[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 5 (Tuesday, January 9, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S92-S93]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                               Healthcare

  Mr. DONNELLY. Mr. President, for the past decade, health policy, 
unfortunately, has proven to be one of the most bitterly partisan 
issues. It doesn't have to be this way.
  I want to take a few minutes to discuss some health-related issues 
that Congress left unfinished before the holidays: providing relief 
from the medical device tax, reauthorizing the Children's Health 
Insurance Program, funding for community health centers, and doing more 
to address the opioid crisis. Each has strong bipartisan support and 
could provide help to our constituents now.
  First, many of us, on both sides of the aisle, agree on the need to 
provide relief from the medical device tax, which went back into effect 
on January 1. The medical device tax is one of these issues that leaves 
most Hoosiers scratching their heads. First adopted as part of the 
Affordable Care Act, the device tax was one of the few issues 
Republicans and Democrats agreed needed to be fixed, and in 2015, with 
bipartisan support, President Obama enacted a 2-year suspension of the 
tax.
  The argument was really pretty simple. The medical device tax was 
making it harder for innovative companies to invest in the research and 
development of new technologies, and, in the process, we were stifling 
job creation. If there was a question as to whether this was the case, 
the last 2 years provided evidence. When we agreed to suspend the tax 
in 2016 and 2017, manufacturers used that additional money to hire new 
workers, invest in research and technologies, and continue producing 
innovative, lifesaving products in the United States.
  For example, Zimmer Biomet, headquartered in Warsaw, IN, my home 
State, used the money from the device tax suspension to invest in new 
innovation to improve musculoskeletal health across the world. They 
were also able to upgrade their manufacturing equipment and facilities. 
Perhaps more importantly, these investments not only supported existing 
jobs, but they also helped to create new jobs--new, good-paying jobs.
  Yet, despite this evidence, despite this strong bipartisan support 
for repeal, and despite a wide-ranging package of changes to the Tax 
Code becoming law in recent days, Congress has failed to address the 
medical device

[[Page S93]]

tax, which went back into place on January 1.
  As we again discuss the policy priorities that were left unaddressed 
in 2017, I strongly urge my colleagues to work with me to quickly and 
meaningfully address the medical device tax. This would allow these 
innovative companies to make the long-term investments that not only 
lead to life-changing technologies but support thousands of high-paying 
jobs across the country, including in my home State of Indiana.
  Another issue that has garnered bipartisan support is a healthcare 
program that covers millions of our children. We must reauthorize the 
Children's Health Insurance Program--also known as CHIP--that expired 
in September.
  I have long supported the CHIP program. It provides health coverage 
for millions of kids, including nearly 115,000 children from Indiana. I 
am not alone in my support for this program. The fact is, CHIP has had 
strong bipartisan support for the past 20 years, and Democrats and 
Republicans in both the Senate and the House have shown they support a 
5-year reauthorization of the program. That gives States the certainty 
they need to plan their budgets and provide high-quality care to these 
children.
  Despite this shared commitment for the program and agreement on the 
need for a long-term reauthorization, we were only able to fund the 
program through March before Congress departed for the holidays. This 
short-term extension bought some time, but according to the Centers for 
Medicare and Medicaid Services--CMS--some States will start running out 
of money after January 19. This means families and States will very 
soon face the harmful consequences of congressional inaction.
  Just last week, the Congressional Budget Office said that funding the 
CHIP program for the next 5 years will cost significantly less than 
previous estimates. This program is vital to our families and vital to 
our children. We should reauthorize the CHIP program right away.
  Like the CHIP program, community health centers have enjoyed long 
bipartisan support for the high-quality care they provide to our 
families. Also, like CHIP, the funding for community health centers 
expired on September 30, leaving many health centers across Indiana 
worried about if they will have the resources they need to continue to 
serve Hoosiers.
  We have the ability to work together now to ensure that our community 
health centers can continue to provide cost-effective, high-quality 
healthcare to people all across the country.
  Finally, we have demonstrated a common desire to address the needs of 
the opioid and drug abuse crisis. It is a scourge. It took the lives of 
63,000 people just in 2016--63,000 of our brothers and sisters, our 
husbands and wives, our sons and daughters. It is a heartbreak that is 
crushing the entire country.
  I welcomed President Trump's declaration of a public health 
emergency, and both Republican and Democratic Senators have highlighted 
the need for Congress to do even more to help those struggling with 
addiction.
  Like many other States, the opioid epidemic has been particularly 
devastating in underserved areas in Indiana that lack adequate 
treatment providers.
  Senator Murkowski and I have partnered on a bipartisan bill that 
would encourage addiction treatment professionals to serve in 
underserved areas by making addiction treatment facilities eligible for 
National Health Service Corps student loan repayment and forgiveness.
  We can show our commitment to increasing access to treatment by 
reauthorizing the National Health Service Corps program, which expired 
in September. We also must recognize that a meaningful response to the 
opioid crisis will require robust and meaningful funding to help our 
communities as soon as possible.
  I have often said that most people think Congress can do something to 
help make life better--to provide working parents with the peace of 
mind that their children can grow up healthy and to instill confidence 
in our communities so that they will have the tools they need to 
respond to this heartbreaking crisis. At the very least, Congress 
should not make this situation worse.
  By failing to take action in 2017, medical device companies are once 
again paying a counterproductive tax that inhibits growth in Indiana.
  On all of these issues--medical device taxes, our families and our 
children and this opioid crisis, community health centers--we can work 
together as Democrats, as Republicans, but more than either of those, 
as Americans to make sure that our families can get decent healthcare, 
to make sure that no one else dies because of this terrible opioid 
scourge we are dealing with. These are critically important issues. 
These are issues that know no political party, that know no special 
agenda. What we do know is that we need this Congress, this Senate, to 
deal with them now.
  Mr. President, I yield back.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Johnson). The Senator from North Dakota.


 Congratulating the North Dakota State University Bison Football Team 
               for Winning the FCS National Championship

  Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I will be subbmitting a resolution in the 
U.S. Senate honoring the North Dakota State University Bison football 
team, who just won their sixth national championship in 7 years.
  Mr. President, I know you are a football fan, so you can truly 
appreciate what a fantastic achievement that is. What NDSU has 
accomplished over the last 7 seasons is absolutely extraordinary. With 
our victory on Saturday, the Bison have now won six national football 
championship series division I national titles in 7 years. That ties 
them for the most of all time. Also, in each of the past 7 years, they 
have won or shared the top spot in the Missouri Valley Football 
Conference championship.
  We also want to congratulate the James Madison University Dukes on an 
outstanding year. We had five championships in a row. The Dukes managed 
to beat us last year in a semifinal game, and we came back and avenged 
that loss in a thrilling championship game in Frisco, TX. It went down 
to the final play. It was a very, very exciting game.
  Winning a national championship is not easy, and this success, 
reflected both on and off the field, is earned through hard work and 
dedication. We recognize and congratulate all of the incredible players 
and Coach Klieman and his tremendous coaching staff, who put in 
countless hours of practice and preparation.
  We also recognize the importance of good leadership from athletic 
director Matt Larsen, NDSU president Dean Bresciani, and everyone at 
NDSU, all the coaches and the staff, team members, and really everybody 
who is part of Bison Nation. North Dakotans travel with our team. They 
show up in Bison Nation, and their cheering and supporting our great 
team is a huge part of our incredible victories.
  We congratulate Easton Stick, the quarterback, for achieving MVP 
honors and leading a tremendous offensive effort by the Bison and also 
Nick DeLuca, middle linebacker, for leading an incredible defensive 
effort. These were two tremendous defenses--James Madison and North 
Dakota State Bison--fast, strong, and it was a thrilling game and fun 
to watch.
  I want to compliment James Madison not only on their program but on 
all their fans and supporters--a real class act. I am very impressed 
with James Madison University--their students, their team, and all of 
their alumni, who also turned out in force for what was a tremendous 
game in Frisco, TX.
  With that, I submit this resolution to the U.S. Senate honoring the 
North Dakota State Bison.
  Mr. President, I have just one other thing to say: Go Bison.
  With that, I yield the floor.
  Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in 
morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.