we are challenged in our views and our ideas by each other, we end up with a better product for the American people, Mr. Speaker. Certainly, Dr. Bucshon has been a forceful figure in trying to get to better healthcare policy outcomes. I have greatly valued his counsel and his leadership, and I know incredible things await him in the next Congress and in the years thereafter, where I hope he will continue to serve with great distinction, honor, and ability. Mr. Speaker, I don't think I have anybody else on our side at this time, so I encourage passage of the legislation, the Tribal Power Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, to my friend from West Virginia, it has been a great honor. It has been an honor and great privilege to serve with you, and I have always appreciated your leadership, your great insights, your keen intellect as we have addressed these issues, especially on this issue of opioids. I don't think there was a more passionate player on the committee, a more engaged and informed member of the committee on this matter than you. And the citizens of West Virginia and, indeed, the citizens of all America, Mr. Speaker, have a lot to say thank you to Mr. McKinley for and others in this body certainly, for the legislation we passed into law. We know there is more work to do, and while I may be leaving, I know Mr. McKinley is only going to double down on that effort going forward. Mr. Speaker, this is good legislation that Mr. McKinley and Mr. Tonko have brought before us. I urge passage of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.