[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 126 (Tuesday, October 1, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H6789-H6793]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              MOSQUITO ABATEMENT FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH ACT

  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4793) to authorize grants through the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention for mosquito control programs to prevent 
mosquito-borne diseases, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 4793

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Mosquito Abatement for 
     Safety and Health Act''.

     SEC. 2. GRANTS REGARDING PREVENTION OF MOSQUITO-BORNE 
                   DISEASES.

       Part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 
     U.S.C. 243 et seq.), as amended by section 4 of Public Law 
     107-84 and section 312 of Public Law 107-188, is amended--
       (1) by transferring section 317R from the current placement 
     of the section and inserting the section after section 317Q; 
     and
       (2) by inserting after section 317R (as so transferred) the 
     following section:

     ``SEC. 317S. MOSQUITO-BORNE DISEASES; ASSESSMENT AND CONTROL 
                   GRANTS TO POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS; COORDINATION 
                   GRANTS TO STATES.

       ``(a) Prevention and Control Grants to Political 
     Subdivisions.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the 
     Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
     may make grants to political subdivisions of States for the 
     operation of mosquito control programs to prevent and control 
     mosquito-borne diseases (referred to in this section as 
     `control programs').
       ``(2) Preference in making grants.--In making grants under 
     paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give preference to 
     political subdivisions that--
       ``(A) have an incidence or prevalence of mosquito-borne 
     disease, or a population of infected mosquitoes, that is 
     substantial relative to other political subdivisions;
       ``(B) demonstrate to the Secretary that the political 
     subdivisions will, if appropriate to the mosquito 
     circumstances involved, effectively coordinate the activities 
     of the control programs with contiguous political 
     subdivisions; and
       ``(C) demonstrate to the Secretary (directly or through 
     State officials) that the State in which the political 
     subdivision is located has identified or will identify 
     geographic areas in the State that have a significant need 
     for control programs and will effectively coordinate such 
     programs in such areas.
       ``(3) Requirement of assessment and plan.--A grant may be 
     made under paragraph (1) only if the political subdivision 
     involved--
       ``(A) has conducted an assessment to determine the 
     immediate needs in such subdivision for a control program, 
     including an entomological survey of potential mosquito 
     breeding areas; and
       ``(B) has, on the basis of such assessment, developed a 
     plan for carrying out such a program.
       ``(4) Requirement of matching funds.--
       ``(A) In general.--With respect to the costs of a control 
     program to be carried out under paragraph (1) by a political 
     subdivision, a grant under such paragraph may be made only if 
     the subdivision agrees to make available (directly or through 
     donations from public or private entities) non-Federal 
     contributions toward such costs in an amount that is not less 
     than \1/3\ of such costs ($1 for each $2 of Federal funds 
     provided in the grant).
       ``(B) Determination of amount contributed.--Non-Federal 
     contributions required in subparagraph (A) may be in cash or 
     in kind, fairly evaluated, including plant, equipment, or 
     services. Amounts provided by the Federal Government, or 
     services assisted or subsidized to any significant extent by 
     the Federal Government, may not be included in determining 
     the amount of such non-Federal contributions.
       ``(C) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive the requirement 
     established in subparagraph (A) if the Secretary determines 
     that extraordinary economic conditions in the political 
     subdivision involved justify the waiver.
       ``(5) Reports to secretary.--A grant may be made under 
     paragraph (1) only if the political subdivision involved 
     agrees that, promptly after the end of the fiscal year for 
     which the grant is made, the subdivision will submit to the 
     Secretary, and to the State within which the subdivision is 
     located, a report that describes the control program and 
     contains an evaluation of whether the program was effective.
       ``(6) Amount of grant; number of grants.--A grant under 
     paragraph (1) for a fiscal year may not exceed $100,000. A 
     political subdivision may not receive more than one grant 
     under such paragraph.
       ``(b) Assessment Grants to Political Subdivisions.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the 
     Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
     may make grants to political subdivisions of States to 
     conduct the assessments and to develop the plans that are 
     required in paragraph (3) of subsection (a) as a condition of 
     receiving a grant under paragraph (1) of such subsection.
       ``(2) Amount of grant; number of grants.--A grant under 
     paragraph (1) for a fiscal year may not exceed $10,000. A 
     political subdivision may not receive more than one grant 
     under such paragraph.
       ``(c) Coordination Grants to States.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the 
     Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
     may make grants to States for the purpose of coordinating 
     control programs in the State.
       ``(2) Preference in making grants.--In making grants under 
     paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give preference to States 
     that have one or more political subdivisions with an 
     incidence or prevalence of mosquito-borne disease, or a 
     population of infected mosquitoes, that is substantial 
     relative to political subdivisions in other States.
       ``(3) Certain requirements.--A grant may be made under 
     paragraph (1) only if--
       ``(A) the State involved has developed, or agrees to 
     develop, a plan for coordinating control programs in the 
     State, and the plan takes into account any assessments or 
     plans described in subsection (a)(3) that have been

[[Page H6790]]

     conducted or developed, respectively, by political 
     subdivisions in the State;
       ``(B) in developing such plan, the State consulted or will 
     consult (as the case may be under subparagraph (A)) with 
     political subdivisions in the State that are carrying out or 
     planning to carry out control programs; and
       ``(C) the State agrees to monitor control programs in the 
     State in order to ensure that the programs are carried out in 
     accordance with such plan, with priority given to 
     coordination of control programs in political subdivisions 
     described in paragraph (2) that are contiguous.
       ``(4) Reports to secretary.--A grant may be made under 
     paragraph (1) only if the State involved agrees that, 
     promptly after the end of the fiscal year for which the grant 
     is made, the State will submit to the Secretary a report 
     that--
       ``(A) describes the activities of the State under the 
     grant; and
       ``(B) contains an evaluation of whether the control 
     programs of political subdivisions in the State were 
     effectively coordinated with each other, which evaluation 
     takes into account any reports that the State received under 
     subsection (a)(5) from such subdivisions.
       ``(5) Amount of grant; number of grants.--A grant under 
     paragraph (1) for a fiscal year may not exceed $10,000. A 
     State may not receive more than one grant under such 
     paragraph.
       ``(d) Applications for Grants.--A grant may be made under 
     subsection (a), (b), or (c) only if an application for the 
     grant is submitted to the Secretary and the application is in 
     such form, is made in such manner, and contains such 
     agreements, assurances, and information as the Secretary 
     determines to be necessary to carry out this section.
       ``(e) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary may provide 
     training and technical assistance with respect to the 
     planning, development, and operation of control programs 
     under subsection (a) and assessments and plans under 
     subsection (b). The Secretary may provide such technical 
     assistance directly or through awards of grants or contracts 
     to public and private entities.
       ``(f) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
       ``(1) The term `control program' has the meaning indicated 
     for such term in subsection (a)(1).
       ``(2) The term `political subdivision' means the local 
     political jurisdiction immediately below the level of State 
     government, including counties, parishes, and boroughs. If 
     State law recognizes an entity of general government that 
     functions in lieu of, and is not within, a county, parish, or 
     borough, the Secretary may recognize an area under the 
     jurisdiction of such other entities of general government as 
     a political subdivision for purposes of this Act.
       ``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of 
     carrying out this section, there are authorized to be 
     appropriated $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2003, and such sums 
     as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2004 through 
     2007. In the case of control programs carried out in response 
     to a mosquito-borne disease that constitutes a public health 
     emergency, the authorization of appropriations under the 
     preceding sentence is in addition to applicable 
     authorizations of appropriations under the Public Health 
     Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 
     2002.''.

     SEC. 3. RESEARCH PROGRAM OF NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF 
                   ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES.

       Subpart 12 of part C of title IV of the Public Health 
     Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285 et seq.) is amended by adding at 
     the end the following section:


          ``methods of controlling certain insect populations

       ``Sec. 463B. The Director of the Institute shall conduct or 
     support research to identify or develop methods of 
     controlling the population of insects that transmit to humans 
     diseases that have significant adverse health 
     consequences.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. John) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin).


                             General Leave

  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Louisiana?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that today the House is considering 
legislation to address the West Nile virus outbreak. The gentleman from 
Louisiana (Mr. John) is the author of this legislation, and I am 
pleased that he joins me on the floor today to help secure House 
passage.
  There is a reason the Chair may have said the gentleman from 
Virginia, because obviously there are lots of folks in Louisiana right 
now moving north with a new storm approaching in the Gulf of Mexico, 
and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. John) was one of those who was 
here working in the Nation's Capital while we watched our citizens and 
our friends in Louisiana being threatened once again.
  Last week when Isidore came through and dumped as much as 24 inches 
of water on my State, it created another impending threat to the 
problems of mosquito growth and the spread of this virus in our home 
State, and we are about to see another hurricane on its way this week.
  Since the Committee on Energy and Commerce reported this legislation 
1 month ago, the number of human cases reported to the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention has increased 160 percent. Over 2,300 
human cases are known, and almost every State in the Nation now, 43 in 
total, are reporting laboratory-positive West Nile virus infections in 
mosquitoes, animals or humans.
  Three years ago, West Nile virus was detected in New York City. It 
was the first time the disease had been reported in this hemisphere, 
let alone in the United States. My home State of Louisiana, as my 
colleagues know, has been particularly hard hit, with 200 of the human 
cases reported from my home State in Louisiana.
  The Bush administration has responded quickly to the West Nile virus 
outbreak, transferring over the past 2 months an additional $17 million 
in emergency funds to assist State's efforts to control the spread of 
the disease, and I want to thank Secretary Tommy Thompson, who took 
money out of his personal budget to send it to States hard hit like our 
own, for responding so rapidly.

                              {time}  1215

  But the rapid outbreak of this disease this summer demands that we 
more effectively control the mosquito population to help reduce the 
risk of West Nile virus in its transmission.
  Today we are considering legislation that complements the work of the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that they are already doing 
in so many mosquito-borne illnesses including, by the way, the 
discovery here recently of malaria.
  The Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health Act provides authority 
for the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to 
political subdivisions to develop comprehensive mosquito control plans 
and programs. And historically, mosquito control programs have been 
operated at the local level, and we do not want to change that. Nothing 
in this bill will change that. It is clear, however, that currently 
many of the local communities are facing hardships. The rapid outbreak 
across this country is fast outpacing the predictions of many 
scientists, and it is very difficult for communities to respond.
  In Louisiana only 18 of our 64 parishes have mosquito control 
programs in operation. The additional Federal dollars will make the 
difference in saving lives not only in Louisiana but across the 
country. And although mosquito control programs are indeed operated 
locally, infected mosquitos do not voluntarily stay confined to one 
area. They move around, as we know, and create havoc. So this act will 
give some assistance from the Federal Government to make sure that 
these local authorities have the tools to work with.
  But I want to commend the Centers for Disease Control; they have done 
a great job. We thank them. This bill will give them a lot more help. 
And the MASH Act will also direct the National Institutes of Health to 
conduct or support research and develop methods to control these insect 
populations and hopefully one day to find preventative vaccines or 
cures for some of these diseases. This legislation is only one way we 
can help Americans to ``fight the bite,'' if you will. And I want to 
thank my colleague, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. John) who saw 
this problem coming before anyone else in this body, who filed this 
legislation months ago before it became such a severe national threat. 
This was great insight, and I think all of us in the Nation are 
indebted to him for the work he has done on this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

[[Page H6791]]

  Mr. JOHN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I thank the gentleman for allowing me a few minutes to talk about 
H.R. 4793, the Mosquito Abatement for Health and Safety Act.
  I want to thank the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin), the 
chairman, and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell), the ranking 
member, for having the vision and having the seriousness and 
understanding the seriousness of this issue and expediting it through 
the Committee on Commerce. I really appreciate working with the staffs, 
both the majority and the minority staffs, working very hard to try to 
address this threat because without their leadership, we could not have 
been here today; and I really appreciate their help.
  I introduced this bill back in May to address an emerging threat of 
mosquito-borne illness. Today it is West Nile. Tomorrow it could be any 
number of different diseases. We could be discussing malaria or any of 
the other diseases today. And since May, since I introduced the bill, 
the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin) said there were over 2,300 
cases. In fact, talking to the CDC today, there are reported cases 
every day. There are now confirmed when I left my office a few minutes 
ago 2,405 cases across the Nation and 117 deaths as of this morning.
  As we can see from this map behind me, 42 States today have 
experienced some cases of human or animal infections. The red States 
are where the human cases have been found, and the blue States where 
they have found infected animals. As we can see from this visual, this 
is a national threat. This is not just about an insect that we like to 
call the State insect in Louisiana, but this is about a national threat 
to public health, especially for our most vulnerable citizens, our 
senior citizens, who are most vulnerable to this disease as depicted in 
research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  The threat today will soon force some of our State health departments 
into a financial crisis trying to deal with the spread of this disease, 
trying to deal with the health expenditures that are being caused not 
just in a certain section of the United States but all over including 
the State of California, which is now experiencing this.
  In Louisiana alone we have experienced 287 cases and 14 deaths. One 
would think that that would top the charts, but it did not. In the 
State of Illinois, 551 cases, 29 deaths. In the State of Michigan, 314 
cases and 16 deaths. So this is truly a national threat. Parishes and 
counties have stretched their budgets in trying to combat and to cover 
the cost of mosquito abatement, and they have just been stretched to 
the limits.
  What H.R. 4793 would do would establish a one-time two-for-one grant 
program through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Local 
governments today have tax bases, and historically that is what they 
have used to fund these programs. But if we can pass 4793, this will 
enable the local governments to fund for the purchasing of equipment, 
for improving laboratories, or more importantly to establish a mosquito 
abatement program.
  In my parish of Acadia Parish, we have tried many times to establish 
it, but it is a very rural parish. It is mosquito prone, it is rice 
fields, it is bayous, lots of mosquitos; and we are trying very hard to 
establish a mosquito program, and this will go a long way to help that 
become a reality because the most effective way to combat this disease 
that is widespread is through education and most importantly abatement.
  Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides funding 
for education, but no Federal agency across the gamut of all of our 
Federal agencies addresses the need of expenses for abatement programs 
whether on the State level or on the parish or county level. I know 
that Tommy Thompson, the Department of Health and Human Services, along 
with the President and the Governor of our great State, have worked 
together to provide some emergency money for some emergency spending. 
We appreciate that, but we need a solid ongoing program to help. 
Unfortunately, not many parishes and/or counties can afford this. So 
that is the real need for this program. Not only is it an epidemic, but 
I also think the Federal Government should play a role in this.
  Again, I want to thank the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin) and 
the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell) for working together with me 
and the other co-sponsors of this bill. When I first filed this bill, 
never did I envision that I would have this many co-sponsors but 
certainly never envisioned that it would be as widespread as it is just 
a few months after introduction of the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Indiana (Mr. Souder), whose hometown, by the way, has suffered 49 cases 
of West Nile virus.
  Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. 
Tauzin), the distinguished chairman, and the other gentleman from 
Louisiana (Mr. John). Our mosquitos may not be as big as Louisiana. I 
know that one time I tried to camp in a bayou outside New Orleans, and 
we quickly moved into the car. It did not fully digest the car, but we 
decided not to camp. But we have our own mosquito problems in the 
Midwest as evident from the Illinois and Michigan cases, and in 
northeast Indiana we have one of the highest rates of West Nile virus 
in the country, 157 probable cases as of 2 days ago, but another batch 
was due in yesterday. Forty-nine of those in my home area in Allen 
County in Fort Wayne, Indiana including three deaths. That is 10 times 
our population base in the country.
  I strongly support this. Our Committee on Government Reform 
subcommittee that I chair has jurisdictions over matters of public 
health, and I join with the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin) and 
the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. John) in supporting this bill, H.R. 
4793, to help equip our communities to have the tools necessary to 
control the mosquito-borne diseases. We need to help rather than hinder 
the ability of States and municipalities to do the proper spraying.
  We have had a major debate in the city of Fort Wayne that has been a 
controversial point about whether to spray, and we waited, bluntly put, 
too long to spray, and part of that was financial, part of it were 
other debates; but we need this type of legislation that requires that 
the political subdivisions do the assessments and then they are 
eligible for the grants.
  On Thursday afternoon of this week, I will be chairing a hearing on 
the West Nile virus where we are going to have the Illinois Health 
Commissioner, Florida Health Commissioner, and the Allen County Health 
Commissioner, as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
and NIH to look at some of these questions about research-funding 
levels, efficacy of mosquito spraying, the viruses communicability 
through blood transfusions and organ transplants and how difficult it 
is and what we have not learned and some of the difficulties that they 
have faced in being able to come up with quicker ways to get feedback 
to individuals for vaccines. One of the most troubling aspects in my 
hometown is that one cannot find out for sure whether one has West 
Nile. A number of people have taken 3 weeks, are down to 10 days, and 
if they have a severe case, the cases where they have identified it, 
they have died shortly thereafter because they cannot find out soon 
enough.
  I wanted to just read a couple of comments from one couple that went 
public about his struggles after he received the West Nile virus and 
how his body started to deteriorate, how initially one of the things 
that is panicking everybody on the news is they say if one starts to 
have a headache, if one gets a neck ache and so on, they may have West 
Nile. So they go in for a test and this particular gentleman went in 
for the test, but then it was just the start. His fever climbed to 103. 
His body shook with chills. He became dizzy, began losing his balance, 
reached the point where he could not walk. After a blood test revealed 
that his white blood cell count was extremely high, indicating an 
infection of some kind, his doctor drew blood for the West Nile test. 
Now he has to wait multiple weeks until they can figure out what is 
happening. And the symptoms vary, ranging from the mild flu to this 
more

[[Page H6792]]

severe case. In his case the tests came back positive. He became 
dehydrated. Furthermore, he got sicker. He lost 15 pounds, dry heaves, 
and then eventually started to get mentally confused and is still 
battling this even though he did not die, which is the good news.
  I thank the gentlemen again for their leadership.
  Mr. JOHN. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Upton) whose State, by the way, now is second only to 
Illinois in the number of reported cases.
  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his leadership and 
also the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) and the gentleman from 
Louisiana (Mr. John) and others, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. 
Dingell), for moving this legislation so quickly.
  Michigan is known as a Great Lakes State. I look at the other Great 
Lakes States. I look at Minnesota, the State of 10,000 lakes. Michigan 
has more than 11,000 inland lakes. But we have had 343 cases of West 
Nile this year, and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. John) remarked 
that there were 16 reported deaths because of West Nile in Michigan. 
Actually, since those statistics, within the last couple of weeks, we 
have actually gone up to 21 deaths. So we are second only to the State 
of Illinois, which took a pounding by the Wolverines this past weekend, 
45 to 28.
  But in all serious, Mr. Speaker, this is a grave problem that not 
only Michigan but Louisiana, all States across the Nation are facing. 
It is important that this legislation pass today, and then the next 
step is to make sure that we have adequate funding so that the CDC 
through the Labor-HHS appropriation bill in fact have right resources 
to make sure that not only can we help eradicate mosquitos wherever 
they may be across this country but we also find a cure for those who 
are impacted.
  I again thank the gentlemen for their leadership on this issue.
  Mr. JOHN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Davis).
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding me this time, and I also want to commend and thank the 
sponsors for the introduction of this legislation.
  As has already been mentioned, Illinois has been seriously hit, 
hardpressed. As a matter of fact, people are afraid to go out in late 
evenings and early mornings for fear, and I think that this legislation 
will go a long way towards providing abatement resources so that people 
can function in safety and security; and so I thank them, commend them, 
and urge swift passage of this bill.
  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Shimkus), who also, again, represents a State with the 
highest incidence of this disease.
  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me this 
time. I am pleased to follow the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis), 
as we have struggled with this West Nile, and we have throughout the 
country.
  As a young child, fogging was pretty common. I remember being at the 
local community pool and the truck would go buy, and we would all dunk 
underneath the water; and as it would go out, then we would get up and 
swim. And then we had a long reprieve from the aspects of really going 
after and attacking the mosquito populations, and we can no longer 
afford to do that, especially with the West Nile virus, and it is being 
carried.

                              {time}  1230

  Yes, Illinois has been hit hard. Illinois has had its fair share of 
deaths; and yes, we at the Federal level need to partner and assist our 
local responders. We need to move through this authorization, and, more 
importantly, work with the appropriators to help bring the resources 
needed to partner with the local communities.
  This is a very important bill. It directly affects our constituents. 
This is the Federal Government responding in a timely manner to be 
involved in this outbreak and this attack on our citizens. I applaud 
the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin) and the gentleman from 
Louisiana (Mr. John) and the chairmen of the subcommittees for moving 
this expeditiously to the floor.
  Mr. JOHN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Bilirakis).
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I support the bill. I am up here mostly 
to express my gratitude and acknowledgment to the gentleman from 
Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. John) for 
their efforts in bringing this important public health legislation to 
the floor.
  It is significant that we keep pounding away on the fact that of the 
239 cases of infection that we know about, three-quarters of those 
infections caused either meningitis or encephalitis, which are severe, 
life-threatening brain infections. So authorizing these centers to 
award grants to work with local authorities is certainly the way to do, 
and it is imperative that we do so. I urge Members to join us all in 
supporting this very important bill.
  Mr. JOHN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank all Members who have cosponsored the bill, and 
all Members who have worked so hard on this issue. I thank all Members 
for helping put this bill together and making this bill a reality.
  Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I would first like to thank my 
distinguished colleagues Representative Chris John and Representative 
Tauzin for introducing H.R. 4793, the ``Mosquito Abatement for Safety 
and Health Act,'' and for working so diligently on behalf of the people 
and States who have been ravaged by the West Nile virus.
  Less than one month ago, on September 5th, the Committee on Energy 
and Commerce unanimously reported this bill out of committee. Since 
then, we have seen the number of confirmed human cases of West Nile 
virus in the United States jump dramatically from 638 to 2,206 today. 
In just these few weeks, we have seen the number of West Nile deaths 
climb from 31 to 108. Since our committee markup, 275 more people in my 
home State of Michigan have contracted this deadly virus and 13 more 
people in Michigan have died.
  H.R. 4793 authorizes the secretary, acting with the Director of the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to make grants 
available, on a matching-funds basis, to political subdivisions of 
States for the operation of mosquito control programs to prevent and 
control mosquito-borne diseases. Among other necessary expenses, these 
grants will help pay for the costs of purchasing or updating equipment 
and laboratory facilities to cope with this fairly recent, evolving, 
and unpredictable epidemic.
  In addition, the ``Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health Act'' 
would require that the Director of the National Institutes of Health 
(NIH) conduct or support research to identify and develop methods of 
controlling the population of insects that transmit to humans diseases 
that have significant adverse health consequences.
  In order to fight the West Nile virus, and to prevent future illness 
and death, we must equip States with the necessary tools to fight this 
deadly disease and we must aid our medical community in gathering and 
analyzing information.
  I urge all of my colleagues to join me in support of H.R. 4793, the 
``Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health Act.'' This bill is an 
important, and potentially life-saving, piece of legislation.
  Mr. BENTSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4793, the 
Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health Act. I would Like to commend 
the efforts of my colleagues, Energy and Commerce Chairman Billy Tauzin 
and Congressman Chris John, in bringing this much-needed legislation to 
the House floor for consideration. I am cosponsoring H.R. 4793 because 
I believe it provides the crucial federal assistance needed by our 
local and state governments in stemming the spread of the West Nile 
Virus and other mosquito-borne diseases.
  My own state and district have already witnessed the rapid spread of 
the West Nile Virus, with the number of confirmed cases in Harris 
County rising from 4 to 19 in under 2 months, with already 2 
fatalities. Probable cases now number at least 58. And across our 
country West Nile Virus is present in at least 41 states, with 2,404 
people already infected and 117 having already died from the West Nile 
Virus. The grant programs and provisions of H.R. 4793 is an encouraging 
indication that federal, state, and local authorities can work together 
to combat and reverse this alarming trend of new cases. I believe the 
efforts of the federal government to assist state and local health 
authorities could have come no sooner, as many of these entities are 
already straining to protect our most vulnerable citizens on limited 
budgets.

[[Page H6793]]

  By focusing on those areas that have suffered a high incidence of 
mosquito-borne diseases, H.R. 4793 will provide the targeted financial 
assistance needed by local communities to expand their mosquito 
spraying programs, purchase new equipment, or update their 
laboratories. The CDC has recommended mosquito control measures as one 
of the most effective methods of West Nile prevention. H.R. 4793 
provides the federal assistance to help local communities maintain and 
expand those spraying programs. Mosquito control programs also have the 
added benefit of protecting local communities from a host of other 
diseases besides West Nile Virus, including St. Louis encephalitis, La 
Crosse encephalitis, and dengue fever.
  For all of these reasons, I support the passage of H.R. 4793 and urge 
my colleagues to support this measure as well. And I will continue to 
work with my colleagues to ensure that adequate funding for these 
programs is secured to safeguard our local communities from this 
national public health threat.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am a cosponsor and firm 
supporter of H.R. 4793, the Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health--
or MASH--Act. We have a public health emergency on our hands. What was 
once an obscure African disease buried in the back of medical school 
pathology books, has the potential for turning into a full-blown 
epidemic if we do not make smart policy and well-directed investments 
in prevention and education.
  So far this year 2,405 people have tested positive for West Nile 
Virus in the United States. The infection that starts with flu-like 
symptoms can end in swelling of the brain, and eventually death. There 
is no known cure for, or vaccine against, West Nile Virus. Out of the 
2,405 infected this year, the virus has killed 117 people. And the 
season is not near over.
  The 18th Congressional District of Texas that I represent has not 
been spared this insidious disease. Two months ago tragedy struck 
Houston when one of my constituents became the first Texan to die of 
complications of West Nile infection. Two weeks later, I walked the 
streets of her community, to check on her neighbors, and to get 
information and advice to those in need. I was accompanied by West Nile 
experts from health departments of every level--Texas, Harris County, 
and the City of Houston.
  Although I was pleased with the expertise and dedication of those 
officials, I was struck by two problems. One, was that there are too 
many gaps in the funding and efforts to tackle this problem at the 
state and local levels. For example, although Harris County was playing 
a huge and important role in monitoring disease spread and spraying 
insecticides to control the mosquitoes that carry the virus--the county 
could not directly receive any money directly form the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention. They were forced to apply through the 
city of Houston or through the State Health Department, and then wait 
as funds trickled down to them, hoping it would get there in time to 
stem the tide of the encroaching epidemic.
  This was unacceptable. I made calls and wrote letters to extract 
funds from the CDC, and ensured efficient flow of the funds down to the 
local levels where they could actually be put to work. But, this is not 
the way the system should have to work. The MASH Act addresses this 
problem, by providing for Mosquito Control Program Grants issued 
directly to counties. The grants would provide $2 of Federal funding 
for every $1 of local funding. The Secretary could even waive the 
matching portion in cases of extraordinary economic conditions. This is 
how to get things done.
  To ensure that funds are used effectively, the MASH Act requires the 
counties conduct assessments and surveys of the needs of the county 
submit plan of attack, and, afterward, a report that describes the 
effectiveness of the program. West Nile Virus is probably here to stay. 
These reports will enable us to hone our national strategy for 
controlling the associated disease.
  The MASH Act also funds a one-time grant of up to $10,000 to States 
to develop a plan to coordinate programs within the State. This will 
ensure good coordination and flow of information throughout each 
affected state.
  The other problem I notice during my walk through the neighborhood in 
my district struck by West Nile Virus, is that too many people are 
still scared and confused. Some seemed to feel like hostages in their 
homes. It is the elderly who are most vulnerable to West Nile Virus, 
and these seniors are being told to go out in their yards and remove 
all standing water, such as cement birdbaths and old tires. They are 
told by public service announcements and the news not to go without 
DEET-containing mosquito repellent, but of course they have to go 
outside to get to the drugstore to buy some. And if they do find a way 
to get to the drugstore to protect themselves, they find that 56 
percent of mosquito repellents that contain DEET--do not have the word 
DEET written anywhere on the label. I am continuing my work with the 
EPA and industry leaders to make sure that all DEET-containing product 
are clearly labeled by next season, to cut down on confusion and save 
lives. But, we need some quick fixes to these other pressing problems 
as well.
  The MASH Act will provide funds directly to the people who know the 
needs of the community. The funds will enable them to establish 
appropriate budgets to control mosquitoes--I hope, by going straight 
out into the communities, clearing out tires and stagnant water, and 
delivering DEET with clear labels. Most importantly, they need to get 
the word out that West Nile Virus is a serious problem, but with smart 
precautions, and a well-funded and well-coordinated effort--it does not 
need to become a national disaster.
  I support the MASH Act and encourage my colleagues to do the same.
  Mr. JOHN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Boozman). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4793, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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