[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 206 (Tuesday, November 30, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H6694-H6695]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1630
SUPPORTING THE FOUNDATION FOR THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH AND THE 
    REAGAN-UDALL FOUNDATION FOR THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION ACT

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3743) to increase funding for the Reagan-Udall Foundation 
for the Food and Drug Administration and for the Foundation for the 
National Institutes of Health.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3743

       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 ``Supporting the Foundation 
     for the National Institutes of Health and the Reagan-Udall 
     Foundation for the Food and Drug Administration Act''.

     SEC. 2. REAGAN-UDALL FOUNDATION AND FOUNDATION FOR THE 
                   NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH.

       (a) Reagan-Udall Foundation for the Food and Drug 
     Administration.--Section 770(n) of the Federal Food, Drug, 
     and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 379dd(n)) is amended by striking 
     ``$500,000 and not more than $1,250,000'' and inserting 
     ``$1,250,000 and not more than $5,000,000''.
       (b) Foundation for the National Institutes of Health.--
     Section 499(l) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
     290b(l)) is amended by striking ``$500,000 and not more than 
     $1,250,000'' and inserting ``$1,250,000 and not more than 
     $5,000,000''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Pallone) and the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.


                             General Leave

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on H.R. 3743.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3743, the Supporting the 
Foundation for the National Institutes of Health and the Reagan-Udall 
Foundation for the Food and Drug Administration Act.
  The Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA is an independent nonprofit 
organization established by Congress in 2007 to advance the mission of 
the FDA to modernize medical product development, accelerate 
innovation, and enhance safety.
  Likewise, the Foundation for the NIH is an independent nonprofit 
organization established by Congress in 1990 to develop private-public 
partnerships that advance biomedical research, domestically and 
globally.
  Both organizations work to advance the missions of the NIH and the 
FDA and have played important roles in our Nation's fight against 
COVID-19. For example, the Foundation for the NIH has worked to 
coordinate the ACTIV program that is strategizing our research and 
prioritizing and speeding development of the most promising COVID-19 
vaccines and treatment. Likewise, the Reagan-Udall Foundation's COVID-
19 Diagnostics Evidence Accelerator has brought stakeholders together 
to collect and evaluate real-world data in a way that is scientifically 
useful and meets the FDA standards so we can understand the efficacy of 
COVID-19 diagnostics in the real world.
  Mr. Speaker, the FDA and the NIH are currently authorized to transfer 
funding to their respective foundations within a statutory limit that 
has not been increased since 2007.
  H.R. 3743 would increase the transfer authority for both foundations 
from up to $1.25 million to up to $5 million. This legislation will 
allow the agencies to increase their support consistent with the 
increasing costs of medical product research and development.
  This bipartisan bill received unanimous support in the Energy and 
Commerce Committee. I would like to thank my colleagues, Representative 
Hudson and Health Subcommittee Chairwoman Eshoo, for their outstanding 
leadership on this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3743, and I reserve 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3743, Supporting the 
Foundation for the National Institutes of

[[Page H6695]]

Health and the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the Food and Drug 
Administration Act, led by my Energy and Commerce Committee colleagues, 
Representative Hudson and Representative Eshoo.
  Empowering biomedical innovation in the United States is critical to 
protecting our global competitiveness. We saw how important it was to 
invest in creating new treatments during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we 
need to carry that momentum into the future.
  H.R. 3743 authorizes increased transfer authorities from the FDA and 
the NIH to both the Reagan-Udall Foundation and the Foundation for the 
NIH, respectively.
  Allowing FDA and NIH to provide increased funding to these public-
private partnerships will give the Reagan-Udall Foundation and the 
Foundation for the NIH more flexibility to meet the growing research 
demands and to ultimately accelerate future medical innovations.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance 
of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I have no Members who wish to speak at this 
time, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hudson).
  Mr. HUDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3743, Supporting 
the Foundation for the NIH and the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA 
Act.
  I introduced this bipartisan bill along with my friend, Chairwoman 
Anna Eshoo, to build on our success of public-private partnerships that 
have produced lifesaving medical breakthroughs.
  The Foundation for the NIH and the Reagan-Udall Foundation were 
created by Congress to support the NIH and the FDA by forging 
partnerships between the Federal Government and private industry 
experts.
  Providing additional support to these organizations would further 
accelerate research into novel vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and 
other innovations, helping us prepare for future emergencies.
  Due to partnerships such as these, we have already seen the success 
of the ACTIV program in speeding developments of COVID-19 vaccines and 
treatments.
  It should be noted that we would not be where we are today without 
the innovation seen in Operation Warp Speed. This public-private 
partnership has not received the credit it deserves for creating, 
developing, and manufacturing life-saving vaccines in record time.
  Through my legislation, we can build on these successes and enhance 
partnerships across the healthcare industry.
  I thank Chairman Pallone and Ranking Member Guthrie for their 
support, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this bill, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3743.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mrs. BOEBERT. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion 
are postponed.

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