[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 5]
[House]
[Pages 5975-5980]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              MOSQUITO ABATEMENT FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH ACT

  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 342) to authorize grants through the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention for mosquito control programs to prevent 
mosquito-borne diseases, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                H.R. 342

       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 ``Mosquito Abatement for 
     Safety and Health Act''.

     SEC. 2. GRANTS REGARDING PREVENTION OF MOSQUITO-BORNE 
                   DISEASES.

       Part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 
     U.S.C. 243 et seq.), as amended by section 4 of Public Law 
     107-84 and section 312 of Public Law 107-188, is amended--
       (1) by transferring section 317R from the current placement 
     of the section and inserting the section after section 317Q; 
     and
       (2) by inserting after section 317R (as so transferred) the 
     following section:

     ``SEC. 317S. MOSQUITO-BORNE DISEASES; COORDINATION GRANTS TO 
                   STATES; ASSESSMENT AND CONTROL GRANTS TO 
                   POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS.

       ``(a) Coordination Grants to States; Assessment Grants to 
     Political Subdivisions.--
       ``(1) In general.--With respect to mosquito control 
     programs to prevent and control mosquito-borne diseases 
     (referred to in this section as `control programs'), the 
     Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for 
     Disease Control and Prevention, may make grants to States for 
     the purpose of--
       ``(A) coordinating control programs in the State involved; 
     and
       ``(B) assisting such State in making grants to political 
     subdivisions of the State to conduct assessments to determine 
     the immediate needs in such subdivisions for control 
     programs, and to develop, on the basis of such assessments, 
     plans for carrying out control programs in the subdivisions.
       ``(2) Preference in making grants.--In making grants under 
     paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give preference to States 
     that have one or more political subdivisions with an 
     incidence or prevalence of mosquito-borne disease, or a 
     population of infected mosquitoes, that is substantial 
     relative to political subdivisions in other States.
       ``(3) Certain requirements.--A grant may be made under 
     paragraph (1) only if--
       ``(A) the State involved has developed, or agrees to 
     develop, a plan for coordinating control programs in the 
     State, and the plan takes into account any assessments or 
     plans described in subsection (b)(3) that have been conducted 
     or developed, respectively, by political subdivisions in the 
     State;
       ``(B) in developing such plan, the State consulted or will 
     consult (as the case may be under subparagraph (A)) with 
     political subdivisions in the State that are carrying out or 
     planning to carry out control programs;
       ``(C) the State agrees to monitor control programs in the 
     State in order to ensure that the programs are carried out in 
     accordance with such plan, with priority given to 
     coordination of control programs in political subdivisions 
     described in paragraph (2) that are contiguous;
       ``(D) the State agrees that the State will make grants to 
     political subdivisions as described in paragraph (1)(B), and 
     that such a grant will not exceed $10,000; and
       ``(E) the State agrees that the grant will be used to 
     supplement, and not supplant, State and local funds available 
     for the purpose described in paragraph (1).
       ``(4) Reports to secretary.--A grant may be made under 
     paragraph (1) only if the State involved agrees that, 
     promptly after the end of the fiscal year for which the grant 
     is made, the State will submit to the Secretary a report 
     that--
       ``(A) describes the activities of the State under the 
     grant; and
       ``(B) contains an evaluation of whether the control 
     programs of political subdivisions in the State were 
     effectively coordinated with each other, which evaluation 
     takes into account any reports that the State received under 
     subsection (b)(5) from such subdivisions.
       ``(5) Amount of grant; number of grants.--A State may not 
     receive more than one grant under paragraph (1).
       ``(b) Prevention and Control Grants to Political 
     Subdivisions.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the 
     Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
     may make

[[Page 5976]]

     grants to political subdivisions of States for the operation 
     of control programs.
       ``(2) Preference in making grants.--In making grants under 
     paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give preference to 
     political subdivisions that--
       ``(A) have an incidence or prevalence of mosquito-borne 
     disease, or a population of infected mosquitoes, that is 
     substantial relative to other political subdivisions;
       ``(B) demonstrate to the Secretary that the political 
     subdivisions will, if appropriate to the mosquito 
     circumstances involved, effectively coordinate the activities 
     of the control programs with contiguous political 
     subdivisions;
       ``(C) demonstrate to the Secretary (directly or through 
     State officials) that the State in which the political 
     subdivision is located has identified or will identify 
     geographic areas in the State that have a significant need 
     for control programs and will effectively coordinate such 
     programs in such areas; and
       ``(D) are located in a State that has received a grant 
     under subsection (a).
       ``(3) Requirement of assessment and plan.--A grant may be 
     made under paragraph (1) only if the political subdivision 
     involved--
       ``(A) has conducted an assessment to determine the 
     immediate needs in such subdivision for a control program, 
     including an entomological survey of potential mosquito 
     breeding areas; and
       ``(B) has, on the basis of such assessment, developed a 
     plan for carrying out such a program.
       ``(4) Requirement of matching funds.--
       ``(A) In general.--With respect to the costs of a control 
     program to be carried out under paragraph (1) by a political 
     subdivision, a grant under such paragraph may be made only if 
     the subdivision agrees to make available (directly or through 
     donations from public or private entities) non-Federal 
     contributions toward such costs in an amount that is not less 
     than \1/3\ of such costs ($1 for each $2 of Federal funds 
     provided in the grant).
       ``(B) Determination of amount contributed.--Non-Federal 
     contributions required in subparagraph (A) may be in cash or 
     in kind, fairly evaluated, including plant, equipment, or 
     services. Amounts provided by the Federal Government, or 
     services assisted or subsidized to any significant extent by 
     the Federal Government, may not be included in determining 
     the amount of such non-Federal contributions.
       ``(C) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive the requirement 
     established in subparagraph (A) if the Secretary determines 
     that extraordinary economic conditions in the political 
     subdivision involved justify the waiver.
       ``(5) Reports to secretary.--A grant may be made under 
     paragraph (1) only if the political subdivision involved 
     agrees that, promptly after the end of the fiscal year for 
     which the grant is made, the subdivision will submit to the 
     Secretary, and to the State within which the subdivision is 
     located, a report that describes the control program and 
     contains an evaluation of whether the program was effective.
       ``(6) Amount of grant; number of grants.--A grant under 
     paragraph (1) for a fiscal year may not exceed $100,000. A 
     political subdivision may not receive more than one grant 
     under such paragraph.
       ``(c) Applications for Grants.--A grant may be made under 
     subsection (a) or (b) only if an application for the grant is 
     submitted to the Secretary and the application is in such 
     form, is made in such manner, and contains such agreements, 
     assurances, and information as the Secretary determines to be 
     necessary to carry out this section.
       ``(d) Technical Assistance.--Amounts appropriated under 
     subsection (f) may be used by the Secretary to provide 
     training and technical assistance with respect to the 
     planning, development, and operation of assessments and plans 
     under subsection (a) and control programs under subsection 
     (b). The Secretary may provide such technical assistance 
     directly or through awards of grants or contracts to public 
     and private entities.
       ``(e) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
       ``(1) The term `control program' has the meaning indicated 
     for such term in subsection (a).
       ``(2) The term `political subdivision' means the local 
     political jurisdiction immediately below the level of State 
     government, including counties, parishes, and boroughs. If 
     State law recognizes an entity of general government that 
     functions in lieu of, and is not within, a county, parish, or 
     borough, the Secretary may recognize an area under the 
     jurisdiction of such other entities of general government as 
     a political subdivision for purposes of this Act.
       ``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of 
     carrying out this section, there are authorized to be 
     appropriated $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2003, and such sums 
     as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2004 through 
     2007. In the case of control programs carried out in response 
     to a mosquito-borne disease that constitutes a public health 
     emergency, the authorization of appropriations under the 
     preceding sentence is in addition to applicable 
     authorizations of appropriations under the Public Health 
     Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 
     2002.''.

     SEC. 3. RESEARCH PROGRAM OF NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF 
                   ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES.

       Subpart 12 of part C of title IV of the Public Health 
     Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285 et seq.) is amended by adding at 
     the end the following section:


     ``methods of controlling certain insect and vermin populations

       ``Sec. 463B. The Director of the Institute shall conduct or 
     support research to identify or develop methods of 
     controlling insect and vermin populations that transmit to 
     humans diseases that have significant adverse health 
     consequences.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. John) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin).


                             General Leave

  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Louisiana?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  We will be speaking about mosquitos. I think it is appropriate that 
we represent both sides of the aisle by gentlemen from Louisiana.
  I am pleased that the House is considering today the Mosquito 
Abatement for Safety and Health Act. I want to congratulate and thank 
the gentleman from Crowley, Louisiana (Mr. John) for his authorship of 
this very important legislation, not just for our State, by the way, 
but for so many States in the Nation where, in fact, the West Nile 
virus has threatened lives, and it has, in fact, harmed so many 
individuals.
  In fact, today, Illinois, Michigan and Iowa lead the country, three 
States ahead of Louisiana, in the number of reported cases of West Nile 
virus, and while we are experiencing wintry weather here in the 
Nation's capital, we may have rather numbed our senses to the fact that 
warm and wet weather is just around the corner and with it will come 
flowers, sunshine and, yes, mosquitos.
  Just yesterday, USA Today warned, ``Keep the bug spray handy, there 
is a good chance that West Nile virus will complete its coast-to-coast 
march this summer''; in fact, warning us that it is going to make it to 
the West Coast before the summer is over.
  Last summer, the West Nile infected over 40 States. It has led to the 
death of 274 of our fellow citizens. It has made 4,000 others seriously 
ill, and what is remarkable is that many more Americans may have been 
infected by the West Nile virus but thankfully did not develop its 
serious complication.
  Since 1999, when the West Nile was first detected in our country, the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have taken the lead in 
assisting the States and the localities in combatting the spread of 
this disease.
  The bill we are considering today will complement the work of the CDC 
and will provide authority to the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services to make grants to States for the purpose of coordinating such 
things as mosquito control programs, assessment and mosquito control 
planning grants to political subdivisions, and assistance in combatting 
the spread of mosquitos that carry West Nile. In addition, this Act 
authorizes CDC to award grants to political subdivisions of States for 
the operation of mosquito control programs themselves.
  The rapid outbreak of West Nile across America, which is fast 
outpacing the prediction of many scientists, has made it very difficult 
for our communities to adequately respond. The additional Federal 
dollars we authorize through this legislation will assist States and 
localities with their immediate needs to combat it.
  Notably, this legislation recognizes the importance of keeping 
mosquito control programs running and controlled at the local level, 
where they have historically operated. It simply

[[Page 5977]]

gives additional support to the CDC so it can provide technical and 
training assistance to the planning, development and operation of these 
programs.
  Finally, it directs the National Institutes of Health to support and 
conduct research to identify or develop methods to control insect and 
vermin populations that transmit diseases that have significant adverse 
health consequences for humans. The findings from this research hold 
the potential for the development of additional products to assist in 
mosquito control efforts.
  Again, I want to thank the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. John) for 
his enormous leadership in this act and so many other things before the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. JOHN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I would like to thank the gentleman from Louisiana as chairman of our 
Committee on Energy and Commerce and also the gentleman from Michigan 
(Mr. Dingell), the ranking member. Without their leadership, this 
legislation would never be on the floor today, and to the gentleman 
from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin), I think that it is appropriate that we two 
Louisianans on either side of the aisle take the lead on this piece of 
legislation because, as we all know, mosquitos are nonpartisan biting 
insects, and so it is really important that we have a nonpartisan bill 
here. So I thank the gentleman very, very much for doing this.
  I also want to thank Cheryl Jaeger with the majority staff and John 
Ford with the minority staff for their help in bringing this bill to 
the floor today.
  I also want to thank the 50-plus cosponsors of this piece of 
legislation that are on both sides of the aisle from all over the 
country, 50-plus people. I also want to add the support of the 
gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Ross) and also the gentlewoman from 
Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro) and a special support from the gentlewoman 
from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) who shared with me just this morning a 
story of a lady, a constituent of hers, who died in her garden this 
past summer from West Nile virus. So she is a strong supporter of this 
piece of legislation.
  I first introduced this piece of legislation in May of 2002 in the 
107th Congress last year, and I do not think anyone would have 
realized, especially Members of Congress or any other Americans would 
have realized or imagined the effect West Nile has had since that time 
when I introduced this piece of legislation.
  As we can see from the visual aids, the West Nile virus in the United 
States from 1999 to 2001 are depicted here in the red States, all the 
way from the Northeast all the way down to Louisiana, basically 
separated somewhat by the Mississippi River, but if we look at what has 
happened in just 1 year alone or year-and-a-half, the visual aid on my 
right indicates the verified cases, as of December 11 of this past 
year, of the cases of West Nile virus. They have spread to almost every 
State in our Union.
  It is important to note that the spread of this has happened only 
over the last year-and-a-half. Over 4,000 people have been infected, 
and 300 people have died of this disease. The people of Louisiana have 
suffered almost 330 human cases, 24 deaths, but surprisingly enough we 
were not the worst ones affected. The State of Illinois, 800 human 
cases; the State of Michigan, 550 cases; and Ohio, 450 cases.
  It is important that we know a little bit about this disease because 
it is somewhat new to the United States, and it is also important to 
know that prior to 1999 it was not diagnosed or it was not a disease 
that was diagnosed in America. It was first discovered in New York City 
in 1999, only 4 years ago. Before that, this virus was very common in 
Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia, or Western Asia and the Middle East. It 
is also important to know how this disease spreads, to try to get to 
better understanding of how we can cope with it.
  First of all, it is a disease that infests birds, birds of all prey, 
but it is mostly in bluejays and crows where it is found more 
prevalent, and of course, this disease, mosquitos bite these birds and 
these birds go on and spread this virus to many hundreds and thousands 
of mosquitos who, in turn, bite humans, cattle, animals and infect 
them. So that is how the disease is spread. It is also important to 
note that the disease patterns are very similar to the migratory 
patterns of some of these birds. So we know a little bit about it, but 
we need to know more.
  This disease has spread faster across America than anyone could ever, 
ever have imagined, including the Centers for Disease Control. Their 
projections were wrong about the spread of this disease. In 1 year the 
disease has spread all the way, as I mentioned, from the Mississippi 
River all the way to the Western coast of California and almost every 
other State in between, and of course, as my visuals show, this is now 
not just about the mosquito, the breeding States of this country, but 
it is a national public health threat, and I believe that the Federal 
Government should get involved and that is what this piece of 
legislation is all about.
  The counties and parishes of this country have really surpassed their 
budgets. Mosquito control abatement programs are all done on the local 
level. The Federal Government, today, hopefully this bill will change 
that, but today is only done by parishes in Louisiana and, of course, 
counties, and they have surpassed their budget with this outbreak by 
many years in advance. They have spent their budgets last year for the 
foreseeable future on whatever they had budgeted for mosquito abatement 
programs.
  Our public health systems have been strained because of this disease, 
and those who have been infected have put a real burden on our public 
health systems.
  The population that is most at risk is our elderly population. The 
little research that we have found so far with this disease is that our 
seniors are most vulnerable. In fact, most of the deaths have occurred 
from West Nile in our senior population, and I think that that is very 
unfortunate and, also, young children. In fact, in the State of 
Louisiana there were concerns about recesses, outdoor activities, 
soccer fields. The soccer programs that are kicking off I know in my 
home State and across the country, the parents are very concerned about 
the spread of this disease because that is where mosquitos are.
  Aside from some of the human casualties that I have mentioned before, 
it has become a real problem in Louisiana and other States across the 
country with cattle. Cattle are very susceptible to this disease, and 
the horsemen in Louisiana are very concerned about the spread of this. 
In fact, many of the cattlemen in Louisiana have been instructed to 
vaccinate their herds, to make sure in the coming mosquito season that 
they can have the proper vaccine.
  Currently, there are no human vaccines to help with the spread of 
West Nile virus. NIH is working to develop this, but frankly, since it 
is such a new disease the realization is that a final product for 
vaccinating humans is years away. Therein lies the need for this piece 
of legislation.
  Our only tools to fight this disease today are in mosquito abatement 
through education, and that is what this bill is all about.
  Currently, the CDC helps to educate the public and local government 
on disease and prevention, but the CDC also does surveillance to the 
States to help monitor the progress of the virus.

                              {time}  1245

  But, Mr. Speaker, I believe, and I beg of this body, that this is not 
enough. This is not enough. Eradication of mosquitoes is the most 
effective way today that we can stop the spread of mosquito-borne 
diseases. Abatement programs are handled on a local level, as I had 
said earlier, but counties are stressed. And the counties and parishes 
most in need are rural parishes that have a lower tax base and a lower 
ability to fund a very aggressive mosquito abatement program. H.R. 342 
establishes a one-time matching grant program through the CDC to assist 
parishes and counties with either maintaining a mosquito control 
program or,

[[Page 5978]]

frankly, starting one up. It is a two-to-one match not to exceed 
$100,000 per parish or county.
  Finally, in order to ensure that our hardest hit areas are addressed, 
this piece of legislation prioritizes the States and counties and areas 
of the United States that have more proven cases and a more focal point 
for the disease in different areas of the State. But I believe we must 
act now. The 2003 mosquito season, and, frankly, the mosquito season in 
Louisiana never goes away, but the real aggressive mosquito season is 
at our doorstep around this country so it is important for us to act.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank again the chairman of our committee, the 
gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin), and the ranking member for 
putting this bill through the committee very quickly and getting it on 
the floor today because it is certainly the time to address the 
mosquito problem in this country
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to 
just advise that some of my Cajun friends have suggested that if we 
come up with a good mosquito gumbo recipe we might be able to solve 
some of these problems.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Arkansas (Mr. Boozman), my dear friend from my neighboring State.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr.Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this 
time.
  Certainly as an Arkansan I am very aware of the West Nile disease. My 
brother, Fay Boozman, the Director of Arkansas' Health Department, 
testified before a Congressional committee that it is very possible 
that more Arkansans will be infected with the West Nile virus this 
year. This estimate reflects the fact that the number of cases has 
steadily increased in Arkansas since the West Nile virus first appeared 
in 2001.
  Arkansas is certainly not alone in this trend. In fact, 
epidemiologists expect that in the upcoming season the virus will reach 
all 48 contiguous States, which is why Congress needs to act now. 
States like Arkansas cannot afford to dip into their emergency funds to 
combat the spread of West Nile virus. This bill will help States and 
localities fight this virus by authorizing matching grants of up to 
$100,000 for their mosquito abatement programs.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin) and 
the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. John) for their leadership on this 
issue and for bringing this bill to the floor for a vote. I encourage 
my colleagues to pass this bill and provide much needed relief to our 
State and local governments who are on the front lines of this fight.
  Mr. JOHN. Mr. Speaker, I proudly yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from northeast Louisiana (Mr. Alexander).
  Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. Speaker, in the summer of 2001 there was an 
outbreak of St. Louis encephalitis in four parishes in northeast 
Louisiana. There were 70 incidents resulting in 7 deaths. Seven of 
those incidents and two of the deaths were in parishes without mosquito 
control programs. In addition, in my district, Pointe Coupee Parish had 
the highest incidence of West Nile virus in Louisiana at more than 52 
cases per 100,000 population.
  When I was chairman of the Louisiana Health and Welfare Committee, we 
met to discuss State efforts to coordinate mosquito control. One of the 
issues that we often discussed was the Federal funding that was 
available for testing and education, but it was not readily available 
for mosquito control. That is why I support the MASH Act, because it 
provides much needed Federal funding for control and education.
  I am proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation which provides 
needed assistance to local governments to control the outbreak of 
mosquito-borne illnesses. I also commend the gentleman from Louisiana 
(Mr. John) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin) for their hard 
work on this issue.
  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend from Louisiana for 
his comments and endorsements, and I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman 
from the great State of Indiana (Mr. Souder), which is, by the way, the 
fifth in incidents of West Nile virus in the country.
  Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, last year, northeast Indiana had one of the highest 
rates of West Nile virus in the country, a total of 157 probable cases. 
Not being swampland or having the traditional problems of the South and 
Southeast, we were taken by surprise. A large percentage of these cases 
were reported in my hometown of Fort Wayne and in Allen County around 
it. In fact, I believe nearly two-thirds of the cases in all of the 
State of Indiana were in my Congressional district. Not only did we 
have animal deaths, not only is our bird population drastically 
reduced, but we have human deaths. We had multiple human deaths caused 
by the West Nile virus in my district.
  In fact, Mr. Speaker, one of the counties outside of Chicago as well 
as my home county represented the bulk of the cases in the entire 
Midwest and should be the focus on any future studies in the Great 
Lakes because they were also the two highest counties with the St. 
Louis virus a number of years ago. The encephalitis virus seems to have 
replicated itself a number of years later in the same counties.
  The concern that we have in my home county, because of the human 
deaths, is that it is impossible to communicate to the rest of the 
public. As we saw a number of people in the hospitals, very ill, 
including a reporter and a cameraman who were covering the case and 
were in miserable condition for a number of weeks, fear spread 
throughout my district. In my son's high school, they had spray booths 
outside the games. The football players, the band members, the 
cheerleaders felt under direct attack. A long-time friend of mine, a 
State Representative and State Senator Dick Worman, told me his 
daughter, Terry Lightfoot, who is on the East Allen County School 
Board, in all his years in the State legislature, he never had as many 
irate calls to his home, as his daughter did at the school board. As 
they would cancel a football game, football players would call in and 
say they would not be able to compete. If they canceled band practice, 
band parents would call in. If they kept it on, parents would call in 
and say you are putting my children at risk. It was near chaos in our 
area.
  As a member of the Committee on Government Reform, and chairman of 
its subcommittee with jurisdiction over matters relating to public 
health, I commend the efforts of my colleagues, the gentleman from 
Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. John) for 
addressing this critical public health dilemma. We held an oversight 
hearing last fall to try to look at some of the lessons that we 
learned, and one of those lessons was that we completely missed at the 
Federal Government what was going to happen in the Great Lakes. They 
projected it would be the Southeast. So it better be included in future 
planning by the government to try to address what happens in the Great 
Lakes areas so more people do not die because the government missed the 
plan.
  Furthermore, we learned in that hearing from a gentleman from Lee 
County, Florida, Fort Myers, a representative of the mosquito supply 
people, that we may not even have adequate supplies, as a particular 
spray that is used is not commonly used in other areas now and they are 
worried about having the supply for mosquito eradication we need to 
look at.
  We also need to make sure that we do adequate spraying. Counties like 
Lee County and others, where they are aggressive, managed to control 
this in the human populations. There was hesitancy in my hometown by 
some who tried to block the spraying initially. If we do not do this 
spraying, we put people at risk. In addition to the animals and the 
birds and others, we need to make sure that there is adequate research, 
we need to make sure there is

[[Page 5979]]

adequate supplies on the market, and we need to make sure there is 
adequate political will among political officials to take the actions. 
Because if they do, lives, in fact, are saved, and we have heard from 
counties around the country where this is true.
  H.R. 342 is a step in the right direction towards equipping our 
communities with the tools necessary to prevent and control mosquito-
borne diseases. Federal agencies and regulations should empower rather 
than hinder the ability of States and municipalities to identify and 
eradicate mosquitoes and the diseases they carry and spread.
  Aside from the funds to help our communities to establish or maintain 
an existing mosquito control program, which, by the way, we desperately 
need help from the Federal Government because this just overwhelmed our 
local budget in trying to deal with all the spraying in so many 
different points and school budgets as well. We need to make sure there 
are research dollars to further our knowledge of mosquito-borne viruses 
and their behavior. This is of vital interest to every parent, every 
person threatened.
  We learned in Fort Wayne, Indiana, that everybody was vulnerable, 
from the youngest to the oldest. Some of the deaths and some of those 
most ill were 25 to 45, which the health department said was not 
likely, that it would be the young and elderly. We had deaths and 
severe illness in the midlife, well people, like I mentioned the 
reporter and the photographer from one of the major TV stations, in 
fact the number one rated.
  So the consequences of not having an effective mosquito control 
program can lead to serious public health concerns. During the scope of 
the hearing that I mentioned earlier, we included such issues as 
funding levels for research of the virus as well as other issues.
  Once again, Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his leadership and 
that of the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. John) as well for his 
leadership.
  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. JOHN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to 
thank the chairman once again, and I also would be remiss if I did not 
thank my senior legislative staff person who worked very hard on this 
bill, Vera LeBrun.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I applaud Congressman Chris 
John for this outstanding legislation!
  I rise in support of H.R. 342, the Mosquito Abatement for Safety and 
Health Act. West Nile Virus has been marching across the nation over 
the past three years, and threatens to take tens of thousands of lives 
over the next decade. We must focus the efforts of the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention on this problem, before it gets out of 
hand.
  West Nile Virus was relatively unknown in the United States until 
1999 when if began to crop up in the New York and a few select states 
in the Northeast. Since then, it has progressed West and South, until 
in 2002, all but 4 states in the Continental U.S. were affected by the 
insidious parasite. In 2002, over 4000 people were infected with the 
West Nile Virus. Of those infected, 274 died, including one woman from 
my District.
  West Nile Virus is transmitted through mosquito bites. Although the 
majority of people infected do eventually recover, there is no known 
cure for West Nile Virus infection. Luckily, we do know how to largely 
contain the epidemic through control of the mosquitoes that carry 
virus. I have been reasonably pleased with the efforts in my District, 
from the Texas Department of Health, the Harris County Health 
Department, as well as the City of Houston, in combating West Nile 
Virus. With relatively meager funding, they have kept infection rates 
low through programs of spraying insecticides and larvicides, education 
programs and public service announcements, and surveillance of 
infection trends.
  However, even one preventable death is too many. Furthermore, it 
seems that infections are still on the rise, so a re-doubling of our 
efforts is now appropriate. We need to put the creativity, technology, 
and resources available to us to work on stopping West Nile Virus in 
its tracks.
  For example, last year I realized that although all of the public 
service announcements and CDC websites were advocating the use of DEET-
containing mosquito repellents for prevention of infection, almost 60 
percent of DEET-containing products did not have the word DEET on the 
label. Instead they were labeled in tiny print with the chemical name 
N,N dietlhyl-m-toluamide. Considering that seniors are the most 
vulnerable to infection, and that seniors can often be visually 
impaired, this was inappropriate. Such lack of clarity and consistency 
in a public health product labeling can cost lives. I reached out to 
industry representatives and to the EPA. The EPA quickly moved to alter 
their labeling requirements, and I am pleased to say that by this West 
Nile season, every can that has DEET in it, will have the word DEET on 
it.
  But there is much more work to be done. The woman whose life was 
taken in my district, did not take the proper precautions to protect 
herself. That indicates to me that we need more education. We need to 
go door to door if necessary, helping seniors clear out old tires and 
debris from their yards, that might collect stagnant water where 
mosquitoes lay their eggs. We should give out DEET, and advice of times 
to stay inside or what clothes to wear, to minimize the risks of 
infection. We should give local health departments the resources they 
need to assess and address risks as needed.
  The MASH Act will help in all of those endeavors. It will make it 
possible for Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, to make grants to States for coordinating mosquito control 
programs to prevent and control mosquito-borne diseases; and for 
assisting States in making grants to political localities to help them 
develop control programs. The Act will require commitment from the 
States as well, in the form of matching funds. But, the Secretary of 
the Department of Health and Human Services can waive that matching 
requirement for areas in dire financial straits.
  But the bill is not just about sending more money. It will also 
encourage the CDC to use their expertise to help States develop 
strategies for protecting all of their citizens from West Nile Virus, 
and carry out research into ways to improve those strategies in the 
future.
  This bill represents good preventive medicine. I support H.R. 342, 
and urge my colleagues to do the same.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 342, the 
``Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health Act,'' and urge the House to 
join me in voting for it.
  There is a real and growing public health threat posed by the West 
Nile virus in my state of Michigan, as well as many other states 
throughout the country. Last year, Oakland County, Michigan, had 187 
cases of West Nile Virus and 20 deaths. Macomb County reported 103 
cases and six deaths. Many communities in my district have acted 
locally, but clearly the problem must be attacked broadly, across 
community lines.
  All levels of government must be involved in responding to this clear 
and present health risk. Congress must do more to support State and 
local public health efforts to combat the spread of West Nile. The bill 
before the House today represents the least we should do to combat this 
mosquito-borne disease. It establishes two temporary grant programs to 
help state and local governments assess mosquito problems, and 
coordinate and operate mosquito control programs. The bill authorizes 
$100 million in FY 2003, and such sums as necessary through FY 2007. It 
is critical that Congress follow up this legislation with the 
appropriations needed to fund these vital programs.
  I urge all my colleagues to support this important legislation.
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 342, the 
Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health Act. This is a particularly 
important issue in my state of Illinois and for my district, both of 
which have been disproportionately impacted by West Nile Virus--more so 
than almost any other part of the country.
  The latest survey shows that Illinois is suffering the highest 
numbers of human cases of West Nile in the country, 877 cases and 62 
deaths. Over 630 cases of these cases were in Suburban Cook County and 
the Greater Chicago area, leading to 37 deaths. Compared with 
nationwide data, these numbers reveal an uncommonly high outbreak ratio 
in the Chicago Metro region.
  H.R. 342, the Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health Act will help 
Illinois and other states across the nation prevent any more outbreaks 
from occurring. Among other things, the act will provide grants to 
states to help them coordinate mosquito control programs to prevent and 
control mosquito-borne diseases. The bill also directs the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services to provide training and technical assistance 
to states and localities for the planning, development, and operation 
of assessments and plans regarding control programs. We cannot afford 
to lose more lives to West Nile Virus. I urge my colleagues to support 
H.R. 342.

[[Page 5980]]


  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 342, 
the Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health Act, introduced by my 
colleague from the Energy and Commerce Committee, and my good friend, 
Chris John.
  This legislation would provide grants to communities for the 
operation of mosquito control programs to prevent and control mosquito-
borne diseases.
  Last summer, Americans watched in fear as the West Nile virus spread 
rapidly across our country.
  Before 1999, there was no record of a West Nile virus case in North 
America, but in the last few years, West Nile has become a serious 
public health concern.
  According to the CDC, from 1999 through 2001, there were 149 cases of 
West Nile virus in the United States reported, including 18 deaths.
  That number skyrocketed last year, with West Nile affecting almost 
4,000 individuals, and killing 259.
  In my home state of Texas, more than 190 people were infected, and 11 
lost their lives.
  I have no doubt that those numbers will continue to climb.
  We must take steps to control mosquito populations now, before the 
summer months come and it is too late.
  That is why I am a proud cosponsor of the MASH Act.
  This legislation provides vital assistance to our communities to give 
them the tools they need to control mosquito populations and protect 
the public health.
  It also recognizes the severity of mosquito-borne disease in certain 
communities and ensures that those hardest-hit areas receive a priority 
in receiving assistance.
  I know this will be helpful to my hometown of Houston, which had 77 
confirmed cases of West Nile in the past year, and recently discovered 
as many as 40 mosquito pools that are positive for West Nile virus.
  Like I said, we must act now, before the weather warms up and the 
mosquitoes start to swarm. I strongly support passage and enactment of 
the MASH Act, and urge my colleagues to do the same.
  Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 
342, the Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health Act. With snow on the 
ground and recent temperatures in the single digits, it is nice to look 
forward to the summer months but easy to forget the uneasiness that was 
felt during last summer due to the fear instilled by the West Nile 
virus.
  Illinois was greatly impacted by the West Nile virus. Not only was 
there fear within parents to let their children go outside to play or 
to take a walk in the neighborhood in the morning or after dusk, there 
were the startling numbers of those stricken with the virus. Illinois 
saw 873 cases of the virus in humans along with 60 deaths, the highest 
in the Nation according to the CDC.
  The Associated Press recently released that the harsh winters that 
most of the nation has felt does not preclude that the mosquitoes, 
particularly the ones infected with the virus, have ceased in numbers. 
The mosquitoes will continue to live and reproduce in sewers and other 
dark, warmer places were the harsh climates have not affected them. Due 
to this, the AP is suggesting that this year we will see the West Nile 
virus spread from coast to coast. Last year, our nation witnessed more 
than 4,000 individuals become ill and a total of 274 die from the West 
Nile virus. With the expected spread of the virus and increase number 
of mosquitoes, we can also then expect these numbers to grow.
  Mr. Speaker, to ensure the nation has a sense of safety and security 
as they go outside in the next few months, I ask for full support of 
this resolution.
  Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 
support H.R. 342, the Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health Act 
introduced by Congressman Christopher John. As an issue that deeply 
effects my constituents in South Florida, I fully support this worthy 
legislation.
  H.R. 342 establishes an important County eligible grant through the 
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in order to assist elimination of 
harmful mosquito populations. The grant would allow for $2 of federal 
grant money for each $1 contributed by the participating county.
  Miami-Dade County is currently experiencing severe problems with 
growing mosquito populations due to the warm environment and many 
instances of standing water. In the Fiscal Year 2003 Consolidated 
Appropriations Resolution, I led the charge to acquire $1,000,000 for 
the County to purchase a helicopter for mosquito control spraying. I 
believe that the funding, which would be provided under H.R. 342, will 
compliment the efforts of counties around the country to stop the 
spread of such deadly diseases as the West Nile virus.
  Mr. Speaker, we can and must do more to protect our constituents from 
this environmental threat. H.R. 342 addresses this problem and 
establishes effective programs to help local governments best respond.
  Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank my distinguished 
colleagues. Representative Chris John and Representative Tauzin for 
introducing H.R. 342, the ``Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health 
Act,'' and for working so diligently on behalf of the people and states 
who have been ravaged by the West Nile virus.
  This legislation hits very close to home for me. My home state of 
Michigan has been hit hard by this deadly epidemic. To date, we have 
had 554 confirmed cases of West Nile and 50 deaths. Currently, a 
staggering 4,071 people in the United States have been found to be 
infected with the West Nile virus. Unfortunately, we have also had 274 
deaths as a result of West Nile infection.
  H.R. 342 seeks to complement the work that the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention (CDC) is already doing to fight mosquito-borne 
diseases. This legislation will provide an additional incentive for 
States and localities to plan and better coordinate mosquito control 
programs. Unfortunately, many localities have not had the resources or 
capabilities to conduct assessments and prepare plans to 
comprehensively develop effective mosquito control programs. The 
additional federal dollars authorized in H.R. 342 will work to assist 
states and localities with their immediate needs to combat the West 
Nile virus.
  In addition to working with the CDC, the ``Mosquito Abatement for 
Safety and Health Act'' requires the Director of the National Institute 
of Environmental Health Sciences to conduct and support research into 
methods to control the population of insects and vermin that transmit 
dangerous diseases to humans.
  The West Nile virus has emerged in recent years as a serious threat 
to public, equine, and animal health. H.R. 342 seeks to combat this 
unexpected epidemic by providing additional dollars for research, 
prevention, and educational programs. I urge all of my colleagues to 
join me in supporting this valuable piece of legislation.
  Mr. VITTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 342, 
the Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health Act. This legislation is 
an important step towards a comprehensive plan for reducing the threat 
of West Nile virus.
  Just yesterday news stations were reporting that not only was West 
Nile virus likely to spread to all 48 contiguous states--making it a 
truly national problem--but also that other mosquito-borne illnesses 
are potentially likely to follow. This sort of public health threat 
should not go unchecked. Many localities are smaller or rural, or are 
dealing with this serious public health threat for the first time. This 
legislation can help them all.
  I am pleased that the Appropriations Committee agreed to increase 
West Nile research funding at the CDC almost 30 percent, and that NIH 
research into vaccines and treatment for West Nile also nearly doubled. 
I thank both Chairman Regula and the Members who supported increasing 
these funds for their successful efforts. However, I know that these 
measures are just a start to truly ending this health problem.
  I commend my Louisiana colleagues for their work on this bill, commit 
my future support to this endeavor, and strongly urge all of my 
colleagues to vote for this important legislation.
  Mr. JOHN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. LaHood). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 342.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

                          ____________________