[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 122 (Tuesday, September 27, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10515-S10518]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. CORNYN (for himself and Ms. Mikulski):
  S. 1774. A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for 
the expansion, intensification, and coordination of the activities of 
the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute with respect to research 
on pulmonary hypertension; to the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1774

       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 ``Pulmonary Hypertension 
     Research Act of 2005''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) In order to take full advantage of the tremendous 
     potential for finding a cure or effective treatment, the 
     Federal investment in pulmonary hypertension must be 
     expanded, and coordination among the national research 
     institutes of the National Institutes of Health must be 
     strengthened.
       (2) Pulmonary hypertension (``PH'') is a serious and often 
     fatal condition where the blood pressure in the lungs rises 
     to dangerously high levels. In PH patients, the walls of the 
     arteries that take blood from the right side of the heart to 
     the lungs thicken and constrict. As a result, the right side 
     of the heart has to pump harder to move blood into the lungs, 
     causing it to enlarge and ultimately fail.
       (3) In the United States it has been estimated that 300 new 
     cases of PPH are diagnosed each year, or about 2 persons per 
     million population per year; the greatest number are reported 
     in women between the ages of 21 and 40. While at one time the 
     disease was thought to occur among young women almost 
     exclusively, we now know, however, that men and women in all 
     age ranges, from very young children to elderly people, can 
     develop PPH. It also affects people of all racial and ethnic 
     origins, with African Americans suffering from a mortality 
     rate twice as high as that affecting Caucasians.
       (4) The low prevalence of PPH makes learning more about the 
     disease extremely difficult. Studies of PPH also have been 
     difficult because a good animal model of the disease has not 
     been available.
       (5) In about 6 to 10 percent of cases, PPH is familial. The 
     familial PPH gene is located on chromosome 2 and was 
     discovered in July 2000. This discovery provided new insights 
     for determining the molecular basis of PPH and opened new 
     avenues of study for understanding the fundamental nature of 
     the disease.
       (6) In the more advanced stages of PPH, the patient is able 
     to perform only minimal activity and has symptoms even when 
     resting. The disease may worsen to the point where the 
     patient is completely bedridden.
       (7) PPH remains a diagnosis of exclusion and is rarely 
     picked up in a routine medical examination. Even in its later 
     stages, the signs of the disease can be confused with other 
     conditions affecting the heart and lungs. The use of new 
     diagnostic standards has been positively related to the rates 
     of diagnosis.

[[Page S10516]]

       (8) In 1981, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute 
     established the first PPH-patient registry in the world. The 
     registry followed 194 people with PPH over a period of at 
     least 1 year and, in some cases, for as long as 7.5 years. 
     Much of what we know about the illness today stems from this 
     study.
       (9) As research progresses, so do treatments for PH. 
     Currently, there are 4 FDA-approved medications for PH and 3 
     more in trials. However, all medications are not effective on 
     all patients. Lung transplantation is often considered a 
     treatment of last resort for PH.
       (10) Because we still do not understand the cause or have a 
     cure for PPH, basic research studies are focusing on the 
     possible involvement of immunologic and genetic factors in 
     the cause and progression of PPH, looking at agents that 
     cause narrowing of the pulmonary blood vessels, and 
     identifying factors that cause growth of smooth muscle and 
     formation of scar tissue in the vessel walls.
       (11) Secondary pulmonary hypertension (``SPH'') means the 
     cause is known. Common causes of SPH are the breathing 
     disorders emphysema and bronchitis. Other less frequent 
     causes are the inflammatory or collagen vascular diseases 
     such as scleroderma, CREST syndrome, or systemic lupus 
     erythematosus (``SLE''). Other causes include congenital 
     heart diseases that cause shunting of extra blood through the 
     lungs like ventricular and atrial septal defects, chronic 
     pulmonary thromboembolism, HIV infection, and liver disease. 
     Sickle cell anemia is also linked to SPH, with preliminary 
     studies suggesting that approximately one third of sickle 
     cell patients develop SPH.

     SEC. 3. EXPANSION, INTENSIFICATION, AND COORDINATION OF 
                   ACTIVITIES OF NATIONAL HEART, LUNG, AND BLOOD 
                   INSTITUTE WITH RESPECT TO RESEARCH ON PULMONARY 
                   HYPERTENSION.

       Subpart 2 of part C of title IV of the Public Health 
     Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285b et seq.) is amended by inserting 
     after section 424B the following section:


                        ``PULMONARY HYPERTENSION

       ``Sec. 424C. (a) In General.--
       ``(1) Expansion of activities.--The Director of the 
     Institute shall expand, intensify, and coordinate the 
     activities of the Institute with respect to research on 
     pulmonary hypertension.
       ``(2) Coordination with other institutes.--The Director of 
     the Institute shall coordinate the activities of the Director 
     under paragraph (1) with similar activities conducted by 
     other national research institutes and agencies of the 
     National Institutes of Health to the extent that such 
     Institutes and agencies have responsibilities that are 
     related to pulmonary hypertension.
       ``(b) Centers of Excellence.--
       ``(1) In general.--In carrying out subsection (a), the 
     Director of the Institute shall make grants to, or enter into 
     contracts with, public or nonprofit private entities for the 
     development and operation of centers to conduct research on 
     pulmonary hypertension.
       ``(2) Research, training, and information and education.--
       ``(A) In general.--With respect to pulmonary hypertension, 
     each center assisted under paragraph (1) shall--
       ``(i) conduct basic and clinical research into the cause, 
     diagnosis, early detection, prevention, control, and 
     treatment of such disease;
       ``(ii) conduct training programs for scientists and health 
     professionals;
       ``(iii) conduct programs to provide information and 
     continuing education to health professionals; and
       ``(iv) conduct programs for the dissemination of 
     information to the public.
       ``(B) Stipends for training of health professionals.--A 
     center under paragraph (1) may use funds provided under such 
     paragraph to provide stipends for scientists and health 
     professionals enrolled in the programs described in 
     subparagraph (A)(ii).
       ``(3) Coordination of centers; reports.--The Director 
     shall, as appropriate, provide for the coordination of 
     information among centers under paragraph (1) and ensure 
     regular communication between such centers, and may require 
     the periodic preparation of reports on the activities of the 
     centers and the submission of the reports to the Director.
       ``(4) Organization of centers.--Each center under paragraph 
     (1) shall use the facilities of a single institution, or be 
     formed from a consortium of cooperating institutions, meeting 
     such requirements as may be prescribed by the Director.
       ``(5) Number of centers; duration of support.--The Director 
     shall, subject to the extent of amounts made available in 
     appropriations Acts, provide for the establishment of not 
     less than 3 centers under paragraph (1). Support of such a 
     center may be for a period not exceeding 5 years. Such period 
     may be extended for 1 or more additional periods not 
     exceeding 5 years if--
       ``(A) the operations of such center have been reviewed by 
     an appropriate technical and scientific peer review group 
     established by the Director; and
       ``(B) such group has recommended to the Director that such 
     period should be extended.
       ``(c) Data System; Clearinghouse.--
       ``(1) Data system.--The Director of the Institute shall 
     establish a data system for the collection, storage, 
     analysis, retrieval, and dissemination of data derived from 
     patient populations with pulmonary hypertension, including, 
     where possible, data involving general populations for the 
     purpose of identifying individuals at risk of developing such 
     condition.
       ``(2) Clearinghouse.--The Director of the Institute shall 
     establish an information clearinghouse to facilitate and 
     enhance, through the effective dissemination of information, 
     knowledge and understanding of pulmonary hypertension by 
     health professionals, patients, industry, and the public.
       ``(d) Public Input.--In carrying out subsection (a), the 
     Director of the Institute shall provide for means through 
     which the public can obtain information on the existing and 
     planned programs and activities of the National Institutes of 
     Health with respect to primary hypertension and through which 
     the Director can receive comments from the public regarding 
     such programs and activities.
       ``(e) Reports.--The Director of the Institute shall prepare 
     biennial reports on the activities conducted and supported 
     under this section, and shall include such reports in the 
     biennial reports prepared by the Director under section 407.
       ``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of 
     carrying out this section, there is authorized to be 
     appropriated $50,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2006 
     through 2010.''.

  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I rise today with Senator Cornyn to 
introduce the ``Pulmonary Hypertension Research Act of 2005.'' This 
important legislation increases funding for medical research dedicated 
to finding treatments and possibly a cure for Pulmonary Hypertension 
(PH), and would establish Centers of Excellence that would be charged 
with educating health professionals and the public about the disease.
  PH is a serious, often fatal condition. It is estimated that more 
than 100,000 Americans suffer from pulmonary hypertension. It does not 
discriminate based on race, gender or age. However, women are more than 
twice as likely as men to develop the condition. PH is characterized by 
dangerously high blood pressure in the lungs. In PH patients, the walls 
of the arteries that take blood from the right side of the heart to the 
lungs thicken so much that they restrict the flow of blood.
  The Pulmonary Hypertension Research Act would do three things: First, 
it expands PH research at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute 
at the NIH, authorizing $250 million over five years to fund PH 
research. Additional funding would help researchers further understand 
PH and develop new treatment options for the illness.
  Second, the legislation would establish ``Centers of Excellence'' 
which would focus on PH research and education efforts for both health 
professionals and the general public. One of the greatest tragedies of 
PH is that it often goes undiagnosed. Most Americans have never heard 
of PH and do not know that symptoms such as shortness of breath, 
fatigue, and dizziness are common indicators of the illness. Lastly, 
the legislation establishes a data system and clearinghouse at the 
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute that would disseminate 
information on PH to the general public in order to facilitate more 
accurate and timely diagnosis.
  Since my first days in Congress, I have been fighting to make sure 
women don't get left out or left behind when it comes to their health. 
From women's inclusion in clinical trials to quality standards for 
mammograms, I have led the way to make sure women's health needs are 
treated fairly and taken seriously. This legislation builds on these 
past successes to address this silent disease among young American 
women. I look forward to working with my colleagues to get this bill 
signed into law.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Ms. SNOWE (for herself, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. Chafee, Mr. Obama, 
        and Mr. Rockefeller):
  S. 1775. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify 
the income threshold used to calculate the refundable portion of the 
child tax credit; to the Committee on Finance.
  Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, today Congress is confronted with how to 
best provide tax relief to American families earning slightly more than 
the minimum wage. We can do that by expanding the availability of the 
child tax credit to more working families.
  In 2001, I pushed to make the child tax credit refundable for workers 
making around the minimum wage. As enacted in 2001, a portion of a 
taxpayer's

[[Page S10517]]

child tax credit would be refundable--up to 10 percent of earnings 
above $10,000.
  Last year, Congress passed the Working Families Tax Relief of 2004, 
which increased from 10 percent to 15 percent the portion of the child 
tax credit that is refundable. Although the legislation increased the 
amount of the refundable child credit, it failed to increase the number 
of families eligible for the benefit. The consequences are serious for 
low-income Americans living paycheck to paycheck. It means that tens of 
thousands of low-income families will be completely ineligible for a 
credit they should receive.
  This year, because the income threshold is indexed, only taxpayers 
earning over $11,000 are eligible to receive the refundable portion of 
the child tax credit. Low-income families earning less than $11,000 are 
shut out of the child tax credit completely.
  For example, a single mother who earns the minimum wage and works a 
40 hour week for all 52 weeks of the year fails to qualify for the 
refundable portion of the child tax credit. Since the mother earns 
$10,700, she is a mere $300 away from qualifying for the credit. Worse, 
if the single mother does not receive a raise the following year, it 
will be even tougher to qualify because the $11,000 she originally 
needed to earn is adjusted for inflation and will increase.
  I am introducing legislation, the Working Family Child Assistance 
Act, with Senators Lincoln, Chafee, Obama, and Rockefeller that will 
enable more hard-working, low-income families to receive the refundable 
child credit this year. My legislation returns to $10,000 the amount of 
income a family must earn to qualify for the credit. Moreover, my bill 
would ``deindex'' the $10,000 threshold for inflation, so families 
failing to get a raise each year would not lose benefits.
  Most notably, my bill is identical to the refundable child credit 
proposal the Senate passed in May 2001 as part of its version of that 
year's tax bill. Although I was able to ensure that a refundable child 
credit would be part of the final bill sent to President Bush, 
conferees did index the $10,000 threshold to inflation despite my best 
efforts.
  The staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation estimates that this 
legislation will allow an additional 600,000 families to benefit from 
the refundable child tax credit.
  For example, the legislation provides a $113 child credit to a mom 
who earns $10,750 per year. That's money she could use to buy 
groceries, rent, school books and other family necessities.
  The Commerce Department recently reported that between August 2004 
and August 2005 average weekly wages adjusted for inflation fell 1.1 
percent. Obviously, families need all the help we can give them.
  Our families and our country are better off when government lets 
people keep more of what they earn. Parents deserve their per-child tax 
credit, and this bill rewards families for work.
  I am committed to this issue and have called on President Bush to 
work with Congress so we can help an additional one million children, 
whose parents and guardians struggle every day to take care of them.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1775

       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 ``Working Family Child 
     Assistance Act''.

     SEC. 2. $10,000 INCOME THRESHOLD USED TO CALCULATE REFUNDABLE 
                   PORTION OF CHILD TAX CREDIT.

       (a) In General.--Section 24(d) of the Internal Revenue Code 
     of 1986 (relating to portion of credit refundable) is 
     amended--
       (1) by striking ``as exceeds'' and all that follows through 
     ``, or'' in paragraph (1)(B)(i) and inserting ``as exceeds 
     $10,000, or'', and
       (2) by striking paragraph (3).
       (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section 
     shall apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 
     2004.
       (c) Application of Sunset to This Section.--Each amendment 
     made by this section shall be subject to title IX of the 
     Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 to 
     the same extent and in the same manner as the provision of 
     such Act to which such amendment relates.

  Mr. President, I rise to speak about the Child Tax Credit and to 
support S. 1775, a bill I've worked on with Senators Snowe and Lincoln. 
I am proud to cosponsor this bill to help working families get all the 
tax relief they deserve. The Child Credit is an important component of 
our federal tax code, and S. 1775 is an important step in making the 
credit more valuable and more fair for those who need it most.
  The Child Credit recognizes that raising children is expensive and 
allows middle class families to claim a credit of $1,000 per child 
against their federal income tax. That's a big help.
  Importantly, the Child Credit also recognizes the particular 
vulnerability of low-income families with children. Since the credit is 
refundable to the extent of 15% of a taxpayer's earned income in excess 
of $10,750, families earning more than that threshold level of income 
get at least a partial benefit even if they have no federal income tax 
liability. The benefit may be small for families with low incomes, but 
every penny helps defray the rising costs of being a working parent in 
America today.
  Unfortunately, as currently structured, the Child Credit leaves more 
and more families out of the benefit each year. That's because the 
income threshold for eligibility rises annually at the rate of 
inflation even though family incomes may not rise as fast. That means 
that if you earn the minimum wage, which has not increased since 1997, 
or if your wage is low and you didn't get a raise, or if you worked 
fewer hours than the year before, then your tax refund probably shrunk. 
It may even have disappeared. That strikes me as unfair, and it's what 
almost four and a half million households with children will experience 
this year.
  Generally, indexing the parameters of the tax system for inflation 
makes sense because it neutralizes the effects of inflation on the tax 
system. In this case, however, indexing the threshold results in an 
unfair tax increase for low-income families whose incomes are stagnant 
or falling. Recent data indicates that the typical low-income household 
actually saw its earnings decline during the first few years of this 
decade. At the same time, the costs of housing, childcare, and driving 
to work have increased.
  This bill returns the threshold to its original level of $10,000 and 
freezes it, thereby expanding the benefit to include more kids and 
protecting those families from unfair tax increases due to inflation. 
This is an important step in improving the fairness of our tax code and 
providing necessary support to working families.
  In time, I hope we will do more. It is unfair that more than eight 
million children in families with incomes too low to qualify even for a 
partial credit--these are incomes far below the federal poverty level--
get no benefit at all. Ironically, these children have the greatest 
needs, and their parents pay an enormous share of their incomes in 
taxes and basic services, such as food, housing, and clothing.
  America can do better. In time, I hope we will tackle the broader 
challenge of ensuring that their parents have jobs that pay living 
wages, a home they can afford, a school district that enables a life of 
opportunity, a community that cares for its children, and the faith 
that hard work and personal commitment pay off. America can do this.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important bill as 
a first step in partnering with me in addressing the broader goal of 
equal opportunity for all.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. GRASSLEY (for himself and Mr. Baucus):
  S. 1778. A bill to extend medicare cost-sharing for qualifying 
individuals through September 2006, to extend the Temporary Assistance 
for Needy Families Program, transitional medical assistance under the 
Medicaid Program, and related programs through March 31, 2006, and for 
other purposes; to the Committee on Finance.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I am pleased to join with my colleague 
Senator Max Baucus in introducing the ``Medicare Cost-Sharing and 
Welfare Extension Act of 2005.''
  This legislation extends the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, 
TANF, for 3 months and provides funding for 6 months of Transitional 
Medical Assistance, TMA, for families

[[Page S10518]]

making the transition from welfare to work. As my colleagues know, H.R. 
3672, which has been signed into law, would extend TANF until December 
31, 2005, so this legislation represents a total extension of TANF 
until the end of March, 2006.
  This is the twelfth extension of TANF and related programs. Welfare 
reform reauthorization should have been passed years ago. Too many 
families are languishing on the welfare rolls and we are seeing a 
backsliding of the improvements that we saw in the early years, after 
welfare reform. Child care funding has remained stagnant. States have 
been operating their welfare programs under a cloud of uncertainty 
regarding what a final Federal welfare reauthorization bill would 
require of them. We need to make some critical reforms to build on the 
success of the 1996 bill and give States the ability to manage and plan 
for their welfare programs. I am hopeful that this represents the final 
short-term extension of TANF and that the Congress will act quickly to 
pass a comprehensive welfare bill.
  Additionally, this legislation includes a provision to extend cost-
sharing assistance to qualifying individuals, QIs, for the Medicare 
Part B premium through September, 2006. This program has been helping 
vulnerable individuals with incomes between 120 and 135 percent of the 
Federal Poverty Level since 1997. It is estimated that the Part B 
premiums will cost a beneficiary $88.50 a month, an increase of $10.30 
from the current $78.20 premium. For these low-income individuals, that 
represents a significant percentage of their monthly income. The 
President's budget includes a one year extension of the QI program.
  Both the QI and TANF programs provide critical support to individuals 
and families with children who are in need--folks who otherwise might 
not be able to get healthcare services or make ends meet.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. TALENT (for himself, Mr. Allen, and Mr. Coleman):
  S.J. Res. 25. A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the 
Constitution of the United States to authorize the President to reduce 
or disapprove any appropriation any bill present by Congress; to the 
Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. TALENT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the joint resolution be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the joint resolution was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                              S.J. Res. 25

       Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of 
     each House concurring therein), That the following article is 
     proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United 
     States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as 
     part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of 
     three-fourths of the several States within seven years after 
     the date of its submission by the Congress:

                              ``Article --

       ``Section 1. The President may reduce or disapprove any 
     appropriation in any bill, order, resolution, or vote, which 
     is presented to the President under section 7 of Article I.
       ``Section 2. Any legislation that the President approves 
     and signs, after being amended pursuant to section 1, shall 
     become law as so modified.
       ``The President shall return those portions of the 
     legislation that contain reduced or disapproved 
     appropriations with objections to the House where such 
     legislation originated.
       ``Congress may separately consider any reduced or 
     disapproved appropriations in the manner prescribed under 
     section 7 of Article I for bills disapproved by the 
     President.
       ``Section 3. This article shall take effect on the first 
     day of the first session of Congress beginning after the date 
     of ratification.''.

                          ____________________