[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 89 (Tuesday, July 11, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H5003-H5005]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




AMENDING PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT WITH RESPECT TO NATIONAL FOUNDATION 
           FOR THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION

  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the Senate bill (S. 655) to amend the Public Health Service Act 
with respect to the National Foundation for the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                 S. 655

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

     SECTION 1. NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE 
                   CONTROL AND PREVENTION; ACCEPTANCE OF VOLUNTARY 
                   SERVICES; FEDERAL FUNDING.

       (a) Authority for Acceptance of Voluntary Services; 
     Striking Two-Year Limit Per Individual.--Section 
     399G(h)(2)(A) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
     280e-11(h)(2)(A)) is amended by striking the second sentence 
     and inserting the following: ``In the case of an individual, 
     such Director may accept the services provided under the 
     preceding sentence by the individual until such time as the 
     private funding for such individual ends.''.
       (b) Reports.--Section 399G(h)(7) of the Public Health 
     Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280e-11(h)(7)) is amended--
       (1) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``, including an 
     accounting of the use of amounts provided for under 
     subsection (i)'' before the period at the end of the second 
     sentence; and
       (2) by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(C) The Foundation shall make copies of each report 
     submitted under subparagraph (A) available--
       ``(i) for public inspection, and shall upon request provide 
     a copy of the report to any individual for a charge not to 
     exceed the cost of providing the copy; and
       ``(ii) to the appropriate committees of Congress.''.
       (c) Federal Funding.--Section 399G(i) of the Public Health 
     Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280e-11(i)) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (2)--
       (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``$500,000'', and 
     inserting ``$1,250,000''; and
       (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``not more than 
     $500,000'' and inserting ``not less than $500,000, and not 
     more than $1,250,000''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(4) Support services.--The Director of the Centers for 
     Disease Control and Prevention may provide facilities, 
     utilities, and support services to the Foundation if it is 
     determined by the Director to be advantageous to the programs 
     of such Centers.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Deal) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gene Green) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Georgia.


                             General Leave

  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material on 
the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Georgia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 655, legislation to make 
needed improvements to the CDC Foundation. The CDC Foundation is a 
private, nonprofit foundation established by Congress in 1992 to help 
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fulfill its mission on 
protecting health and promoting safety. It is located in my State of 
Georgia. The CDC Foundation is a unique private-public partnership that 
supports the important work of the CDC both here in the United States 
and around the world.
  When public health emergencies strike, the CDC Foundation harnesses 
the know-how of the private sector to fill the gaps and get around 
government red tape, helping to keep Americans safe from harm.
  To fulfill its mission, the CDC Foundation relies heavily on the 
ingenuity and resources of private donations. In the 11 years since its 
incorporation, the CDC Foundation has raised more than $100 million in 
private donations from individuals, corporate partners, and other 
foundations. With the relatively small Federal investment of half a 
million dollars per year for operating expenses, the CDC Foundation has 
been able to leverage over $15 million per

[[Page H5004]]

year in private funds over the last 5 years. This represents an amazing 
30-to-1 return on the Federal investment.
  These funds allow the foundation to manage over 100 programs that 
work directly with the CDC and the United States in over 30 countries 
around the world.

                              {time}  1400

  The CDC Foundation helps to bring an international focus to the work 
of the CDC that is having a direct impact on the health of U.S. 
citizens here at home. When deadly infections like SARS or bird flu 
arise in distant parts of the world, the world-renowned expertise of 
CDC experts can play an important role in disease monitoring and 
prevention. Effective intervention at the source can stop these 
diseases in their tracks, preventing them from ever reaching our soil.
  With help from the CDC Foundation, experts at the CDC train local 
public health officials from around the world, offering valuable 
resources and expertise to fight deadly infections and save lives.
  But the CDC Foundation doesn't just protect Americans by supporting 
overseas activities. Here in the United States the Foundation gives CDC 
needed flexibility during public health emergencies. In the aftermath 
of Hurricane Katrina last year, for example, the lack of computers and 
Internet access was hampering the CDC's work in detecting and 
containing potential disease outbreaks among Houston-area hurricane 
evacuees. Thanks to the ready availability of CDC Foundation funds, 
these CDC teams were able to cut through the red tape and purchase the 
equipment they needed to get the job done.
  Furthermore, the CDC Foundation is served by an outstanding 
internationally renowned board of directors that draws its members from 
the corporate, philanthropic, educational and public health sectors. 
These leaders have served ably in bringing about both accountability 
and flexibility to this unique public-private partnership. And I would 
urge the support of this legislation today.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  I would like to thank Ranking Member Dingell and our ranking member 
of the subcommittee, Sherrod Brown, for allowing me to manage the bill.
  I rise in support of this legislation which the Energy and Commerce 
Committee reported out last month. This legislation makes minor changes 
in the National Foundation for the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention so that it can have the flexibility it needs to build on its 
success to date.
  First authorized by Congress in 1992, the CDC Foundation is an 
excellent example of a public-private partnership that can yield 
tremendous results with minimal taxpayer investment.
  Specifically, the Foundation has utilized $500,000 in Federal funding 
to bring in approximately $15 million in private sector dollars each 
year. This amounts to a 30-to-1 return on CDC's annual investment in 
the Foundation.
  With this funding, the CDC Foundation has implemented more than 100 
health and safety programs in over 30 countries. These programs stretch 
across the world and reach all levels of society from corporate leaders 
and health care professionals to patients.
  For example, the Foundation has addressed global health concerns with 
the Round Table on Global Health Threats, which brought global 
government and corporate leaders together to develop ways to better 
detect global health threats.
  The Foundation has also been instrumental in the establishment of a 
health leadership academy that provides management training for 
midcareer health care professionals from local and State health 
departments.
  The CDC Foundation has also improved the health of underserved women 
here at home through its mobile mammogram van. This partnership with 
Avon has put mobile vans on the ground in rural and underserved 
communities. There is no question that these vans have saved the lives 
of American women who face significant barriers to health care and 
whose cancer would have most likely gone undetected until it was too 
late.
  What's more, the CDC has now assigned a scientist to the program to 
evaluate the program and determine the best practices for similar 
programs around the country.
  This bill makes minor changes in the Foundation's authorization that 
will have a major impact on the Foundation's ability to leverage its 
resources and maximize the outcome. For example, the bill increases the 
authorization levels the CDC director can put toward the Foundation. 
This change will provide the CDC director with the flexibility to 
increase CDC's investment in the Foundation, but not at additional 
taxpayer expense, since the CDC's contribution to the Foundation is not 
appropriated, but comes from the director's budget.
  The bill would also allow for better alignment of private fellowships 
and Foundation activities. Currently, fellows may be assigned to the 
Foundation program for 2 years, despite the program's duration of 3 to 
4. This small change will allow fellows to remain throughout the 
program's duration, providing the program with invaluable institutional 
memory and increased efficiency, which will no doubt improve the 
outcomes.
  This is a commonsense bill that will improve the public-private 
partnerships that are so important to the current success of the CDC 
Foundation.
  I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill and 
ensure we build on this success in the future.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my colleague 
from Georgia (Mr. Linder), who is the sponsor of the House version of 
this same bill that we are now considering from the Senate.
  Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House passage for S. 
655 and I urge my colleagues on both sides to join me in supporting the 
measure.
  S. 655 closely mirrors legislation I introduced in the House last 
year, H.R. 1569. Both of these measures seek the same objective, to 
make very few limited changes to current Federal law governing the 
National Foundation for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  In light of the fact that the U.S. Senate approved an amended version 
of S. 655 last July, I worked with my friend and colleague from Georgia 
(Mr. Deal), the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on 
Health, to bring this measure to the floor today. I commend him for all 
of his work on this project, and express my appreciation for his 
support and leadership on health policy matters, including the CDC.
  The legislation before us today, S. 655, would allow research fellows 
at the Foundation to remain in their positions for as long as their 
privately funded fellowships remain in effect. Currently, such 
fellowships must end after 2 years.
  Second, the bill gives the director of the CDC authority to provide 
facilities, utilities and support services to the Foundation, provided 
that doing so furthers the CDC's public health mission.
  Third, it would allow the Secretary of HHS, on behalf of the CDC, to 
make up to $1.25 million in funding available to the Foundation each 
year, an increase from the current law level of $500,000.
  This bill passed the Senate by unanimous consent and has moved 
quickly through Energy and Commerce. The important part is the raising 
the funding part. For every dollar in public funds, the Foundation 
generates $30 in nongovernmental funding from the private sector. For 
example, GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals paid $30,000 for an Asian 
rotavirus surveillance network meeting.
  Kaiser Foundation Hospitals gave $2 million to emergency preparedness 
and the response fund.
  Sanofi Pasteur paid $1.5 million for a meningcoccal vaccine study.
  Wyeth Pharmaceuticals paid $3 million for a study of the blood 
inhibitors in hemophilia patients. These were of parochial interest to 
these corporations, but of general interest to the public health, and 
have been helpful to all of us.
  In short, the Foundation leverages a modest amount of public money 
and uses that to generate a large amount of private nongovernmental 
support for the CDC and its mission. Passing S. 655

[[Page H5005]]

will help enable the Foundation to surpass this exemplary record of 
achievement.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.
  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my other 
Georgia colleague, Mr. Gingrey.
  Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding. As I 
listened to my colleagues, I realized that a lot of what I am going to 
say is going to be a repeat, but I will tell you what, the story is so 
good, Mr. Speaker, I want to hear it again myself.
  Let me just say that this legislation contains two crucial provisions 
that allow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention more 
flexibility to expand its successful National Foundation Program.
  This Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization that was 
authorized back in 1992 by Congress to raise private funds to support 
the work of the CDC. It was established to unite outside partners and 
resources with CDC scientists and employees in order to build programs 
which substantially strengthen the influence of the CDC.
  Some examples of the Foundation's current successful partnerships are 
Home Depot, UPS and BellSouth.
  Currently, the Foundation is required to enforce a maximum of 2 
years' participation in the program. However, S. 655 would allow the 
Foundation to work with these and other partners and employees for as 
long as they deem appropriate.
  Since it was incorporated as a nonprofit back in 1996, the National 
Foundation for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has 
raised, and it has been stated earlier, more than $100 million. This 
has been accomplished with a maximum annual investment limit of only 
$500,000, meaning that each year the CDC can transfer a maximum of 
500,000 from its own budget to fund the Foundation.
  In recent years, the Foundation has established a reputation of 
raising almost $15 million annually. And that, as Mr. Green said, is a 
30-fold return on investment.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation increases this maximum investment limit 
to $1.25 million, an amount equal to the ceiling placed on the 
Foundation for the National Institutes of Health.
  This provision allows the CDC to transfer an additional $750,000 
annually from its budget to support the operating expenses of the 
Foundation, thereby allowing it to continue to raise private funds for 
CDC research.
  In this time of uncertainty with respect to things like avian flu and 
other public health threats, our country needs more from this agency 
than ever. S. 655 gives the Foundation the flexibility to make crucial 
changes that will increase the capacity of the CDC by leveraging this 
successful public-private sector collaboration.
  It is in the best interest of the American taxpayer to allow a 
successful program to leverage more private funds to support this 
crucial agency. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, the proposed legislation today, as 
has already been stated, has already received strong bipartisan support 
as it unanimously passed the Senate, and likewise, passed the Energy 
and Commerce Committee of the House.
  The bill makes several changes to the existing CDC Foundation 
statute. For example, it allows greater sharing of resources such as 
private office space and facilities from the CDC to the Foundation. It 
also extends the lengths of fellowships granted by the Foundation 
beyond the current limit of 2 years.
  The bill will allow the director of the CDC to shift more of her 
discretionary funding to cover the administrative and operating cost of 
the foundation. Like any nonprofit or charitable foundation, the CDC 
Foundation must cover its administrative costs out of its own funds. 
This legislation will allow the CDC director to provide the Foundation 
between $500,000 per year up to the $1.25 million per year for 
operating expenses, depending on need.
  Finally, the bill provides additional accountability for Federal 
resources by requiring a report of the Foundation's activities to be 
submitted to Congress each year. With these improvements contained in 
this legislation, I am confident that the CDC Foundation will be able 
to attract additional significant private funds and expand its role in 
assisting the CDC.
  The continuing partnership between the Foundation and the Federal 
Government is helping the CDC to have a positive impact on people's 
health in the United States and around the world.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of this bill.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Kirk). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Deal) that the House suspend 
the rules and pass the Senate bill, S. 655, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate bill, as amended, was 
passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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