Greg Walden

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Chair, we have heard this refrain before that it is worth it, worth it not to have a cure. A cure for what? We don't know. We know that there are 100 drugs that will never be developed because of H.R. 3. That is what the Council of Economic Advisers said. The Congressional Budget Office says 38 in the next 20 years will never be developed. Is that the cure for Alzheimer's? Is that the cure for Parkinson's? Is that the cure for ALS? Madam Chair, the gentleman says it is worth it to upend the entire ecosystem of innovation in America. That is what we just heard. We heard it in committee too: It is okay. We don't need a cure for this, that, or the other thing. 138 of these great American innovators wrote us and said it is not worth it. This bill is going to shatter the hopes and dreams of people who are hoping that there will be a cure for cystic fibrosis or sickle cell anemia or SMA. Oh, by the way, we are developing those cures, but this bill, H.R. 3, kills innovation in America, and that means people will die because they didn't get those drugs because they were never invented. We don't have to do that to bring down the cost of drugs. There are bipartisan ways to bring down the cost of drugs without destroying medical innovation in America, and we want to work with you to do this. H.R. 3 is the purely partisan bill on the floor. The proposal we have is all bipartisan, Republican and Democrat ideas put together that will have a positive effect on bringing down drug prices. It will stop the gaming of the system, and it will result in more cures. Madam Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter), Congress' only pharmacist, an outspoken advocate for our legislation and doing the right thing for patients, whom he greeted at the pharmacy counter every day.

Mr. WALDEN. Madam Chair, I yield an additional 15 seconds to the gentleman from Georgia.

Mr. WALDEN. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Chair, I can't help but just respond. Our information is based on fact, not rhetoric. It comes from the independent Congressional Budget Office that works for all of us. And when they evaluated H.R. 3, they are the ones--at CBO, the Congressional Budget Office--that said that the Democrats' plan, the Pelosi plan, would result in fewer new drug products being developed and coming to market. CBO is the one, not Big Pharma. You can throw that around all you want, but it is the Congressional Budget Office that said 38 new cures that could be developed in the next 20 years would be lost in development because of this bill--38. Up to 38. It was the Council of Economic Advisers that said upwards of 100 new cures, new medicines, would not come to market because of H.R. 3. The great American innovators wrote to the Speaker and wrote to the Republican leader and said the dreams of life-changing therapies and cures for patients would be ``shattered'' by H.R. 3. They said that, unfortunately, H.R. 3 is an unprecedented and aggressive government intervention in the U.S. market of drug development and delivery that will limit patient access to these extraordinary advancements in care. These are the people that--when they get a cure for cystic fibrosis; when they develop a cure for sickle cell; when, hopefully, they develop a cure for diabetes--we will all rush out to say, ``We helped. We funded NIH. They did an important role.'' And NIH funding is extremely important, but it is these innovators that do the actual development of the drugs. In fact, the Congressional Budget Office said, when it comes to H.R. 3 spending for NIH, that the effects of the new drug introductions from increased Federal spending under the bill on biomedical research would be modest--modest. Okay. We have all supported increases in additional research at NIH. It is an important element of this. But it is actually the innovators spread all across the country and these tiny little startups, in some cases, that are begging us not to blow up the system to get drug prices down. We can get drug prices down. We are willing to work on both sides of the aisle to do that. You don't have to destroy innovation in America and lifesaving cures for patients to get there. H.R. 3, independent analyses show, would do exactly that. Madam Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Stivers).

Mr. WALDEN. Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman from Ohio for his remarks. I am hopeful that, after this political exercise of H.R. 3 is done, we can work on a bipartisan basis on needed part D modernization like we were doing before the Speaker, unfortunately, shut down these discussions. When we do so, I look forward to working with the gentleman from Ohio to ensure that the vulnerable LIS population is not unintentionally adversely impacted.

Mr. WALDEN. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I appreciate the gentleman for bringing up this important issue. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALDEN. Madam Chair, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen) for 1 minute.

Mr. WALDEN. Madam Chair, may I inquire how much time is remaining.

Mr. WALDEN. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let's go through this really quickly. Democrats have said it is worth it not to have future cures. That is point one. They have said that: worth it not to have future cures. Congressional Budget Office tells us up to 38 cures will not come about because of H.R. 3. They have said we want to model America after foreign countries, and the facts show that in foreign countries you have less access to lifesaving drugs for cancer, diabetes, respiratory issues, and cardiovascular. The chart on the far side here lists those drugs individually. We are not making this up. This is fact. We can do this better. We can work together. The Congressional Budget Office said, when we created Medicare part D--which I was here for and supported--that having the government in charge of pricing would have a negligible effect in terms of the savings. I think they believe that today. But if you want to restrict access to drugs, if you want to deny new cures to patients, if you want to go on a system where you die because the medicine is not available in your country, then vote for H.R. 3. If you don't, if you want to have lower drug prices, stop the gaming by the pharmaceutical companies and have more cures, then support our alternative. Madam Chair, 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, I, too, rise in support of H.R. 5035, the Television Viewer Protection Act, and I commend my colleagues on the other side of the aisle for the bipartisan work we have done on this measure. Mr. Speaker, 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, I rise today in support of S. 151, the Pallone-Thune TRACED Act. As you heard, it is a great step forward this Congress will take to help curb illegal robocalls. I want to thank Chairman Pallone, Chairman Doyle, and my colleague, Mr. Latta, for their great bipartisan work on this; and, of course, our colleagues in the Senate again. Last year RAY BAUM'S Act passed unanimously out of this Chamber with bipartisan support, and that included provisions that targeted fraudulent robocalls and spoofing from overseas. Those provisions are in law and are being used today. Today the TRACED Act builds on that bipartisan success by better enabling consumers, carriers, law enforcement, and the Federal Communications Commission to target these scammers. While this Chamber has not made a lot of progress this year on legislating, I am pleased to see bipartisan legislation before us today that addresses a challenge that affects nearly every American, and that is illegal robocalls. Last month alone, Mr. Speaker, in my district in the area code of 541 we got 14.1 million robocalls, just last month; and that is just in one part of Oregon. We know last year it was something in the order of over 50 billion illegal robocalls that came into America. I got one today already, and I imagine speaking here I will get five more. I will get targeted or something. It is time to put consumers back in charge of their phones, and that is exactly what this legislation does. It allows carriers and consumers to use new, innovative call-blocking and call-authentication tools. We can strike the right balance between allowing important calls to get through while making sure illegal robocalls are blocked, all at no additional cost to the consumer. This means when you receive a call from an unfamiliar number with a familiar area code, you should be confident that there is a legitimate reason for that call. That means your pharmacist can still automatically call you to say prescriptions are ready for pickup if you signed up for those notifications. That means vulnerable populations can be better protected from scams trying to steal their hard-earned savings. We have all read those stories. When these illegal robocallers get caught, we need to ensure they are prosecuted. This legislation takes steps to improve our traceback efforts and provides the Department of Justice additional tools they need to go after bad actors. We all get these calls. I got one about a year or so ago, Mr. Speaker, and it was out of Greece. I don't know anybody in Greece. It was a 02 something or other area code. I let it go to voicemail, and by golly, they left a message. A day later, I listened to it. It was the Vice President of the United States aboard Air Force Two trying to reach me. Sometimes you should answer those calls. With this legislation, hopefully, we will know with certainty you can answer a call like that, and it will be somebody that is trying to reach you for real. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta), the top Republican on the Communications and Technology Subcommittee and a real leader in this effort.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie), the top Republican on the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Olson).

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Johnson), who brings an incredible amount of background and technology to the committee.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Flores), another great Texan who needs to speak on this matter.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg).

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from the great State of Washington (Mrs. Rodgers), the top Republican on the Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter), the only pharmacist in the United States House of Representatives.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Montana (Mr. Gianforte).

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Kustoff).

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen).

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kinzinger).

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Again, I want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for working together to get this done. Our constituents deserve this. We deserve this. Over 50 billion illegal robocalls--we are not talking about the kinds you sign up for to give you notices when your prescriptions are ready for something else; we are talking about illegal scammers, often state- backed enterprises overseas, coming into our wallets, coming into our bank accounts, coming into our homes, coming into our offices, and coming into our cell phones. Now, let's be clear: While this legislation will make a difference, the scammers are going to try and do an end around whatever technology the carriers use to try and block these calls, authenticate these calls, stop these calls; so we have, in this legislation, additional requirements for reporting back to Congress on other steps that need to be taken, especially when it comes to our healthcare system and our hospitals. That will be something the committee needs to continue to look at. But I think building a better bridge between the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission so they can go after the bad actors and really nail them is a good thing in this bill, and extending out to 4 years the statute of limitations is a good thing so bad actors don't get to run the clock and get away with their crimes. This is good legislation; it will make a difference; and we will continue to fight this fight. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I, too, want to thank our terrific staff, some of whom, by the way, have worked on this long enough they have gone on to other pursuits, including Robin Colwell and Tim Kurth, who is still with us but in a different role than when he started on this, Kristine Hackman, Kate O'Connor, Evan Viau, Rachel Rathore. And on the majority side, Alex and Jerry and AJ and Dan and Parul and Phil, a thank-you for their great work on this, as well. We really appreciate it. Mr. Speaker, I encourage our colleagues to vote for this bill. Let's get it to President Trump's desk. He will sign it, and we are going to help our consumers. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the life of Fire Operations Chief Mark Burns of Medford Fire & Rescue. Mark James Burns was born on June 18, 1953 in Medford, Oregon, located in the Rogue Valley where he resided and worked the rest of his life. Mark's desire to help others surfaced at an age when he became a volunteer firefighter as a 16-year-old. In 1971, just months after graduation from Crater High School in Central Point, Mark accepted a full-time firefighter position with Jackson County Fire District 3 and worked there for the next 10 years. His hard work, determination, wisdom, sense of humor, and his ability to inspire others garnered him the respect of his peers and supervisors--who quickly promoted him to Fire Engineer and then to Fire Captain. Throughout his fire & rescue career, Mark consistently focused on his professional development so he could be the best leader for his fellow firefighters and his community. He worked vigorously to advance his working skills and knowledge: completing the four-year Executive Fire Officer Program at the National Fire Academy in Maryland, earning his Fire Science Technology degree at Rogue Community College, his Certificate in Fire Services Administration at Western Oregon University, and several certifications from the Department of Public Standards and Training. In his leadership roles, Mark always led by example and played a significant role in grooming Rogue Valley's next generation of fire & rescue leaders. In fact, he became a mentor to many outside his own department while off-duty, teaching Fire Science in the classroom at Rogue Community College and serving as the campus Fire Science Program Coordinator. In 1982, Mark left Jackson County Fire District 3 to serve as a Shift Battalion Chief for Medford Fire-Rescue, and in 1990 he became their Training Chief. By 1991, Mark was promoted to Operations Chief and, for the next 20 years, was responsible for all fire and rescue emergency response within Medford city limits. During this time, Mark led the Oregon State Fire Marshal Region 8 Hazardous Materials Response Team and the City of Medford Emergency Management Team, and he served on the Oregon Department of Forestry's statewide Incident Management Team. Mark lived a life of selfless service as a firefighter and first responder protecting and saving the lives and property of southern Oregonians. Unfortunately, while battling the Oak Knoll Fire in Ashland on August 24, 2010, Mark experienced intense smoke inhalation and was medically retired in 2011 after 40 years of service. This incident caused Mark to develop an aggravating lung condition that he struggled with for the next five years, ultimately leading to his death. Chief Burns succumbed to his fire-related illness on March 6, 2016 at the age of 62. Over the weekend, on October 6, 2019, Mark was one of the 119 fallen firefighters honored at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service in Emittsburg, MD. Mark is survived by his wife of 45 years, Darcy, his son, Trevis, his daughter, Karlie, and his eight grandchildren, Kristyn, Eryn, Zachary, Kayla, Payshens, Braylon, Brittney and Casey. Mark is also survived by his mother, Sally Burns, his sister, Patty Moser, his brother, John Burns, and his three nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, Jack Burns. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me and Mark's family in honoring the life, service, and sacrifice of Battalion Chief Mark Burns. May his dedication to Oregonians, our community, and his leadership among the fire & rescue community be long remembered and honored.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the World War II veterans, Korean War veterans and Vietnam War veterans from Oregon who are visiting their memorials on the National Mall on Friday, September 20, 2019, through Honor Flight of Oregon. Every time I have the chance to meet one of these heroes, I am reminded of the poignant words of General Dwight D. Eisenhower. In a message to Allied troops just before D-Day, he said, ``The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you.'' He was right then, of course, Madam Speaker. But over seventy years later, liberty-loving people everywhere continue to owe these heroes for their extraordinary service and their incredible stories of sacrifice and bravery on behalf of our country. That's why it is my privilege to include in the Record their names. The veterans on this Honor Flight from Oregon are as follows: Robert Berns, Navy; John Bromstead, Navy; Dale Coonse, Navy; William Dickson, Navy; Dean Ewell, Army; Carl Giles, Army; Roy Gilmore, Navy; Stanley Grout, Navy; Troy Stone, Army; Dean Hastings, Navy; Howard Hoffer, Navy; Floyd McHargue, Marine Corps; Norman Morgan, Navy; Jacob Notenboom, Army; Rex Orcutt, Navy; Jack Peed, Navy; Jesse Ponce, Navy; Francis Rossi, Navy; William Russell, Air Force; William Shrader, Coast Guard; Muriel Sollendar, Marine Corps; Marlyn Sperry, Army; Galen Tarter, Navy; Cliff Peery, Army; and David Ullom, Army. These heroes join over 200,000 veterans who have been honored through the Honor Flight Network of volunteers nationwide since 2005. I would also like to recognize the guardians traveling on this trip who have also served our country: Mark Libante, Army; Richard McReynolds, Army; Paul Grout, Air Force; Kenneth Dale, Navy; Ronald Kohl, Air Force and Army; Daniel Johnson, Navy; Kenneth Young, Navy; Rachael Watters, Army; Terry Haines, Navy; and Peter Pringle, Navy. Madam Speaker, at the height of the Civil War in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln wrote, ``Honor to the Soldier, and Sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country's cause.'' Each of us in this chamber and in this nation should be humbled by the courage of these brave veterans who put themselves in harm's way for our country and way of life. As a nation, we can never fully repay the debt of gratitude owed to them for their honor, commitment, and sacrifice in defense of the freedoms we have today. My colleagues, please join me in thanking these veterans and the volunteers of Honor Flight of Oregon for their exemplary dedication and service to this great country.