[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 17 (Thursday, January 26, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S122-S123]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
By Mr. CARDIN (for himself, Mr. Crapo, Mr. King, and Mr. Cramer):
S. 114. A bill to amend the Congressional Budget Act of 1974
respecting the scoring of preventive health savings; to the Committee
on the Budget.
Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, today I am proud to reintroduce the
Preventive Health Savings Act. This bipartisan legislation would reform
the Congressional Budget Office's CBO, scoring to better reflect the
savings from preventive health initiatives by expanding the budgetary
window the CBO evaluates.
Currently, the CBO scores the budgetary implications of legislation
over a 10-year period. Oftentimes, however, the cost-savings of
preventive care are not clear within the current 10-year ``scoring''
window. This legislation would direct the CBO to extend its analysis
beyond the existing 10-year budget window to two additional 10-year
periods, which will give a truer picture of the benefits of health
initiatives and better enable Congress to pass effective policies.
Chronic and mental health conditions account for 90 percent of our
Nation's $4.1 trillion in annual medical expenditures. In 2018, more
than half of U.S. adults had 1 of 10 chronic conditions, and 27.2
percent had multiple chronic conditions, and this number is only
expected to grow. Chronic diseases disproportionally affect racial and
ethnic minorities. For example, when compared to non-Hispanic White
adults, Black adults are 1.6 times, Asian American adults are 1.4
times, Hispanic adults are 1.7 times, American Indian and Alaska Native
adults are 2.9 times, and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander adults
are 2.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes. Additionally,
Black adults are 1.4 times, American Indian and Alaska Native adults
are 1.2 times, and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander adults are 1.3
times more likely to have asthma than non-Hispanic Whites.
As more Americans experience chronic conditions, the healthcare costs
in the United States will continue to rise. Not only are these costs a
heavy burden on millions of Americans and their families, but they are
also primary drivers of our annual Federal budget deficits and
accumulated debt. As medical expenditures continue to rise, it is
crucial that we capture the long-term savings that can be achieved by
focusing our efforts on averting, halting, or slowing preventable
diseases. This is why I have long been a champion for expanded access
to affordable, high-quality preventive health care and am proud to have
championed initiatives from coverage for colon screenings to increased
access to oral health care. But we still have progress to make.
I am encouraged by the cutting-edge research that world-class
institutions in my home State of Maryland, such as the National
Institutes of Health, NIH, are doing to address chronic diseases.
Interventions, including screenings, vaccinations, and behavioral
changes, can prevent or delay the onset of new cases and mitigate the
progression of a preventable illness, which can result in large
reductions in the financial, physical, and emotional toll of developing
one or more chronic diseases. By having the data to enable us as
lawmakers to look at cost-benefit analyses, we can most effectively use
our Nation's resources to improve the health of Americans while
reducing medical costs. The first step to altering the trajectory of
chronic diseases and curbing healthcare costs is to have more accurate
information on the cost savings of preventive care.
I thank Senators Crapo, King, and Cramer for joining me in
introducing this legislation and urge my other Senate colleagues to
consider cosponsoring the measure.
______
By Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Ms. Duckworth):
S. 121. A bill to amend the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to require
the provision of training and information to certain personnel relating
to food allergy identification and response, and for other purposes; to
the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Mr. DURBIN. Madam 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. 121
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 ``Protecting Children with
Food Allergies Act''.
SEC. 2. FOOD ALLERGY TRAINING COMPLETION REQUIREMENT.
Section 7(g)(2) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42
U.S.C. 1776(g)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(C) Food allergy training and certification for all local
food service personnel.--
``(i) In general.--The Secretary shall develop, in
consultation with relevant stakeholder groups with food
allergy expertise, and publish training modules and other
educational materials in accordance with clause (ii).
``(ii) Training modules.--A training program carried out
under this subparagraph shall include training modules
relating to--
``(I) the prevention of allergic reactions to food, which
may include--
``(aa) communicating food allergen information in school
menus, food products, and recipes;
``(bb) best practices to avoid cross-contact; and
``(cc) the availability of appropriate food substitutions
for children with food allergies;
``(II) the identification of food-related allergic reaction
symptoms; and
``(III) the appropriate responses to an allergic reaction
to food.
``(iii) Certification of local personnel.--
``(I) In general.--In accordance with criteria established
by the Secretary, local food service personnel shall complete
training and receive a certification to demonstrate
competence with respect to the training provided under clause
(ii).
``(II) Treatment.--The Secretary may allow local food
personnel to apply a certification received under this clause
toward any other training requirements under this subsection.
``(iv) Methods for inclusion.--The training required under
this subparagraph shall be provided, as the Secretary
determines to be necessary, in--
``(I) relevant languages other than English, for
individuals with limited English proficiency; and
``(II) relevant alternative formats, for individuals with
disabilities (as defined in section 3 of the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102)).
``(v) Availability to other personnel.--The Secretary shall
make the training provided under this subparagraph available
to personnel under child nutrition programs not covered under
this subsection, including personnel under--
``(I) the special milk program under section 3;
``(II) the summer food service program for children under
section 13 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch
Act (42 U.S.C. 1761); and
``(III) the child and adult care food program under section
17 of that Act (42 U.S.C. 1766).
``(vi) Authorization of appropriations.--There is
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out
this subparagraph $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024
through 2028.''.
SEC. 3. ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT WIC-ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS
IMPACTED BY FOOD ALLERGIES.
Section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C.
1786) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsections (l) through (s) as
subsections (m) through (t), respectively;
(2) by inserting after subsection (k) the following:
``(l) Activities to Support WIC-eligible Individuals
Impacted by Food Allergies.--
``(1) In general.--In accordance with subsection (e), the
Secretary shall--
[[Page S123]]
``(A) submit to the Secretary of Health and Human Services
for comment proposed nutrition education materials for use
under subsection (e), which shall--
``(i) incorporate evidence-based findings from the United
States Dietary Guidelines for Americans relating to food
allergies and potentially allergenic foods; and
``(ii) include nutrition education materials for--
``(I) individuals with food allergies during pregnancy and
in the postpartum period;
``(II) infants impacted by prenatal food allergy exposure;
and
``(III) children with food allergies; and
``(B) after submitting the materials in accordance with
subparagraph (A), publish and disseminate the materials for
use under subsection (e).
``(2) Requirements for inclusion.--
``(A) In general.--The nutrition education materials under
paragraph (1) shall be provided, as the Secretary determines
to be necessary, in--
``(i) relevant languages other than English for individuals
with limited English proficiency; and
``(ii) relevant alternative formats for individuals with
disabilities (as defined in section 3 of the Americans With
Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102)).
``(B) Outreach.--In carrying out this paragraph, the
Secretary shall conduct outreach to individuals who are, or
may be--
``(i) eligible to participate in--
``(I) the program under this section; or
``(II) a training program of a State agency under
subsection (e)(2); and
``(ii) impacted by food allergies.
``(3) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this
subsection $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2024.'';
(3) in subsection (q) (as redesignated by paragraph (1))--
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``subsection (o)(1)(A)''
and inserting ``subsection (p)(1)(A)''; and
(B) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking ``subsection
(o)(1)(A)'' and inserting ``subsection (p)(1)(A)''; and
(4) in paragraph (5) of subsection (t) (as redesignated by
paragraph (1)), by striking ``subsection (r)'' and inserting
``subsection (s)''.
______
By Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Ms. Hirono, and Mr. Sanders):
S. 126. A bill to make individuals responsible for undermining free
and fair democratic elections inadmissible to the United States; to the
Committee on the Judiciary.
Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, America must never become a safe haven
for anyone who assaults the values for which this Nation stands--values
like democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and the sanctity of free
and fair elections.
We already deny visas to those who are human traffickers, drug
traffickers, money launderers, corrupt kleptocrats, and those who
commit serious violations of religious freedom. I agree with that
policy. We have passed laws to allow for the prosecution in U.S. courts
of anyone who has committed war crimes or used children as soldiers in
deadly conflict. I have written some of those policies, and I certainly
agree with them.
Today, I am introducing legislation to further align our immigration
system with our values as a nation. The bill I am introducing would
prevent foreign officials who interfere with democratic elections or
prevent the democratic transfer of power of their country from taking
refuge in the United States.
In recent years, autocrats around the world have used a toxic brew of
nationalism, authoritarianism, corruption, and social media to weaken
and attack the very foundations of democracy. Fortunately, democracy is
winning this battle. Much of the world is unified in support of
Ukraine, for example, against Putin's attempt to seize the sovereign
democratic nation of Ukraine, and we have the allies in the NATO
alliance and others who stand with us with strength and formidable
determination to stop Putin.
In late October, the people of Brazil--the largest democracy in Latin
America--chose a new President to replace the increasingly
authoritarian Jair Bolsonaro. After years of baseless lies by Bolsonaro
about the integrity of Brazil's elections, polls show that three-
fourths of his supporters no longer trust the electoral process in
Brazil.
Sound familiar?
After Bolsonaro lost in October's Presidential election, his
supporters turned to violence. They blocked highways throughout Brazil.
Many called openly for the military to overturn the election.
Sound familiar?
And, on January 8, as Mr. Bolsonaro took selfies with his supporters
in the State of Florida, thousands of his far-right supporters
violently stormed Brazil's Presidential palace, Congress, and Supreme
Court--breaking windows and injuring dozens of police officers.
Sound familiar?
It was a disgrace. It was an assault on democracy--not only in Brazil
but an assault on democracy everywhere.
Under the bill I am introducing, if the Secretary of State determines
a foreign official has interfered with free and fair elections or has
sought to prevent the peaceful, democratic transfer of power, that
official cannot escape justice by fleeing to the United States.
I ask my colleagues to join in supporting this important measure to
hold those who interfere with democratic elections accountable. America
should never be a safe haven for enemies of democracy.
____________________