[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 20090]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


              MOSQUITO ABATEMENT FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. CHRISTOPHER JOHN

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 25, 2003

  Mr. JOHN. Mr. Speaker, as Congress is about to adjourn for the August 
recess, I am proud to see that we have taken a very important step in 
protecting our constituents from a serious public health threat--from 
the West Nile Virus and other mosquito borne diseases. Today, the House 
will be considering S. 1015, the Mosquito Abatement for Safety and 
Health (MASH) Act which is the companion to legislation I introduced 
this year, H.R. 342.
  This legislation is almost identical to legislation which I 
introduced this year in the House, H.R. 342, in light of the impending 
threat of the West Nile Virus and the constant threat of mosquito borne 
illnesses. In Louisiana, mosquitoes are jokingly considered our state 
bird given their size and numbers. So for me, protecting my 
constituents from mosquito borne diseases has been a priority.
  As you may be aware, mosquito control programs have always been 
locally sponsored programs funded through a variety of ways--mostly 
through state and/or local taxes. In light of this, I wanted to find a 
way for the federal government to support, not supplant, this funding. 
Due to the severity of the West Nile outbreak last year, local mosquito 
control programs are buckling under the financial strain of operating 
these programs. This is where MASH steps in and how important it is for 
this program to be authorized and funded.
  The MASH Act would establish a matching grant program through the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to assist states and 
counties in the creation or maintenance of a mosquito control program. 
This program is not designed to be a ``federal take-over'' of mosquito 
control programs, but it is designed to recognize the great expense of 
start-up and maintenance that these programs incur. Given the poor 
economic situation most of our states and localities are facing, there 
is simply not enough money that can be dedicated to this need. However, 
there still remains a major public health threat caused by the 
prevalence of mosquitoes. There is a federal need here and an 
appropriate cause of action for the federal government to take.
  It has been a rather long road, Mr. Speaker, but I am happy to be 
here today to recognize the final passage of this legislation and to 
encourage President Bush to quickly sign it into law. I am excited to 
return home and tell my constituents that relief is on the way, and I 
encourage the House and Senate appropriators to fully fund the MASH Act 
so that we can begin to provide the financial assistance our localities 
need and deserve.
  Mr. Speaker, I would also be remiss if I did not take a few minutes 
to recognize all of the hard work so many people have put into getting 
the MASH Act to this point. This legislation is a great example of bi-
partisanship, and it was a pleasure to work with my colleagues across 
the aisle and across the Capitol on this issue. I must extend my 
sincerest thanks to Chairman Tauzin and Ranking Member Dingell for 
supporting the MASH Act. Without their help and guidance this bill 
would have never made it to the President's desk. In addition, Senators 
Breaux, Landreau, Frist, Gregg, and Kennedy worked equally as hard in 
the Senate to ensure the active support and passage of the MASH Act in 
their chamber. And as we all know the real work is done by our staffs 
who spent many hours negotiating and building support for this 
legislation. I would like to take a second to thank Vera LeBrun, Cheryl 
Jaeger, John Ford, Paige Jennings, Kathleen Strothman, and Katy French 
for all of the time and energy they put into this legislation.
  Today I stand here with a proud heart and an excited spirit. The MASH 
Act is so very important to me, and I am thrilled to see this program 
finally come into existence. I look forward to working with my 
colleagues on the Appropriations Committee to see this program fully 
realized.