[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 62 (Thursday, April 7, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2094-S2097]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. KAINE (for himself and Mr. Booker):
  S. 4025. A bill to require additional disclosures with respect to 
nominees to serve as chiefs of missions, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on Foreign Relations.
  Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, the United States places special trust and 
confidence in the integrity, judgement, and abilities of those men and 
women chosen to represent the United States abroad as an Ambassador. 
The Constitution balances the President's need to have officials 
overseas able to execute U.S. foreign policy as directed by the 
President, with Congress' interest in ensuring that these officials 
will serve honorably and ably in the positions for which they are 
nominated. Apart from the Foreign Service Act of 1980, the Ambassador 
nomination process has changed very little since our Nation was 
founded. However, it is fair to say that Presidents of all parties have 
on occasion appointed individuals Ambassadors whose profiles indicate 
political closeness with the President more than deep substantive 
experience in a particular foreign country.
  Historically, the majority of Ambassadors are selected from the 
career ranks of the State Department. Roughly 30 percent of Ambassadors 
are typically selected outside of those ranks, including from among 
political supporters of the President. This is not categorically 
problematic--Ambassadors who are not professional diplomats have long 
served our country admirably, from Benjamin Franklin in France to 
former Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield in Japan. A foreign 
country may benefit from having a U.S. Ambassador who has a close 
relationship with the President and the

[[Page S2095]]

ability to elevate issues to the highest levels or the independent 
gravitas to bring substantial public attention to that country's needs. 
That said, I do believe it is appropriate to ask Presidents and their 
Secretaries of State to explain their rationale for choosing Ambassador 
nominees outside of the Foreign and Civil Services so that the public 
can understand the rationale for these appointments. This would give 
both the U.S. public and foreign publics the assurance that the White 
House is not merely doling out political sinecures but is devoting 
meaningful thought to these selections.
  The legislation I am introducing today with Senator Booker would not 
constrain the President's discretion to choose appointees but would 
require him or her to justify these selections and explain to Congress 
why someone from outside the State Department is the optimal choice to 
represent America's interests abroad. I am proud to introduce this bill 
to ensure that U.S. foreign policy and our national security interests 
are advanced by the most qualified Americans, and I look forward to 
working with my colleagues to ensure that this legislation is swiftly 
considered by the Senate.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. THUNE (for himself, Mr. Brown, and Mr. Cardin):
  S. 4039. A bill to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
to provide guidance to States regarding Federal reimbursement for 
furnishing behavioral health services and treatment under Medicaid and 
the Children's Health Insurance Program using telehealth services, and 
for other purposes; to the Committee on Finance.
  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 4039

       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 ``Medicaid Ensuring Necessary 
     Telehealth is Available Long-term Health for Kids and 
     Underserved Act'' or the ``MENTAL Health for Kids and 
     Underserved Act''.

     SEC. 2. GUIDANCE TO STATES ON FURNISHING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH 
                   SERVICES VIA TELEHEALTH UNDER MEDICAID AND 
                   CHIP.

       Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting 
     through the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & 
     Medicaid Services, shall issue guidance to States on the 
     following:
       (1) State options for Federal reimbursement of expenditures 
     under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program 
     for furnishing clinically appropriate services and treatment 
     for behavioral health needs, including assessment, 
     counseling, and medication management, using telehealth 
     services. Such options shall include, to the extent 
     appropriate, options for States to receive Federal 
     reimbursement for such expenditures without the need for 
     approval of a State plan amendment or waiver. Such guidance 
     shall also include guidance on furnishing services and 
     treatments that address the needs of high-risk individuals, 
     including racial and ethnic minorities, such as American 
     Indians and Alaska Natives.
       (2) State options for Federal reimbursement of expenditures 
     under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program 
     for furnishing clinically appropriate behavioral health 
     services and treatment to school-aged youth and teens 
     enrolled in Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance 
     Program using telehealth services. Such options shall 
     include, to the extent appropriate, options for States to 
     receive Federal reimbursement for such expenditures without 
     the need for approval of a State plan amendment or waiver.
       (3) Best practices for integrating clinically appropriate 
     behavioral health provided via telehealth services covered by 
     a State plan for medical assistance under title XIX of the 
     Social Security Act (or a waiver of such a plan) or a State 
     plan for child health assistance under title XXI of such Act 
     (or a waiver of such a plan) into school-based settings, 
     including full-service community schools. Such best practices 
     shall include resources and information specifically for 
     educators and other school-based staff on how to recognize 
     signs of distress in high-risk students and make appropriate 
     referrals for school-based behavioral health services.
       (4) Best practices for evaluating how utilizing clinically 
     appropriate telehealth services for behavioral health 
     services and treatment affects outcomes, as well as costs.
       (5) Best practices for monitoring fraud, waste, and abuse 
     that may occur during behavioral health services furnished 
     through telehealth services covered under Medicaid and the 
     Children's Health Insurance Program.

     SEC. 3. REPORT TO CONGRESS ON BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES 
                   UNDER MEDICAID AND CHIP.

       Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit 
     to the Committee on Finance of the Senate and the Committee 
     on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a 
     report on the impact of telehealth on access, cost, and 
     quality of behavioral health services offered to 
     beneficiaries under the Medicaid program and the Children's 
     Health Insurance Program, including specific information on 
     the impact of telehealth on access to and the quality of 
     behavioral health services in schools.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. REED (for himself and Mr. Whitehouse):
  S. 4040. A bill to amend subtitle IV of title 46, United States Code, 
with respect to ship agents, and for other purposes; to the Committee 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, today I am introducing the Ship Agent 
Licensure Act along with my colleague Senator Whitehouse. This 
legislation seeks to improve supply chain efficiencies and port safety 
and security by creating a Federal standard and licensure for 
independent ship agent companies, just as we already do for 
transportation intermediaries like Freight Forwarders and Non-Vessel 
Operating Common Carriers, NVOCCs.
  Ship agents are one of the most important yet least understood 
stakeholders in the international marine trade supply chain, but in the 
United States, there is no Federal licensing for these essential 
players.
  A ship agent can best be understood as the general contractor of the 
port call, tasked by ship owners and charterers with managing thousands 
of vendors to ensure a safe, secure, and cost efficient port call. This 
includes coordinating critical Federal Government clearances and 
inspections for Agencies that include the Coast Guard, Customs and 
Border Protection, the EPA, USDA, and others. Government officials rely 
on ship agents to fulfill their critical role of facilitating commerce, 
and protecting life, property, and the environment. More than any other 
stakeholder, the ship agent facilitates efficiencies at the Nation's 
ports of entry, the frontline of the supply chain.
  While the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development has 
established minimum international standards for ship agent competency, 
quality, and fiduciary responsibility, there is no requirement for 
independent ship agent companies to abide by these, or any set of 
standards in the United States. Many domestic independent ship agent 
companies voluntarily certify through third-party accreditation 
associations in accordance with these international standards, but not 
all do. When ship agents are not properly trained and do not carry the 
appropriate bond and insurance, it creates delays and inefficiencies 
during vessel calls, jeopardizes port entry and clearance, and 
increases risk for Federal Agencies.
  That is why it is critical to require Federal licensing for 
independent ship agent companies. Indeed, such a licensing requirement 
represents a unique opportunity for the United States to adopt its own 
uniform nationwide standards, consistent with the existing 
international standards, to ensure that ship agents have the knowledge, 
experience, and skills needed to manage these high stakes vessel calls 
and help our government agencies fulfill their responsibilities.
  I urge our colleagues to join us in supporting this commonsense 
legislation.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. REED (for himself, Ms. Collins, and Mr. Merkley):
  S. 4041. A bill to promote environmental literacy; to the Committee 
on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, today, I am introducing bipartisan, 
bicameral legislation with Senator Collins and Senator Merkley and 
Congressman Sarbanes that targets the fundamental goal of public 
education, which is to equip the next generation with the knowledge, 
skills, and experiences to understand the world around them and their 
ability to shape it. In the face of a global climate crisis, it is 
essential that all students graduate with environmental literacy skills 
to secure and sustain their future. The No Child Left Inside Act will 
ensure that our students will have the opportunity to develop 
environmental literacy.

[[Page S2096]]

  Environmental education provides broad benefits. It has been shown to 
enhance student achievement in science and other core subjects and to 
increase student engagement and critical thinking skills. Moreover, it 
promotes healthy lifestyles by encouraging kids to get outside.
  The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us just how vital understanding the 
environment is to our own health, well-being, and ability to carry out 
our daily activities. As the pandemic took hold, Rhode Island's 
environmental educators sprung into action, creating outdoor learning 
support opportunities and virtual programs for students as they did 
school from home. We need this to work on a national level for all 
students.
  The No Child Left Inside Act authorizes $150 million annually to 
supports States in the development and implementation of environmental 
literacy plans to integrate environmental education and field 
experiences into the core academic program in public schools, with an 
emphasis on professional development in environmental education for 
teachers. With this funding, States will provide grants for 
partnerships between school districts and parks, natural resource 
management agencies, educator preparation programs, museums or other 
organizations with expertise in engaging young people with real world 
examples of environmental and scientific concepts. The legislation also 
establishes a pilot program for outdoor school education programs that 
offer intensive, hands-on learning experiences, such as residential 
programs and summer camps.
  The No Child Left Inside Act will also help coordinate the Federal 
efforts on environmental education. It requires the Secretary of 
Education to establish environmental literacy advisory panel to 
coordinate and report on environmental literacy activities across 
Federal Agencies. It also will prove easy access to environmental 
education resources through the Department of Education's website.
  The No Child Left Inside Act has the support of nearly 100 
organizations, representing educators, parks, museums, environmental 
organizations, and community-based organizations at the national, 
State, and local levels. They stand ready and willing to partner with 
schools across the Nation. The Federal Government should be a partner 
too. That is why I urge my colleagues to join me in cosponsoring the No 
Child Left Inside Act.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. REED (for himself, Mr. Whitehouse, Mrs. Feinstein, and Mr. 
        Merkley):
  S. 4060. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide 
for inflation rebates, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Finance.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, today I am introducing the Food and Fuel 
Family Savings Act, FFFSA, along with Senator Whitehouse, Senator 
Feinstein, and Senator Merkley. Price increases, particularly for basic 
necessities like food and gas, are weakening household buying power and 
cutting family budgets across the country. Americans are struggling, 
and it is critically important that we both address the long-term 
factors driving inflation and support the millions of families facing 
higher prices right now. That is why we are introducing this 
legislation, which would provide eligible individuals and families with 
debit cards to cover higher food and fuel prices in the short term and 
help tame inflation in the medium and long term.
  A number of factors are driving our current bout of inflation. 
Pandemic-driven supply chain snarls, a surge and shift in demand 
towards goods, and corporate consolidation have created an imbalance 
between supply and demand. Energy prices have risen particularly 
quickly, as OPEC limits output and oil companies refuse to invest in 
domestic production to meet growing demand. Russia's invasion of 
Ukraine has also decreased global oil, fertilizer, and wheat supplies, 
moving prices higher for food and energy. These wide-ranging pressures 
pushed the Consumer Price Index up 7.9 percent in February--its fastest 
increase in 40 years.
  Hard-working Americans are not at fault for these global price 
pressures. Yet, these households, which often put a large share of 
their income towards basic necessities, are being forced to bear the 
burden of higher costs. Indeed, U.S. grocery prices rose 8.6 percent in 
February, the largest annual increase in over 40 years, and U.S. gas 
prices were up a whopping 38 percent. While the wealthiest Americans 
can afford more expensive everyday goods, higher prices erode working 
families' buying power and can force them to delay or reduce critically 
needed purchases. We need to help them.
  Our bill would take the burden off the shoulders of working Americans 
by providing targeted relief to low- and moderate-income individuals 
and families. It would provide eligible households with debit cards 
loaded with $600 per family member that work exclusively at grocery 
stores and gas pumps. The average American household would receive 
$1,500. Using estimates from Bloomberg economists, this payment should 
cover the additional $183 the average family will spend each month on 
food and fuel for the rest of 2022. In other words, our legislation 
would ensure households can put food on the table and gas in the car 
this year.
  Importantly, this fiscally responsible legislation is fully paid for. 
In fact, offsets would pay for the cost of the debit cards and slash 
the deficit by hundreds of billions of dollars. More than that, it 
would tamp down inflation in the medium and long term. Indeed, this 
bill would help families weather today's inflation while cooling price 
increases in the years ahead.
  Congress must continue working on other measures to foster a 
stronger, more resilient postpandemic economy. Our legislation would 
aid these long-term efforts while providing Americans the financial 
help they need right now.
  I urge our colleagues to join us in supporting this important 
legislation.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. PADILLA (for himself, Mr. Menendez, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. 
        Heinrich, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Murphy, and Ms. 
        Rosen):
  S. 4068. A bill to promote and support collaboration between 
Hispanic-serving institutions and local educational agencies with high 
enrollments of Hispanic or Latino students, and for other purposes; to 
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the 
Hispanic Educational Resources and Empowerment Act of 2022, which I 
introduced today.
  Hispanic-serving institutions provide incredible opportunities for 
millions of low-income and first-generation students. I am proud that 
my State of California is home to 174 HSls and 51 emerging HSls, the 
most in the country. That is why I launched the first-ever Senate HSI 
Caucus with my colleague, Senator Menendez--to spotlight and advocate 
for the 559 HSIs across our country. These critical institutions 
educate our future leaders and help to build a more diverse and 
inclusive workforce.
  Over the last 2 years, the number of HSls in our country declined for 
the first time in two decades. A decrease in higher education 
enrollment among Latino students during the COVID-19 pandemic has led 
to the decrease in the number of HSls, illustrating the need to invest 
in Latino youth. That is why I am introducing the HERE Act.
  If enacted, this bill would support Latino students throughout 
secondary and postsecondary education. Specifically, the HERE Act would 
provide $150 million for grants to create partnerships between HSls and 
K-12 school districts that serve large populations of Latino students.
  Schools could use this funding to provide academic support that 
better prepares students for postsecondary education. They could create 
new programs to foster a college-going culture by exposing students and 
their families to postsecondary opportunities. And they could better 
support students through the college application and transition 
process. Additionally, schools could use grants to address non-academic 
needs that serve as barriers to college enrollment and completion--such 
as childcare, food insecurity, financial hardship, and more.
  Latinos are the largest, youngest, and second fastest growing 
minority population in the United States. While making up 18 percent of 
our country's population, Latinos comprise 26 percent of 
prekindergarten through grade 12 enrollment. Latino students are going 
to college more than ever before,

[[Page S2097]]

but they still face lower educational outcomes, including lower grades, 
lower scores on standardized tests, and higher dropout rates.
  As a Senator representing one of the most diverse States in the 
country, I am proud to work with my leagues to ensure the American 
dream is a reality for every student.
  I want to thank Congressman Joaquin Castro for introducing this bill 
with me, and I hope our colleagues will join us in support of this 
effort to empower Latino youth.

                          ____________________