[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 212 (Wednesday, December 8, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H7516-H7518]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  IMPROVING THE HEALTH OF CHILDREN ACT

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 5551) to amend title III of the Public Health Service Act to 
reauthorize the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental 
Disabilities, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5551

       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 ``Improving the Health of 
     Children Act''.

     SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF THE NATIONAL CENTER ON BIRTH 
                   DEFECTS AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES.

       Section 317C of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
     247b-4) is amended--
       (1) by striking subsection (a)(4) and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(4) Specific programs.--The Secretary, acting through the 
     Director of the Center, shall continue to carry out programs 
     related to--
       ``(A) early identification of developmental delay and 
     disability;
       ``(B) birth defects;
       ``(C) folic acid;
       ``(D) cerebral palsy;
       ``(E) intellectual disabilities;
       ``(F) child development;
       ``(G) newborn screening;
       ``(H) autism;
       ``(I) fragile X syndrome;
       ``(J) fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and other conditions 
     related to prenatal substance use;
       ``(K) pediatric genetic disorders;
       ``(L) neuromuscular diseases;
       ``(M) congenital heart defects;
       ``(N) attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder;
       ``(O) stillbirth;
       ``(P) Tourette Syndrome; or
       ``(Q) any other relevant disease, disability, disorder, or 
     condition, as determined the Secretary.'';
       (2) in subsection (c), in the matter preceding paragraph 
     (1), by striking ``Not later than February 1'' and all that 
     follows through ``2 fiscal years--'' and inserting the 
     following: ``The Secretary shall submit biennially to the 
     Committee

[[Page H7517]]

     on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives, and 
     the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of 
     the Senate, a report that--''; and
       (3) in subsection (f), by striking ``such sums as may be 
     necessary for each of fiscal years 2003 through 2007'' and 
     inserting ``$186,010,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 
     through 2026''.

     SEC. 3. EFFECTS OF FOLIC ACID IN PREVENTION OF BIRTH DEFECTS.

       Section 317J of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
     247b-11) is amended by striking subsection (e) (relating to 
     authorization of appropriations).

  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. 5551.
  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.
  I rise in support of H.R. 5551, the Improving the Health of Children 
Act, which reauthorizes the National Center on Birth Defects and 
Developmental Disabilities. This center was established by Congress in 
2000 to improve the health of millions of our Nation's most vulnerable 
citizens, our infants and children, people with disabilities, and 
people with blood disorders. It is the only center at the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention whose mission focuses on these 
populations.
  Birth defects, Mr. Speaker, affect 1 in 33 babies and are a leading 
cause of infant death in the United States. Children with birth defects 
who survive often experience lifelong physical and mental disabilities. 
In addition, over 500,000 children are diagnosed with a developmental 
disability each year.
  Blood disorders such as sickle cell disease, anemia, and hemophilia, 
affect millions of people each year in the United States, cutting 
across the boundaries of age, race, sex, and socioeconomic status.
  So H.R. 5551, sponsored by Representatives Carter and Trahan, 
reauthorizes the work of this center for 5 years and helps maintain the 
programmatic focus of the center.
  It has been 15 years since the last authorization, and the importance 
of the center's work continues to grow. Whether it be supporting 
partnerships to continue research on autism or coordinating a rapid 
response to Zika, the center plays a critical role in preventing birth 
defects and helping people with disabilities and blood disorders live 
healthy and productive lives.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill so that we 
can ensure vital surveillance and research continue to focus on the 
well-being of people with birth defects, disabilities, and blood 
disorders.
  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. 5551, the Improving the 
Health of Children Act, led by my Energy and Commerce Committee 
colleagues, Representatives Carter and Trahan.
  Birth defects, unfortunately, are very common in the United States. 
According to recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, 1 
in every 33 babies are born with a birth defect each year, and birth 
defects are the leading cause of death for all babies.
  H.R. 5551 reauthorizes through 2026 the National Center on Birth 
Defects and Developmental Disabilities, which has been critical to 
improving the lives of children with birth defects and their families.
  This would reestablish critical programming related to birth defects, 
intellectual disabilities, and child development in order to bolster 
the center's research efforts and improve more lives.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve 
the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1545

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Massachusetts (Mrs. Trahan), a member of the Energy and Commerce 
Committee and the Democratic sponsor of this bill.
  Mrs. TRAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5551, the 
Improving the Lives of Children Act. I sponsored this bipartisan 
legislation alongside Representatives Buddy Carter, G. K. Butterfield, 
and Henry Cuellar, because the work being done at the CDC's National 
Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities is tremendously 
important to many millions of families across our Nation.
  Approximately 1 in 6 children in the United States are affected by 
some form of developmental disability. They include a diverse range of 
conditions, including ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, fragile X 
syndrome, and Tourette syndrome, just to name a few.
  Some of these conditions have the ability to seriously impact 
children's lives by limiting motor ability, cognitive development, 
verbal communication, and behavioral development, and they often last 
throughout a person's lifetime
  For some developmental disabilities, we know the causes and the risk 
factors, but for so many others, we don't. That is why the research and 
advancements at the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental 
Disabilities continue to be so crucial.
  Since its creation in 2000, the center's dedicated staff have created 
a roadmap to a world where babies are born healthy, children are 
empowered to reach their full potential, and families are able to 
thrive. But there is still so much work to be done.
  That is why my legislation reauthorizes the center for the first time 
in 15 years and provides it with the funding and resources necessary to 
support more than a dozen essential programs.
  This bipartisan bill is key to identifying developmental disabilities 
early and bolstering doctors' capacity to intervene, both of which 
experts agree are critical in improving children's ability to learn new 
skills and reducing the financial burden on families.
  Mr. Speaker, when children and adults with disabilities receive the 
care and services they need, their quality of life improves 
dramatically.
  The goal of the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental 
Disabilities is to ensure that every person with a disability has 
access to the support they need from a young age, and our legislation 
helps achieve it.
  That is why it is supported by so many individuals and families 
across America who want nothing more than for Congress to advance 
policies that give people living with disabilities the dignity, 
respect, and opportunities they need to succeed.
  I look forward to casting my vote in favor of this legislation, and I 
encourage all of my colleagues to join me in doing the same.
  Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Carter).
  Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and ranking 
member for bringing this important legislation to the floor. The 
Improving the Health for Children Act is up for vote today. It is an 
extremely important bill.
  As we all know, the National Center on Birth Defects and 
Developmental Disabilities does phenomenal work to protect, prevent, 
and research birth defects and intellectual disabilities for a wide 
range of conditions.
  They also provide much needed educational resources to parents and 
caregivers about the conditions a child may have, and they work to 
raise awareness about conditions that may be hard to identify.
  Unfortunately, the center has been operating under an expired 
authorization since 2007. We must not forgo our commitment to these 
children.
  This legislation reaffirms congressional support of the center, 
expands their scope to study more conditions, and provides an increase, 
per authorization, so that they can continue to carry out the great 
work they do.
  I want to thank the bipartisan supporters of this legislation for the 
help in authoring this bill, Representatives Trahan, Cuellar, 
Butterfield, and Hudson, and I urge a ``yes'' vote on passage of this 
important legislation today.
  Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote for this 
bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I urge support on a bipartisan basis, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.

[[Page H7518]]

  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. 5551, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. WEBER of Texas. 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.

                          ____________________