[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 212 (Wednesday, December 8, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1342]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        SUPPORT FOR HEALTH BILLS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 8, 2021

  Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of seven bills 
that originated in the Health Subcommittee of Energy and Commerce which 
I have the privilege to chair. These bipartisan bills address the 
following: health threats to newborns including stillbirth, newborn 
hearing loss, and birth defects; improving cardiac care and oral health 
literacy; providing needed mental health support to doctors and other 
health care professionals; and improving diversity in the allied health 
workforce.
  H.R. 5487, the SHINE for Autumn Act of 2021 seeks to reduce the 
impact of stillbirth by increasing research and data collection to 
address the tragedy of the 24,000 babies who are stillborn in the U.S. 
every year. I thank my colleagues Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler, Lucille 
Roybal-Allard, Markwayne Mullin, and Kathy Castor for authoring this 
legislation.
  H.R. 5561, the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2021 
reauthorizes programs at the Health Resources and Services 
Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the 
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders to 
address hearing loss in newborns. I thank my colleagues Reps. Brett 
Guthrie and Doris Matsui for authoring this legislation.
  H.R. 5551, the Improving the Health of Children Act reauthorizes the 
National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. This 
critical center at the CDC helps advance the health of babies born with 
birth defects, developmental disabilities, blood disorders and other 
disabilities. I thank my colleagues Reps. Buddy Carter and Lori Trahan 
for authoring this legislation.
  H.R. 1193, the Cardiovascular Advances in Research and Opportunities 
Legacy Act funds NIH and CDC research and public education for valvular 
heart disease. The bill is named in honor of Carol Leavell Barr, the 
wife of Rep. Andy Barr, who died last year of sudden cardiac arrest, 
and I thank him for authoring this legislation.
  H.R. 1667, the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act is 
named after Dr. Lorna Breen, an emergency department doctor who died by 
suicide last year. Physicians have the highest suicide rate of any 
profession, and this legislation provides grant funding for suicide-
prevention and peer-support at healthcare facilities. It also helps 
ensure healthcare professionals can ask for mental health help without 
facing negative consequences in their careers. I thank Reps. Susan Wild 
and David McKinley for authoring this legislation.
  H.R. 3320, the Allied Health Workforce Diversity Act of 2021 
establishes a grant program to improve diversity in the physical 
therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, audiology, and 
speech-language pathology professions. I thank Reps. Bobby Rush and 
Markwayne Mullin for authoring this legislation.
  H.R. 4555, the Oral Health Literacy and Awareness Act of 2021 directs 
the Health Resources and Services Administration to conduct a public 
education campaign to improve awareness of oral health. I thank Reps. 
Tony Cardenas and Gus Bilirakis for authoring this legislation.
  I urge my colleagues to vote for these bills and I thank the members 
of the House Health Subcommittee and the bipartisan sponsors of each 
bill for their good work.

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