Greg Walden

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1058, the Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support Act, or Autism CARES Act. This important bill, led by Representatives Chris Smith and Mike Doyle, reauthorizes the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee along with funding for research, public health surveillance, and workforce development programs that directly impact patients with autism spectrum disorder. Reauthorization of these important initiatives demonstrates our commitment to provide a coordinated federal response to the needs of individuals diagnosed with autism and related neurodevelopmental disabilities. I'd like to thank Representatives Smith and Doyle for their tireless work on this important legislation and I urge my colleagues to vote yes.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2035, the Lifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Act. This legislation, led by Representatives James Langevin and Cathy McMorris Rodgers, reauthorizes critical grants to states to implement coordinated systems of respite services for caregivers, provide planned and emergency respite services, recruit and train workers and volunteers, and provide information to family caregivers to help them access these critical services. Many of us have had a loved one with a caregiver--this bill provides those caregivers with the support they need and deserve. I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this legislation.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 776, the Emergency Medical Services for Children Program Reauthorization Act, sponsored by Representatives Peter King and Kathy Castor. This legislation reauthorizes grants that focus on addressing the unique needs of children in emergency medical systems, with the ultimate goal of reducing the prevalence of morbidity and mortality in children that may occur as a result of acute illness and severe injury. This is really critical legislation for parents and children in our communities--no one should have to know the pain of losing a child. I urge my fellow House members to support this bill.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues for their work on the Stopping Bad Robocalls Act. To Chairman Pallone, to Chairman Doyle, to Congressman Latta, and everybody that has been involved in this, I think we have come to a really good agreement here, and it will help stop the illegal robocalls; hopefully, all 47.8 billion. Let that number sink in. Last year, in America, 47.8 billion calls were made to all of us, and they were mostly all illegal, and we are going to do our best to stop them. You will be hard-pressed to find a technology that is more personal than your phone; whether it is the phone you carry in your pocket or, for some, a landline at home, and how we communicate on these devices is essential in the way that we connect to one another. Yet that personal connection is being violated by bad actors that have compromised our country's communications networks and who hide their tracks with their own hardware and software. These criminal parties have done significant harm to Americans, both personally and professionally. Those that engage in such illicit behavior should be treated and prosecuted for what they are, criminals. From the outset of our legislative effort to address this problem, I stated we must make a clear distinction between parties that have ill purpose, as opposed to those who do not. After all, we don't want to shut off legitimate uses of these new technologies, such as protecting the anonymity of a women's shelter assisting at-risk individuals or alerting you to a fraudulent use of your credit card or providing you the simple convenience of interacting with your ride-share service. Those are legitimate purposes. Our clearest and quickest path for passing legislation, along with our friends in the Senate and, ultimately, to become law, is to go after those that have malicious intent; and to go beyond that could undermine services Americans depend on every day. So I think we have found the right balance here. By taking all this into account, we can achieve the same kind of bipartisan, bicameral success as exemplified by the RAY BAUM'S Act last Congress, which, notably, provided us with the launching pad for where we are today. Now, that law provided the FCC with more authority to go after bad actors who utilize calls and texts. Our work from then was echoed by a broad bipartisan group of attorneys general from across the United States calling for the FCC to move on updating its own rules. Now, we know communications and technologies are constantly evolving, and, unfortunately, the bad actors' tricks have evolved beyond our Do Not Call Registry, and I am sure they will continue figuring out a way to get around this effort. However, the more friction we can create against illicit behavior, the more focused public-private partnerships we can create among industry, consumer groups, and government that will help us root out this problem, prosecute these criminals to the fullest extent of the law, and make great strides in regaining Americans' confidence in their communication devices. Now, in the 35 townhalls I have held in my district this year and phone calls I get to my office, people ask one question. I bet they ask it of you, Madam Speaker. What are you going to do to stop these robocalls? I will tell you what. This is a number you can answer, 3375. That is the number of the bill. Pick it up; answer it; vote ``yes''; and we will put an end to these robocalls--at least for now.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize and commend Mr. Sherm Olsrud for his extensive community service and philanthropy efforts in Rogue Valley and the rest of the southern Oregon region over the last 40 years. Sherm passed away in May at the age of 95, survived by his wife, Wanda, and their children. Today, I'd like to pay tribute to Sherm's service to our nation and his commitment and generosity to Oregonians in need. Sherm's sense of duty and service began early in life when he left North Dakota to serve as a United States Marine in the South Pacific during World War II. Following the war, Sherm settled in Eugene, Oregon and met his wife-to-be, Wanda, while working in his Uncle's restaurant. They immediately fell in love and were happily married in February 1947. Over the next decade, the couple's love and ambition would bring them great success. Sherm used his GI Bill benefits to train as a meat cutting apprentice and in 1958 he and Wanda would buy Wilson's Sausage Kitchen establishing their first family business in Eugene. After several years of building their small business they opened Eugene's first all-day market in a new 10,000 square foot grocery store named Sherm's 24 Hour Market. With the resourcefulness, adaptability, and integrity of a United States Marine he kept Sherm's running successfully for nearly ten more years before selling the business in order to expand his business throughout the southern Oregon. Sherm and Wanda built a family store chain purchasing the old Thunderbird Market in Medford in 1967, the Mayfair Market in Klamath Falls in 1974, the Bazaar department store in Medford in 1977, the Food 4 Less franchise in 1985, and Food World in Roseburg in 2000. They often worked more than 12 hours every day of the week to maintain their vision while employing more than 600 people. Sherm would also say ``the customer is still the boss, always has been and always will be because the customer has a lot of options.'' Although his business accomplishments demonstrate a record of success, none of it would have been possible without the distinguished character and value system of the man himself. Sherm believed in sharing the fruits of his success with those less fortunate in the community by supporting programs to help them get back on their feet. For instance, every year Sherm and Wanda donated nearly 50,000 pounds of food and toiletry items to the Jackson County ACCESS community assistance program. Sherm has also supported fun educational programs for local children and young adults. Sherm and Wanda generously donated to local programs like Future Farmers of America, 4H Club, and Kids Unlimited, as well maintaining Bear Creek Park, building a $20,000 fence for McLoughlin Middle School, and covering ticket costs for all children twelve and under for the Jackson County Fair. Even upon receiving a share of a winning Powerball ticket he sold, he quickly donated the funds to two local elementary schools. Well known as a sports enthusiast, Sherm was able to bring the Portland Trail Blazers to Kids Unlimited to play ball with the children. Additionally, Sherm always believed that pursuing higher education is foundational for the well-being and success of communities. Sherm would say, ``As time goes by, our society demands educated people. Our country needs educated people.'' Therefore, he and Wanda established a series of scholarship funds to promote education and help students in financial need. These include The Sherm and Wanda Olsrud Scholarship Fund and The Olsrud 4H and FFA Scholarship Fund that offer renewable $5,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors, as well as the Sherm & Wanda Olsrud Endowed Scholarship that offers up to $5,000 to students attending Southern Oregon University. Over his long life, Sherm has demonstrated integrity, duty, and true generosity in every community in which he lived. Sherm's business acumen and benevolence are well known across most of the southern Oregon region including Douglas, Lane, Josephine, Jackson, and Klamath counties for the past 40 years and his legacy will continue for many years into the future. In fact, the Olsrud family has opened Sherm's memorial service to the broader public due to widespread interest in celebrating Sherm's accomplishments and philanthropy. I ask my colleagues to join me today in thanking Sherm for his many years of service and generosity throughout southern Oregon, and I give my condolences to Wanda, and the Olsrud family.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I, too, rise today in strong support of this bipartisan bill that extends several key Medicaid programs, H.R. 3253, the Empowering Beneficiaries, Ensuring Access, and Strengthening Accountability Act of 2019. Mr. Speaker, this is a bill that strengthens the healthcare safety net for our communities and provides long-term certainty for patients. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Chairman Frank Pallone of the Energy and Commerce Committee, for his partnership and willingness to work in good faith on both sides of the aisle to get this done. We passed a short-term extension of these programs back in March, Mr. Speaker, to ensure that patients were still protected as we ironed out the details. Today, we are delivering the long-term deal that I know we all wanted all along. A big priority of mine in this package is the 2-year extension of the Excellence in Mental Health demonstration program at CMS. Eight States, including my home State of Oregon, are currently participating in this pilot program, which is designed to increase access to mental health and substance use treatment services. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the Oregon AFSCME Council 75. Oregon AFSCME Council 75, June 18, 2019. Members of the Oregon Delegation, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Representatives: On behalf of the more than 25,000 Oregon AFSCME Council 75 members, we ask you to approve the Empowering Beneficiaries, Ensuring Access, and Strengthening Accountability Act of 2019 (H.R. 3253) when the House of Representatives considers the bill this week. We strongly support H.R. 3253 because it extends the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC) program through December 2021. On June 30, the CCBHCs in our state, along with those in Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania, face extreme financial threat. We appreciate that Representative Walden, in his capacity as Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, worked in bipartisan effort to avert the March 30 fiscal cliff in Oregon and Oklahoma and is an original co- sponsor for H.R. 3253. At Cascadia Behavioral Health in Portland Oregon, AFSCME Council 75 members who are therapists, care coordinators, crisis counselors, residential counselors, support staff and other workers, deliver whole health care--integrated mental health and addiction services, primary care and housing-- through the CCBHC program. These health care workers never stop working to help those who want to get healthy and recover. It is not just a job; it is a calling. That core commitment to helping people heal is why Alexandra Birch, a Qualified Mental Health Associate, cares deeply about the CCBHC program. It has helped innovate and improve the delivery of care. She was hired in 2017 as a Care Coordinator at Cascadia because of an investment Congress provided to the CCBHC program. In that role she is the glue that connects primary care with behavioral health care and makes sure care is focused on the whole patient. In her work, Ms. Birch treats clients with anxiety and very high blood pressure but who do not have an established doctor; she is able to connect them to a doctor. She cares for clients on certain anti-depressants that experienced weight gain as a result, which put them at higher risk of developing diabetes. Because of the investment Congress provided in establishing CCBHCs, Ms. Birch can direct those clients to inhouse primary care to monitor and prevent diabetes. For practitioners like Ms. Birch, Cascadia's capacity to bring primary care into the outpatient behavioral health care clinics is a game-changer. It enhances their delivery of services and outcomes for their clients. From the frontline perspective, the integration of behavioral health and primary care in a CCBHC removes logistical and other obstacles to consultation between providers. These consultations translate into improved identification of the best route of care for a client with complex physical and mental conditions with the result of getting a client on the road to wellness much quicker. Cascadia's capacity to sustain and expand this level of high-quality coordinated care to a vulnerable population depends on the dedication and skills of workers like Ms. Birch and congressional action to continue investing in the CCBHC fiscal model that covers 100 percent of costs. With the fiscal investment in CCBHCs, Congress allows Cascadia staff to reach into the community to expand access to behavioral health services for individuals with serious mental illnesses. Cascadia works with Portland's 24-hour mental health crisis emergency room, Unity Center Behavioral Health. Cascadia staff establish crisis patients with Cascadia primary care providers immediately after Unity hospital care. This enables patients to continue medications that ensure mental stability until they have fully connected with Cascadia's mental health providers. We urge you to pass H.R. 3253 and extend the CCBHC program. It would be tragic to lose this funding that has sustained and expanded vital behavioral and medical services to our community. Sincerely, Stacy Chamberlin, Executive Director.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, this is really important legislation. Last year, my legislation, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, our opioids legislation, the most comprehensive bill to address a single drug crisis in our Nation's history, was signed into law. Our committee has made major strides in addressing the substance use disorder crisis that is plaguing our communities. The Excellence in Mental Health demonstration continues that good work by increasing Medicaid reimbursement for community-based mental health and addiction treatment services. This 2-year extension for the participating States will give us time for a full evaluation to determine the effectiveness of the program and whether it should be expanded. Also included in this bill is an extension for the Money Follows the Person program through fiscal year 2024. This provides resources to State Medicaid programs to help individuals with chronic conditions and disabilities transition back into their communities. We also secured an extension of what is known as the spousal impoverishment provisions in Medicaid. To be clear, this bill actually helps keep spouses of elderly patients from impoverishment and out of costly nursing home settings. For spouses of patients receiving home or community-based care, the bill will protect them from impractical reductions in their income or resources and ensures that they can live out their lives with independence and dignity. Finally, we clarified the authority of State Medicaid fraud and abuse control units that investigate and prosecute abuse and neglect of Medicaid beneficiaries. This is simply good government. It is good government oversight, and it protects patients who are some of America's most vulnerable. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friends on the Energy and Commerce Committee for their work on the bill: Dr. Burgess, Mr. Guthrie, Mr. Upton, Mr. Walberg, and their counterparts on the Democratic side, Ms. Eshoo, Mrs. Dingell, Ms. Matsui, Mr. Welch, and, of course, Chairman Pallone.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize one Vietnam veteran, nine World War II veterans and thirteen Korean War veterans from Oregon who are visiting their memorials on the National Mall on Friday, June 14, 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 today. The veterans on this Honor Flight from Oregon are as follows: David Bagley, Marine Corps; Willis Bennett, Navy; Mount Blevins, Army; William Cadman, Marine Corps; William Collins, Navy; Marjorie Cook, Army; Lorin Culver, Army; Frederic DeGanna, Air Force; Walter Dye, Navy; Charles Elson, Army; Morris Fruitman, Navy; Ronald Gutekunst, Air Force; Harry Krogman, Air Force; Jack Lakey, Navy; Vernon Lesher, Navy; Harold Mehrten, Air Force and Navy; Charles Nagy Jr., Navy; Henry Nussbaum, Navy; Walter Ridge, Navy; Bobby Ruth, Army; Jack Thompson, Army; Gerald Wellington, Air Force and Navy; and William Wilson, Army.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Madam Speaker, I thank both my friend from California and my friend from Indiana, who really did amazing work on this legislation--not once, but twice, and probably a few times in between-- to get it to this point. I am delighted to stand on this House floor once again and support PAHPA, the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act. This is really important. I think my colleagues have spoken of the specific reasons that we can talk about here on the House floor. In the classified settings that we have had, we all know how serious this threat is and how important it is for us to work together to address it, and we have done that in the last Congress and now in this Congress. So, I want to thank my friend Mr. Pallone, who chairs the committee now, for continuing this effort to advance this bill forward, and especially thank Representatives Brooks and Eshoo for their tireless work to really get this across the finish line. PAHPA does enable critical partnerships between the Federal Government and State and local authorities and the private sector. This will help ensure that our country is responsibly prepared for and able to respond to public health emergencies. It is not a matter of if, as everyone said already, but when the next pandemic or emergency will strike. From pandemic flu to cybersecurity incidents, our government agencies at all levels must have the tools to respond to these threats, and we must make sure they have them. In my own State of Oregon, we face a constant threat from wildfires, floods, air quality issues, and other things. But we also have begun to prepare for what we are told will be a devastating earthquake at some point, known as Cascadia, which could take thousands of lives in Oregon and leave behind tens of billions of dollars worth of damage and disable our major airport, take down bridges. Basically, everybody on the west side of the State would have to come over to the east side. This is predicted. Earthquakes have happened before; recorded history shows it; and we are overdue. So this is the kind of legislation that would help. It would make sure that they can put a pallet load of the right drugs and medicines on a plane and get it right there, and they will have a system all ready to distribute that. That is just one of many things that this legislation accomplishes. Sending this to the President's desk is long overdue. I am glad we are going to have this vote today. Our government officials need these tools at their disposal, and I thank my colleagues for the terrific work they have done to get us to this point.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize and congratulate Jenny Forrest, who will be attending Columbia University in New York beginning this August to earn her Master of Business Administration. Jenny has been an invaluable member of Team Walden for more than three years. Starting as an intern in my Washington, D.C. office, Jenny rose to staff assistant, for a moment, before rapidly rising to the role of scheduler, all without skipping a beat, even as she learned that she would soon be scheduling for a committee chairman. Anyone who is familiar with the inner workings of Capitol Hill-- whether you're a member of Congress, a staffer, reporter, or advocate-- knows that the title ``scheduler'' simply does not capture the sheer importance and scope of the role. Schedulers are the gatekeepers of time, a precious and finite resource on the Hill for any Congressional office, but especially for Team Walden and especially for the Energy and Commerce Committee. Schedulers are constantly asked to ``hold,'' ``make,'' and ``find'' time for people with competing interests and either ignorance or disregard for the fragile house of cards that is a congressional calendar. One would expect and understand schedulers to be short-tempered, overwhelmed, and perhaps even difficult to work with; but anyone who had the pleasure of interacting with Jenny knows nothing could be further from the truth. If you walked into 2185 Rayburn House Office Building for the last couple of years, you were always treated warmly with a smile from Jenny. She was the face of the office at the front desk, and thankfully so. If you ever reached out to Jenny to request time for a meeting, an interview, or a speech, you were always treated with fairness, honesty, and a kind directness. If there was no time to be made, held, or found, there would be no mistake about it if you were talking to Jenny. And if you were an Oregonian visiting for business or pleasure-- especially from Oregon's Second District--Jenny went out of her way to make sure you felt at home on the Hill and was ready, at the drop of a hat, to be your tour guide, restaurant recommender, or trip advisor in the nation's capital. Jenny respected and understood well that she, along with our entire team, works first and foremost for the people of the Second District. Most importantly, Jenny was a team player. Anyone on Team Walden will tell you that if you needed a hand with anything--a meeting memo, Congressional Record, or folded American flag--Jenny was there to jump in, even if it had nothing to do with the schedule. She patiently coordinated our intern program, facilitated thousand-person town hall meetings, and wrote excellent letters of support for grants that brought needed resources to Oregon's communities. Jenny will be missed but will always be a part of Team Walden. My colleagues, please join me in thanking Jenny Forrest for her service to this House and to the people of Oregon's Second Congressional District. We wish her the best at Columbia University, and know that her future will be a bright one.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Madam Speaker, I rise to commend Colonel Jeffrey S. Smith, United States Air Force, for his outstanding devotion and selfless service to the United States of America. Colonel Smith will retire on June 01, 2019, from his present assignment as the Commander of the 173rd Fighter Wing at Kingsley Field in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Colonel Smith entered the United States Air Force Academy in 1991 and became a proud graduate in 1995. His first mission took him halfway around the world to Kadena Air Base in Japan, and then Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska. During his time in Japan and Alaska, Colonel Smith engaged in Operations Southern and Northern Watch in Iraq and kept the skies safe in the aftermath of regional conflicts. In 2002, after Colonel Smith attended United States Air Force Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, he was deployed to Incirlik Air Base in Turkey to help the United States prepare for a pivotal mission to root out terror from this world: Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2003, he executed the mission to equip the next generation of fighter pilots with the skills and knowledge needed to defend our great nation in the skies. This mission brought Colonel Smith back to Nellis Air Force Base, where he served as an F-15 instructor at the United States Air Force Weapons School, as the 57th Wing Weapons Officer. In 2005, he made his way to what would become his home, Klamath Falls, Oregon, where he joined the 114th Fighter Squadron at Kingsley Field as an F-15 Flight Instructor. Colonel Smith wore many hats at Kingsley. He served as Chief of Academics, Chief of Syllabus Development, Chief of Scheduling, Functional Check Flight Pilot, Assistant Director of Operations, Chief of F-15 Student Training, Director of Operations, 173rd Maintenance Squadron Commander, 173rd Deputy Maintenance Group Commander, and 173rd Maintenance Group Commander. This proven sustained superior performance, seasoned operational knowledge, and superb leadership made him the best choice to serve as the Commander of the 173rd Fighter Wing. For the community in Klamath Falls, and also the dedicated men and women at Kingsley Field, Colonel Smith is the epitome of leadership, professionalism, and a supportive mentor. He led with both valor and rigor. Under his valued leadership, he directed over 1,050 personnel, from widely varying backgrounds, to ensure that airmen at the base strategically excelled as an elite fighting force. As the only place in the country where pilots still train on the F-15, Kingsley Field has become an incubator for second-to-none (unrivaled) fighter pilots. For the people in Klamath Falls, Colonel Smith's influence stretches far beyond the expansive skies over Kingsley Field, ensuring the larger community benefits from Kingsley Field's presence. Whether partnering with the local university, providing job opportunities, or staying engaged with the community, he always brought a ``Klamath-first'' mindset to his work. He led the effort to extend the Department of Defense's lease in Klamath Falls through the rest of this century. As one of the largest employers in the region, Kingsley Field remains a strong economic driver. We partnered and hosted both Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson and the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Mac Thornberry, the first time either an Air Force Secretary or Armed Services Committee Chairman has ever visited Kingsley Field. Colonel Smith has positioned Kingsley Field and Klamath Falls for a bright future. For a man of his caliber, who demonstrated superb leadership, dedication, and sacrifice throughout his service to our great nation, it seems no amount of recognition is sufficient to say thank you. Madam Speaker, it has been an honor to know and work alongside him for many years. On behalf of a grateful nation, I join my colleagues today and congratulate Colonel Smith for a lifetime of service to his country. We wish him, his wife, Lindsay, and their two children: Luke, 11, Alex 9, only the best wishes as he retires from the United States Air Force.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Madam Speaker, before I begin, I would like to recognize the life of an American hero who I was honored to call my friend, Bob Maxwell of Bend, Oregon, who passed away this weekend at 98 years old. Bob Maxwell represented the best of what Oregon and America have to offer. Bob was the oldest living Medal of Honor recipient, and his gallantry was well known. In the early morning hours of September 7, 1944 in France, Bob Maxwell threw his unprotected body on a German hand grenade to protect his comrades in WWII. This unhesitating selflessness earned Bob Maxwell the highest military honor, his second Silver Star, a second Purple Heart, and a Bronze Star. For those who had the pleasure of knowing Bob, they know that his bravery and heroism were only matched by his kindness, warmth, sense of humor, and humility. Bob once said of his Medal of Honor that, ``I'm not wearing the medal for any personal deeds. I'm wearing it because it represents all the casualties we had in the war. It represents those that were killed defending their country and the ideals that they believed in.'' Like his fellow soldiers, Bob's service will forever be cherished in the country that he sacrificed so much to protect. Bob's legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of everyone he interacted with, especially the community in central Oregon where Bob Maxwell was a pillar. To the entire Maxwell family: Mylene and I send our heartfelt condolences and prayers during this difficult time. My colleagues, please join me in thanking Bob Maxwell for his service to the United States on our behalf and on behalf of all Americans.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Madam Speaker, an unavoidable travel delay caused me to miss votes on Monday, May 20th. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 218; and YEA on Roll Call No. 219.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, The Washington Post said it best. Allow me to quote this headline from yesterday: ``Democrats Are Putting a Political Pothole in the Way of Bipartisan Drug Pricing Bills.'' It didn't have to be this way. Americans want us to come together, work together, solve problems. This is a big one. I hear about it every time I am home, and I have done more townhalls than anybody in this House--20 of them so far this year. Drug pricing is a big issue. We actually agreed. We worked it out. We passed these bills out of committee, unanimously. And then somewhere along the path to the House floor, they jammed our bipartisan efforts to lower drug costs with clearly partisan bills. The chairman didn't mention those bills came out of committee on a partisan vote. To bail out ObamaCare, Democrats are once again putting politics and partisanship over what could have been bipartisan public policy. Republicans and Democrats have been working together on bipartisan legislation to bring generic drugs to market faster by incentivizing more competition and ensuring patients get the earliest possible access to more affordable prescription drugs. We agree on that, just as we did in the last Congress when I was chairman. We led the effort to revamp every part of the FDA and how they can get drugs to market sooner. As a result of our work there and in our bipartisan work before that on 21st Century Cures, we really ramped up the ability of the FDA to get competition and new drugs into the market. They set a record last year in getting generics to market as a result of our bipartisan work. We could have had that, today, on this floor. The first measure that we do agree upon would ensure branded drug makers do not withhold samples that are needed to get generic drugs approved; the second would ban pay-for-delay agreements; and the third would limit first-approved generic makers' ability to stall another rival's launch. So we put a stop to what I would say are bad behaviors in that process. Together, these bills would help patients actually get access to more affordable prescription drugs, and those bills are bipartisan. Just how bipartisan? Two of the bills passed the Energy and Commerce Committee by voice vote, and the third passed unanimously on a 51-0 vote. Now, Mr. Chair, this is how the American people expect us to get our work done, but, sadly, House Democrats once again could not pass up a chance to play gotcha politics. So what did they do? They packaged these agreed-to bipartisan drug pricing proposals with a bailout of ObamaCare that passed out of committee on a purely partisan vote. Now here is what that bill contains: First, $200 million a year in taxpayer funding for States to establish ObamaCare marketplaces. This funding expired 5 years ago, albeit not before hundreds of millions of Federal taxpayer resources were wasted, including in my own State that finally had to give up on that and go with a national plan. New Jersey has recently expressed an interest in creating a new State exchange, and they say they can do it without new Federal taxpayer money; they can do it without us. If a State decides to create an exchange, then they shall be allowed to do so, but we don't need to create new Federal grants for things that States say they have the capacity to do themselves. Second, $100 million a year--$100 million a year--to fund the navigator program. Now, for plan year 2017, navigators received a total of $62.5 million in grants, and they enrolled 81,426 individuals. That means it cost $767 per person that they enrolled, and that accounted for less than 1 percent of the total enrollees. Now, it is important to understand, by contrast, agents and brokers assisted 42 percent of those in the enrollment year of 2018. Do you know what it cost for them to do it? $2.40. Yet, under this law, you can't use the funds for the navigators to actually pay for those folks, the brokers and agents, to do this work that they do very efficiently. $767 per enrollee versus $2.40. Third, the bill reverses the administration's efforts to allow more State-regulated insurance plan options for consumers who, frankly, are getting priced out of the market and are looking for choices that fit them and their lives. I want to set the record straight on these plans. The plans you heard described earlier were actually legal under ObamaCare and the Obama administration, and they are legal under the Trump administration. They provide choices to people in between jobs or people who can't afford these exploding premiums. You know, the promise that your premium is going to go down 2,500 bucks kind of evaporated as soon as the bill became law, so people are stuck with ever-increasing premiums, enormous deductibles, and saying: Could we please allow our States to put together options for us that still have to go through a State insurance regulator? And they certainly care about their systems. CBO projected premiums for these plans could be as much as 60 percent lower than the cheapest Federal mandated plan, 60 percent, and, even more, States can regulate these plans. In fact, in the chairman's home State of New Jersey, they are simply banned. That is New Jersey's choice. They should have that choice. In my home State of Oregon, they are limited to 90 days. That is what we have chosen. This is kind of federalism at its best. But in their Washington-knows-best mentality, the bills brought before us today strip away this option for longer term plans, and that is wrong and it is unfair. Fourth, the bill spends $100,000,000 a year to market the Federal plans. They couldn't stop there. Instead of educating patients on all the plans' options available to them, their legislation actually places a gag order on the promotion of more affordable choices, specifically association health plans, known as AHPs, and the short-term limited duration insurance plans. You can't even tell consumers about that. Oh, no. We are going to have a gag order from Washington. So there is simply no reason to combine these bills with our bipartisan, I would say unanimously approved, bills to deal with drugs. Energy and Commerce Republicans put forth an alternative bill that includes all of H.R. 987's bipartisan drug provisions I referenced earlier but removes the partisan, the strictly gotcha provisions. Our pragmatic plan replaces these partisan provisions with language extending funding for community health centers, the National Health Service Corps, and other public health extenders for a year. Now, these public health extenders should be a top bipartisan priority for the Congress, as they must be done before the end of the fiscal year, the end of September, and they deserve the attention of Congress. Let me go back to the navigators for a minute. The Wall Street Journal reported: ``One grantee took in $200,000 to enroll a grand total of one person.'' They went on to write: ``The top 10 most expensive navigators collected $2.77 million to sign up 314 people.'' If you take that $2.77 million that they want to give to these navigators--they are the most expensive operators on the planet--to sign people up for insurance and gave that to our community health centers, do you know how many people they could cover with $2.77 million? One estimate is 20,000 patients--20,000 patients. So Republicans are saying let's take that money and actually get it out to help patients through our community health centers rather than spend it on navigators that can take $200,000 and enroll one person, or $767, on average, versus $2.40 when agents and brokers do this enrollment. We think we have a better way. Our bill, H.R. 2700, is called the Lowering Prescription Drug Costs and Extending Community Health Centers and Other Public Health Priorities Act. It is pretty straightforward. It is an honest title. We should take this bill up now, Mr. Chairman, because the majority, unfortunately, has decided to put politics before us today with our bipartisan efforts to lower drug costs. The bill before us right now is going nowhere in the Senate. They have said that. The White House has weighed in, so they don't like it either. We should take up the alternative to move our bipartisan work forward and take care of our responsibilities to ensure our community health centers and other public health priorities are funded. That has always been a bipartisan effort. Finally, just to further the point on the blatant and unnecessary partisanship on display here today, House Democrats made 26 amendments in order on this bill--26. One of those amendments, just one, was authored by a Republican. Now, they control everything around here, and they said in the opening days they are going to open up this process. Ninety-two percent of the amendments allowed to be brought to the floor so far this year have been from Democrats. When we were in charge, 45 percent--45 percent--were the minority's amendments that came to the floor. So, so much for openness. Just one was authored by a Republican. So it is unfortunate we find ourselves here today. It didn't have to be this way. These are measures, especially on the drug side, we are already all in agreement on. If they were separated out, you would have passage. It would go right to the President from the Senate. I think they would take them up and pass them to become law. So, when the majority is ready to make law, let us know. In the meantime, we have a better way to take care of our community health centers, our patients, and those seeking more choices and more affordable rates for an insurance product than what the Federal Government is mandating. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie), a very accomplished member of our committee.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess), our top Republican on the Health Subcommittee, a former chairman of the subcommittee, and a distinguished member of the Rules Committee.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chair, before I recognize our pharmacist, Mr. Carter from Georgia, I just want to say I have been on the floor a lot in the last few weeks on this issue, and we keep getting the same refrain about Republicans voting 60 times to repeal ObamaCare. What is never said is that 30 of those bills, my friends on the other side of the aisle voted for, and President Obama signed them into law-- I'm sorry. Twenty-one of those bills were signed into law by President Obama. So it is 21 of the 30 were signed into law by President Obama. So my point being is, ObamaCare had problems. We came together and tried to address those problems with this legislation, repealing the unsustainable CLASS Act, the co-ops, the Cadillac and medical device taxes we voted to delay, the Independent Payment Advisory Board, and on and on. My friends on the other side of the aisle voted with us and we with them to fix those sorts of things. So don't come down here and tell me it is only Republicans who voted to do things on ObamaCare. We also support these drug bills. There is no question about that, because we want to get lower-cost drugs and stop bad behaviors that prevent generics from coming to market sooner. Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter), a pharmacist.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield the gentleman from Texas an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I might consume. Mr. Chairman, I note that the gentlewoman's amendment--and it is a serious amendment, we appreciate it being offered. But in her State of Virginia, the State of Virginia said it is okay to offer these plans up to 364 days duration, short-term, limited-duration insurance policies. These fill a gap that are regulated by her State. These kinds of plans, Mr. Chairman, were first approved by the Obama administration, because they must have recognized that there would be a need for a short-term plan to fill a gap here and there, and obviously a lot of Americans have taken advantage of those plans. Now, because of that, the Trump administration said, well, maybe if they are good for 3 months, we should let States decide up to a year, and then they could go up to a couple of years, I guess. Four states have already said no way, no how; three have said 8 months, that is as long as you can go; 12 have said that you can go to 6 months; and 27 States, including the State of Virginia, the Commonwealth of Virginia, has said 364 days. Now, look, the important thing here, and I think we would have to agree on this if this were the amendment, there should be full and complete disclosure of what these plans cover or do not cover, full and complete, completely transparent, because the last thing any of us wants is someone with a preexisting condition or some other issue or complex medical situation, like the gentlewoman described, from getting a plan that basically they are told covers those things when it doesn't. Now, it is interesting, I know Dr. Burgess is not only a distinguished member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, but one of the rare individuals in our body that also serves on the Rules Committee. If memory serves me right, Dr. Burgess, I believe one of our colleagues, the chair of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, had an amendment in the Rules Committee that would require full disclosure and transparency, right?

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Chair, back to the issue of the gentlewoman's amendment, the chair of the Subcommittee on Health, her amendment, the short summary here says: Require short-term, limited-duration insurance plans to prominently carry a disclosure the plan provides coverage for limited medical conditions and benefits. That amendment was not made in order. It should have been made in order, because then we could get to the other question here, which I think we all agree on, is that there needs to be complete transparency of these things, because they don't cover everything. We all buy lots of insurance products for cars, houses, life insurance, disability, and all these things, and I want it to be easy to understand, full disclosure. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Chairman, I know it has been a long day here on the floor, and we are covering a lot of ground. We have got a few more amendments to go. Again, I think as we go through these amendments, and the gentlewoman is spot on, we have got to make sure people are trying to help people get access to insurance; can speak the language, can assist in each one of our districts. But it is kind of an indictment to the existing program, if you think about it, that you have got to come here and legislate this. To me, whether it is about mental health, or substance abuse, or this, or the one before, this should be commonsense management of a program, and it tells me we have got a problem with the underlying navigator program. We know that it is very, very expensive. We know that they enroll less than 1 percent, less than 1 percent. Everything we are arguing about this afternoon with all the amendments on the navigator program, both, are shining the light on the shortcomings of the program itself, which I think the administration has pointed to and said, This thing isn't working very well, and it is at the least very expensive; $767 per enrollee, it appears. In the private sector they do it for much, much, much, much less. So it is not that this amendment is bad or misguided. I don't think it is. But I think, once again, it is like a bright light on the underlying program that must be fraught with all kinds of problems, because we have got 16--no, wait. We have got 25 amendments from my friends on the other side of the aisle, most of which are to tell the navigator how to do a better job and to put in Federal statute how to, basically have common sense. I have never thought, by the way, you could legislate common sense. I don't know what my colleagues think of that. I never thought you could. But I do know we need to fund community health centers, and the National Health Service Corps, and special diabetes programs, and teaching hospitals. And we have got this issue of the--this will be one that will be interesting. If you don't want to change ObamaCare, are you going to let the Cadillac tax hit insurance plans of union workers and people working in business? Or are you going to put off the big cuts that are coming right at our hospitals? I had my hospitals in the other day, and they are saying, Boy, I sure hope you are going to turn off those DSH cuts that are headed our way. We did that last Congress. I helped lead the effort on that. But that is actually called for in the underlying ObamaCare which, by the way, a disproportionate share of hospitals are those in our rural areas, in many cases, have a high portion of Medicaid, and they were supposed to, as part of the grand bargain with the Obama administration and Democrats, take these cuts. And now they are coming back to us saying, We can't afford to take these cuts. So I don't know if you will describe that as sabotaging ObamaCare, but I will bet you are going to join us in trying to hold off those DSH cuts that are coming at our community hospitals. So it just strikes me, again, that this navigator program must be a mini-disaster in the making if everybody has to come to the floor with an amendment to tell them how to do their job, and to reach out and serve the people this whole thing was intended to serve. So it is not that I am opposed to the amendment. I just think the underlying program is pretty darn expensive. But you have heard me say that before today, Mr. Chairman, a time or two. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Chairman, I seek time in opposition to the gentlewoman's amendment.