[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 40 (Wednesday, March 12, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H1758-H1763]
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. 342) to authorize grants through the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention for mosquito control programs to prevent
mosquito-borne diseases, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 342
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; COORDINATION GRANTS TO
STATES; ASSESSMENT AND CONTROL GRANTS TO
POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS.
``(a) Coordination Grants to States; Assessment Grants to
Political Subdivisions.--
``(1) In general.--With respect to mosquito control
programs to prevent and control mosquito-borne diseases
(referred to in this section as `control programs'), the
Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, may make grants to States for
the purpose of--
``(A) coordinating control programs in the State involved;
and
``(B) assisting such State in making grants to political
subdivisions of the State to conduct assessments to determine
the immediate needs in such subdivisions for control
programs, and to develop, on the basis of such assessments,
plans for carrying out control programs in the subdivisions.
``(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 (b)(3) that have been 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;
``(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;
``(D) the State agrees that the State will make grants to
political subdivisions as described in paragraph (1)(B), and
that such a grant will not exceed $10,000; and
``(E) the State agrees that the grant will be used to
supplement, and not supplant, State and local funds available
for the purpose described in paragraph (1).
``(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 (b)(5) from such subdivisions.
``(5) Amount of grant; number of grants.--A State may not
receive more than one grant under paragraph (1).
``(b) 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 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;
``(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; and
``(D) are located in a State that has received a grant
under subsection (a).
[[Page H1759]]
``(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.
``(c) Applications for Grants.--A grant may be made under
subsection (a) or (b) 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.
``(d) Technical Assistance.--Amounts appropriated under
subsection (f) may be used by the Secretary to provide
training and technical assistance with respect to the
planning, development, and operation of assessments and plans
under subsection (a) and control programs under subsection
(b). The Secretary may provide such technical assistance
directly or through awards of grants or contracts to public
and private entities.
``(e) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
``(1) The term `control program' has the meaning indicated
for such term in subsection (a).
``(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.
``(f) 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 and vermin populations
``Sec. 463B. The Director of the Institute shall conduct or
support research to identify or develop methods of
controlling insect and vermin populations 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.
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.
We will be speaking about mosquitos. I think it is appropriate that
we represent both sides of the aisle by gentlemen from Louisiana.
I am pleased that the House is considering today the Mosquito
Abatement for Safety and Health Act. I want to congratulate and thank
the gentleman from Crowley, Louisiana (Mr. John) for his authorship of
this very important legislation, not just for our State, by the way,
but for so many States in the Nation where, in fact, the West Nile
virus has threatened lives, and it has, in fact, harmed so many
individuals.
In fact, today, Illinois, Michigan and Iowa lead the country, three
States ahead of Louisiana, in the number of reported cases of West Nile
virus, and while we are experiencing wintry weather here in the
Nation's capital, we may have rather numbed our senses to the fact that
warm and wet weather is just around the corner and with it will come
flowers, sunshine and, yes, mosquitos.
Just yesterday, USA Today warned, ``Keep the bug spray handy, there
is a good chance that West Nile virus will complete its coast-to-coast
march this summer''; in fact, warning us that it is going to make it to
the West Coast before the summer is over.
Last summer, the West Nile infected over 40 States. It has led to the
death of 274 of our fellow citizens. It has made 4,000 others seriously
ill, and what is remarkable is that many more Americans may have been
infected by the West Nile virus but thankfully did not develop its
serious complication.
Since 1999, when the West Nile was first detected in our country, the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have taken the lead in
assisting the States and the localities in combatting the spread of
this disease.
The bill we are considering today will complement the work of the CDC
and will provide authority to the Secretary of Health and Human
Services to make grants to States for the purpose of coordinating such
things as mosquito control programs, assessment and mosquito control
planning grants to political subdivisions, and assistance in combatting
the spread of mosquitos that carry West Nile. In addition, this Act
authorizes CDC to award grants to political subdivisions of States for
the operation of mosquito control programs themselves.
The rapid outbreak of West Nile across America, which is fast
outpacing the prediction of many scientists, has made it very difficult
for our communities to adequately respond. The additional Federal
dollars we authorize through this legislation will assist States and
localities with their immediate needs to combat it.
Notably, this legislation recognizes the importance of keeping
mosquito control programs running and controlled at the local level,
where they have historically operated. It simply gives additional
support to the CDC so it can provide technical and training assistance
to the planning, development and operation of these programs.
Finally, it directs the National Institutes of Health to support and
conduct research to identify or develop methods to control insect and
vermin populations that transmit diseases that have significant adverse
health consequences for humans. The findings from this research hold
the potential for the development of additional products to assist in
mosquito control efforts.
Again, I want to thank the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. John) for
his enormous leadership in this act and so many other things before the
Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. JOHN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I would like to thank the gentleman from Louisiana as chairman of our
Committee on Energy and Commerce and also the gentleman from Michigan
(Mr. Dingell), the ranking member. Without their leadership, this
legislation would never be on the floor today, and to the gentleman
from Louisiana
[[Page H1760]]
(Mr. Tauzin), I think that it is appropriate that we two Louisianans on
either side of the aisle take the lead on this piece of legislation
because, as we all know, mosquitos are nonpartisan biting insects, and
so it is really important that we have a nonpartisan bill here. So I
thank the gentleman very, very much for doing this.
I also want to thank Cheryl Jaeger with the majority staff and John
Ford with the minority staff for their help in bringing this bill to
the floor today.
I also want to thank the 50-plus cosponsors of this piece of
legislation that are on both sides of the aisle from all over the
country, 50-plus people. I also want to add the support of the
gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Ross) and also the gentlewoman from
Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro) and a special support from the gentlewoman
from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) who shared with me just this morning a
story of a lady, a constituent of hers, who died in her garden this
past summer from West Nile virus. So she is a strong supporter of this
piece of legislation.
I first introduced this piece of legislation in May of 2002 in the
107th Congress last year, and I do not think anyone would have
realized, especially Members of Congress or any other Americans would
have realized or imagined the effect West Nile has had since that time
when I introduced this piece of legislation.
As we can see from the visual aids, the West Nile virus in the United
States from 1999 to 2001 are depicted here in the red States, all the
way from the Northeast all the way down to Louisiana, basically
separated somewhat by the Mississippi River, but if we look at what has
happened in just 1 year alone or year-and-a-half, the visual aid on my
right indicates the verified cases, as of December 11 of this past
year, of the cases of West Nile virus. They have spread to almost every
State in our Union.
It is important to note that the spread of this has happened only
over the last year-and-a-half. Over 4,000 people have been infected,
and 300 people have died of this disease. The people of Louisiana have
suffered almost 330 human cases, 24 deaths, but surprisingly enough we
were not the worst ones affected. The State of Illinois, 800 human
cases; the State of Michigan, 550 cases; and Ohio, 450 cases.
It is important that we know a little bit about this disease because
it is somewhat new to the United States, and it is also important to
know that prior to 1999 it was not diagnosed or it was not a disease
that was diagnosed in America. It was first discovered in New York City
in 1999, only 4 years ago. Before that, this virus was very common in
Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia, or Western Asia and the Middle East. It
is also important to know how this disease spreads, to try to get to
better understanding of how we can cope with it.
First of all, it is a disease that infests birds, birds of all prey,
but it is mostly in bluejays and crows where it is found more
prevalent, and of course, this disease, mosquitos bite these birds and
these birds go on and spread this virus to many hundreds and thousands
of mosquitos who, in turn, bite humans, cattle, animals and infect
them. So that is how the disease is spread. It is also important to
note that the disease patterns are very similar to the migratory
patterns of some of these birds. So we know a little bit about it, but
we need to know more.
This disease has spread faster across America than anyone could ever,
ever have imagined, including the Centers for Disease Control. Their
projections were wrong about the spread of this disease. In 1 year the
disease has spread all the way, as I mentioned, from the Mississippi
River all the way to the Western coast of California and almost every
other State in between, and of course, as my visuals show, this is now
not just about the mosquito, the breeding States of this country, but
it is a national public health threat, and I believe that the Federal
Government should get involved and that is what this piece of
legislation is all about.
The counties and parishes of this country have really surpassed their
budgets. Mosquito control abatement programs are all done on the local
level. The Federal Government, today, hopefully this bill will change
that, but today is only done by parishes in Louisiana and, of course,
counties, and they have surpassed their budget with this outbreak by
many years in advance. They have spent their budgets last year for the
foreseeable future on whatever they had budgeted for mosquito abatement
programs.
Our public health systems have been strained because of this disease,
and those who have been infected have put a real burden on our public
health systems.
The population that is most at risk is our elderly population. The
little research that we have found so far with this disease is that our
seniors are most vulnerable. In fact, most of the deaths have occurred
from West Nile in our senior population, and I think that that is very
unfortunate and, also, young children. In fact, in the State of
Louisiana there were concerns about recesses, outdoor activities,
soccer fields. The soccer programs that are kicking off I know in my
home State and across the country, the parents are very concerned about
the spread of this disease because that is where mosquitos are.
Aside from some of the human casualties that I have mentioned before,
it has become a real problem in Louisiana and other States across the
country with cattle. Cattle are very susceptible to this disease, and
the horsemen in Louisiana are very concerned about the spread of this.
In fact, many of the cattlemen in Louisiana have been instructed to
vaccinate their herds, to make sure in the coming mosquito season that
they can have the proper vaccine.
Currently, there are no human vaccines to help with the spread of
West Nile virus. NIH is working to develop this, but frankly, since it
is such a new disease the realization is that a final product for
vaccinating humans is years away. Therein lies the need for this piece
of legislation.
Our only tools to fight this disease today are in mosquito abatement
through education, and that is what this bill is all about.
Currently, the CDC helps to educate the public and local government
on disease and prevention, but the CDC also does surveillance to the
States to help monitor the progress of the virus.
{time} 1245
But, Mr. Speaker, I believe, and I beg of this body, that this is not
enough. This is not enough. Eradication of mosquitoes is the most
effective way today that we can stop the spread of mosquito-borne
diseases. Abatement programs are handled on a local level, as I had
said earlier, but counties are stressed. And the counties and parishes
most in need are rural parishes that have a lower tax base and a lower
ability to fund a very aggressive mosquito abatement program. H.R. 342
establishes a one-time matching grant program through the CDC to assist
parishes and counties with either maintaining a mosquito control
program or, frankly, starting one up. It is a two-to-one match not to
exceed $100,000 per parish or county.
Finally, in order to ensure that our hardest hit areas are addressed,
this piece of legislation prioritizes the States and counties and areas
of the United States that have more proven cases and a more focal point
for the disease in different areas of the State. But I believe we must
act now. The 2003 mosquito season, and, frankly, the mosquito season in
Louisiana never goes away, but the real aggressive mosquito season is
at our doorstep around this country so it is important for us to act.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank again the chairman of our committee, the
gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin), and the ranking member for
putting this bill through the committee very quickly and getting it on
the floor today because it is certainly the time to address the
mosquito problem in this country
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to
just advise that some of my Cajun friends have suggested that if we
come up with a good mosquito gumbo recipe we might be able to solve
some of these problems.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Arkansas (Mr. Boozman), my dear friend from my neighboring State.
Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr.Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this
time.
[[Page H1761]]
Certainly as an Arkansan I am very aware of the West Nile disease. My
brother, Fay Boozman, the Director of Arkansas' Health Department,
testified before a Congressional committee that it is very possible
that more Arkansans will be infected with the West Nile virus this
year. This estimate reflects the fact that the number of cases has
steadily increased in Arkansas since the West Nile virus first appeared
in 2001.
Arkansas is certainly not alone in this trend. In fact,
epidemiologists expect that in the upcoming season the virus will reach
all 48 contiguous States, which is why Congress needs to act now.
States like Arkansas cannot afford to dip into their emergency funds to
combat the spread of West Nile virus. This bill will help States and
localities fight this virus by authorizing matching grants of up to
$100,000 for their mosquito abatement programs.
Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin) and
the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. John) for their leadership on this
issue and for bringing this bill to the floor for a vote. I encourage
my colleagues to pass this bill and provide much needed relief to our
State and local governments who are on the front lines of this fight.
Mr. JOHN. Mr. Speaker, I proudly yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from northeast Louisiana (Mr. Alexander).
(Mr. ALEXANDER asked and was given permission to revise and extend
his remarks.)
Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. Speaker, in the summer of 2001 there was an
outbreak of St. Louis encephalitis in four parishes in northeast
Louisiana. There were 70 incidents resulting in 7 deaths. Seven of
those incidents and two of the deaths were in parishes without mosquito
control programs. In addition, in my district, Pointe Coupee Parish had
the highest incidence of West Nile virus in Louisiana at more than 52
cases per 100,000 population.
When I was chairman of the Louisiana Health and Welfare Committee, we
met to discuss State efforts to coordinate mosquito control. One of the
issues that we often discussed was the Federal funding that was
available for testing and education, but it was not readily available
for mosquito control. That is why I support the MASH Act, because it
provides much needed Federal funding for control and education.
I am proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation which provides
needed assistance to local governments to control the outbreak of
mosquito-borne illnesses. I also commend the gentleman from Louisiana
(Mr. John) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin) for their hard
work on this issue.
Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend from Louisiana for
his comments and endorsements, and I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman
from the great State of Indiana (Mr. Souder), which is, by the way, the
fifth in incidents of West Nile virus in the country.
(Mr. SOUDER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this
time.
Mr. Speaker, last year, northeast Indiana had one of the highest
rates of West Nile virus in the country, a total of 157 probable cases.
Not being swampland or having the traditional problems of the South and
Southeast, we were taken by surprise. A large percentage of these cases
were reported in my hometown of Fort Wayne and in Allen County around
it. In fact, I believe nearly two-thirds of the cases in all of the
State of Indiana were in my Congressional district. Not only did we
have animal deaths, not only is our bird population drastically
reduced, but we have human deaths. We had multiple human deaths caused
by the West Nile virus in my district.
In fact, Mr. Speaker, one of the counties outside of Chicago as well
as my home county represented the bulk of the cases in the entire
Midwest and should be the focus on any future studies in the Great
Lakes because they were also the two highest counties with the St.
Louis virus a number of years ago. The encephalitis virus seems to have
replicated itself a number of years later in the same counties.
The concern that we have in my home county, because of the human
deaths, is that it is impossible to communicate to the rest of the
public. As we saw a number of people in the hospitals, very ill,
including a reporter and a cameraman who were covering the case and
were in miserable condition for a number of weeks, fear spread
throughout my district. In my son's high school, they had spray booths
outside the games. The football players, the band members, the
cheerleaders felt under direct attack. A long-time friend of mine, a
State Representative and State Senator Dick Worman, told me his
daughter, Terry Lightfoot, who is on the East Allen County School
Board, in all his years in the State legislature, he never had as many
irate calls to his home, as his daughter did at the school board. As
they would cancel a football game, football players would call in and
say they would not be able to compete. If they canceled band practice,
band parents would call in. If they kept it on, parents would call in
and say you are putting my children at risk. It was near chaos in our
area.
As a member of the Committee on Government Reform, and chairman of
its subcommittee with jurisdiction over matters relating to public
health, I commend the efforts of my colleagues, the gentleman from
Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. John) for
addressing this critical public health dilemma. We held an oversight
hearing last fall to try to look at some of the lessons that we
learned, and one of those lessons was that we completely missed at the
Federal Government what was going to happen in the Great Lakes. They
projected it would be the Southeast. So it better be included in future
planning by the government to try to address what happens in the Great
Lakes areas so more people do not die because the government missed the
plan.
Furthermore, we learned in that hearing from a gentleman from Lee
County, Florida, Fort Myers, a representative of the mosquito supply
people, that we may not even have adequate supplies, as a particular
spray that is used is not commonly used in other areas now and they are
worried about having the supply for mosquito eradication we need to
look at.
We also need to make sure that we do adequate spraying. Counties like
Lee County and others, where they are aggressive, managed to control
this in the human populations. There was hesitancy in my hometown by
some who tried to block the spraying initially. If we do not do this
spraying, we put people at risk. In addition to the animals and the
birds and others, we need to make sure that there is adequate research,
we need to make sure there is adequate supplies on the market, and we
need to make sure there is adequate political will among political
officials to take the actions. Because if they do, lives, in fact, are
saved, and we have heard from counties around the country where this is
true.
H.R. 342 is a step in the right direction towards equipping our
communities with the tools necessary to prevent and control mosquito-
borne diseases. Federal agencies and regulations should empower rather
than hinder the ability of States and municipalities to identify and
eradicate mosquitoes and the diseases they carry and spread.
Aside from the funds to help our communities to establish or maintain
an existing mosquito control program, which, by the way, we desperately
need help from the Federal Government because this just overwhelmed our
local budget in trying to deal with all the spraying in so many
different points and school budgets as well. We need to make sure there
are research dollars to further our knowledge of mosquito-borne viruses
and their behavior. This is of vital interest to every parent, every
person threatened.
We learned in Fort Wayne, Indiana, that everybody was vulnerable,
from the youngest to the oldest. Some of the deaths and some of those
most ill were 25 to 45, which the health department said was not
likely, that it would be the young and elderly. We had deaths and
severely illness in the midlife, well people, like I mentioned the
reporter and the photographer from one of the major TV stations, in
fact the number one rated.
So the consequences of not having an effective mosquito control
program can lead to serious public health concerns.
[[Page H1762]]
During the scope of the hearing that I mentioned earlier, we included
such issues as funding levels for research of the virus as well as
other issues.
Once again, Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his leadership and
that of the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. John) as well for his
leadership.
Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. JOHN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to
thank the chairman once again, and I also would be remiss if I did not
thank my senior legislative staff person who worked very hard on this
bill, Vera LeBrun.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I applaud Congressman Chris
John for this outstanding legislation!
I rise in support of H.R. 342, the Mosquito Abatement for Safety and
Health Act. West Nile Virus has been marching across the nation over
the past three years, and threatens to take tens of thousands of lives
over the next decade. We must focus the efforts of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention on this problem, before it gets out of
hand.
West Nile Virus was relatively unknown in the United States until
1999 when if began to crop up in the New York and a few select states
in the Northeast. Since then, it has progressed West and South, until
in 2002, all but 4 states in the Continental U.S. were affected by the
insidious parasite. In 2002, over 4000 people were infected with the
West Nile Virus. Of those infected, 274 died, including one woman from
my District.
West Nile Virus is transmitted through mosquito bites. Although the
majority of people infected do eventually recover, there is no known
cure for West Nile Virus infection. Luckily, we do know how to largely
contain the epidemic through control of the mosquitoes that carry
virus. I have been reasonably pleased with the efforts in my District,
from the Texas Department of Health, the Harris County Health
Department, as well as the City of Houston, in combating West Nile
Virus. With relatively meager funding, they have kept infection rates
low through programs of spraying insecticides and larvicides, education
programs and public service announcements, and surveillance of
infection trends.
However, even one preventable death is too many. Furthermore, it
seems that infections are still on the rise, so a re-doubling of our
efforts is now appropriate. We need to put the creativity, technology,
and resources available to us to work on stopping West Nile Virus in
its tracks.
For example, last year I realized that although all of the public
service announcements and CDC websites were advocating the use of DEET-
containing mosquito repellents for prevention of infection, almost 60
percent of DEET-containing products did not have the word DEET on the
label. Instead they were labeled in tiny print with the chemical name
N,N dietlhyl-m-toluamide. Considering that seniors are the most
vulnerable to infection, and that seniors can often be visually
impaired, this was inappropriate. Such lack of clarity and consistency
in a public health product labeling can cost lives. I reached out to
industry representatives and to the EPA. The EPA quickly moved to alter
their labeling requirements, and I am pleased to say that by this West
Nile season, every can that has DEET in it, will have the word DEET on
it.
But there is much more work to be done. The woman whose life was
taken in my district, did not take the proper precautions to protect
herself. That indicates to me that we need more education. We need to
go door to door if necessary, helping seniors clear out old tires and
debris from their yards, that might collect stagnant water where
mosquitoes lay their eggs. We should give out DEET, and advice of times
to stay inside or what clothes to wear, to minimize the risks of
infection. We should give local health departments the resources they
need to assess and address risks as needed.
The MASH Act will help in all of those endeavors. It will make it
possible for Director of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, to make grants to States for coordinating mosquito control
programs to prevent and control mosquito-borne diseases; and for
assisting States in making grants to political localities to help them
develop control programs. The Act will require commitment from the
States as well, in the form of matching funds. But, the Secretary of
the Department of Health and Human Services can waive that matching
requirement for areas in dire financial straits.
But the bill is not just about sending more money. It will also
encourage the CDC to use their expertise to help States develop
strategies for protecting all of their citizens from West Nile Virus,
and carry out research into ways to improve those strategies in the
future.
This bill represents good preventive medicine. I support H.R. 342,
and urge my colleagues to do the same.
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 342, the
``Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health Act,'' and urge the House to
join me in voting for it.
There is a real and growing public health threat posed by the West
Nile virus in my state of Michigan, as well as many other states
throughout the country. Last year, Oakland County, Michigan, had 187
cases of West Nile Virus and 20 deaths. Macomb County reported 103
cases and six deaths. Many communities in my district have acted
locally, but clearly the problem must be attacked broadly, across
community lines.
All levels of government must be involved in responding to this clear
and present health risk. Congress must do more to support State and
local public health efforts to combat the spread of West Nile. The bill
before the House today represents the least we should do to combat this
mosquito-borne disease. It establishes two temporary grant programs to
help state and local governments assess mosquito problems, and
coordinate and operate mosquito control programs. The bill authorizes
$100 million in FY 2003, and such sums as necessary through FY 2007. It
is critical that Congress follow up this legislation with the
appropriations needed to fund these vital programs.
I urge all my colleagues to support this important legislation.
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 342, the
Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health Act. This is a particularly
important issue in my state of Illinois and for my district, both of
which have been disproportionately impacted by West Nile Virus--more so
than almost any other part of the country.
The latest survey shows that Illinois is suffering the highest
numbers of human cases of West Nile in the country, 877 cases and 62
deaths. Over 630 cases of these cases were in Suburban Cook County and
the Greater Chicago area, leading to 37 deaths. Compared with
nationwide data, these numbers reveal an uncommonly high outbreak ratio
in the Chicago Metro region.
H.R. 342, the Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health Act will help
Illinois and other states across the nation prevent any more outbreaks
from occurring. Among other things, the act will provide grants to
states to help them coordinate mosquito control programs to prevent and
control mosquito-borne diseases. The bill also directs the Secretary of
Health and Human Services to provide training and technical assistance
to states and localities for the planning, development, and operation
of assessments and plans regarding control programs. We cannot afford
to lose more lives to West Nile Virus. I urge my colleagues to support
H.R. 342.
Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 342,
the Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health Act, introduced by my
colleague from the Energy and Commerce Committee, and my good friend,
Chris John.
This legislation would provide grants to communities for the
operation of mosquito control programs to prevent and control mosquito-
borne diseases.
Last summer, Americans watched in fear as the West Nile virus spread
rapidly across our country.
Before 1999, there was no record of a West Nile virus case in North
America, but in the last few years, West Nile has become a serious
public health concern.
According to the CDC, from 1999 through 2001, there were 149 cases of
West Nile virus in the United States reported, including 18 deaths.
That number skyrocketed last year, with West Nile affecting almost
4,000 individuals, and killing 259.
In my home state of Texas, more than 190 people were infected, and 11
lost their lives.
I have no doubt that those numbers will continue to climb.
We must take steps to control mosquito populations now, before the
summer months come and it is too late.
That is why I am a proud cosponsor of the MASH Act.
This legislation provides vital assistance to our communities to give
them the tools they need to control mosquito populations and protect
the public health.
It also recognizes the severity of mosquito-borne disease in certain
communities and ensures that those hardest-hit areas receive a priority
in receiving assistance.
I know this will be helpful to my hometown of Houston, which had 77
confirmed cases of West Nile in the past year, and recently discovered
as many as 40 mosquito pools that are positive for West Nile virus.
Like I said, we must act now, before the weather warms up and the
mosquitoes start to swarm. I strongly support passage and enactment of
the MASH Act, and urge my colleagues to do the same.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R.
342, the Mosquito
[[Page H1763]]
Abatement for Safety and Health Act. With snow on the ground and recent
temperatures in the single digits, it is nice to look forward to the
summer months but easy to forget the uneasiness that was felt during
last summer due to the fear instilled by the West Nile virus.
Illinois was greatly impacted by the West Nile virus. Not only was
there fear within parents to let their children go outside to play or
to take a walk in the neighborhood in the morning or after dusk, there
were the startling numbers of those stricken with the virus. Illinois
saw 873 cases of the virus in humans along with 60 deaths, the highest
in the Nation according to the CDC.
The Associated Press recently released that the harsh winters that
most of the nation has felt does not preclude that the mosquitoes,
particularly the ones infected with the virus, have ceased in numbers.
The mosquitoes will continue to live and reproduce in sewers and other
dark, warmer places were the harsh climates have not affected them. Due
to this, the AP is suggesting that this year we will see the West Nile
virus spread from coast to coast. Last year, our nation witnessed more
than 4,000 individuals become ill and a total of 274 die from the West
Nile virus. With the expected spread of the virus and increase number
of mosquitoes, we can also then expect these numbers to grow.
Mr. Speaker, to ensure the nation has a sense of safety and security
as they go outside in the next few months, I ask for full support of
this resolution.
Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to
support H.R. 342, the Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health Act
introduced by Congressman Christopher John. As an issue that deeply
effects my constituents in South Florida, I fully support this worthy
legislation.
H.R. 342 establishes an important County eligible grant through the
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in order to assist elimination of
harmful mosquito populations. The grant would allow for $2 of federal
grant money for each $1 contributed by the participating county.
Miami-Dade County is currently experiencing severe problems with
growing mosquito populations due to the warm environment and many
instances of standing water. In the Fiscal Year 2003 Consolidated
Appropriations Resolution, I led the charge to acquire $1,000,000 for
the County to purchase a helicopter for mosquito control spraying. I
believe that the funding, which would be provided under H.R. 342, will
compliment the efforts of counties around the country to stop the
spread of such deadly diseases as the West Nile virus.
Mr. Speaker, we can and must do more to protect our constituents from
this environmental threat. H.R. 342 addresses this problem and
establishes effective programs to help local governments best respond.
Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank my distinguished
colleagues. Representative Chris John and Representative Tauzin for
introducing H.R. 342, 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.
This legislation hits very close to home for me. My home state of
Michigan has been hit hard by this deadly epidemic. To date, we have
had 554 confirmed cases of West Nile and 50 deaths. Currently, a
staggering 4,071 people in the United States have been found to be
infected with the West Nile virus. Unfortunately, we have also had 274
deaths as a result of West Nile infection.
H.R. 342 seeks to complement the work that the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) is already doing to fight mosquito-borne
diseases. This legislation will provide an additional incentive for
States and localities to plan and better coordinate mosquito control
programs. Unfortunately, many localities have not had the resources or
capabilities to conduct assessments and prepare plans to
comprehensively develop effective mosquito control programs. The
additional federal dollars authorized in H.R. 342 will work to assist
states and localities with their immediate needs to combat the West
Nile virus.
In addition to working with the CDC, the ``Mosquito Abatement for
Safety and Health Act'' requires the Director of the National Institute
of Environmental Health Sciences to conduct and support research into
methods to control the population of insects and vermin that transmit
dangerous diseases to humans.
The West Nile virus has emerged in recent years as a serious threat
to public, equine, and animal health. H.R. 342 seeks to combat this
unexpected epidemic by providing additional dollars for research,
prevention, and educational programs. I urge all of my colleagues to
join me in supporting this valuable piece of legislation.
Mr. VITTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today I strong support of H.R. 342,
the Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health Act. This legislation is
an important step towards a comprehensive plan for reducing the threat
of West Nile virus.
Just yesterday news stations were reporting that not only was West
Nile virus likely to spread to all 48 contiguous states--making it a
truly national problem--but also that other mosquito-borne illnesses
are potentially likely to follow. This sort of public health threat
should not go unchecked. Many localities are smaller or rural, or are
dealing with this serious public health threat for the first time. This
legislation can help them all.
I am pleased that the Appropriations Committee agreed to increase
West Nile research funding at the CDC almost 30 percent, and that NIH
research into vaccines and treatment for West Nile also nearly doubled.
I thank both Chairman Regula and the Members who supported increasing
these funds for their successful efforts. However, I know that these
measures are just a start to truly ending this health problem.
I commend my Louisiana colleagues for their work on this bill, commit
my future support to this endeavor, and strongly urge all of my
colleagues to vote for this important legislation.
Mr. JOHN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. LaHood). 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. 342.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of
those present have voted in the affirmative.
Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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