[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 18 (Tuesday, February 14, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1176-S1179]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Ms. STABENOW (for herself and Ms. Murkowski):
  S. 2278. A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to improve the 
prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart disease, stroke, and 
other cardiovascular diseases in women; to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the ``HEART 
for Women Act of 2006.'' I want to thank Senator Lisa Murkowski for 
joining me on this important legislation. I am also pleased that 
Congresswomen Lois Capps and Barbara Cubin are introducing companion 
legislation in the House of Representatives.
  We face an alarming situation in this country. While over the last 25 
years we have made good progress in reducing the death rate for men 
with heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases, the same 
does not hold true for women. Not only have we not lowered the 
cardiovascular disease mortality rate for women--the death rate has 
actually gone up for women during that same period.
  A lot of people think of heart disease as a ``man's disease.'' But 
while heart disease is certainly a significant problem for men, it is 
an equally important problem for women.
  Fact: Heart disease and stroke actually kill more women each year 
than men.
  Fact: Heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases are 
the number 1 killer in the United States and in my home State of 
Michigan. In Michigan, 43 percent of all deaths in women are due to 
cardiovascular disease.
  Fact: 1 in 3 adult women has some form of cardiovascular disease.
  Fact: Minority women, particularly African American, Hispanic and 
Native American women are at even greater risk from heart disease and 
stroke.
  The first step in addressing any problem is acknowledging it--that's 
why efforts to educate women about their risk of heart disease are so 
important.
  The good news is that we have made progress in educating women: 
nearly half of women can now identify heart disease as the leading 
cause of death in women. The bad news is that while women are now more 
aware of their risk of heart disease many of their doctors are not.
  Astoundingly, 4 out of 5 doctors do not know that more women die of 
heart disease each year than men. Those numbers are alarming because 
doctors decide how aggressively to treat their patients based on the 
amount of risk they perceive for that patient.
  I suspect we all know women who have been to their doctors or to 
emergency rooms exhibiting symptoms of a heart attack, only to be told 
they were suffering from ``stress'' or indigestion.
  As a result, women don't get the same care that men do. Even though 
women make up 53 percent of all deaths from cardiovascular disease, 
they receive only 33 percent of coronary interventions such as 
angioplasties and stints.
  Likewise, 61 percent of total stroke deaths are in women, but only 38 
percent of the procedures to prevent stroke are performed on women.
  And when women do receive treatment, it is often based on research 
that was solely done on men. For too many years, everyone has just 
assumed that treatments that are effective for men work equally well in 
women.
  But now we know that gender really does make a difference. Diagnostic 
tests, prescription drugs, and medical devices may work differently in 
women than in men. When there is a difference, patients and their 
healthcare providers need and deserve to know this. And right now, all 
too often that kind of information simply isn't available to clinicians 
and researchers.
  That is why Senator Murkowski and I are introducing the ``HEART for 
Women Act'' to help to turn this problem around. This legislation takes 
a 3-pronged approach to reducing the heart disease death rate for 
women.
  First, the bill would authorize grants to educate doctors on how to 
prevent, diagnose and treat heart disease and strokes in women. Doctors 
and other healthcare providers first and foremost need to know that 
heart disease is a major problem in women, so that they treat it 
accordingly.
  The bill would also require that health information that is already

[[Page S1177]]

being reported to the federal government be gender-specific, and would 
require annual recommendations to Congress for improving the treatment 
of heart disease in women. Doctors need to know what medical treatments 
are safe and effective for their women patients.
  Finally, the bill would also expand a current program run by the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC called WISEWOMAN, Well-
Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation.
  The WISEWOMAN program provides free heart disease and stroke 
screening to low-income, uninsured women. While Michigan is fortunate 
to be one of the 14 States that has a WISEWOMAN program, every State 
should have this important program.
  These are simple, cost-effective, but meaningful steps that Congress 
can take that will help get the death rate for women from heart disease 
and stroke going in the right direction--down.
  Today is Valentine's Day, a day for showing our loved ones how much 
we love and appreciation them.
  As women, we tend to be really great at taking care of everyone 
around us--our children, our husbands, our aging parents. 
Unfortunately, we're not nearly so good about taking care of ourselves.
  So I hope that this Valentine's Day will also be a day to raise 
awareness about the risks of heart disease for women and to encourage 
our loved ones--our mothers, sisters, and friends--to take good care of 
themselves. I urge my colleagues to join me in passing this critical 
legislation.
  Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, February is American Heart Month, and 
heart disease remains the Nation's leading cause of death.
  Many women believe that heart disease is a man's disease and, 
unfortunately, do not view it as a serious health threat. Yet, in every 
year since 1984, cardiovascular disease claimed the lives of more women 
than men. In fact, cardiovascular disease death rates have declined in 
men since 1979, while the death rate for women during that same period 
has actually increased. The numbers are disturbing: cardiovascular 
diseases claim the lives of more than 480,000 women per year; that's 
nearly a death per minute among females and nearly 12 times as many 
lives as claimed by breast cancer. One in four females has some form of 
cardiovascular disease.
  That is why I am pleased to join with my colleague from Michigan, 
Senator Stabenow, to introduce important legislation, the HEART for 
Women Act, or Heart disease Education, Analysis and Research, and 
Treatment for Women Act. This important bill improves the prevention, 
diagnosis and treatment of heart disease and stroke in women.
  In Alaska, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death, 
totaling nearly 800 deaths each year. Women in Alaska have higher death 
rates from stroke than do women nationally. Mortality among Native 
Alaskan women is dramatically on the rise, whereas, it is declining 
among Caucasian women in the Lower 48.
  Despite being the number one killer, many women and their health care 
providers do not know that the biggest health care threat to women is 
heart disease. In fact, a recent survey found that 45 percent of women 
still don't know that heart disease is the number one killer of women.
  Perhaps even more troubling is the lack of awareness among health 
care providers. According to American Heart Association figures, less 
than one in five physicians recognize that more women suffer from heart 
disease than men. Among primary care physicians, only 8 percent of 
primary care physicians--and even more astounding--only 17 percent of 
cardiologists recognize that more women die of heart disease than men. 
Additionally, studies show that women are less likely to receive 
aggressive treatment because heart disease often manifests itself 
differently in women than men.
  This is why the HEART Act is so important. Our bill takes a three-
pronged approach to reducing the heart disease death rate for women, 
through; 1. education; 2. research; and 3. screening.
  First, the bill would authorize the Department of Health and Human 
Services to educate healthcare professionals and older women about 
unique aspects of care in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of 
women with heart disease and stroke.
  Second, the bill would require disclosure of gender-specific health 
information that is already being reported to the Federal Government. 
Many agencies already collect information based on gender, but do not 
disseminate or analyze the gender differences. This bill would release 
that information so that it could be studied, and important health 
trends in women could be detected.
  Lastly, the bill would authorize the expansion of the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention's WISEWOMAN program, the Well-Integrated 
Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation program. The 
WISEWOMAN program provides free heart disease and stroke screening to 
low-income uninsured women, but the program is currently limited to 
just 14 States.
  My State of Alaska is fortunate to have two WISEWOMAN program sites. 
These programs screen for high blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose 
in Native Alaskan women and provide invaluable counseling on diet and 
exercise. One program in Alaska alone has successfully screened 1,437 
Alaskan Native women and has provided them with a culturally 
appropriate intervention program that has produced life-saving results.
  Heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases cost 
Americans more than any other disease--an estimated $403 billion in 
2006, including more than $250 billion in direct medical costs. We, as 
a nation, can control those costs--prevention through early detection 
is the most cost-effective way to combat this disease.
  Today, as we celebrate Valentine's Day and see images of hearts just 
about everywhere, let us not forget that the heart is much more than a 
symbol--it is a vital organ that can't be taken for granted. Coronary 
disease can be effectively treated and sometimes even prevented--it 
does not have to be the number one cause of death in women. And, that 
is why I encourage my colleagues to support the HEART for Women Act.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. OBAMA (for himself, Mr. Durbin, and Mr. Menendez):
  S. 2280. A bill to stop transactions which operate to promote fraud, 
risk, and under-development, and for other purposes; to the Committee 
on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
  Mr. OBAMA. Mr. President, today, I am introducing new legislation to 
address a growing problem in our country, one that is robbing thousands 
of Americans of their dream of homeownership, and costing the mortgage 
industry hundreds of millions of dollars each year.
  I am talking about the problem of mortgage fraud--the practice of 
defrauding individuals of their rightful property, and using tricks and 
schemes to steal from banks and other financial institutions. Mortgage 
fraud comes in a variety of forms, from inflated appraisals to the use 
of straw buyers, but the net result is the same: financial institutions 
lose out to the tune of approximately $1.01 billion each year, and 
consumers lose their savings, their good credit, and their homes.
  Although the data in this area is limited, mortgage fraud is clearly 
on the rise. According to the FBI, mortgage fraud cases were up 25 
percent last year, and 400 percent since 2002. Further, in 2004, the 
mortgage industry noted 12,000 cases of suspicious activity, three 
times the amount reported in 2001. This is due largely to the housing 
boom which is driving up housing prices across the country. Nearly $2.5 
trillion in mortgage loans were made during 2005, and the number is 
only expected to rise this year.
  But mortgage fraud is about more than just dollars and statistics; 
it's about real people, real homes, and real lives. My hometown Chicago 
Tribune has featured a series of articles about mortgage fraud in 
Illinois, which, along with Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, Missouri, 
Michigan, California, Nevada, Colorado and Utah, is among the FBI's 
top-ten mortgage fraud `hot spots.'
  The stories highlight, for example, the plight of the good folks on 
May Street in Chicago, who saw a block's worth of homes go boarded up 
in the span of a just few years, as swindlers

[[Page S1178]]

racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in bad loans, and left 
shells of houses behind. The Tribune stories highlighted the plight of 
75-year-old Ruth Williams, who had to spend her personal funds to clear 
the title to her home after fraudsters secured $400,000 in loans on 
three buildings they didn't own. And two doors down from Ms. Williams, 
Corey Latimer can't sell his building or borrow against it, because a 
lending company hasn't released a phony mortgage that Corey didn't 
authorize.
  Law enforcement, consumer groups and many in the mortgage industry 
are doing what they can to combat fraud, and I applaud their good work. 
Now, Congress needs to come to the table and do its part.
  I, along with Senator Durbin and Senator Menendez, am introducing the 
STOP FRAUD Act today to address the critical problem of mortgage fraud. 
STOP FRAUD (Stopping Transactions which Operate to Promote Fraud, Risk 
and Under-Development) would provide the first Federal definition of 
mortgage fraud and authorize stiff criminal penalties against 
fraudulent actors. STOP FRAUD requires a wide range of mortgage 
professionals to report suspected fraudulent activity, and gives these 
same professionals safe harbor from liability when they report 
suspicious incidents. It also authorizes several grant programs to help 
State and local law enforcement fight fraud, provide the mortgage 
industry with updates on fraud trends, and further support the 
Departments of Treasury, Justice and Housing and Urban Development's 
fraud-fighting efforts.
  The STOP FRAUD Act will build upon the good work of the FBI, the 
Treasury Department, HUD, consumer groups, many in the mortgage 
industry, and State and local law enforcement, giving them the tools 
they need to stop mortgage fraud in its tracks. The cost of this bill 
is well worth the benefit to American taxpayers and companies, and it 
has been endorsed by a range of law enforcement and consumer groups. 
The Illinois Attorney General's office and the Chicago Police 
Department have told me how valuable this bill would be to their 
enforcement efforts, and ACORN, the Center For Responsible Lending, the 
National Association of Consumer Advocates, the National Community 
Reinvestment Coalition, National Consumer Law Center, and U.S. PIRG 
said in a recent letter that this bill would ``help protect consumers 
from fraudulent and abusive practices in the mortgage industry.''
  The STOP FRAUD Act is a tough, cost-effective, and balanced way to 
address the serious problem of mortgage fraud in our country. I urge my 
colleagues to join me in this important effort.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. FRIST:
  S. 2283. A bill to establish a congressional commemorative medal for 
organ donors and their families; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, 
and Urban Affairs.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, each day, 74 people receive an organ 
transplant. And each day, another 18 patients die waiting.
  While it doesn't get a lot of public attention, for every family who 
struggles with the pain and uncertainty of waiting for that life saving 
gift, the organ donation shortage is an urgent crisis.
  Right now, over 97,000 people are on the waiting list. Fewer than 
half of them will get the transplant they need. Almost 2,000 of the 
patients on the list are from my home state of Tennessee.
  As a heart and lung transplant surgeon, I have direct and intimate 
experience with this issue. I've devoted two decades of my life to 
giving others a second chance through transplantation.
  I have sat next to the hospital bed and looked into eyes of patients 
and their families and seen the frustration, desperation and fear they 
feel as they wait and hope for the miraculous gift that can reverse a 
fatal diagnosis.
  I've personally shared in the elation when the donation came through. 
I also know very well the tragedy when a patient dies before they could 
receive a transplant--a direct result of a large and growing shortage 
of organ donors.
  The medical community is trying to raise public awareness. I'm proud 
to say that four Tennessee hospitals are participating in the 
nationwide, ``Organ Donation Breakthrough Collaborative Gift of Life 
Initiative.''
  Led by the Department of Health and Human Services, this is a 
multiphase national collaboration designed to increase access to 
transplantable organs and promote organ donation among the public.
  In Tennessee, we have two active organ procurement organizations, the 
Tennessee Donor Services and the Mid South Transplant Foundation. There 
are also 10 transplant centers throughout the state.
  As a transplant surgeon and a Tennessean, I am proud of these path 
breaking efforts. But, the sobering fact remains, we still have far too 
few donors to meet the urgent demand.
  I understand that it's a difficult and emotional decision to, 
literally, give part of oneself away. Many people, understandably, feel 
squeamish about choosing donation. But by giving the gift of life, 
miracles can come from tragedy, and a whole family can be saved.
  I bring all of this up because there is something we can do here in 
the Senate.
  Today, I am proposing that we create a congressional commemorative 
medal to honor organ donors and their families under the Gift of Life 
Congressional Medal Act of 2006.
  At no cost to the Government, we can recognize the extraordinary 
generosity of a donor's gift and send a message to the broader public 
about how vitally important organ donation is to thousands of people 
desperately waiting for that precious gift.
  Congressman Pete Stark of California has introduced companion 
legislation in the House. He shares my belief that organ donation is 
one of the most precious gifts an individual can give to a fellow human 
being.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in this simple and sincere gesture of 
support. By honoring our fellow citizens in this way, we, too, can help 
give the gift of life.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 2283

       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 ``Gift of Life Congressional 
     Medal Act of 2006''.

     SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL.

       The Secretary of the Treasury shall design and strike a 
     bronze medal with suitable emblems, devices, and 
     inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary of the 
     Treasury, to commemorate organ donors and their families.

     SEC. 3. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.

       (a) In General.--Any organ donor, or the family or family 
     member of any organ donor, shall be eligible for a medal 
     described in section 2.
       (b) Documentation.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
     Services shall direct the entity holding the Organ 
     Procurement and Transplantation Network (hereafter in this 
     Act referred to as ``OPTN'') to contract to--
       (1) establish an application procedure requiring the 
     relevant organ procurement organization, as described in 
     section 371(b)(1) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
     273(b)(1)), through which an individual or their family made 
     an organ donation, to submit to the OPTN contractor 
     documentation supporting the eligibility of that individual 
     or their family to receive a medal described in section 2; 
     and
       (2) determine, through the documentation provided, and, if 
     necessary, independent investigation, whether the individual 
     or family is eligible to receive a medal described in section 
     2.

     SEC. 4. PRESENTATION.

       (a) Delivery to the Secretary of Health and Human 
     Services.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall deliver medals 
     struck pursuant to this Act to the Secretary of Health and 
     Human Services.
       (b) Delivery to Eligible Recipients.--The Secretary of 
     Health and Human Services shall direct the OPTN contractor to 
     arrange for the presentation to the relevant organ 
     procurement organization all medals struck pursuant to this 
     Act to individuals or families that, in accordance with 
     section 3, the OPTN contractor has determined to be eligible 
     to receive medals under this Act.
       (c) Limitation.--
       (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), only 
     1 medal may be presented to a family under subsection (b). 
     Such medal shall be presented to the donating family member, 
     or in the case of a deceased donor, the family member who 
     signed the consent form authorizing, or who otherwise 
     authorized, the donation of the organ involved.
       (2) Exception.--In the case of a family in which more than 
     1 member is an organ

[[Page S1179]]

     donor, the OPTN contractor may present an additional medal to 
     each such organ donor or their family.

     SEC. 5. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
     or the OPTN contractor may provide duplicates of the medal 
     described in section 2 to any recipient of a medal under 
     section 4(b), under such regulations as the Secretary of 
     Health and Human Services may issue.
       (b) Limitation.--The price of a duplicate medal shall be 
     sufficient to cover the cost of such duplicates.

     SEC. 6. NATIONAL MEDALS.

       The medals struck pursuant to this Act are national medals 
     for purposes of section 5111 of title 31, United States Code.

     SEC. 7. GENERAL WAIVER OF PROCUREMENT REGULATIONS.

       No provision of law governing procurement or public 
     contracts shall be applicable to the procurement of goods or 
     services necessary for carrying out the provisions of this 
     Act.

     SEC. 8. SOLICITATION OF DONATIONS.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Treasury may enter 
     into an agreement with the OPTN contractor to collect funds 
     to offset expenditures relating to the issuance of medals 
     authorized under this Act.
       (b) Payment of Funds.--
       (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), all 
     funds received by the Organ Procurement and Transplantation 
     Network under subsection (a) shall be promptly paid by the 
     Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network to the 
     Secretary of the Treasury.
       (2) Limitation.--Not more than 5 percent of any funds 
     received under subsection (a) shall be used to pay 
     administrative costs incurred by the OPTN contractor as a 
     result of an agreement established under this section.
       (c) Numismatic Public Enterprise Fund.--Notwithstanding any 
     other provision of law--
       (1) all amounts received by the Secretary of the Treasury 
     under subsection (b)(1) shall be deposited in the Numismatic 
     Public Enterprise Fund, as described in section 5134 of title 
     31, United States Code; and
       (2) the Secretary of the Treasury shall charge such fund 
     with all expenditures relating to the issuance of medals 
     authorized under this Act.
       (d) Start-Up Costs.--A 1-time amount not to exceed $55,000 
     shall be provided to the OPTN contractor to cover initial 
     start-up costs. The amount will be paid back in full within 3 
     years of the date of the enactment of this Act from funds 
     received under subsection (a).
       (e) No Net Cost to the Government.--The Secretary of the 
     Treasury shall take all actions necessary to ensure that the 
     issuance of medals authorized under section 2 results in no 
     net cost to the Government.

     SEC. 9. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Organ.--The term ``organ'' means the human kidney, 
     liver, heart, lung, pancreas, and any other human organ 
     (other than corneas and eyes) specified by regulation of the 
     Secretary of Health and Human Services or the OPTN 
     contractor.
       (2) Organ procurement and transplantation network.--The 
     term ``Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network'' means 
     the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network established 
     under section 372 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
     274).

     SEC. 10. SUNSET PROVISION.

       This Act shall be effective during the 5-year period 
     beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. OBAMA (for himself and Mr. Bayh):
  S. 2286. A bill to amend part A of title IV of the Social Security 
Act to eliminate the separate work participation rate for 2-parent 
families under the temporary assistance for needy families programs; to 
the Committee on Finance.
  Mr. OBAMA. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about the ``Equality 
for Two-Parent Families Act of 2006'' that I am introducing with 
Senator Bayh. When Congress reauthorized the Temporary Assistance for 
Needy Families program as part of the Spending Reconciliation bill two 
weeks ago, we failed to eliminate a pernicious disincentive to marriage 
that was contained in that bill. The Equality for Two-Parent Families 
Act will correct that unfortunate error.
  Republicans and Democrats often have different ideas about how best 
to promote self sufficiency and economic mobility for low-income 
families. But one thing on which we all can agree is that children are 
better off when they grow up with two responsible parents.
  The evidence shows that, on average, children in two-parent families 
do better in school and are more likely to lead successful, independent 
lives. That is why recent TANF legislation, including the bipartisan 
PRIDE Act in the Senate and H.R. 240 in the House, and Administration 
proposals have recognized that the separate two-parent work 
participation standard, which introduces an anti-marriage bias in TANF, 
should be eliminated.
  Unfortunately, the recent TANF reauthorization failed to reflect this 
long-standing consensus. Instead, the new law compels States to meet an 
unequal work participation standard with their own State-funded 
programs. Whereas States must ensure that 50 percent of their single 
parents satisfy the work requirements, they will be penalized if fewer 
than 90 percent of their two-parent families meet what are even greater 
work requirements.
  As a result, many States, including Illinois which until now has 
successfully served two-parent families in its state program, may now 
face an unfortunate choice: stop serving two-parent families or face a 
penalty. I even heard one welfare official joke that States may be 
better off paying couples to split up in order to avoid possible 
penalties. What kind of incentive is that?
  Requiring States to treat two-parent families differently undermines 
efforts on both the state and federal level to promote and strengthen 
two-parent families. It is especially ironic that the policy is part of 
a bill that includes funding for marriage promotion and fatherhood 
programs.
  The remedy for this contradiction is clear; we must eliminate the 
separate two-parent work participation standard. Senator Bayh and I 
have introduced the ``Equality for Two-Parent Families Act of 2006'' to 
eliminate this standard and rectify the inequity in current TANF 
policy. Our bill does not change two-parent work requirements or 
interfere with State efforts to promote employment and reduce 
caseloads. Instead, our bill reinforces State efforts to support two-
parent families in the ways that they know best.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and join us in 
promoting stronger families. Thank you for your attention to this 
important matter.

                          ____________________