[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 100 (Wednesday, June 25, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1067]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       NEWBORN SCREENING SAVES LIVES REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2014

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. MICHAEL K. SIMPSON

                                of idaho

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 24, 2014

  Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join with my friend and 
colleague from California, Congresswoman Roybal-Allard, to thank the 
House of Representatives and leaders on both sides of the aisle for 
their support of H.R. 1281, the Newborn Screening Saves Lives 
Reauthorization Act, which passed the House last night.
  In 2008, Congresswoman Royal-Allard and I introduced the original 
Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act, which encouraged states to uniformly 
test for a recommended set of disorders and provided resources for 
states to expand and improve their screening programs.
  Before this legislation, state screening tests varied greatly, and 
only 10 states and DC required infants to be screened for all the 
``core conditions'' recommended by the Advisory Committee on Heritable 
Disorders in Newborns and Children.
  Today, most states require screening for at least 29 of the 31 
treatable core conditions.
  This bipartisan reauthorization builds upon the foundation of the 
original bill and ensures infants continue to receive comprehensive 
screenings--which consists of a simple prick on the heel of newborns 
before they leave the hospital.
  That blood sample tests for serious genetic, metabolic, or hearing 
disorders that may not be apparent at birth. Without this test, parents 
may have no way of knowing their child needs treatment.
  Mr. Speaker, the importance of newborn screening is undeniable.
  About one in every 300 newborns in the United States has a condition 
that can be detected through screening. Left untreated, these 
conditions can lead to serious illness, lifetime disabilities, or even 
death. These newborns appear healthy, but their conditions can 
deteriorate quickly and with no warning.
  In addition, newborn screening is a powerful tool for savings in our 
overburdened health care system As a former dentist, I have seen the 
value of diagnosing and treating a condition early in a child's life.
  One example of the merit of newborn screening comes from a 2012 study 
on severe combined immunodeficiency, known as SCID. SCID is one of the 
31 conditions recommended for state screening.
  The Medicaid cost of treating a baby with SCID in the first two years 
can be $2 million or more. Yet an infant diagnosed early can be cured 
through a bone marrow transplant in the first three months of life, 
costing $100,000. Without the early intervention, families suffer 
enormous economic and emotional burdens.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank all those who have worked so hard to 
make this legislation a reality, particularly Congresswoman Roybal-
Allard, who has led the way in making this a reality, and the public 
health organizations who worked day and night to help move this bill 
through the process. I look forward to my Senate colleagues passing 
this important legislation and sending it to the President's desk.

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