[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 187 (Monday, November 13, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H5673]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  CHARTING NEW COURSE ON NATIONAL DEBT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, today, our national debt 
stands at over $33 trillion, which is an increase of nearly $5 trillion 
since President Joe Biden took office.
  By borrowing money from China to subsidize Green New Deal initiatives 
like windmills, solar panels, and electric vehicles, President Biden 
has failed to rein in spending and sent our national debt soaring to 
unprecedented levels.
  As Congress looks to address next year's funding, it is clear that a 
change needs to be made and that cuts to government waste are needed in 
order to right the ship and restore sanity to our budget.
  Right now, we are on an unsustainable trajectory that will put making 
interest payments on our debt the largest single line item in the 
Federal budget, surpassing Social Security, Medicare, and all other 
spending programs.
  It is time to chart a new course and help return to fiscal solvency 
while supporting the priorities that matter the most, priorities like 
protecting seniors, funding our military, and securing our border.
  Pennsylvania families and, in fact, all American families cannot 
afford President Biden's reckless spending, and I call on my colleagues 
to join me in working to pass a budget that is responsible and shows 
that Congress is working to be solid stewards of American taxpayer 
dollars.


            Recognizing National Lung Cancer Awareness Month

  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, this November, as we 
recognize National Lung Cancer Awareness Month, Congress must look to 
find new and innovative solutions to treat this terrible disease. Each 
year, lung cancer takes the lives of over 127,000 Americans, more than 
any other type of cancer in America.
  Unfortunately, at a time when we should be looking for new 
innovation, the Inflation Reduction Act, or IRA, has led to a slowdown 
in research and development of new drugs and therapies that could be 
critical to saving American lives.
  New price controls, which were established by the IRA, create a 
system of disincentives for smaller, innovative drug manufacturers that 
are working to treat rare diseases, including cancer.
  To address this issue, I have been joined by a bipartisan group of my 
colleagues to introduce the ORPHAN Cures Act. This legislation would 
amend the IRA to create a new exemption that would incentivize 
researchers to explore the development of new medications to treat rare 
diseases and cancers.
  The clock is ticking, and now is the time for Congress to pass this 
bipartisan solution for our constituents and the patients who are 
currently battling cancer and other rare diseases.

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