[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15576]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           DISCOVERY, DEVELOPMENT, AND DELIVERY OF NEW CURES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the House 
passed the 21st Century Cures Act with a vote of 392-26. I was proud to 
support the Cures Act that expedites the discovery, the development, 
and the delivery of new cures for illnesses and disabling conditions 
where none exist today. This legislation also included long overdue 
reforms to our Nation's mental health system.
  Mr. Speaker, the text of the Cures Act additionally contains my 
Special Needs Trust Fairness Act language. This corrects a civil rights 
oversight or issue for persons living with any disability to be allowed 
to establish their own special needs trust. Without this legislation, 
the way the law exists today, a person, any person living with a label 
of a disability, is deemed incompetent to be able to set up and manage 
their own special needs trust. Their parents can do it, their 
grandparents, a court-appointed guardian, but they are deemed 
incompetent.
  I want to thank my colleagues for their support, and encourage the 
Senate to take swift action on the Cures Act that contains all this 
language.


                Recognizing the Life of Dr. David Wright

  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
the life of Dr. David Wright, a dedicated public servant and community 
leader from Clarion County, Pennsylvania, in Pennsylvania's Fifth 
Congressional District. He was a beloved professor and department head 
at Clarion University, where he passionately taught for nearly 30 
years.
  Dr. Wright also served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives 
from 1976 to 1996. His 20-year tenure is the longest served in the 
State house by any Representative from Clarion County.
  As a house member, Dr. Wright served as chairman on several 
committees and took on various leadership roles. He continually 
advocated for rural Pennsylvanians and authored language that created 
the Center for Rural Pennsylvania. He also played a major role in 
establishing the State System for Higher Education, which unified 
Pennsylvania's 14 State colleges into a comprehensive system.
  Dr. Wright passed away on November 18, at the age of 80, leaving 
behind a legacy that will continue to benefit Pennsylvanians for 
generations to come. My thoughts and prayers are with the Wright 
family.


       Recognizing 75th Anniversary of American Tree Farm System

  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in 
recognition of the 75th anniversary of the American Tree Farm System, 
the largest and oldest woodland certification system in the Nation.
  The American Tree Farm System was founded in 1941 to protect 
landowners across the country and help meet the growing demand for 
forest products. In 1954, the Principles of the American Tree Farm 
System created a system for tree farm certification, establishing a 
clear outline for proper forest management and conservation.
  Today, the American Tree Farm System is comprised of more than 70,000 
individuals and families that manage more than 20.5 million acres of 
forest. These tree farmers benefit our Nation's forests and our 
economy, while providing timber, homes for wildlife, recreational 
space, and clean water.
  In honor of its legacy, last June I introduced H. Con. Res. 144, 
bipartisan legislation celebrating the American Tree Farm System and 
recognizing the 75th anniversary.
  I congratulate the members of the American Tree Farm System on this 
remarkable milestone and applaud their work with landowners and 
foresters across the United States.

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