[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 212 (Wednesday, December 8, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H7518-H7522]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    CARDIOVASCULAR ADVANCES IN RESEARCH AND OPPORTUNITIES LEGACY ACT

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1193) to amend title IV of the Public Health Service Act to 
direct the Director of the National Institutes of Health, in 
consultation with the Director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood 
Institute, shall establish a program under which the Director of the 
National Institutes of Health shall support or conduct research on 
valvular heart disease, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1193

       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 ``Cardiovascular Advances in 
     Research and Opportunities Legacy Act''.

     SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR VALVULAR HEART DISEASE RESEARCH.

       Subpart 2 of part C of title IV of the Public Health 
     Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285b et seq.) is amended by inserting 
     after section 424C (42 U.S.C. 285b-7c) the following:

     ``SEC. 424D. GRANTS FOR VALVULAR HEART DISEASE RESEARCH.

       ``(a) In General.--The Director of the National Institutes 
     of Health, in consultation with the Director of the 
     Institute, shall support or conduct research regarding 
     valvular heart disease.
       ``(b) Support Guidelines.--The distribution of funding 
     authorized under subsection (a) may be used to pursue the 
     following outcomes:
       ``(1) Using precision medicine and advanced technological 
     imaging to generate data on individuals with valvular heart 
     disease.
       ``(2) Identifying and developing a cohort of individuals 
     with valvular heart disease and available data.
       ``(3) Corroborating data generated through clinical trials 
     to develop a prediction model to distinguish individuals at 
     high risk for sudden cardiac arrest or sudden cardiac death 
     from valvular heart disease.
       ``(4) For other outcomes needed to acquire necessary data 
     on valvular heart disease.
       ``(c) Mitral Valve Prolapse Workshop.--Not later than one 
     year after the date of the enactment of this section, the 
     Director of the Institute shall convene a workshop composed 
     of subject matter experts and stakeholders to identify 
     research needs and opportunities to develop prescriptive 
     guidelines for treatment of individuals with mitral valve 
     prolapse.
       ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of 
     carrying out this section, there is authorized to be 
     appropriated $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 
     through 2026.''.

     SEC. 3. PROGRAMS OF CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND 
                   PREVENTION.

       Part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 
     U.S.C. 243 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 312 
     the following section:

     ``SEC. 312A. PREVENTION OF SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATH AS A RESULT 
                   OF VALVULAR HEART DISEASE.

       ``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the 
     Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
     may carry out projects to increase education, awareness, or 
     diagnosis of valvular heart disease and to reduce the 
     incidence of sudden cardiac death caused by valvular heart 
     disease. Such projects may be carried out by the Secretary 
     directly or through awards of grants or contracts to public 
     or nonprofit private entities. The Secretary may directly (or 
     through such awards) provide technical assistance with 
     respect to the planning, development, and operation of such 
     projects.
       ``(b) Certain Activities.--Upon availability of applicable 
     data, projects carried out under subsection (a) may include--
       ``(1) continuing the activities at the Division for Heart 
     Disease and Stroke Prevention, including those related to 
     valvular heart disease;
       ``(2) broadening the awareness of the public concerning the 
     risk factors for, the symptoms of, and the public health 
     consequences of valvular heart disease; and
       ``(3) enhancing surveillance of out-of-hospital cardiac 
     arrests to improve patient outcomes.
       ``(c) Grant Prioritization.--The Secretary may, in awarding 
     grants or entering into contracts pursuant to subsection (a), 
     give priority to entities seeking to carry out projects that 
     target populations most impacted by valvular heart disease.
       ``(d) Coordination of Activities.--The Secretary shall 
     ensure that activities under this section are coordinated, as 
     appropriate, with other agencies of the Public Health Service 
     that carry out activities regarding valvular heart disease.
       ``(e) Best Practices.--The Secretary, acting through the 
     Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
     shall--
       ``(1) collect and analyze the findings of research 
     conducted with respect to valvular heart disease; and
       ``(2) taking into account such findings, publish on the 
     website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
     best practices for physicians and other health care providers 
     who provide care to individuals with valvular heart 
     disease.''.
  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. 1193.
  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, valvular heart disease is a rising health threat to many 
otherwise healthy people. Each year, more than 25,000 Americans lose 
their lives to valvular heart disease, and they are predominantly young 
women. Unfortunately, the disease's reach is only increasing with more 
than 5 million diagnoses each year.
  Despite this rising incidence, there is so much that we do not know 
about valvular heart disease. Specifically, we do not have a good 
understanding about what makes the disease life-threatening.
  Today, we are taking an important step to address this gap by 
considering H.R. 1193, the CAROL Act. I commend Representative Barr for 
introducing this legacy bill in honor of his late wife, Carol, who died 
unexpectedly in June of 2020 from an underlying valvular heart disease 
condition. This bill will help other families avoid the same tragedy 
his family has faced.
  The CAROL Act will expand research on valvular heart disease and its 
treatment by authorizing a grant program administered by the National 
Institutes of Health in collaboration with the National Heart, Lung, 
and Blood Institute. It will also require the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention to carry out projects to increase education, 
awareness, and diagnosis of valvular heart disease and to reduce 
cardiac deaths caused by valvular heart disease.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, 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 strong support of H.R. 1193, the 
Cardiovascular Advances and Opportunities Legacy Act, or the CAROL Act, 
introduced by my good friend and fellow Kentuckian, Representative   
Andy Barr.
  Mr. Speaker, Congress is like a family, and we certainly laugh 
together and we certainly argue with each other, but there are times we 
cry with each other. I will never forget the phone call that I received 
from   Robert Aderholt telling me that Carol Barr, who was a wonderful 
woman, wonderful wife, and wonderful mother, had passed away.
  Our friend and colleague, Representative   Andy Barr, has introduced 
this bill to honor his wife, who passed away from mitral valve 
prolapse.
  Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death for most 
demographic groups in the United States. Over 600,000 Americans die 
from heart disease each year. This is equal to one person every 36 
seconds.
  We know that taking early action is critical to surviving a heart 
condition. People need to know the warning signs and symptoms. 
Understanding the gaps in education and information sharing will help 
the healthcare system better detect these warning signs.
  This bill authorizes grants administered by the National Heart, Lung, 
and Blood Institute to support research on valvular heart disease and 
convenes subject matter experts to identify research opportunities to 
develop more

[[Page H7519]]

informed treatment guidelines for patients with valvular heart disease.
  It also instructs the CDC to increase public awareness about the 
symptoms associated with valvular heart disease and effective 
strategies for preventing sudden cardiac arrest.
  This bill will provide timely investments to adequately inform others 
about valvular heart disease and ultimately save lives.
  Mr. Speaker, as I said, every 36 seconds, one person dies from heart 
disease. It is a life; it is a wife; it is a mother; it is Carol Barr. 
That is who we are here today to honor. We should use the horrible 
tragedy that the Barrs have gone through to prevent other families from 
going through the same thing.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
New York (Miss Rice), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
  Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the 
CAROL Act, which I am proud to co-lead with my friend, Representative   
Andy Barr, which will fund critical breakthroughs in our understanding 
of valvular heart disease.
  Millions of Americans live with some form of valvular heart disease, 
and most of them go their entire lives without a serious issue or 
incident. But over 25,000 people die in this country from this 
condition every single year.
  Last year, Andy's wife, Carol, tragically passed away from a heart 
valve condition called mitral valve prolapse.
  The CAROL Act will honor Carol's life by creating a new grant program 
administered by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to fund 
valvular heart disease research.
  Our hope is that this research will improve our knowledge of this 
poorly understood condition and one day produce a cure that will 
prevent other families from having to endure the same tragedy that 
befell the Barr family. I cannot think of a more beautiful tribute to 
Carol's life than that.
  Andy, I commend you and your family for your incredible strength and 
for turning your grief into action. It was my honor to join you on this 
legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Pallone, Chairwoman Eshoo, Ranking 
Member Rodgers, and Ranking Member Guthrie for bringing this critical 
bill to the floor. I urge all members to support it today.

  Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I almost always enjoy when the Republican 
leader comes to Kentucky, whether it is going to see Corvettes or the 
Abraham Lincoln birthplace. Unfortunately, we got to spend time 
together honoring Carol when we attended her funeral in Lexington.
  I know he was a dear friend of Carol's. He is not just our Republican 
leader, but he was a dear friend of hers as well.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. 
McCarthy), the Republican leader.
  Mr. McCARTHY. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend for yielding, 
and I want to thank him for his friendship and his work.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation. I want to thank 
Congressman Barr for his leadership in bringing this legislation to the 
floor in a strong bipartisan way. I am proud to support the CAROL Act 
in honor of Andy's lovely wife, the late Carol Barr.
  Like everyone who knew her, we know the moment and where we were when 
we heard of her passing. It was sudden. It was unexpected. It was 
something no one ever thought could happen.
  If you ever met her, you were her friend. She was a kind and graceful 
person with a heart for service. As I speak today, I remember her 
laugh.
  Throughout her own career and working with Andy, Carol devoted her 
time and energy to giving back to the community. She had a service 
heart. It was all about the Sixth District.
  I met her years ago. I met her when she first knew Andy, before 
either daughter was born. I was able to watch them grow and watch the 
look in their mom's eyes.
  I remember one time when we were there, she was holding Eleanor. 
Eleanor was showing me her parade wave.
  Carol led a highly respected career in sales at Pfizer. She served as 
executive director for the Henry Clay Center for Statesmanship; and she 
volunteered at the Junior League of Lexington and the University of 
Kentucky's College of Communication and Information National Advisory 
Board.

                              {time}  1600

  Her faith, her patriotism, and her generosity toward her neighbors 
were manifest. For those who attended the time to honor her life, 
speaker after speaker after speaker could tell you the moment in time 
that Carol walked into their life. The interesting part when they told 
it, their life got better, but Carol never walked out of their life. 
That was the interesting part.
  Oh, how she loved Andy and her two beautiful girls, Eleanor and Mary 
Clay.
  This disease strikes you at a time you don't even know. You just come 
back from doing something most all of us do--the family photos, even 
getting ready for a campaign. You look at her face, and you look at the 
children's faces.
  And you know Andy. Carol did all the work. Carol prepared everybody. 
Andy is a great legislator, but Carol made everything happen.
  I love when I meet people early on. I always ask, how did you first 
meet? I asked Andy and Carol. Andy would tell you the story. He saw 
her, and he could tell you the moment it happened. He had a plan. His 
plan, he had it all mapped out. He was going to ask for her business 
card. He just didn't realize she didn't have one.
  The problem with Andy is, he didn't have a backup plan. But the great 
thing about it is, God had already taken care of this. God already had 
a plan for Andy and Carol. Eight weeks later, he brought them back 
together again. This time, Andy didn't let her get away. They were 
married for more than 13 years.
  I cannot tell you the loss we feel. Andy feels it every day. The 
community feels it every day. There is not a day that goes by that we 
don't pray for him and the girls. There are times when I would pick up, 
just call and check on him. I remember doing it recently. He said it 
was a good weekend. He took the girls, just the girls and him, and went 
to the place that the Barr family would always go to. It was in the 
woods. It was a time of reflection.
  There are others in this body that have had to deal with this type of 
loss, a loss in their own family. We all know the different ways to 
suffer. We are all familiar with the five different stages of grief--
the denial, the anger, the bargaining, the depression, and the 
acceptance.
  Andy didn't have time for any of them. Andy channeled his grief into 
what I believe is the sixth stage, the lawmaker, and he did something 
important, working to honor Carol today but save lives for everybody 
else in the future.
  We are going to do work today that most people when they talk about 
Congress wish we did every day. There is not going to be partisanship. 
I think if you met Carol, it didn't matter what side of the aisle you 
were on. It would be harder to attack Andy. We are going to save lives 
for the future, and that is exactly what this bill does, Madam Speaker. 
It saves lives.
  More than 25,000 Americans die from valvular heart disease every 
year. Many, like Carol, show no outward signs. You don't have a 
warning. You kiss your spouse good-bye, and you are going to go down 
the street. The next thing, something goes wrong.
  Too often, the diagnosis comes down to luck. Carol got an indication, 
but we had COVID. We said to wait to have a procedure.
  We must do better. Our doctors and families deserve to have better 
information so they can make the right decisions about treatment. The 
CAROL Act will help get them the information by providing $20 million 
in research grants to study valvular heart problems.
  Andy, your work to pass this bill in honor of Carol has truly been an 
inspiration to all of us. Of all the moments that I had an opportunity 
to spend with them, I always reflect on this one. Like many of you, 
collectively, we will do a trip to Israel, legislatively, foreign 
policy. There was this moment in the trip--and you know the trip. It is 
filled with meetings after meetings after meetings. You are in a 
different time zone, and it gets tiring. You are up early until late at 
night.

[[Page H7520]]

  Carol would always be smiling. We were visiting this one facility 
with the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus had spoken. I remember 
standing next to her, reading the story in the Bible. I remember her 
smile. More importantly, I remember her love for all.
  I know she is with us today. I know she is proud of Andy. She is 
proud of Eleanor and Mary Clay. Her work and life on this Earth was not 
long, but her impact was great.
  Today, what we are doing is right. Today, what we are doing is going 
to make tomorrow better.
  Andy, your dedication, which is so ably represented in this important 
bill, is a fitting tribute to Carol. She had a heart for service. 
Anyone who knew her will tell you that. Today, we are going to honor 
her memory, and we are going to salute you. We are going to salute that 
Carol made a difference yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
  She will not be forgotten, be it through the caring, the sweetness, 
the kindness of her daughters; but, more importantly, the love and 
respect of her husband, who, in a very tragic situation, could go a lot 
of different paths. But I know he wondered what Carol would want to be 
done, and that is exactly what he did. He put himself in a position to 
make the world better and to make fewer families to have that same 
call.
  I respect everybody I serve with. People go through a lot of 
challenges. There are very few people in my life who I have ever 
witnessed the dignity and the respect and the honor that Andy has given 
to Carol for her life and her memory.
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Panetta).
  Mr. PANETTA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to support the bipartisan 
CAROL Act and my good friend, Representative   Andy Barr, and so many 
others in this Nation who either have valvular heart disease or have 
lost loved ones to this disease.
  The CAROL Act is necessary now more than ever, as each year 25,000 
Americans lose their lives to this often hidden yet very deadly 
deficiency of the human heart.

  This legislation would help prevent those deaths by authorizing grant 
programs at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute that will not 
only bolster research on heart valve disease but also will help 
identify those with this disease so that they can treat this disease 
before it is too late.
  On behalf of the very fruitful life lived by Carol Barr, on behalf of 
the future fulfilled lives of Mary Clay and Eleanor Barr, I not only 
support the CAROL Act, but I, and I urge my colleagues to, stand in 
solidarity with   Andy Barr to give him our vote and the full strength 
to fulfill Carol's legacy and to continue carrying the torch so that 
those with this disease can continue living their lives to the fullest.
  Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Louisiana (Mr. Scalise), the Republican whip.
  Mr. SCALISE. Madam Speaker, I rise with a heavy heart but in strong 
support of this legislation, the CAROL Act.
  Clearly, if you look at the policy, we are here today to expand 
research on valvular heart disease to help save more lives, but we are 
also here to pay tribute to Carol Barr and talk about a special person 
that we were blessed to know.
  Carol was one of those people who would light up a room. I was 
blessed to be in many of those rooms with Andy and Carol and their two 
beautiful daughters. Then, we got the news. It was news that you don't 
wish upon anybody, but to watch how Andy has carried on a legacy since 
then, obviously caring for Carol's legacy, caring for those two 
beautiful young daughters, but then turning it into something bigger 
with the CAROL Act.
  This legislation is going to help some of those 25,000 Americans who 
lose their lives every year to valvular heart disease, many of them 
young women like Carol.
  Hopefully, we can prevent others from having to go through what Andy 
went through and what all of us went through because, while we battle 
on the day-to-day issues, we care about each other. We are family in 
many ways. We spend a lot of time here together. We get to know each 
other personally.
  I got to know Andy. I was in charge of recruiting in 2012, and he was 
the first recruit that I called. We hit it off from day one and just 
developed an incredible friendship. With friendships like that, you get 
to know the families of the people that we serve with. Every time you 
were in a room with Andy and Carol and their family, it was just a 
special, special time.
  I know so many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who are 
expressing those same passions. At least we get to channel this into 
something positive that can help other people.
  Andy, your strength in her death serves as a constant tribute to 
Carol's life. Carol used to have a saying. She would say, ``Just get it 
done.'' Today, we are going to get something special done in honor of 
an incredibly special person.
  I am sure they have C-SPAN in Heaven, and I know Carol is watching 
right now, as she is so proud of the strength you have exhibited. But 
today, she knows that her name is also going to be attached to 
something that is going to save lives for years to come.
  God bless Andy, his beautiful daughters, and Carol.
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my 
time, as we hear from the Republican Members.
  Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Barr), my good friend.
  Mr. BARR. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of an issue that is 
obviously very personal to me, my legislation, the Cardiovascular 
Advances in Research and Opportunities Legacy Act, or the CAROL Act.
  I am just overwhelmed and so grateful to my friends and colleagues on 
both sides of the aisle. I thank them for their kindness, their kind 
words about Carol, and their advocacy for this very important 
legislation.
  I do ask for the indulgence of the House and my colleagues to speak 
about a topic that is very personal. I have become, unfortunately, very 
passionate about it.
  My life and my girls' lives were changed forever when we lost Carol, 
who was my best friend, and that was a sudden cardiac event on June 16, 
2020. She was only 39 years old. This was just a few weeks before her 
40th birthday.
  The end of her life didn't define her life. When people hear about 
the CAROL Act, I want them to know not just about the legislation. I 
want them to know about Carol, the woman who inspires it, because so 
much of her life really continues to make a positive impact on all of 
us.
  First of all, Carol was obviously a beautiful person, but her beauty 
on the outside was not as much as it was on the inside, as beautiful as 
she was as a person.

                              {time}  1615

  She was an amazing friend and daughter and wife. She was so 
supportive. Everybody who serves in this body knows it takes so much 
support from a spouse, and I witnessed that every day both in this job 
and out of this job and in the 12 years that we were married.
  She was a supporter. She was a selfless giver. And she was a giver 
not just to me and my girls, she was a selfless person with everyone, 
with her friends, with her family. She was always going out of her way 
to do for others and put others ahead of herself.
  Professionally she was incredibly accomplished. She worked in the 
pharmaceutical industry. She was a planner, a list maker, a detailed 
organizer, which was great for me because I wasn't any of those things. 
She complemented me. She kept me going. She kept me on time and 
organized. I was not a list maker, and she was. She was a go-getter.
  As my friend, Whip Scalise, said, she had this great saying, and she 
said it to me the weekend before she passed away: ``Just get it done.''
  But of course, her greatest legacy was her motherhood. She was 
defined by her motherhood of our girls, Eleanor and Mary Clay. She was 
the best mother in the world. Now, she only had 9 and 7 years, but she 
packed it in, and she left a great mark on those kids, and they are her 
greatest legacy. I am so proud of our girls. And my youngest, Mary 
Clay, always says: ``Daddy, when

[[Page H7521]]

you give those speeches, why don't you talk about me? And, Mary Clay, I 
am talking about you, and I am talking about your sister, Eleanor, 
right now because you are your mother. You shine through, and your 
mother will continue to shine through you all.
  So what is Carol's story?
  At a young age, in seventh grade, she was diagnosed with an 
underlying condition called mitral valve prolapse or floppy valve 
syndrome. This is a typically benign condition that results in sudden 
cardiac death in only 0.2 percent of the cases.
  The odds were decidedly in her favor, and she knew that, and she 
talked about that, and her physicians talked about that. They said it 
was no big deal. She said it was no big deal. I said it was no big deal 
because everybody thought it was no big deal. We just had to monitor 
it, and we did.
  And Carol sadly was one of those unlucky people in that 0.2 percent 
category. She did have a near fainting episode, and she got a Holter 
monitor, and in early 2020 she sought help from a cardiologist, and in 
the medical notes the cardiologist said, yes, we need to further 
investigate this. Not urgent, but we need to investigate this. We need 
to get an echo stress test after the virus resolves.
  And there was no incident. There was no chest discomfort after that. 
There was nothing between March and, sadly, June 16 when I came home 
that night.
  So what factors placed Carol in the 0.2 percent versus the 99.8 
percent category?
  That is what we don't know. That is what we need to know for other 
families.
  So in my discussions with top cardiologists, medical experts, 
researchers, and advocates following Carol's passing, I learned the 
extent to which the medical community seriously lacks answers to this 
critical question.
  And sadly, over 25,000 Americans die each year from heart valve 
disease primarily due to underdiagnosis and undertreatment of the 
condition.
  So inspired by the extraordinary life of my wife and also many 
experts, the cardiologists who contributed to this work with the help 
of experts at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, we 
introduced the CAROL Act to better equip our medical community with the 
resources needed to develop predictive models, inform communities, and 
save the lives of other loved ones.
  So specifically, the CAROL Act authorizes a grant program 
administered by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to 
support research on MVP.
  This legislation marshals the full power of 21st century medical 
innovation and encourages the utilization of technological imaging and 
precision medicine to generate data on individuals with valvular heart 
disease.
  It is through this research that we can help identify Americans at 
high risk of sudden cardiac death from valvular heart disease and 
develop prediction models for high-risk patients, enabling 
interventions and treatment plans to keep these patients healthy 
throughout their lives.
  Additionally, the CAROL Act will instruct the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention to increase public awareness regarding symptoms 
of valvular heart disease and effective strategies for preventing 
sudden cardiac death.
  Madam Speaker, I am honored and so grateful that this bill, the CAROL 
Act, has earned the bipartisan support of over 180 Members of this body 
and all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who have been 
critical to bringing this legislation to this point. The speakers here 
today, I am so humbled and grateful to them. To my good friend, 
Congressman Guthrie, who was a dear friend of my wife, to Minority 
Leader Kevin McCarthy and Whip Scalise, both of whom knew and counted 
Carol as one of their friends, my good friends, Kathleen Rice and   
Jimmy Panetta on the other side, who have been just awesome to work 
with on this. Chairman Pallone, I really appreciate your leadership and 
Leader Hoyer, as well; my good friends Brad Wenstrup and Bill Huizenga, 
who have been really helpful to me in this difficult time. And I am 
also grateful for my friend and fellow Kentuckian, Senate Republican 
Leader Mitch McConnell, who is leading the companion bill in the 
Senate, and Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema, who I served with in my 
class here; sadly, Kyrsten lost a sister to a similar condition, and 
they are leading the companion legislation in the Senate.
  And, finally, I acknowledge and thank the over 20 medical groups who 
supported our bill, including the American Heart Association, the 
American College of Cardiologists, and WomenHeart, and the scores of 
doctors that we consulted who really were instrumental in helping us, 
and I will just say a few: Dr. Mary Sheppard, Dr. Alan Daugherty, and 
Dr. Nezar Falluji in the district that I represent at the University of 
Kentucky; also Dr. Gary Gibbons and his team at the National Heart, 
Lung, and Blood Institute; Dr. Francesca Delling at the University of 
California, San Francisco; and Dr. Bonow at Northwestern. They were all 
instrumental in crafting this legislation.

  Madam Speaker, in conclusion, Carol Barr's greatest legacy will 
always be our two daughters, and she wouldn't have wanted this. She 
doesn't want this as her legacy. She wanted to raise our kids. But I 
will tell you this, even though the doctors said that her heart gave 
out, you know, because of her life and her legacy and this bill, she is 
going to be remembered as having the most powerful heart of all, of 
anyone we have ever met. I hope my colleagues in the House will help me 
move one step closer to enshrining that legacy in a way that will help 
others avert this tragedy that has so profoundly affected my family.
  And, honey, we are getting it done.
  Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have 
remaining?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Kelly of Illinois). The gentleman from 
Kentucky has 5 minutes remaining.
  Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Huizenga), another dear friend of my colleague from 
Kentucky and his wife, Carol.
  Mr. HUIZENGA. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman yielding, and 
I don't know how you follow   Andy Barr and that story.
  Madam Speaker, Andy talked a lot about Carol, as he should, but we 
also want to talk about him and how he responded.
  This is an opportunity to turn a tragedy into hope. And there are a 
lot of people that would be too bitter, too angry, too frustrated, too 
betrayed to take that opportunity and refocus it and turn it into help 
for others. Madam Speaker, Andy is doing that, and he is showing his 
daughters what his wife would do.
  So to those of us who knew her, he is absolutely right, I can still 
hear in my mind's ear this, ``just get it done.'' It would be a 
desperate tone sometimes, ``just get it done.''
  But the words that I think of as I was sitting here, and I have sort 
of thrown aside all the prepared remarks, and I want to speak from the 
heart. I just started writing down a few words.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 1 
minute.
  Mr. HUIZENGA. Passionate, patriot, fierce--not mean, but fierce--and 
focused. She was a leader of teams, but a leader of her family, too.
  And, Madam Speaker, that is Andy. He has been forced into some roles 
that he was not expecting he was going to have to take care of. And 
this is what he does best. He throws himself in. He dives in, and he 
works hard to help others. And that, too, is a legacy, a legacy for 
Carol and for the girls.
  And for Eleanor and Mary Clay, may they know that their mom loved 
them. She loved them. And their dad loves them. And Carol is not with 
us today, but she is not gone because we won't forget her. And we will 
make sure her legacy continues.
  Madam Speaker, we love Andy, and we are here for him. I am so 
grateful we can help so many others around the country.
  Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Ohio (Mr. Wenstrup), a good friend of Andy's, and I know he has taken 
Andy under his wing over the last year. It is hard to believe it has 
been over a year.
  Mr. WENSTRUP. Madam Speaker, I am proud to rise today in support of

[[Page H7522]]

my good friend, my dear friend, Congressman   Andy Barr and his 
legislation named, of course, in memory of his late wife, Carol.
  Andy knows Monica and I loved being with Carol and Andy whenever we 
could. Whenever we could get together it was great, especially when we 
traveled together.
  Let me talk about the bill for a second. The Cardiovascular Advances 
in Research and Opportunities Legacy Act, or CAROL Act, will help to 
advance research on valvular heart disease.
  Specifically, this bill authorizes grants that allow us to identify 
and develop a cohort of individuals with valvular disease.
  We will then be able to gather data and help doctors determine which 
individuals are at high risk of sudden cardiac death.
  And finally, the bill will convene subject matter experts to 
strategize on what research is needed to develop guidelines for 
treatment of patients with mitral valve prolapse.
  As a doctor, I know this legislation will undoubtedly help to save 
many lives.
  The bill's 180 cosponsors, who span the political spectrum, are a 
testament to how important this body believes this bill to be.
  Today, we take another step towards getting this bill across the 
finish line. It will be a fitting tribute to a beautiful life when we 
see it signed into law.
  Madam Speaker, I know Carol is beaming with pride as she looks down 
on Andy today. And Andy and Carol's girls, Eleanor and Mary Clay, are 
even more proud of both their mom and their dad than they already are 
on this particular day.
  So may God bless Andy and Carol Barr. Carol reached out and touched 
the face of God, but the positive effects of her life and Andy's work 
will never perish. Their legacies are that they bring good things to 
life. So I am glad to see all of my colleagues here to support this 
bill, and I urge its passage.
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to 
the gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. Rodgers).
  Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Madam Speaker, first, to my colleague and 
friend,   Andy Barr, what a beautiful tribute to Carol. And I join my 
colleagues, everyone here today, in strong support of the CAROL Act. We 
love you. We love Carol. Our hearts go out to you.

  I am sitting here, and I am thinking what a beautiful tribute. And to 
Eleanor and Mary Clay, I just saw their Christmas card, and I was 
thinking they are beautiful, and they are loved, and they shine 
brightly just like their mom did. I know that this has been such a 
difficult time, and to see Andy step forward, bring this legislation--
the CAROL Act that is going to help thousands of others across the 
country--to highlight important research that needs to be done so that 
others will not have to go through something similar because Andy has 
led in such a strong way. We are grateful to know Andy, and we want him 
to know that he is not alone.
  I will always remember the times that I was with Carol. She was one 
of those people who seemed to do it all and do it all so well. And my 
memory of her is one of just lighting up the room. She shined so 
brightly. And Andy continues to shine. And their girls are shining 
today.
  We join today in strong support of this legislation. It is going to 
help us get answers so that others will not be impacted the same way. 
And let's get this done, as Carol said.

                              {time}  1630

  Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, again, this is a great legacy for a great 
woman and her children. Every time I see them, we all tear up but we 
know that they are carrying on her legacy. I know that her husband is 
here today moving forward with her legacy.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the passage of the 
bill, and I thank the gentleman for yielding to the gentlewoman from 
Washington.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, let me just say again what a tribute that 
  Andy Barr has made to his wife.
  Madam Speaker, this is such an important bill in terms of trying to 
deal with this disease. Again, I urge bipartisan support, 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. 1193, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to amend 
title IV of the Public Health Service Act to direct the Director of the 
National Institutes of Health, in consultation with the Director of the 
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, to establish a program under 
which the Director of the National Institutes of Health shall support 
or conduct research on valvular heart disease, and for other 
purposes.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________