[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 164 (Wednesday, December 19, 2012)]
[House]
[Pages H7296-H7301]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PREMATURITY RESEARCH EXPANSION AND EDUCATION FOR MOTHERS WHO DELIVER
INFANTS EARLY REAUTHORIZATION ACT
Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(S. 1440) to reduce preterm labor and delivery and the risk of
pregnancy-related deaths and complications due to pregnancy, and to
reduce infant mortality caused by prematurity, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the amendments is as follows:
Amendments:
Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Prematurity Research
Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early
Reauthorization Act'' or the ``PREEMIE Reauthorization Act''.
SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS.
The table of contents of this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Table of contents.
TITLE I--PREMATURITY RESEARCH EXPANSION AND EDUCATION FOR MOTHERS WHO
DELIVER INFANTS EARLY
Sec. 101. Research and activities at the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention.
Sec. 102. Activities at the Health Resources and Services
Administration.
Sec. 103. Other activities.
TITLE II--NATIONAL PEDIATRIC RESEARCH NETWORK
Sec. 201. National Pediatric Research Network.
TITLE III--CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL GME SUPPORT REAUTHORIZATION
Sec. 301. Program of payments to children's hospitals that operate
graduate medical education programs.
TITLE I--PREMATURITY RESEARCH EXPANSION AND EDUCATION FOR MOTHERS WHO
DELIVER INFANTS EARLY
SEC. 101. RESEARCH AND ACTIVITIES AT THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE
CONTROL AND PREVENTION.
(a) Epidemiological Studies.--Section 3 of the Prematurity
Research Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver
Infants Early Act (42 U.S.C. 247b-4f) is amended by striking
subsection (b) and inserting the following:
``(b) Studies and Activities on Preterm Birth.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary of Health and Human
Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, may, subject to the
availability of appropriations--
``(A) conduct epidemiological studies on the clinical,
biological, social, environmental, genetic, and behavioral
factors relating to prematurity, as appropriate;
``(B) conduct activities to improve national data to
facilitate tracking the burden of preterm birth; and
``(C) continue efforts to prevent preterm birth, including
late preterm birth, through the identification of
opportunities for prevention and the assessment of the impact
of such efforts.
``(2) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act, and every 2
years thereafter, the Secretary of Health and Human Services,
acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, shall submit to the appropriate
committees of Congress reports concerning the progress and
any results of studies conducted under paragraph (1).''.
(b) Reauthorization.--Section 3(e) of the Prematurity
Research Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver
Infants Early Act (42 U.S.C. 247b-4f(e)) is amended by
striking ``2011'' and inserting ``2017''.
SEC. 102. ACTIVITIES AT THE HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES
ADMINISTRATION.
(a) Telemedicine and High-risk Pregnancies.--Section
330I(i)(1)(B) of the Public
[[Page H7297]]
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254c-14(i)(1)(B)) is amended by
striking ``or case management services'' and inserting ``case
management services, or prenatal care for high-risk
pregnancies'';
(b) Public and Health Care Provider Education.--Section
399Q of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280g-5) is
amended--
(1) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking subparagraphs (A) through
(F) and inserting the following:
``(A) the core risk factors for preterm labor and delivery;
``(B) medically indicated deliveries before full term;
``(C) the importance of preconception and prenatal care,
including--
``(i) smoking cessation;
``(ii) weight maintenance and good nutrition, including
folic acid;
``(iii) the screening for and the treatment of infections;
and
``(iv) stress management;
``(D) treatments and outcomes for premature infants,
including late preterm infants;
``(E) the informational needs of families during the stay
of an infant in a neonatal intensive care unit; and
``(F) utilization of evidence-based strategies to prevent
birth injuries;''; and
(B) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
``(2) programs to increase the availability, awareness, and
use of pregnancy and post-term information services that
provide evidence-based, clinical information through
counselors, community outreach efforts, electronic or
telephonic communication, or other appropriate means
regarding causes associated with prematurity, birth defects,
or health risks to a post-term infant;''; and
(2) in subsection (c), by striking ``2011'' and inserting
``2017''.
SEC. 103. OTHER ACTIVITIES.
(a) Interagency Coordinating Council on Prematurity and Low
Birthweight.--The Prematurity Research Expansion and
Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early Act is
amended by striking section 5 (42 U.S.C. 247b-4g).
(b) Advisory Committee on Infant Mortality.--
(1) Establishment.--The Secretary of Health and Human
Services (referred to in this section as the ``Secretary'')
may establish an advisory committee known as the ``Advisory
Committee on Infant Mortality'' (referred to in this section
as the ``Advisory Committee'').
(2) Duties.--The Advisory Committee shall provide advice
and recommendations to the Secretary concerning the following
activities:
(A) Programs of the Department of Health and Human Services
that are directed at reducing infant mortality and improving
the health status of pregnant women and infants.
(B) Strategies to coordinate the various Federal programs
and activities with State, local, and private programs and
efforts that address factors that affect infant mortality.
(C) Implementation of the Healthy Start program under
section 330H of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
254c-8) and Healthy People 2020 infant mortality objectives.
(D) Strategies to reduce preterm birth rates through
research, programs, and education.
(3) Plan for hhs preterm birth activities.--Not later than
1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the
Advisory Committee (or an existing advisory committee
designated by the Secretary) shall develop a plan for
conducting and supporting research, education, and programs
on preterm birth through the Department of Health and Human
Services and shall periodically review and revise the plan,
as appropriate. The plan shall--
(A) examine research and educational activities that
receive Federal funding in order to enable the plan to
provide informed recommendations to reduce preterm birth and
address racial and ethnic disparities in preterm birth rates;
(B) identify research gaps and opportunities to implement
evidence-based strategies to reduce preterm birth rates among
the programs and activities of the Department of Health and
Human Services regarding preterm birth, including
opportunities to minimize duplication; and
(C) reflect input from a broad range of scientists,
patients, and advocacy groups, as appropriate.
(4) Membership.--The Secretary shall ensure that the
membership of the Advisory Committee includes the following:
(A) Representatives provided for in the original charter of
the Advisory Committee.
(B) A representative of the National Center for Health
Statistics.
(c) Patient Safety Studies and Report.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall designate an
appropriate agency within the Department of Health and Human
Services to coordinate existing studies on hospital
readmissions of preterm infants.
(2) Report to secretary and congress.--Not later than 1
year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the agency
designated under paragraph (1) shall submit to the Secretary
and to Congress a report containing the findings and
recommendations resulting from the studies coordinated under
such paragraph, including recommendations for hospital
discharge and followup procedures designed to reduce rates of
preventable hospital readmissions for preterm infants.
TITLE II--NATIONAL PEDIATRIC RESEARCH NETWORK
SEC. 201. NATIONAL PEDIATRIC RESEARCH NETWORK.
Section 409D of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
284h; relating to the Pediatric Research Initiative) is
amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (f); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following:
``(d) National Pediatric Research Network.--
``(1) Network.--In carrying out the Initiative, the
Director of NIH, in consultation with the Director of the
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and
Human Development and in collaboration with other appropriate
national research institutes and national centers that carry
out activities involving pediatric research, may provide for
the establishment of a National Pediatric Research Network
consisting of the pediatric research consortia receiving
awards under paragraph (2).
``(2) Pediatric research consortia.--
``(A) In general.--The Director of NIH may award funding,
including through grants, contracts, or other mechanisms, to
public or private nonprofit entities--
``(i) for establishing or strengthening pediatric research
consortia; and
``(ii) for providing support for such consortia, including
with respect to--
``(I) basic, clinical, behavioral, or translational
research to meet unmet pediatric research needs; and
``(II) training researchers in pediatric research
techniques in order to address unmet pediatric research
needs.
``(B) Research.--The Director of NIH may ensure that--
``(i) each consortium receiving an award under subparagraph
(A) conducts or supports at least one category of research
described in subparagraph (A)(ii)(I) and collectively such
consortia conduct or support all such categories of research;
and
``(ii) one or more such consortia provide training
described in subparagraph (A)(ii)(II).
``(C) Number of consortia.--
``(i) In general.--The Director of NIH may make awards
under this paragraph for not more than 8 pediatric research
consortia, with a minimum of one pediatric research
consortium that prioritizes collaboration with institutions
serving rural areas.
``(ii) Exception.--Notwithstanding clause (i), the Director
of NIH may make awards under this paragraph for more than 8
pediatric research consortia based on a finding of need by
the Director. Before making any award pursuant to the
preceding sentence, the Director of NIH shall give written
notice to the Congress of the Director's intent to make the
award and shall include in the notice an explanation of the
Director's finding of need.
``(D) Organization of consortium.--Each consortium
receiving an award under subparagraph (A) shall--
``(i) be formed from a collaboration of cooperating
institutions;
``(ii) be coordinated by a lead institution;
``(iii) agree to disseminate scientific findings rapidly
and efficiently; and
``(iv) meet such requirements as may be prescribed by the
Director of NIH.
``(E) Supplement, not supplant.--Any support received by a
consortium under subparagraph (A) shall be used to
supplement, and not supplant, other public or private support
for activities authorized to be supported under this
paragraph.
``(F) Duration of consortium support.--Support of a
consortium under subparagraph (A) may be for a period of not
to exceed 5 years. Such period may be extended at the
discretion of the Director of NIH.
``(3) Coordination of consortia activities.--The Director
of NIH shall--
``(A) as appropriate, provide for the coordination of
activities (including the exchange of information and regular
communication) among the consortia established pursuant to
paragraph (2); and
``(B) as appropriate, require the periodic preparation and
submission to the Director of reports on the activities of
each such consortium.
``(4) Assistance with registries.--Each consortium
receiving an award under paragraph (2)(A) shall provide
assistance to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
in the establishment or expansion of patient registries and
other surveillance systems as appropriate and upon request by
the Director of the Centers.
``(e) Research on Pediatric Rare Diseases or Conditions.--
In making awards under subsection (d)(2) for pediatric
research consortia, the Director of NIH shall ensure that an
appropriate number of such awards are awarded to such
consortia that agree to--
``(1) focus primarily on pediatric rare diseases or
conditions (including any such diseases or conditions that
are genetic disorders or are related to birth defects); and
``(2) conduct or coordinate one or more multisite clinical
trials of therapies for, or approaches to, the prevention,
diagnosis, or treatment of one or more pediatric rare
diseases or conditions.''.
TITLE III--CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL GME SUPPORT REAUTHORIZATION
SEC. 301. PROGRAM OF PAYMENTS TO CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS THAT
OPERATE GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS.
(a) In General.--Section 340E of the Public Health Service
Act (42 U.S.C. 256e) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ``through 2005 and each
of fiscal years 2007 through 2011'' and inserting ``through
2005, each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011, and each of
fiscal years 2013 through 2017'';
(2) in subsection (f)(1)(A)(iv), by inserting ``and each of
fiscal years 2013 through 2017'' after ``2011''; and
(3) in subsection (f)(2)(D), by inserting ``and each of
fiscal years 2013 through 2017'' after ``2011''.
(b) Report to Congress.--Section 340E(b)(3)(D) of the
Public Health Service Act
[[Page H7298]]
(42 U.S.C. 256e(b)(3)(D)) is amended by striking ``Not later
than the end of fiscal year 2011'' and inserting ``Not later
than the end of fiscal year 2016''.
Amend the title so as to read: ``An Act to reduce preterm
labor and delivery and the risk of pregnancy-related deaths
and complications due to pregnancy; to reduce infant
mortality caused by prematurity; to provide for a National
Pediatric Research Network, including with respect to
pediatric rare diseases or conditions; and to reauthorize
support for graduate medical education programs in children's
hospitals.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Westmoreland). Pursuant to the rule, the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts) and the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Pallone) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
General Leave
Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
insert extraneous materials into the Record on S. 1440.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
There was no objection.
Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, S. 1440, the Prematurity Research Expansion and
Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early Reauthorization, or the
``PREEMIE'' Reauthorization Act, would take important steps to protect
and improve children's health. The bill includes three important
programs: the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act, the National Pediatric
Research Network, and the Children's Hospitals Graduate Medical
Education Reauthorization.
The PREEMIE Reauthorization Act addresses one of the leading causes
of neonatal death and a major cause of childhood disabilities: preterm
birth. Since its passage in 2006, the PREEMIE Act has sponsored
important research that has led to improved prevention and care of
children born too early. Reauthorization will mean the continuation of
the program that will lead to even better outcomes for children.
The National Pediatric Research Network is a proven way to support
pediatric research by coordinating multicentered research activities,
including those in rural areas. By working in teams, innovative
research improves especially for diseases that are rare or affect a
small population of children. Most of the approximately 7,000 rare
diseases are pediatric and often genetic, and doctors do not have
sufficient therapies to treat them. This bill will help alleviate that
problem.
The Children's Hospital Graduate Medical Education Reauthorization
would enable the Department of Health and Human Services to provide
funding to freestanding children's hospitals to support the training of
pediatricians and other residents. Prior to the enactment of CHGME, the
number of residents in children's hospitals had declined by 13 percent.
Now the program has enabled children's hospitals to increase their
training programs by 35 percent.
In my home State of Pennsylvania, three premier children's hospitals,
Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, St. Christopher's Hospital for
Children, and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia receive CHGME funds
that support and ensure world-renowned health care for children.
CHGME is a significant achievement in pediatric health care in
Pennsylvania and across the country. Despite these gains, shortages
still exist, and the future of the pediatric workforce relies on the
continuation of CHGME.
I commend the leadership on both sides of the aisle and in the
committee for their leadership on this. These programs enjoy bipartisan
support, and I urge my colleagues to support S. 1440.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I am pleased to rise in support of S. 1440, as amended. The
legislation before us extends two existing programs and creates one new
initiative, all activities that impact children's health.
The first title of the legislation reauthorizes the Prematurity
Research Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early,
or PREEMIE, Act through fiscal year 2017. The PREEMIE Act was signed
into law in 2006, and I was proud to be a cosponsor of the original
House legislation.
S. 1440, as amended, calls for further studies on factors related to
prematurity, improved data on the national burden of preterm birth,
continued preterm birth prevention efforts, and strengthened public and
health provider education on risk factors for preterm delivery and
treatments and outcomes for preterm infants. The legislation also
codifies an advisory committee to the Secretary of Health and Human
Services on infant mortality and directs the Secretary to coordinate
existing quality studies on hospital readmissions and preterm infants.
Since the enactment of the PREEMIE Act, we've seen the preterm birth
rate decline to its present level of just under 12 percent, the lowest
rate we've seen since the late nineties. The good news is there's been
progress in better understanding the causes of premature births and
promoting interventions that work. On the other hand, however, we still
don't know the causes of premature birth in up to 40 percent of cases.
And then there's the cost to the health care system of premature
births--more than $26 billion each year--not to mention the increased
risks of serious disability and death for newborns and the tremendous
toll prematurity takes on their families. And that's precisely why the
goals of the PREEMIE Act remain just as salient as they were 6 years
ago.
The second title is similar to the House-passed National Pediatric
Research Network Act of 2012 and allows the National Institutes of
Health to establish a national pediatric research network comprised of
up to eight pediatric research consortia, or groups of collaborating
institutions. The consortia will conduct basic clinical, behavioral,
and translational research on pediatric diseases and conditions.
Among the eight consortia, the NIH Director will ensure that an
appropriate number of awards go to consortia that focus primarily on
pediatric rare diseases, such as spinal muscular atrophy or birth
defects such as Down syndrome. There are many rare pediatric diseases,
and in some of these diseases, the children are incredibly fragile. If
we can allow for research to occur across the country, not just one
single location, research can be done at a larger level because
children could then participate without having to travel.
Additionally, we all know too well that, traditionally, pediatric
research has been underfunded. That can make it hard to train and
develop the research talent needed to address these devastating
illnesses. The consortia can therefore be the training grounds for
future researchers, helping to fill the pediatric pipeline.
Finally, the third title, Madam Speaker, of the amendment to S. 1440
reauthorizes the Children's Hospitals Graduate Medical Education, or
CHGME, program through fiscal year 2017. The legislation maintains the
current authorization level and will support the work of 56 children's
hospitals training over 5,000 pediatric residents in 30 States.
The CHGME program was first established in 1999, following declines
in pediatric training programs that threatened the stability of the
pediatric workforce.
{time} 1310
Like any parent knows, it's important to have a trusted health
provider to turn to when your child is sick or hurt. In Congress, on a
bipartisan basis, we recognize that if we didn't create and fund
programs to train pediatricians, there wouldn't be anyone left to care
for our kids.
Since its inception, the CHGME program has been a success story,
supporting children's hospitals and their work to train future
generations of our pediatric workforce, including pediatric
subspecialists in very short supply. Representing only 1 percent of all
hospitals, the small number of children's hospitals that participate in
the program train approximately 40 percent of all pediatricians and
nearly half of all pediatric specialists. That's why continuing this
critical program will have a major impact on access to primary care and
specialty care for kids.
Reauthorizing this program, Madam Speaker, was one of my top health
priorities of the year, and I want to thank Chairman Joe Pitts, the
chairman of
[[Page H7299]]
our Health Subcommittee, for working with me on this bill. Together
with his help and leadership, we were able to move this bill through
our committee and to the House floor last year. I'm hopeful that
reauthorization of the CHGME program will finally make it to the
President's desk as part of S. 1440.
I just want to take a moment to commend Chairman Upton, Chairman
Pitts, and Ranking Member Waxman for their leadership on this
legislation. I have to recognize and thank the House sponsor of the
PREEMIE Act and the National Pediatric Research Network Act, and those
Energy and Commerce members: Congresswoman Eshoo, Congressman Lance,
Congresswoman Capps, and Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers. They were
really dedicated to these important issues.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PITTS. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Georgia, one of the leaders on this issue, Dr. Phil Gingrey.
Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for
yielding.
The gentleman from New Jersey just gave attributions to so many
members, both Republicans and Democrats, from the Energy and Commerce
Committee that worked so long and hard on this legislation back
originally in 2006 and now in the reauthorization of S. 1440, the
PREEMIE Act.
There are a lot of statistics that some people may not be aware of.
One is the fact that about two-thirds of all infant deaths in the first
year of life are among the preterm infants. In 2008, 12.3 percent of
all live births, over 500,000 babies, were born preterm.
Madam Speaker, let me put it a little bit in context. Prematurity or
preterm birth is by definition a birth earlier than 37 weeks. Those
children are usually not the problem. They're not the ones that end up
with permanent disabilities. But there is a subset of prematurity,
maybe sometimes referred to as ``immaturity,'' children that are born
as early as 20 weeks, all the way up to 37 weeks. Those children are
the ones that very often, if they survive, are left with permanent
long-term disabilities. We see a lot of folks on the Hill coming down
the halls of our office buildings, and sometimes they're in
wheelchairs, sometimes they're visually impaired, sometimes they're
hearing impaired, but so many of those adults and children that we see
on Capitol Hill were born prematurely. So a piece of legislation like
this is hugely important.
I'll end my remarks by just making it a little personal. My wife,
Billie, and I, Madam Speaker, have 13 grandchildren, and the oldest
will be 15 years old in about 3 weeks. And they were born at 26 weeks--
they each weighed 1 pound and 12 ounces. Thank God they are virtually
unimpaired today and in the eighth grade and doing well. It tugs at
your heartstrings. This is something that is hugely important.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. PITTS. I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from
Georgia.
Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. The graduate medical education piece is very
important because these children's hospitals, they see so many of these
young kids. In fact, 50 percent or more of their patient population are
Medicaid, and they need this funding for continuing medical education
for pediatric residents.
I will just conclude with that and say how proud I am to be
supportive of such a great piece of legislation.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I would like to now yield such time as
she may consume to the sponsor of the House PREEMIE Act, the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo).
Ms. ESHOO. I thank the gentleman.
Madam Speaker, I'm very proud to rise in support of the PREEMIE Act
legislation that I introduced with Congressman Leonard Lance. He's been
a terrific partner not only on this legislation but on other pieces of
legislation that we've moved through the Energy and Commerce Committee,
and I salute him.
This bill will expand research, education, and prevention of preterm
birth. As the mother of two children, I know how precious the earliest
part of life is, and it's our responsibility to do everything we can to
make sure that our little ones begin their lives with more than a
fighting chance.
Each year, as was stated, half a million babies are born prematurely
in our country, and preterm birth is the leading cause of newborn
mortality and the second-leading cause of infant mortality. Babies born
even a few weeks too early can require weeks to months of
hospitalization after birth, and premature birth can sometimes lead to
developmental delays and disability later in life.
In addition to the emotional and physical toll of prematurity, there
are significant health care costs to families, to our medical systems,
and our economy. A 2006 report by the Institute of Medicine found the
cost associated with preterm birth in the United States was $26.2
billion annually, or $51,600 per infant born preterm. These are
staggering amounts of dollars. While employers, private insurers, and
individuals bear about half of the cost of health care for these
infants, 40 percent is paid for by Medicaid. So it's in the best
interest of healthy babies, hopeful families, and the budget of our
country to decrease preterm births.
The good news is our investment in preventing prematurity is paying
off. In 2006, I introduced and Congress passed the first ever
comprehensive PREEMIE Act, and prematurity rates have declined since
then. This is very good news. The better news is that today we're
reauthorizing this law, which will build upon the momentum of the
original law and provide us with new tools and knowledge to improve the
lives and health of America's mothers and children.
The PREEMIE Act has been packaged with other important pediatric
health bills. I thank the chairman of the subcommittee, Mr. Pitts, the
chairman of our full committee, Mr. Upton, the ranking member of the
full committee, as well as Mr. Pallone, and all of our colleagues.
You know very well, Madam Speaker, that we come to this place to do
good things for our country that will strengthen our Nation. How proud
I am that we are living up to that in presenting this bill here today.
In closing, I would also like to thank Erin Katzelnick-Wise of my
staff, who has worked on this bill as if it were the most important
thing she could do in her life, understanding that it is one of the
most important things she could do in her life for children in our
country; to the American Academy of Pediatricians, who have been so
magnificent in instructing all of us in our work on this legislation;
and a particular shout-out to Dr. Phil Pizzo, the dean of the Stanford
School of Medicine, a pediatrician himself who at one time worked with
great distinction at the National Institutes of Health.
{time} 1320
Mr. PITTS. Madam Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the chairman of
the full committee, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton).
Mr. UPTON. I, too, want to commend the Republicans and Democrats, who
worked very, very hard to get this legislation to the floor and,
hopefully, to the President's desk as soon as possible. I particularly
commend Chairman Pitts and Ranking Member Pallone, Leonard Lance, Anna
Eshoo, Lois Capps, and the staffs, really, on both sides. I made a
commitment to all of these Members early on that we would work very
diligently to get this legislation here, and we are finally here.
Madam Speaker, this bill, S. 1440, known as the PREEMIE
Reauthorization Act, is designed to strengthen health care for kids,
particularly for vulnerable kids. Not only does the bill reauthorize
the PREEMIE Act, but it also includes the reauthorization of the
Children's Hospital Graduate Medical Education program, and it
authorizes the National Pediatric Research Network.
The original PREEMIE Act that I sponsored brought attention to the
problems related to preterm birth, and since its passage, the preterm
birth rate has declined. Good news. Yet, despite that improvement,
according to the CDC, still a half a million babies are born
prematurely every year in this country. That's one out of eight. We can
and we must do better. This reauthorization will continue to strengthen
the ongoing effort to track,
[[Page H7300]]
prevent, and treat prematurity, ensuring that every child has a healthy
start and a better chance at a healthy and a productive future.
Madam Speaker, the National Pediatric Research Network brings us a
step closer in providing more help to children with unmet health needs,
particularly to those with rare pediatric and genetic diseases. I've
met a number of times with a family in my district, the Kennedys, whose
wonderful little daughters--Brielle and Brooke, who are affectionately
known in our office as ``Sleeping Beauty'' and ``Cinderella''--have a
rare disease called spinal muscular atrophy. It's often difficult to
conduct research into these diseases due to the very small number of
kids with that disease, but today, we are working to provide families
like the Kennedys and so many others with greater hope for a cure or an
advancement in the treatment.
This bill will help establish pediatric research networks and the
consortia that are effective in overcoming gaps in research. Networks
and consortia will be comprised of leading institutions that will act
as partners to consolidate and coordinate those research efforts.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Emerson). The time of the gentleman has
expired.
Mr. PITTS. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.
Mr. UPTON. With the passage of the Children's Hospital Graduate
Medical Education in 1999, freestanding children's hospitals began
receiving funds to support their pediatric medical residency programs.
As a result, the number of pediatricians in the U.S. has grown
steadily. Today, over 40 percent of the pediatricians and pediatric
specialists are trained in the 57 freestanding children's hospitals
that receive this funding. A proven track record. We need to get it
done.
Again, I congratulate the Members on the floor today for getting this
bill, hopefully, to the President's desk before the year is out.
Mr. PALLONE. I yield such time as she may consume to the Democratic
sponsor of the House National Pediatric Research Network Act of 2012,
which is the second title of the legislation before us, the gentlewoman
from California (Mrs. Capps).
Mrs. CAPPS. I do want to acknowledge the gentlelady in the chair as
my partner in the Capps-Emerson lectures and as my neighbor and a real
friend.
Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the PREEMIE
Reauthorization Act. This is an important bill to improve the health
outcomes of pregnant women and their babies, and it shows our Nation's
commitment to addressing the costly and emotionally troubling incidence
of preterm birth. While this is enough reason for me to support this
legislation, I would like to highlight two additional sections of the
bill that will improve the health and well-being not only of newborns
but of our children as they grow.
First, it includes the reauthorization of the Children's Hospital
Graduate Medical Education program. This is a critical investment in
both the health of our kids and in the health of our economy by
bringing new, talented individuals into the health care workforce.
From my years as a school nurse, I know the difficulty that children
experience, especially those with special health care needs, when they
look for a pediatric specialist. Over the years, we have seen how CHGME
programs have made a measurable impact in alleviating that burden,
allowing these children and their families to focus on healing. I am
proud to be an original cosponsor of this legislation and will continue
to champion it in the House.
While we must ensure that the providers are available for our kids,
we are still far behind on too many important diagnostics, cures, and
treatments for many of our ailing children. That is why this bill also
includes the National Pediatric Research Network Act, which is a bill
that I coauthored with my colleague, Representative Cathy McMorris
Rodgers.
This legislation will help strengthen and coordinate our Nation's
research on pediatric diseases. It will disseminate research findings
quickly so that all children may benefit, especially those who have
rare diseases; and it will expand the geographic scope of research,
giving sick kids easier access to research programs and to clinical
trials. Moreover, this bill places an added emphasis on researching
children's rare diseases, like spinal muscular atrophy, as my colleague
Mr. Upton has noted, and on developing new treatments to fight them.
The low prevalence of these diseases makes them particularly hard to
research, and yet these diseases have such a marked impact on the lives
of far too many families and communities, like the Strong family of
Santa Barbara. My constituents Bill and Victoria Strong have worked
tirelessly on behalf of their daughter, Gwendolyn, and all children
with spinal muscular atrophy and other rare diseases. The work they've
done to help raise the profile of pediatric rare disease research is
going to help families all across the Nation. I thank them.
I also thank the leadership of the Energy and Commerce Committee--
Chairman Upton, Ranking Member Waxman, Chairman Pitts, and Ranking
Member Pallone--for their dedication to this bill. I thank the staff,
especially Ruth Katz, for working across the aisle and across the
Capitol to bring a strong bill now to the floor.
I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill. I urge its
swift passage in the Senate so that we can improve the health and well-
being of all infants and all children.
Mr. PITTS. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Lance), a leader on this issue.
Mr. LANCE. It is wonderful to see you in the chair, and I
congratulate you on your magnificent service to the people of Missouri
and the Nation.
I rise in strong support of S. 1440, to reauthorize the 2006 PREEMIE
Act and to provide important continued research, education, and
intervention in the national effort to reduce preterm births.
Madam Speaker, our Nation's premature birth rate is one of the
highest in the world, and it is the leading cause of newborn death in
the United States. Infants born just a few weeks too soon can face
serious health challenges and are at risk for lifelong health and
learning disabilities. In addition to its human toll, premature birth
costs our economy billions of dollars per year; and while the medical
community has made great strides in identifying the risk factors
associated with premature births, far too many premature births today
have no known causes.
That is why the Members of the House and Senate have worked in a
bipartisan and bicameral fashion to reauthorize the 2006 PREEMIE Act so
that we may continue to spur innovative solutions that will ultimately
lead not just to healthier babies but to lower annual health care
costs.
I thank Chairman Upton and Chairman Pitts and Ranking Member Waxman
and Ranking Member Pallone for their steadfast leadership on this issue
as well as to thank Senators Lamar Alexander and Michael Bennet. Once
again, I commend Congresswoman Anna Eshoo of California for working on
an important issue to the health and well-being of the American people.
While many complain about the partisan nature of Congress, we have
worked in a cooperative fashion on this and other issues, as has the
entire Energy and Commerce Committee. It is in that bipartisan spirit
that I ask all of my colleagues to join with us in the support of the
PREEMIE Reauthorization Act so that we as a Nation will be able to
continue our focus on premature birth research and prevention.
Mr. PALLONE. I have no additional speakers, Madam Speaker, so I would
simply ask that we support this legislation and pass it on a bipartisan
basis.
I yield back the balance of my time.
{time} 1330
Mr. PITTS. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers. I urge support
for this bipartisan legislation.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WAXMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of S. 1440, as amended,
and urge my colleagues to support the bill as well.
As amended, S. 1440 is comprised of the authorization or re-
authorization of three different programs, all related to children's
health. Together, these provisions constitute a bipartisan effort to
help ensure that our kids--and their health care needs--are
appropriately and adequately addressed.
Title One of the bill would reauthorize and improve the Prematurity
Research Expansion and Education for Mothers Who Deliver Infants
Early--or PREEMIE--Act. Established in
[[Page H7301]]
2006, the PREEMIE Act expands federal research related to preterm labor
and delivery, and the care and treatment, and outcomes of preterm and
low birth weight infants. It also supports education programs for
health professionals and the public on prematurity. Title One is
designed to enhance these activities and represents a renewed
commitment to our nation's efforts to reduce premature birth, the
leading killer of newborns.
Title Two of S. 1440 would allow the National Institutes of Health to
establish a national pediatric research network dedicated to finding
treatments and cures for pediatric diseases and conditions--especially
those that are rare. In addition to the research itself, Title Two
places special emphasis on professional training for future pediatric
researchers. These and other related components of Title Two are
intended to build on the strong body of pediatric research that NIH
already conducts and supports. I would encourage NIH to take full
advantage of this opportunity.
Finally, Title Three of the bill would reauthorize the children's
hospital graduate medical education--or CHGME--program. This program
provides ongoing and consistent financial support to hospitals such as
Children's Hospital of Los Angeles for the training of doctors who want
to specialize in pediatrics. Over the years, the CHGME program has been
enormously successful in reversing the significant decline in the
number of pediatrician trainees across the country. Indeed, today,
children's hospitals nationwide that are supported by the program train
40% of all pediatricians and 43% of all pediatric specialists.
As I have noted, this package of programs is a bi-partisan initiative
that reflects the work of several members of the Energy and Commerce
Committee. I especially want to note Congresswoman Eshoo, the
Democratic sponsor of the original PREEMIE Reauthorization Act;
Congresswoman Capps, the Democratic sponsor of the original National
Pediatric Research Network Act; and Congressman Pallone, the Democratic
sponsor of the original Children's Hospital GME Support Reauthorization
Act. All of them and all of us--on both sides of the aisle--have much
to be proud of in supporting S. 1440, as amended.
I urge my colleagues to vote for S. 1440, as amended.
Mrs. McMORRIS RODGERS. Madam Speaker, as a mother, I am reminded on a
daily basis of the importance of the health of our Nation's children.
For that reason, I am proud to support the Prematurity Research
Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early (PREEMIE)
Act. This important legislation authorizes research to prevent preterm
births and it requires the Secretary of HHS to coordinate our Nation's
efforts to achieve this goal.
This legislation also amends the Public Health Service Act to extend
and reauthorize appropriations for Children's Hospital Graduate Medical
Education. This is the source of training of most of our Nation's
pediatricians.
The PREEMIE act also includes legislation introduced by
Representative Capps and myself, the National Pediatric Research
Network Act which will build upon our Nation's commitment to pediatric
medical research. That commitment has led to the prevention and
treatment of terrible conditions such as polio, meningitis, childhood
leukemia, and congenital heart disease.
Research networks have a proven track record in their ability to
ensure collaboration and sharing of resources which, in turn, have led
to medical discoveries that have improved lives. This legislation will
authorize NIH to establish up to 8 pediatric research networks
throughout the nation. Each network will be selected by NIH through a
competitive review process. These networks will allow multiple
institutions to work together in a ``hub and spoke'' fashion in order
to encourage collaboration and resource sharing.
These pediatric networks will improve health outcomes for children
who have conditions such as spinal muscular atrophy, Down syndrome, and
Fragile X. This will be accomplished by encouraging teamwork among
researchers, patients, and NIH.
Today, I am proud to vote for measures to improve the health of our
Nation's children.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, S. 1440, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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