we can't do it in america. that's the best way to lead. when we talk about moving, i want to condemn it everywhere. dr. king said, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. so we should lead by example collectively. we should lead by going forward with voting rights. we should lead by talking about reparations for those that were enslaved in america. we should lead by talking about the genocide that took place of native americans. we should lead the talk about the injustices in housing. we should lead by talking about civil rights. so we've got to come together and stop it everywhere. and that's what this bill does. it sends a strong message. and i want to be that example. this happens to be personal. so i had to say it.

and i know that my colleagues, you know, to me, in that regards, because i don't like to put politics in these things, i do like to tell the truth. mr. speaker, we have to work together. especially mr. mccaul, i got to say this, in closing, i got to say this in closing, because mr. and we work very closely together. and i know the spirit of his heart and he stands up. and i look forward on this committee to continue to do that. what i'm going to do, mr. speaker, i want to yield the balance of my time -- i want to yield one minute to the speaker

of the united states house of representatives, the honorable nancy pelosi. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentlelady from california, the speaker of the house, is recognized for one minute. the speaker: thank you very much, mr. speaker, for the recognition. i salute the distinguished chairman of the foreign affairs committee for his leadership in bringing this legislation to the floor. it's historic. i want to join him in saluting mr. mccaul, who has been a champion for human rights. we have worked together for years on these subjects. thank you both for your leadership. as has been recognized earlier, mr. speaker, this week marks a momentous milestone in human history. 73 years ago this week, tomorrow actually, the international community convened in paris to approve the united nations genocide convention. in doing so, the world forged an

historic commitment to always condemn and combat the crime of genocide which they defined two years prior as, quote, a denial of the right of existence which, quote, shocks the conscience of mankind and is, quote, a matter of international concern. today in some ways we are falling short on that promise. in its latest human rights report, our own state department has definitively declared that the barbaric oppression of the weeingars by the -- uighurs of the -- the government of china as genocide. new research of the united states holocaust museum sheds light on those crimes with the survivor describing beijing's intentions as, quote, to make us slowly disappear.

so slowly that no one would notice. indeed, the eray sure of the uighurs is so precisely the definition of genocide from three quarters of a century ago. that is why with a strong bipartisan package of legislation we will pass today, the house takes yet another bold bipartisan step to counter these crimes against humanity. you have us honoring the challenge to our conscience. and i thank you, mr. chairman, mr. ranking member mccaul. congress and the country are grateful to relentless leaders of the legislation before us. at the helm of the congressional executive commission on china, as well as the tom lantos human rights commission, chairman jim mcgovern has long served as a voice for the voiceless. not only in china, but around the world. with his uighur force labor mr. speakers act we are taking a decisive action against the

exploitation of the uighur people. we are stepping up to the plate. i salute, again, congressman michael mccaul with a resounding resolution condemning the genocide of the uighurs in china. and thank you to congresswoman jennifer wexton with her resolution demanding that beijing immediately guarantee the safety and freedom of tennis star penning shua. thanks to chairs gregory meek, richie neal, and maxine waters for their long-standing leadership in the house in the fight against forced labor. put together these -- this legislation which we will pass today makes it unequivocally clear the house's firm commitment to human rights in china. and does so in a bipartisan way. that has always been the case over time, chris smith and i have been working on these issues for decades together with

others, but many on both sides of the aisle. right now beijing is orchestrating a brutal and accelerating campaign of repression against the uighur people and other muslim minorities. in xinjiang across china millions are exspearsing human rights abuses to mass torture, and forced sterilizations. intimidation of journalists and activist who is have dared to expose the truth. and the government of china's exploitation of forced labor reaches across the oceans to our shores and across the world. they always say that the most horrible form of torture to a prisoner of so many of these camps is to say to them, nobody knows you're even here. nobody even cares about you.

we want those people. the uighurs and others repressed in china to know that we do care about them. we know many of them by name. we will never forget our responsibility to act upon the actions that the chinese government is engaged in. that's why the uighur forced labor protection act employs america's greatest economic might to combat this brutality and hold the perpetrators accountable. blocking certain imports produced with forced labor. leveling sanctions against the perpetrators imposing disclosure requirements on companies engaged in -- this strong bipartisan legislation we are better able to fight forced labor. we shine a bright light on this pattern of abuse and we send beijing a clear message, this genocide must end now. as we focus on this genocide against the uighurs, we must

also remember beijing's decades-long assault on human rights. those of us who have long been in this fight for human rights in china has seen a regime of terror and repression that has only intensified from tibet to taiwan to assaults to basic freedoms in hong kong and beyond to jailing of journalists and obtaining -- detaining of dissidents and more. in the congress for decades, we have taken strong bipartisan action fighting for human rights in china. that is why in 1991 democrats and republicans together stood together for free speech showing a visit to tiananmen square just two years after the government's infamous crackdown. that is why 1993 in a bipartisan way we convinced the world that china's dismal record on human rights disqualified the nation from hosting the 2000 olympic games. that is why in 2000 i took to

this floor to urge my colleagues to block china from the world trade organization, arguing we should not put deals ahead of ideals. and china has not honored the agreement. that is why in 2015 working together we had a congressional declaration to tibet -- delegation to tibet to see the aspirations in the eyes of the school children who have endured china's and beijing's intimidation. that is why in 2019 working together we sounded the alarms as the chinese government locked up pro-democracy demonstrators in hong kong. democrats and republicans, house and senate, have come together to enact strong policies standing up for human rights in china, including the tibet policy and support act, the hong kong human rights and democracy act, and the uighur human rights policy act all enacted into law, signed into law. and for decades many of us have

fought against normal trade what they call normal trade relations with china because as the world's strongest economy america has a moral duty to tie our trade regularses with human rights -- relations with human rights. when china joined the w.t.o.20 years ago this week, the world gave beijing a blank check prospering from its abuses while simply hoping it would change its behavior. many of us knew then as we know today that this approach was slated for failure and today's legislation will help right this wrong. but we must respond with more than legislation. we must show leadership. as house speaker i applaud and support president biden's strong leadership in announcing there will be no official u.s. presence at the 2022 winter olympics. a country with a dismal human rights record to host the games makes a mockery of the olympic

charter, which states that the games should seek to foster, quote, respect for universal and fundamental ethical principles. make no mistake, our athletes can and should be celebrated, but this year we should celebrate them from home. they can be there, we should be home. as note the when i called for the diplomatic boycott last may the world must not reward more than three decades of abusive and regressive actions by the chinese government by giving our official imprimatur to china. i thank mr. mccaul for his leadership particularly in calling out the olympic committee for making this choice. mr. speaker, today we have an opportunity for further progress in the fight for human rights in china, a fight that many of us have been extraordinarily proud to help the -- over our careers in congress.

because if we -- mr. speaker, if we do not speak out for human rights in china because of commercial or economic ties, we lose all moral authority to speak out against human rights violations anywhere in the world. we must never fail to live up to our sacred duty to safeguard the dignity and worth of every person and build a better future for generations to come. proudly this legislation, all of it, mr. mccaul's, mr. mcgovern's, ms. wexton's leadership of the chair and ranking member -- chair, mr. meeks, and ranking member, mr. mccaul of the committee, that's why its earned overwhelming bipartisan support. thank you, mr. mccaul, when we passed it in the house last year. i hope we will do so again this year. with that, i urge a strong vote for the uighur forced labor prevention act. the other legislation that is before us this afternoon.

and do so asking for a very strong bipartisan vote so that we know that we will have the numbers to send a message to the chinese government that this is bipartisan, bicameral on both sides of the capitol, and a view shared by the president of the united states. with that i ask for an aye vote all around. yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. meeks: i just will say these last words. i also want to thank mr. smith as indicated by the speaker who has, from the time i have been in congress, has been his focus on human rights around the world. and as the speaker has indicated and as i indicated with mr. mccaul, you'll see coming up his other bills, we worked on

collectively, leaving politics out of it. focused on leading the world. that's what i look forward to locking arms, sending that message around the world that we are not going to allow slave labor to flourish, to exist on this planet. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 1155, as amended. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative -- for what purpose does the the gentleman from new york rise. >> recorded vote. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to section 3-s of house

resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings are postponed. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? mr. meeks: mr. speaker, i ask that the house suspend the rules and pass h.res. 837, that the expressing the sense of the house of representatives that the international olympic committee failed to adhere to its own human rights commitments, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 837, resolution expressing the sense of the house of representatives that the international olympic committee failed to adhere to its own human rights commitments. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york, mr. meeks, and the gentleman from texas, mr. mccaul, each will control 20 minutes.

the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. mr. meeks: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.res. 837, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. meeks: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. meeks: i rise today in support of h.res. 837, as amended, expressing the sense of the house of representatives that beijing should immediately guarantee the safety, the freedom of peng shuai. former wimbledon doubles champion peng shuai accused the vice premier of state council of

the people's republic of china zhang gaoli of sexual assault. the first sexual assault to implement a high-ranking chinese official, peng seemingly vanished into thin air. deleting the original post, censoring any mention of peng, of peng's name or discussion or her or discussion or her allegations online. we know that here in america, sexual assault and gender-based violence are serious problems, and it took a movement of brave women and our ally to start changing the conversation around our workplace, around our homes, in our schools and communities. and due to the actions of journalists, the tennis community, activists, and social

media users across the globe, who started to ask about peng's whereabouts, there has been tremendous attention given to her case. however, i like many of my colleagues, remain deeply concerned about peng's whereabouts and well-being. it is vital that we get assurances that peng safe in her ability to -- and her ability to speak out is not constrained. this important bipartisan resolution calls for the independent and verifiable proof that she is safe and free to make decisions and take actions of her own free will. the accusations of sexual abuse by a former senior official are very serious and this resolution

calls for the government of the people's republic of china to immediately conduct a formal, transparent, and independent investigation. at a time when we are preparing to send hundreds of american athletes to compete in beijing's winter olympics, this resolution calls on the international olympic committee to do more to ensure athlete safety and hold the p.r.c. government accountable for its actions against peng. this is timely and it's also an urgent resolution. and i support it and i urge my colleagues to do the same. and with that, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. mccaul: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from florida, mr. waltz, a member of the committee on armed services and ranking member of the science subcommittee on research and technology and also the republican co-author of this

bill. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentleman from florida is recognized. mr. walths: -- mr. waltz: thank you, mr. speaker. as my colleague, mr. meeks, eloquently mentioned, it's worth repeating again that peng shuai on november 2 posted on her media account a detailed allegation of sexual abuse against a former vice premier of the people's republic of china, a very senior official. in her post she said, quote, i cannot describe how disgusted i was and how many times i asked myself, am i still human? i feel like a walking corpse, unquote. shouldn't surprise anybody that the c.c.p., the chinese communist party, censored her post and any mention of these allegations and basically wiped it off the face of the earth and she has since been absent and

unresponsive to friends except for a clearly fabricated video and a clearly coerced session, shamefully, with international olympic committee officials. i mean, this would be like if a u.s. tennis star made an accusation, a credible one of sexual abuse against the vice president of the united states and she disappeared. that's essentially what happened. on november 21, the i.o.c. said in a statement that its president had a 30-minute video call but wouldn't release the video afterwards. look, the i.o.c.'s participation in this charade is a disgrace and after the call, they said it's the i.o.c.'s unanimous conclusion by officials that peng is fine. this is the definition of perpetuating c.c.p. propaganda. and it is exactly the opposite of what we should commend in the world -- the women's tennis

association, who has demanded accountability, demanded that her whereabouts be disclosed, demanded she be able to talk to colleagues and friends and that her sexual assault allegation is taken seriously and fully investigated. and importantly, unlike the national basketball association, unlike the olympics and so many others, the wta said they'll forgo any future tournaments in china, which is a significant significant portion of their revenue. in short, they're putting their money where their mouth is. they are walking the walk, not just talking the talk. this is exactly why we cannot send our athletes to the beijing athletes. we cannot guarantee their safety. we cannot turned a blind eye to the ongoing genocide. we cannot allow american companies who want to preach social justice here in the united states because it helps their balance sheet to then

ignore basic human rights when it comes to china to also pad their balance sheet. and i would ask any of my colleagues, did they agree when it comes to the winter olympics, did they agree with the i.o.c. stepping into politics when it comes to apartheid? the i.o.c. not only banned the olympics from happening in south africa under apartheid. they banned the south african olympic committee -- they banned the south african olympic committee from participating in the olympics for 30 years when it came to apartheid. yet, when it comes to china, when itdoms to the abuse -- when it comes to the abuses of the chinese communist party, we have a whole heck of a lot of silence. if we won't take a stand now, what will we take a stand for? i support my colleague, mr. mccaul, mr. meeks, ms. wexton in this important effort. i yield to mr. mccaul. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentleman from texas is

recognized. the gentleman reserves. mr. mccaul: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. meeks: yes, mr. speaker, i proudly yield as much time as she shall consume, the sponsor of this bill, along with the co-sponsor, mr. waltz, as much time as she may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from virginia is recognized. ms. wexton: thank you, chairman meeks, for bringing this bill to the floor and to speaker pelosi for her steadfast commitment for holding the p.r.c. accountable for the human rights abuses. thank you to my co-lead on this resolution, representative waltz. it's been a pleasure to work with you in such a bipartisan way. mr. speaker, i rise in strong support of my resolution, calling on the people's republic of china to immediately guarantee the safety and freedom of peng shuai and condemning the i.o.c. kwok for its -- international olympic committee for its shameful handling of the situation. over one month has passed since tennis superstar and three-time

olympian peng shuai was censored after alleging her rape by a member of the chinese communist party. within houfrs of posting the -- hours of posting the post, it disappeared. and all mentions of peng on social media did, too. since then, peng has not been seen or heard from in public, and has only been seen in videos released by the chinese state media, raising serious questions about her safety and freedom and leaving the world to ask, where is peng shuai. the #whereispengshuai has trended globally on tennis. steve simon called for a full and transparent investigation into peng's allegation and eventually suspended all wta tournaments in chinese, citing concerns about the risks players could face at the hands of the

p.r.c. the wta's actions and peng's bravery coming forward stand in stark contrast to the i.o.c. which is undermining efforts by working hand in hand with beijing to cover up her allegations and disappearance. instead of politicizing the safety of an olympian who may be in danger, the yook is once -- the i.o.c. is once again butting the bottom line over athletes' safety and allowing itself to be a used as a tool by the world's human rights -- world's worst human rights abuser. the i.o.c.'s complicity in this cover upraises concerns about their willingness to protect our athletes. today, we are calling on the p.r.c. to provide independent and verifiable proof of peng's whereabouts and she's safe and allow peng to directly communicate with the wta and the united nations. they must undertake these actions immediately, stop legitimizing beijing's cover-up

and protect the safety and speech of olympian athletes. the world is watching. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from virginia yields back. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. meeks: reserves. the speaker pro tempore: reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. mccaul: thank you, mr. speaker. when international institutions become unaccountable to the democratic world and are co-opted by dictators, they undermine american interests and values. that has become even clearer over the last few years. when the covid-19 outbreak began in wuhan, the world health organization's complicity in the cover-up could have turned what would be an outbreak into a global pandemic. we're still feeling the effects of the w.h.o.'s repeating lies. with them covering xi and

origins of the virus. the international olympic committee has a similar track record toward the c.c.p.'s human rights abuses. no human rights conditions were ever imposed by the i.o.c. as a condition for china to host the 2008 summer olympics. and the c.c.p. used it as propaganda to white-wash their brutal oppression. they allowed beijing to host the 2022 winter olympics, once again turning a blind eye to the gross human rights violations and genocide currently being committed. but over the last several weeks, we've seen the i.o.c. change from passively validating the c.c.p.'s abuses to actively enabling them. the most troubling example is the ongoing abuse of chinese olympian peng shuai. she disappeared by the c.c.p.

after coming forward with serious sexual abuse allegations against a senior party member, and after the world began speaking up for her, peng, the c.c.p. propaganda machine, published false statements in her name. rather than standing up for her, the i.o.c. immediately issued public statements to validate this obvious disinformation and propaganda. even more shocking, i.o.c. president thomas bach participated in and publicized a staged conversation with peng that was a -- that was supervised by a senior c.c.p. member. mr. speaker, it's clear that peng is neither free nor safe. and since the 2008 games, the chinese communist party has become more repressive at home, more aggressive abroad and has begun a genocide against china's most vulnerable minorities.

when olympians around the world travel to beijing in february, they're trusting the i.o.c. to keep them safe. but the i.o.c.'s recent actions have shown that they are not worthy of this trust. i commend this resolution for holding them accountable. and so in closing, i want to offer a heart-felt thanks to the women's tennis association and its chairman steve simon. mr. simon and the wta have fought for peng bravely and in an inns pierg display of -- inspiring display of democratic values. unfortunately, this is all too rare among those with financial ties to the c.c.p. so mr. speaker, i support this member -- this measure, and with that, i yield back the balance of my time. . the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. meeks: thank you, mr. speaker. h.res. 837 expressing the sense of the house of representatives that beijing should immediately guarantee the safety and freedom

of tennis shar, penning shuai is a timely and urgent resolution. peng's whereabouts and safety in china have been in question now for several weeks. and in just over eight weeks the beijing olympic games are set to begin. there will be athletes all over the world in attendance. so this body owes it not to just peng but to all the athletes participating in the olympic games to demonstrate that we do not take their safety and freedom for granted. the p.r.c. must understand that its diplomatic and economic heft will not allow it to get away scot-free when it silences and erases individuals.

while this resolution is about a single athlete, it is really about the innate dignity and freedom of every sexual assault survivor. human rights activist. environmental advocate, artist, journalist, and entrepreneur that has ever been beaten and broken by the chinese communist party. we owe them our voice and our support. let me again thank congresswoman wexton and walsh for their work on this bill. i hope all of my colleagues will join us in supporting this bill. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yield. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 837, as

amended. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative -- >> mr. speaker, i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to section 3-s of house resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings are postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? mr. meeks: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and agree to h.res. 317. condemning the ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity being committed against uighurs and members of other religious and ethnic minority groups by the people's republic of china, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 317,

resolution condemning the ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity being committed against uighurs and members of other religious ethnic minority groups by the people's republic of china. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york, mr. meeks, and the gentleman from texas, mr. mccaul, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. mr. meeks: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.res. 317, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. meeks: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. meeks: i rise today in support of h.res. 317 as amended, condemning the ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity being committed against uighurs and members of other religious and ethnic minority groups by the people's republic of china. and i was proud to introduce this resolution alongside my

good friend, the ranking member mccaul and working collectively with him. i have said previously and i'll say this again, as a african-american who has faced the brunt end of injustice for no reason other than the color of my skin and watched my parents suffer, i am very sensitive to the deep wounds of intolerance and oppression that many minority populations endure across the globe. again, as dr. martin luther king jr. famously said, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. and i refuse to be silent. another statement of dr. king because silence can be complicit. complicity.

dr. king called us all to be champions of human rights, not just here in the united states, but wherever human rights are under threat. and we have seen grave human rights abuses in china. the uighur people and other ethnic religious minority groups are subjected to systemic human rights violations that amounts to a genocide and crimes against humanity as the -- defined by the geneva convention. the crimes taking place against uighurs and other muslim minorities in xinjiang are horrific in their scope and severity. we know of these atrocities because many survivors began speaking out. at great risk to their personal safety and that of their families. they provide -- provided

firsthand accounts confirming china's targeted campaign of repression. meanwhile, journalists, scholars, and activists who tried to uncover what is happening have been targeted and expelled. the house foreign affairs committee has heard who are rowing accounts from survivors of mass internment, forced labor, torture, political indoctrination, suppression of religious practices, family separation, sexual abuse, and other inhumane practices. during a hearing on may 6 of this year, survivors ended the testimony by imploring the members of the house foreign affairs committee and congress to act. and we are here today to do just that. this resolution unequivocally declares that a genocide is

taking place in the uighur region. and i agree that the declaration and so many others around the world. this resolution is a clarion call not just to every nation in the world, but to every person on this planet that the united states congress will not remain silent no matter how powerful --we must continue to call oute government of the people's republic of china for those -- for these atrocities and others all over the world and have them take all possible actions to bring this genocide and these crimes against humanity to an end. human rights is on the front

burner in the united states house of representatives and clearly on the committee for foreign relations. this is an important resolution. i close by saying i rise in supporter and am glad to work with the ranking member, mr. mccaul. i support it. i urge my colleagues to do the same. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. mccaul: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. mccaul: let me thank the chairman for bringing this measure with me here today. i also want to thank him for his passion on this issue. as we talk about human rights whether it was the african-americans who were enslaved in this nation to the

native american indians who were mistreated by this nation, to the victims of the holocaust trkts geneva convention came out with the prevention and punishment of the crime of the genocide and defined what genocide is after the atrocities of the concentration camps that were perpetrated by the nazis. a war that my father fought and bombed nazi germany and i'm proud for his service and the entire greatest generation. it's clear, the language, targeting members of an ethnic or religious minority group for death or serious bodily or mental harm or taking steps designed to destroy such a group constitutes genocide. that's precisely what the chinese communist party has been doing.

since 2017 they have interned more than one million uighurs and women's of other ethnic and religious minority groups in an effort to wipe out their culture. to wipe out their ability to carry down to other generations by sterilizing them. during their unjustified detainment, uighurs and ethnic kazakhs and kurds and members of religious minority groups are forced to work in horrific conditions. they are deprived of food and they are beaten. their religious practices are suppressed. there are reports of families being separated and sexual abuse of forced sterilization, forced abortions, and even reports of killing. to quite simply wipe them off the face of the earth. it is horrific to imagine this is happening at this day and time.

this time that we speak in this age. mr. speaker, it is clearly a genocide under the geneva convention. these crimes are the moral test of our time, in our generation. and the world and certainly the chinese communist party is watching. and that's why it's vital that we speak in a united voice with a current and -- united voice with the current and prior administrations by calling these ongoing atrocities what they are, and that is genocide. genocide is not to be taken lightly. it is a term we reserve for history's most serious crimes against humanity. it is essential we get our response right, not as republicans or democrats, but as americans. as freedom loving americans who stand up for human rights and against genocide. because we face this test before. and we have not always passed.

our response to the uighur genocide should be an example of our character in this congress rather than a stain on our history. this humanitarian crisis is about more than just u.s. foreign policy toward the people's republic of china. it is about the legitimacy of the post-world war system designed to stop these atrocities whenever and wherever they are being committed. it's about how we stop the c.c.p. from contaminating consumer supply chains with slave labor. it's about how we stop using cotton sourced by the uighur homeland picked by those without a voice. it's about stopping shipments of hair. it's about how we convince our private sector to act morally consist tenly -- consistently with our american values.

let me just say, i want to again thank the chairman. this is probably one of the most important bills to come out of the committee this year. i'm proud to have introduced it. so proud to have the chairman's support. and i want to thank him for co-sponsoring this resolution. and all of our colleagues on the committee who support our efforts to condemn these apros its. i urge the entire house of representatives on this vote because china is watching and the uighur muslims are watching to join us as we speak in a united voice and condemn this genocide by supporting this measure. with that, mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. meeks: i'm ready to close. reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. mccaul: i yield five minutes

to the gentleman from ohio, mr. chabot, ranking member of the foreign affairs subcommittee on asia and the pacific. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from ohio is recognized. mr. chabot: i thank the gentleman for yielding. i rise in support of h.res. 317, legislation which condemns china's genocide against the uighurs. . i strongly support this legislation, and i want to thank the chairman of the committee, mr. meeks, and the ranking member, mr. mccaul, for their leadership on this particular issue. they have been stressing this. they have been pushing this. they've been speaking out on this for quite some time now, and i'm very pleased to see this come before the floor today. and it's far beyond the time that action needs to be taken on this. the consistent undermining of human rights, perhaps the

chinese communist party's most fundamental challenge to the free world. china's totalitarian government, they have no use for human rights. their bloody history demonstrates that. relative to political freedom in china, one sees abuses from tiananmen square to hong kong, free speech, the great firewall shuts that down. freedom of religion, the c.c.p. persecutes christians. they per executety -- the persecute tibeten buddhists and want to dictate who the next dalai lama will be. and they have taken it to a new level where the uighurs are subject to forced labor, to torture, to sexual abuse, to

religious persecution, and to onerous restrictions in every facet of their lives. over a million people, the vast majority of them uighurs, are in concentration camps today currently while we're here, they're in concentration camps in china. the hallmark of genocide is the intent to destroy, to eliminat an entire people. and that intent is clear here. the chinese communist party is snatching uighur children from their parents, imposing severe birth quotas on uighurs. they're conducting forced abortions. they're stair liesing -- sterilizing a sizeable percentage of the population against their will. and up to 80% in some areas of

xinjiang, forced sterilization is occurring. one out of four in 2019 alone. this is genocide. and it's high time that the world got serious with the p.r.c., the people's republic of china, about what they're doing to the uighurs. they've been doing it to a whole range of groups for a long time but it's particularly brutal when it comes to the uighurs. and american businesses have to make sure they're not profiting by this essentially slave labor. whatever businesses those are. so there are things that we can do here in the united states. but ultimately, it's up to the p.r.c., and it's up to the world to shine a light on this because this is happening right now. a million people or so are in these gulags right now. so i again want to thank our

leadership. it's bipartisan leadership. democrats and republicans working together on this. it's good to see that happen. thank you, mr. meeks. thank you, mr. mccaul, for doing this. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. meeks: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. mccaul: thank you, mr. speaker. i'm prepared to close. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. mccaul: let me say in closing, i want to, again, thank chairman meeks, my friend, who has been in strong support of this legislation. we pride our committee in doing what's right by the country. we try to take the politics out of it as much as we can. and as eliot engel often said, it stops at the water's edge. this is no exception. this is a historic day. congress has rarely invoked or declared genocide on another people. but it's very appropriate today,

mr. speaker, to do so. and the international community is watching. and china is watching this. right now. they are watching this on c-span. and the world knows that the united states stands for a higher moral values and we stand for human rights. and that is why this bill was introduced and the lives of over a million people depend on it. think about that. a million people being in internment camps, concentration camps, being exterminated, depend on this legislation. we pass a lot of things in this congress. it's very rare you can pass something like this that condemns this kind of moral atrocity and call it to the world -- to the en -- so the entire world can see it for themselves what is in fact happening.

when congress speaks, the world does listen. and when we speak as americans in this chamber, not as partisan politicians, they listen. i know they are listening today. and mr. chairman, thank you, once again, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. meeks: thank you, mr. speaker. and i, too, want to thank mr. mccaul for his leadership. it's my pleasure to work with him on his bill to get this to the floor and to pass it on this floor, the people's house, in a bipartisan way, sending a strong message together. that's what this does. so i thank you for your friendship and i thank you for standing up, as you always do, and working together in a bipartisan way. h.res. 317, condemning the ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity being committed against the uighurs and members of other religious and ethnic minority groups by the people's republic of china is critical

for demonstrating to those suffering in xinjiang that they haven't been forsaken. and to the government in beijing that we will speak out when it tramples the universal rights that every human being deserves. it gives me hope that we are not the first parliamentary body that has deemed the p.r.c.'s actions in xinjiang a genocide. the parliaments of the u.k., of canada, of lithuania, among others, have already taken the right stand. we must support them. we must work with them in multilateral groups. we must encourage other nations and other people to speak out. but i'm proud we are speaking out here today in the united

states congress, in the people's house. we will not be silent. so i hope that all my colleagues will join me in supporting this resolution, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 317, as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative -- >> mr. speaker, i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia is recognized. >> mr. speaker, i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to section 3-s of house resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings are postponed.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey seek recognition? mr. pallone: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 3537, the accelerating access to critical therapies for a.l.s. act, as amended.

the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 148. h.r. 3537, a bill to direct the secretary of health and human services to support research on, and expanded access to, investigational drugs for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new jersey, mr. pallone, and the gentleman from utah, mr. curtis, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new jersey. mr. pallone: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.r. 3537. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. pallone: and mr. speaker, i recognize myself for such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. pallone: in july, mr. speaker, the energy and commerce committee held a hearing to learn about the

challenges associated with finding treatments for neuro genre tiff diseases -- neuro degenerative diseases, including a.l.s., we heard from the national constitutes of health and food and drug administration and researchers at top universities who discussed the difficulties scientists have had in understanding the complexities of the disease in developing biomarkers, a critical tool for drug development. f.d.a. told us about the guidance they had provided to industry on ensuring clinical trials were inclusive and the agency's willingness to consider novel clinical research methods. however, we also heard from patients who said that f.d.a.'s guidance was not doing enough to get results on the ground. given the length of time it often takes to diagnosis a.l.s., many patients have found themselves locked out of clinical trials despite the guidance urging developers to allow more flexible enrollment. as a result, patients and their families are left to fight this devastating disease with very limited medical interventions.

according to the patient advocates, f.d.a.'s guidance was not being implemented by developers and was not being followed by the agency itself. so h.r. 3537, the accelerating access to critical therapies for a.l.s. act, takes real steps to improve processes and activities at f.d.a. to ensure patients can access clinical trials. this legislation will help us get closer to effective cures and treatments for a.l.s. it requires f.d.a. to develop and carry out an action plan to show how the agency will address a.l.s. and other neuro degenerative diseases over the next five years. the bill also creates a new grant program at f.d.a. to cover research costs to characterize rare neuro degenerative diseases, identify mow lick lahr targets for -- molecular targets for the diseases and create clinical trials. it will help pay for investigational drugs to prevent, diagnosis, mitigate,

treat, or cure a.l.s. in expanded access programs. expanded access is an important pathway for patients to receive experimental treatments, but should only be used when clinical trials and other effective treatments are not available. in committee, mr. speaker, we ensure there would be a path forward for patients who are not able to participate in clinical research but also clarify the intent and parameters of the program to maintain the scientific integrity of our research agencies. the legislation now requires the government accountability office to measure the program ahead of a five-year sunset to ensure these novel grant programs are benefitting patients and researchers and the grants included in this bill are charting new territory for n.i.h. and it's important we measure their level of success before we explore efforts to expand this program beyond a.l.s. this bill would not be here on the floor today were it not for the steadfast determination of patients and their families. at our hearing on this legislation in july, brian and his wife, sandra, co-founders of

i am a.l.s., spoke eloquently of their own personal fight against a.l.s. and charged us with the task of passing this bill. and hundreds of patient advocates across the country have made their voices heard to members as well. to brian, sandra, and all of the patients and their families, i reiterate what i said in the full committee markup, we heard you and we're now acting. we're grateful for your collaboration and willingness to work with us to improve this bill. i want to acknowledge the work of mike quigley, the sponsor of this legislation, who has been tireless in his efforts to see this legislation across the finish line. i appreciate his willingness to work with us to get this bill through committee so it was ready for action here on the floor. of course, i also want to thank our chairwoman of the health subcommittee, ms. eshoo, for all that she's done to move this bill. i urge my colleagues to support the act for a.l.s. and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from kentucky is recognized. .

mr. curtis: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. curtis: i rise in support of this bill, i'm a proud co-spon or of the bill and want to thank representatives fortenberry and quigley for their tireless efforts to move this forward. we would not be here without your hard work and the efforts of the a.l.s. community who have so passionately made the need for this legislation known to congress. mr. guthrie: a.l.s. is a devastating neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. many lose the ability to speak, eat, move and even breathe. over 5,000 people are diagnosed with this each year and the average life expectancy is only 2 to 5 years after dieing know sees. recent years has brought new understanding of the disease. there are five drugs available

to treat a.l.s. while this is a remarkable achievement we have more work ahead of us. h.r. 3537 calls for access to therapy to treat a.l.s. for those who cannot access clinical trials. it -- it will help develop drugs to treat a.l.s. and other neurodegenerative diseases. this will bring hope to those with a.l.s. and their families by bringing access to potentially breakthrough treatments and one day find a cure for this vicious disease. i urge my colleagues to support this bill and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. pallone: i'd like to yield three minutes to the sponsor of the bill and the champion in the fight against a.l.s., the gentleman from illinois,

mr. quigley. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. quigley: thank you, mr. speaker. thank you, chairman. mr. speaker, everything is impossible until it isn't. nothing has a cure until it does. today, people diagnosed with a.l.s. are expected to live between 2 to 5 years. during that time they progressively lose their ability to use their limbs to speak, to swallow and ultimately to breathe. being diagnosed with a.l.s. is a death sentence for now. after my friend brian was diagnosed with a.l.s. an odds-defying four years ago, he made ending the disease the fight of his life. not today, a.l.s., he frequently says. not today. mr. speaker, a.l.s. is not incurable. it's just that we have not fully committed to finding a cure yet. not like brian has. not like brian's wife sound rah

has or like the organization they founded has. this will give people access to promising treatment and the infrastructure to one day find the cure. cruelly up to 90% of people living with a.l.s. are ineligible for clinical trials. for people with such an aggressive disease to have neither an effective f.d.a. treatment nor access to promising dugs -- drugs is a tragedy. act for a.l.s. will correct. this i'd like to thank the 331 colleagues who have co-sponsored this bill, chair pallone, subcommittee chair eshoo, and their staffs for standing with the a.l.s. community. i also want to thank a special thank you to congressman fortenberry to co-lead on this bill who has purr pseudoour shared goal with relentless dedication. to my staffers who have gone above and beyond to pursue this legislation. this indeed is not a

congressional aclevement. it is an achievement of a community of adco- advocates around the country who are fighting for their lives, the lives of their loved ones and all affected by a.l.s. i want to thank the muscular dystrophy association, the a.l.s. association for their dedication. ample l.s. may rob people of their physical ability to speak but make no mistake this community has made themselves heard. it is their will that has brought this vote to us today. it is their will and with that will there is a way. where there's consensus there can be progress. where there is funding a cure will follow. today belongs to the tireless advocates to the families of people with a.l.s. and to every american living with the disease. i urge a yes vote and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentleman from kentucky is recognized. mr. guthrie: i yield two minutes to the gentleman from utah, mr. curtis. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman is recognized. mr. curtis: i rise to share my support for expanding access for individuals to investigative drugs because i am concerned that we're not moving swiftly enough in order to prevent, diagnose, mitigate, treat or cure a.l.s. this is very personal to me, very personal to the committee. it hits close to home for those of us who have lost friends and watched friends and neighbors struggle with this difficult disease. i had the opportunity to speak about this earlier today in the energy and commerce committee hearing on biomedical innovation. we're not moving fast enough and we have more work to do. i applaud this accelerating access to critical therapies for a.l.s. act for working to create and further develop public-private part for theships and to prevent policies from being enacted that impede private sector investments and advancements. i urge my colleagues to support

this bill and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. pallone: i yield two minutes to the chairwoman of the -- chairwoman of the health subcommittee, ms. eshoo of california. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from california is is recognized. ms. eshoo: thank you, mr. speaker and i thank our chairman. i rise today in the strongest support of this legislation, accelerating access to critical therapies for a.l.s. it's called the act for a.l.s. as chairwoman of the health subcommittee i'm so proud to have advanced this legislation which enjoys 331 bipartisan co-sponsors. more than any other bill pending in the house. this legislation establishes grant programs to advance treatments for neurodigenerative

diseases like a.l.s. allowing more patients to receive experimental medicines through compassionate care programs. jamie berry is one of my constituents. she wrote a poignant letter to me and said the following. with a.l.s., a piece of you dies every day. we are simply asking for a fighting chance to live the lives we were meant to live. as we gather here to pass this bill, jamie is a patient in the neuroi.c.u. unit at stanford university hospital. jamie if you're listening, stay tuned, because your wish is going to come true today. so to you, jamie, and all your fellow ample l.s. patient, i'm proud that the united states house of representatives will vote for this legislation to support your fighting chance

against this deadly disease. this is a transformational bill to make sure that people with a.l.s. are given treatment opts -- treatment options and something they all deserve. it's spelled h-o-p-e. hope. i salute representatives quigley and fortenberry. you have done a phenomenal, phenomenal job on this legislation, both in introducing it and building it up to be the most co-sponsored legislation in the house. so i urge -- i urge all my colleagues to support the act and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the gentleman from kentucky is recognized. mr. guthrie: i yield two minutes to the distinguished republican whip, my good friend from louisiana, whip scalise. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. scalise: thank you, mr. speaker, and i thank my friend from kentucky, mr. guthrie, for yielding time. i want to first associate myself

with the remarks made by ms. eshoo of california as well as mr. pallone, and stand up in strong support of this bill and thank the lead authors, mr. fortenberry here, mr. quigley, all of us who have worked on this and other issues to help patients with a.l.s. this goes back to other legislation that we've worked on including the 21st century cures act where congress came together, republicans and democrats, through the energy and commerce committee, to help put a sharper focus on finding cures for diseases like a.l.s. diseases like alzheimer's. so many other debilitating diseases where you've got people that just want hope. as ms. eshoo said. where you've got people who want the ability to live their lives to the fullest. i have worked on so many of these a.l.s.-related issues with a hero back home in my district, steve gleason. steve gleason was, for a while,

more famous as a player for the new orleans saints. somebody who gave us a light in the darkness of hurricane katrina. but then steve was diagnosed with a.l.s. and he turned his notoriety into a call for action. for other people with a.l.s. to be able to live their lives to the fullest. he's been an inspiration to so many. we communicate, he has a speech device that allows him to communicate. he stays incredibly active. but steve brought this bill up over a year ago. said this is one more thing we can do to help people with a.l.s. so that they can bring new therapies so that people living with a.l.s. do have more ability to treat this disease. this means life-saving drugs will now be available for individuals who are not otherwise able to get into a.l.s. clinical trials. so mr. speaker, on behalf of

heroes, inspirational battlers like steve gleason, and so many have other heroes in our district i rise in strong support of this great piece of legislation that brings republicans and democrats together to take action. with that, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves, the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. pa pone -- mr. pallone: i yield two minutes to the chairwoman of the subcommittee on consumer protection and commerce, ms. schakowsky of illinois. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman gentlewoman is recognized. ms. schakowsky: thank you, mr. chairman. thank you to the chair of the committee and the chair of the health care subcommittee for this legislation. i rise today to remember my friend artie. artie and i were friends from the time we were in third grade. in chicago. and we stayed in touch all the many, many years. and i was pretty devastated when he told me he had a.l.s.

and a couple of years ago, artie made the decision because a.l.s. is a really cruel disease, to take his own life. to set the date. so that he would make the decision himself and not suffer so horribly to the bitter end because at that time he saw no hope. and i rise today on behalf of my constituent, brian, and his wife sandra, who saw that there was hope. in the future. that they would fight in order to get legislation that would make access to what is promising therapies right now. therapies that weren't available or even on the horizon to artie.

and so i am so proud to join with colleagues across the aisle to say that we can provide that hope, that opportunity, people who are facing what has been a death sentence. and that we can see a future that is bright for now the a.l.s. victims and i want to thank i am a.l.s., the organization, and many of the organizations that have been fighting for this, the advocates, have done a great job to bring to this our attention and bring this day about and get over 300 co-sponsors to this legislation. i'm proud to be among them. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the gentleman from kentucky is recognized. mr. guthrie: thank you, mr.

speaker. as mentioned, there's over 300 co-sponsor we all know that's not an easy task to do at all. it takes a lot of work, a lot of leg work, a lot of effort. the two hardest working people we have seen this session are mr. quigley of illinois and my good friend, jeff fortenberry, from nebraska, who put such effort into this. i will yield him seven minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for seven minutes. mr. fortenberry: thank you so much, mr. speaker. to my friend, brett guthrie, thank you for your kind and generous words, very meaning. mr. speaker -- very meaning. mr. speaker, one of the first books i recall reading as a child was about the life of the new york yankee's first baseman named lou gehrig. he was named -- nicknamed the iron horse due to his athletic ability and endurance. he could hit, he could run, he could field. amazing athlete. and

and then everything just changed. amyotrophic lateral sclerosis stole that man's abilities, causing him to lose control of basic functions. this merciless, cure, aggressive, neuro de-jenry tiff -- neurodegenerative disease, we call it the lou gehrig's disease, a.l.s. mr. speaker, there was no cure then and there's no cure now. before he died national park 1941, at a ceremony at home plate at yankee stadium, lou gehrig had this to say, though. for the past two weeks, you've been reading about a bad break. yet, today, i consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. that story, mr. speaker, lou gehrig's story stayed with me as a child. i don't know why but it did.

i remember it so well. but now fast forward decades later while serving here as a member of congress, this same cruel disease swept upon my own family. i want to do this, mr. speaker, if you'll indulge me. pictured here is my wife, celeste, with her little brother and god's son, joe gregory. in his mid 30's, joe began to notice that his hand was shaking and he started a battery of tests but somehow he just knew it was probably going to be the worst of the worst. and he was diagnosed with a.l.s. but he faced his plight with both dignity and courage. he volunteered to be part of an experimental trial and he said, well, if it doesn't work for me, maybe it will help someone else.

he died when he was 37 years old. and he left behind melanie, his wife, and four little children. on his tomestone -- tombstone are the words from the prophet isiah. here i am, send me. mr. speaker, we as a family quickly learned about this profound trauma that affects so many families all across america. it happens over and over, out of view, most of us never see it. and i soon became acquainted with this amazingly strong and determined a.l.s. community.

it was so uplifting to me to meet people filled with so much hope -- you heard that word over and over again, and it's appropriate. so many people filled with so much hope. amidst their own suffering but who were rightfully seeking a different approach and a better way. and out of this experience was born the act for a.l.s. mr. speaker, for over 50 years now, and over 50 clinical trials, a.l.s. patients have submitted themselves to tests and trials, therapies and placebos in accordance to the framework. but progress is debatable to serious impediments to many new treatments and many have sacrificed their lives to science as they weakened and died. but today, here we are, mr. speaker, with over 330 co-sponsors from both sides of

the aisle and we're standing for a new way. the act for a.l.s. represents a monumental shift and the way in which we approach a.l.s. and other neurodegenerative diseases. at the core of this bill, it does two things. it transform the paradigm of disease research and regulation and it creates a new pathway for promising treatments. it drives the hope with this groundbreaking law, we can breakthrough faster for those who have suffered so much. and i want to publicly say, thank you to representative quigley, for his tireless leadership in driving this hope. and to my very close friends, representatives anna eshoo and cathy mcmorris rodgers for their leadership in shepherding this bill as well. and it's truly bipartisan. it was not easy, but here we are on the precipice of doing something good for so many people. so mr. speaker, i -- maybe just

a little bit like lou gehrig, i, too, am a lucky man and for this reason. i met so many beautiful people who have shared their sufferings, their vulnerability, their gratitude toward this effort today, people of good heart, courageous, who are fighters, who have created a family of solidarity, to help us creatively rethink how to attack this disease through sound science, through technology, and through improved public policy. and mr. speaker, one last note. there are so many heroes who deserve special recognition, but you heard one singled out today and i want to single him out as well. this fight iron horse, my friend and founder of the organization, i am a.l.s., brian. as brian said in congressional testimony in july with his wife sandra there. this is our argument for our lives. yes, it is, brian. so mr. speaker, i should do this. i should say publicly, thank

you, brian. thank you, joe. thank you to the a.l.s. community. we could not be here without you today. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. mr. guthrie: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. pallone: i have no additional speakers and am prepared to close. mr. guthrie: thank you, mr. speaker. i'd be remiss if i did not mention a family as well and i'll close. when you first come to washington you start getting to know people who come here and advocate for diseases and treatments like this. i met a lady named kay. probably with her 11 or 12-year-old daughter shelby. i can't get a hug from my father anymore. i don't want any other little girl to feel this way. i don't want to be too late for somebody in the future. i got to know them and visited them in lebanon junction,

kentucky. and their son was probably 8 or 9 at the time. he rigged a wheelchair so he could go hunting with his father. they could not do that at all. unfortunately was able to attend mitch's funeral. and seeing -- i haven't personally experienced this with my family. but just seeing the effort that a family has to go through and the love that they do it in was an example for me to get involved in this issue. and the suffering that the patient goes through but also the extremely difficult circumstances for a family. how they were so loving in everything they did. so i want to close this. i know brian and his wife sandra was at the hearing and touched every one of them. i want to yield back in honor of the inser family in lebanon

junction, kentucky. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. pallone: after listening to personal stories on both sides of the aisle i don't think anyone will question why this bill is important, in order to provide hope to so many, as the speakers said, in order to try to find a cure, in order to try to find more treatments and clinical trials. all these are basically put into this legislation. again, i would urge unanimous support for this bill on both sides and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 3537, as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative -- the gentleman from texas. >> i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: privileged resolution to section 3-s of house resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered.

pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings are postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey seek recognition? mr. pallone: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5487, the stillbirth health improvement and education for autumn act of 2021, or shine act of -- shine for autumn act of 2021. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 5487, a bill to improve research and data collection on stillbirths and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new jersey, mr. pallone, and the gentleman from kentucky, mr. guthrie, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new jersey. mr. pallone: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and

extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.r. 5487. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. pallone: and mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. pallone: mr. speaker, stillbirth is one of the most devastating losses that affects more than 24,000 families each year. stillbirth touches families of all races, religions, and socioeconomic status. for every parent, if is a loss that hits unexpectedly. it has occurred in pregnancies that seemed almost problem-free. the numbers could be even higher. while there has been some progress in reducing still births, the causes and risk factors have not been explained extensively. so h.r. 5487, the shine for autumn act of 2021, is an important first step in promoting positive change around this issue. the legislation is in honor of autumn joy, who was born stillborn on july 8, 2011. so the last decade -- for the

last decade, her mother has transformed her loss into action. the legislation seeks to bolster research on stillbirths and still births -- stillbirths risks factors. it would provide resources to state and federal health departments, improve data collection around stillbirths and increase education and awareness. since stillbirth is such a private life event, the data is to inform public health research and improving health outcomes. the resources provided in the legislation to the centers for disease control and prevention, the national institutes of health, and state health delts to improve data -- departments to improve data collection and i increase awareness is a longer term solution towards the prevention and reduction of incidents of stillbirths. i want to thank representatives herrera beutler, roybal-allard for that are support and i ask my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill and i reserve

the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from kentucky is recognized. mr. guthrie: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. guthrie: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in support of h.r. 5487, the shine for autumn act of 2021. led by representatives herrera beutler, roybal-allard, mullin, and castor. each year about 24,000 babies are stillborn in the united states, according to the center for disease control and prevention. despite medical innovations, stillbirth rates remain relatively unchanged and affects women of different ages and backgrounds. no family should have to go through such an unthinkable tragedy. and this is unfortunately far too common. h.r. 5487 aims to prevent stillbirth through enhanced research, surveillance, and reporting. specifically, the bill directs the department of health and human services to better support states in collecting more complete stillbirth data. it also encourages the national institutes of health fellowship

focuses on stillbirth research and pathology. this legislation will help provide much-needed outreach and education on stillbirths, giving health care providers additional tools to improve health outcomes for mothers and babies who deserve a fighting chance at life. i urge my colleagues to support this bill, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. pallone: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield now three minutes to the gentlewoman from florida, a member of the energy and commerce committee and chair of the select committee on climate action, ms. castor. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from florida is recognized. ms. castor: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank chairman pallone for yielding the time. mr. speaker, here in the united states, we continue to grapple with a maternal and infant health crisis. there are approximately 24,000 stillbirths in the united states each year, and we rank 25th among 49 high-income countries

in stillbirth rate. there are long standing and persistent racial and ethnic disparities with black women experiencing stillbirths at two times the rate of white women. so we need real change to -- that will help lead to measurable improvements in health. that's why i was pleased to introduce the stillbirth health improvement and education for autumn, or shine for autumn act, with my colleagues representative herrera beutler, roybal-allard, and mullin. through the bill, we intend to improve the research and data collection on stillbirth. we want to authorize grants for surveillance in data collection. . we are going to develop guidelines and educational materials and create a fellowship at n.i. thomplet dive deeper into the research. the bill is named in honor of autumn joy, who was still born

on august 820, 11. her mother, debbie, turned this experience into advocacy. she worked to educate on stillbirth and lower stillbirth rates. i'm proud to help lead the legislation in autumn's memory. i want to thank debbie for her perseverance on behalf of families across america. this heartbreaking loss can happen in any family and there's so much we still do not know. so this new law this bill, shine for autumn act, will help -- help avoid a lot of the tragedies that debbie unfortunately found with the death of her daughter autumn. so i ask my colleagues to support the shine for autumn act and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the gentleman from kentucky is recognized. mr. guthrie: i reserve my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman is recognized.

mr. pallone: i yield to the prime democratic sponsor of the bill, the chairwoman of the appropriations subcommittee on homeland security, the gentlewoman from california. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized.ms. ae her approval thereof. : i rise -- ms. herrera beutler: for far too long stillbirth has existed in the shadows of the maternity care tipple and each year in the united states about 24,000 babies are still born. this is more than 10 times as many deaths that occur from sudden infant death syndrome yet suids is much more recognized and research than stillbirth. due to our failure to invest in stillbirth research, the united states lags behind 181 nations rapidly reducing their

stillbirth rates than us. ms. roybal-allard: similar to most adverse maternal and infant outcome, minority communities are disproportionately impacted. also families who experience a stillbirth tragedy are not well supported by our health care system or their communities. this leaves families feeling isolated and unprepared to deal with their tragic loss. as co-chair of the congressional maternity care caucus i'm proud to have worked with my co-chair and author of the bill, congresswoman jaime herrera beutler, and my colleagues kathy castor and congressman mark wayne mullin, to introduce the shine for autumn act this fall. i thank debbie haynes for sharing her family's story of losing autumn and for her decades-long crusade to shine a federal spotlight on this heartbreaking maternal concern.

the shine act will establish a peri-natal pathology program at the n.i.h. to increase research on stillbirth. it will provide critical resources to federal and state health departments to improve surveillance and data collection. it will increase awareness and understanding of this peri-natal tragedy by supporting the development of educational materials and guidelines for state and local health departments. the shine act also directs the surgeon general to produce a report on stillbirth risk factors and requires the secretary of h.h.s. to report on the progress and effectiveness of the n.i.h. training program. today this house has the opportunity to bring stillbirth out of the shadows and to invest in the education and research that will save babies' lives. i am proud to vote yes on the

shine for autumn act and i urge my colleagues to support this critical legislation. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the gentleman from kentucky is recognized. mr. guthrie: i continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. pallone: i have no additional speakers and i'm prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from -- mr. guthrie: i'm prepared to close. this is important bill, i can't imagine what autumn's mother has gone through, what so many families have gone through with the stillbirth of their child. i urge my colleagues to vote for this bill and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. pallone: i urge support for this critical legislation and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 5487 as amended. those in favor say aye.

those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative -- the gentleman from texas is recognized. >> i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to section 3-s of house resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings are postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey seek recognition? mr. pallone: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5561, the early hearing detection and intervention act of 2021 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 149, h.r. 5561, a bill to re-authorize a program for early detection, diagnosis and treatment regarding deaf and hard of hearing newborns, infants and young children and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. pallone: mr. speaker, i ask

unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.r. 5561. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new jersey, mr. pallone, and the gentleman from kentucky, mr. guthrie, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new jersey. mr. pallone: thank you, mr. speaker. over the last 20 years, we've been very successful in addressing one of the most common birth defects affecting america's children. congenital hearing loss. children with this condition are born with hearing loss and are at risk for delays in speech, language, social, and emotional development. fortunately early detection and intervention is highly effective in preventing these adverse effects. since the year 2000, congress has passed and subsequently re-authorized early hearing detection and intervention programs also known as ehdi

programs. these identify and support children who are deaf and hard of hearing. as a result of the programs, early hearing loss screening, diagnosis and treatment services have greatly increased over the last 20 years. consider that before 1993, only one in 10 newborns were screened for hearing loss. recent data indicates that today 97% of all infants were screened within the first month of their lives. 77% of infants receive audiological evaluations by 3 months of age and 70% are enrolled in early intervention services before six months of age. this helps ensure all children with hearing los have the same opportunities as children who can hear. today we are considering a bill that will help us build on these achievements. h.r. 5561, the early hearing detection and intervention act of 2021 would extend funding for the ehdi programs for five years through fiscal year 2026.

this legislation will ensure that these services continue to be available for children that are deaf or hard of hearing. i want to commend our health subcommittee ranking member guthrie for his leadership on this bill and urge my colleagues to support it and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from kentucky is recognized mr. guthrie: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized mr. guthrie: i rise in support of my bill h.r. 5561, the early hearing detection and intervention act re-authorization act. which is also co-led by my energy and commerce colleague representative matsui. hearing loss in children continues to be all too prevalent in the united states. according to recent data, almost 15% of children ages 6 to 19 experience low or high frequency hearing loss in one or both ears. the early hearing detection program administered through c.d.c. and health resources has

helped providers to quickly identify babies and young children who are born deaf or hard of hearing which led to improved health outcomes and brought hope to so many families. h.r. 5561 re-authorizes federal support for these important statewide programs that promote early detection, diagnosis and treatment of deaf and hearing impaired newborn and children through 2026. my bill will redouble our efforts to truly open the world of communication to children experiencing hearing loss. i urge my colleagues to support this bill. i have no further speakers. i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. pallone: thank you, mr. speaker. i urge support for this bill on a bipartisan basis and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 5561 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no.

in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. >> mr. speaker, i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to section 3s of house resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings are postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey seek recognition? mr. pallone: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5551, the improving the health of children act, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 150, h.r. 5551, a bill to amend title 3 of the public health service act to re-authorize the national center on birth defects and developmental disabilities and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new jersey, mr. pallone, and the gentleman from kentucky, mr. guthrie, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the

gentleman from new jersey. mr. pallone: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.r. 5551. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. pallone: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. pallone: i rise in support of h.r. 551. the improving the health of children act. which re-authorizes the national center on birth defects and developmental disables. this center was established by congress in 2000 to improve the health of millions of our nation's most vulnerable children, infants, people with disables, people with blood disorders. it's the only center as the centers for disease control and prevention whose mission focuses on these populations. birth defects, mr. speaker, affect one in 33 babies. and are a leading cause of infant death in the united states. children with birth defects who survive often experience lifelong physical and mental disabilities.

in addition, over 500,000 children are diagnosed with a developmental disability each year. blood disorders such as sickle cell disease, anemia and hemophilia affect millions each year in the united states cutting across boundaries of age, race, sex and socioeconomic status. h.r. 5551, sponsored by representatives carter and trahan, re-authorizes the work of the centers for five years and helps maintain the programmatic focus of the center. it's been 15 years since the last authorization and the importance of the center's work continues to grow. whether the supporting partnerships to continue research on autism or coordinating a rapid response to zika, the center plays a critical role in preventing birth defects and helping people with disables and blood disorders live healthy and productive lives. i urge my colleagues to support this bill so we can ensure vie call surveillance and research continue to focus on the well

being of people with birth defects, disabilities and blood disorders. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kentucky is recognized. mr. guthrie: i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized mr. guthrie: i rise today in support of h.r. 5551, the improving the health of children act, led by my energy and commerce committee colleagues representatives carter and trahan. birth defects unfortunately are very common in the united states. according to recent centers for disease control and prevention day tashing one never 33 babies are born with a birth defect each year and birth defects are the leading cause of death for all babies. h.r. 5551 re-authorizes through 2026 the national center on birth defects and developmental disabilities which has been critical to improving the lives of children with birth defects and their families. this would re-establish critical programs related to birth defects, intellectual disabilities and child development in order to bolster

the center's research efforts and improve more lives. i urge my colleagues to support this bill and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. pallone: i yield three minutes now to the democratic sponsor of this bill, the gentlewoman from massachusetts, mrs. trahan. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized for three minutes. mrs. trahan: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank the chairman for yielding. i rise in strong support of h.r. 5551, the improving the lives of children act. i sponsored this bipartisan legislation alongside representatives buddy carter, g.k. butterfield, and henry cuellar because the work being done at the c.d.c.'s national center on birth defects and developmental disabilities is teamsly important to -- tremendously important to millions of families across our country. one in six children is affected by some form of developmental

disability. they include a diverse range of conditions including adhd, autism spectrum disorder, fragile x syndrome just to name a few. they can impact children's lives by limiting motor ability, cognitive development, verbal development, behavioral development and they often last throughout a person's lifetimes. for some developmental disabilities, we know the causes and the risk factors, but for so many others we don't. that's why the research and advancements at the national center on birth defects and developmental disabilities has been so crucial. since the creation in 2000, the staff have created a road map to a world where babies are born healthy, children are empowered to reach their full potential, and families are able to thrive. but there's still so much work to be done. that's why my legislation re-authorizes the center for the first time in 15 years and

provides it with the funding and resources necessary to support more than a dozen essential programs. this bipartisan bill is key to identifying developmental disabilities early and bolstering doctors' capacity to intervene, both of which experts agree are critical to improving a child's ability to learn new skills and reducing the financial burden on families. mr. speaker, when children and adults with disabilities receive the care and services they need, their quality of life improves dramatically. the goal of the national center on birth defects and developmental disabilities is to ensure every person with a disability has access to the support they need from a young age and our legislation helps achieve it. that's why it's supported by so many individuals and families across america who want nothing more than for congress to advance policies that gives people living with disabilities the dignity, respect, and opportunities they need to succeed. i look forward to casting my vote in favor of this legislation, and i encourage all

of my colleagues to join me in doing the same. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the gentleman from kentucky is recognized. mr. guthrie: mr. speaker, i yield two minutes to my good friend from georgia, buddy carter. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia is recognized for two minutes. mr. carter: i thank the gentleman for yielding. and i thank the chairman and the ranking member for bringing this legislation, this important legislation to the floor. improving the health of children act is up for a vote today. it's a very important bill. extremely important. as we all know, the national center on birth defects and developmental disabilities does phenomenal work to detect, prevent, and research birth defects and intellectual disabilities for a wide range of conditions. they also provide much-needed educational resources to parents and caregivers about the conditions the child may have, and they work to raise awareness about conditions that may be

hard to identify. unfortunately, the center has been operating under an expired authorization since 2007. we must not forgo our commitment to these children. this legislation reaffirms congressional support of the center. it expands their scope to study more conditions, and it provides an increase for authorization so they can continue to carry out the great work that they do. i want to thank the bipartisan supporters of this legislation for the help in authoring this bill. representatives trahan, cuellar, butterfield, and hudson. and i urge a yes vote on passage of this important legislation today. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from kentucky reserves. the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. guthrie: mr. speaker, i encourage my colleagues to vote for this bill and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. pallone: mr. speaker, i'll do the same, urge support on a bipartisan basis, and yield

back. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 5551, as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative -- the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. >> mr. speaker, i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to section 3-s of house resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings are postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey seek recognition? mr. pallone: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1193, the cardiovascular advances in research and opportunities legacy act, or the carol act, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 1193, a bill to amend title 4 of the public

health service act to direct the national institutes of health in consultation with the director of the national heart, lung, and blood institute shall establish a program under which the director of the national institutes of health shall support or conduct research on valvular heart disease, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new jersey, mr. pallone, and the gentleman from kentucky, mr. guthrie, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new jersey. mr. pallone: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.r. 1193. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. pallone: and mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. pallone: mr. speaker, valvular heart disease is a rising health threat to many otherwise healthy people. each year more than 25,000 americans lose their lives to valvular heart disease, and they are predominantly young women. unfortunately, the disease has reached -- the disease's reach

is including five million more diagnosises each year. despite the rising incident, there is so much we don't know about this disease. we don't have a good understanding how this disease is life threatening. today, we're taking an important step to address this gap by considering h.r. 1193, the carol act. i want to commend representative barr for introducing this bill in honor of his wife, carol, who died in late, 2020, with an underlying heart disease. the carol act will expand research on valvular heart disease and treatment administered by the national institutes of health in cooperation with the national heart, lung, and blood institute. and carry out projects to increase education, awareness or diagnosis of valvular heart

disease and reduce cardiac deaths caused by valvular heart disease. i urge my colleagues to support this bill and i reserve the balance of my time, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from kentucky is recognized. mr. guthrie: that you are, mr. speaker -- thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. guthrie: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in strong support of h.r. 1193, the cardiovascular advances in research and opportunities legacy act, or the carol act, introduced by representative andy barr. you know, mr. speaker, congress is like a family. we certainly laugh together, we certainly argue with each other, but there are times we cry with each other. i'll never forget the phone calls that i received from robert aderholt telling me that carol barr, who is a wonderful woman, wonderful wife, wonderful person passed away. andy barr introduced this bill to honor his wife.

from -- who passed away from mitrovalve prolapse. heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death for most demographics in the united states. over 600,000 americans die from heart disease each year. this equals one person every 36 seconds. we know that taking early action is critical to surviving a heart condition. people need to know the warning signs and symptoms and understanding the gaps in education, informing sharing will help the health care system detect these warning signs. this bill authorizes grants administered by the national heart, lung, and blood institute to support research on valvular heart disease and convene subject matter experts to identify research opportunities to develop more informed treatment guidelines for patients with valvular heart disease. it also instructs the c.d.c. to increase public awareness of symptoms associated with valvular heart disease.

this bill will provide timely investments to adequately inform others about valvular heart disease and ultimately save lives. i urge my colleagues to support this bill. as i said in my text that every 36 seconds one person dies from heart disease. it's a life. it's a life. it's a mother. it's a wife. it's carol barr. here's who we are here today to pass this bill, mr. speaker, to honor her and to prevent others from going through this same thing. i urge my colleagues to support this bill and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. pallone: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield now two minutes to the gentlewoman from new york, the member of the energy and commerce committee, miss rice. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from new york is recognized for two minutes. miss rice: mr. speaker, i rise in strong support of the carol act, which i am proud to co-lead with my friend, representative

andy barr, and which will fund critical breakthroughs in our understanding of valvular heart disease. millions of american lives -- millions of americans live with some form of valvular heart disease, and most of them go their entire lives without a serious issue or incident. but over 25,000 people die in our country from this country every single year. last year, andy's wife, carol, tragically passed away from a heart valve condition called mitrovalve prolapse. the carol act will honor carol's life by creating a new grant program administered by the national heart, lung, and blood institute to fund valvular heart disease research. our hope is that this research will improve our knowledge of this poorly understood condition and one day produce a cure that will prevent other families from having to endure the same tragedy that befell the barr family. i cannot think of a more beautiful tribute to carol's life than that. andy, i commend you and your

family for your incredible strength and for turning your grief into action. it was my honor to join you on this legislation. thank you, chairs pallone and eshoos, and ranking members rogers and guthrie, for bringing this critical bill to the floor. i urge all members to support it today. thank you, mr. chair, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the gentleman from kentucky is recognized. mr. guthrie: thank you, mr. speaker. i almost always enjoy when the republican leader comes to kentucky whether going to see corvettes or the abraham lincoln birthplace. unfortunately, we got to spend time together honoring carol when we attended her funeral in lexington. i know he's a dear friend -- was a dear friend of carol, not just our republican leader, but a dear friend of hers as well. i'll yield one minute to the gentleman from california, the republican leader. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. mccarthy: thank you, mr. speaker. i want to thank my friend for yielding. i want to thank him for his friendship and his work.

i rise in support of this legislation. i want to thank congressman barr for his leadership in bringing this legislation to the floor in a strong bipartisan way. i'm proud to support the carol act, in honor of andy's lovely wife, the late carol barr. like everyone who knew her, we know the moment and where we were when we heard of her passing. it was sudden. it was unexpected. it was something no one ever thought could happen. if you ever met her, you were her friend. see, she was kind and graceful person with a heart for service. as i speak today, i remember her laugh. throughout her own career and working with andy, carol devoted her time and energy to giving back to the community. she had a service heart.

all about the sixth district. see, i met her years ago. met her when she first knew andy before either daughter was born. i was able to watch them grow. watch them look in their mom's eyes. i remember this one time, andy, when we were there and she was holding eleanor. eleanor was showing me her parade wave. you see, carol led a highly respected career in sales at pfizer. she served as executive director for the henry clay center for statesmanship. she volunteered at the junior league of lexington and the university of kentucky's college of communication and information national advisory board. it was her faith, her patriotism and generosity towards her neighbors were manifest. for those who attended the time to honor her life, you'd hear speaker after speaker after

speaker would tell the moment in time they could tell you the moment carol walked into their life. the interesting part when they told it, their life got better but carol never walked out of their life. that was the interesting. and oh, how she loved andy and her two beautiful girls, eleanor, mary clay. you know, this disease strikes you at a time you don't even know. . just come back from doing what most of us almost all do, family photos. getting ready for a campaign. you look at her face, you look at children's -- the children's face. you know andy, carol did all the work. andy's a great legislator. carol made everything happen. i love when i meet people, meet

early on, i'd always ask andy and carol, how did you first meet? andy would tell you the story. he saw her, he could tell you the moment it happened. he had a plan. his plan, he had it all mapped out. he was going to ask for her business card. he just didn't realize she didn't have one. the problem with andy is he didn't have a backup plan. but the great thing about it is god had already taken care of this. god had already had a plan for andy and carol. eight weeks later he brought them back together again. this time andy didn't let her get away and they were married more than 13 years. i cannot tell you the loss we feel. andy feels it every day. the community feels it every day. not a day goes by that we don't pray for him and the girls.

there's not times when i pick up, -- there are times when i pick up, just call and check on him. he remember doing it recently. he said it was a good week. he took the girls, just the girls and him, and went to the place that the barr family would always go to. it was in the woods. a time of reflection. there are othersy this body that have had -- others in this body who have had to deal with this type of loss. a loss in your own family. we all know the different ways to suffer. we're all familiar with the different five stages of grief. denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. andy didn't have time for any of them. but andy channeled his grief into what i believe is the sixth stage. the lawmaker. he did something important.

working to honor carol today, but save lives for everybody else in the future. we're going to do work today that most people when they talk about congress wish we did every day. it's not -- there's not going to be partisanship. if you met carol, it didn't matter what side of the aisle you were on. it would be harder to attack andy. we're going to save lives for the future. that's exactly what this bill does, mr. speaker. it saves lives. more than 25,000 americans die from valvular heart disease every year. and many, like carol, should know outward signs. you don't have a warning. you kiss your spouse good-bye, you're going to do down the street.

next thing, something goes wrong. too often the diagnosis comes down to luck. carol got an indication when we had covid. it was said to wait to have a procedure. we must do better, our doctors and families deserve to have better information so they can make the right decisions about treatment. the carol act will help get them the information by providing 20 million in research grants to study -- $20 million in research grants to study the valvular heart problems. andy, your work to pass this bill in-of carol -- bill in honor of carol has truly been an inspiration to all of us. all those moments that i had an opportunity to spend with them, i always reflect on this one.

like many of you, collectively we'll do a trip to israel. legislatively, foreign policy. there was this moment in the trip, you know the trip is filled with meetings after meetings after meetings and you're on a different time zone and it gets tiring, up early to late at night. carol would always be smiling. we were visiting this one facility with a sermon on the mound where jesus had spoken. i remember standing next to her, reading the story in the bible. i remember her smile. more importantly, i remember her love for all. i know she's with us today. i know she's proud of andy. she's proud of eleanor and mary

clay. who's work on this planet was not long. today what we're doing is going to make tomorrow better. andy, your dedication, which is so ably represented in this important bill, is a fitting tribute to carol. she had a heart for service. anyone that knew her will tell you that. today we're going to honor her memory and we're going to salute you. we're going to salute that carol made a difference. yesterday, today and tomorrow. she will not be forgotten. be it through the caringness, sweetness, the kindness of her

kawrs -- daughters, but more importantly, the love and respect of her husband. it would take a very tragic situation, he could go a lot of different paths, but i know he wondered, what would carol want to be done? that's exactly what he did. he put himself in a position to make the world better and to make fewer families have that same call. i respect everybody i serve with. people go through a lot of challenges. very few people in my life that i've ever witnessed, the dignity, the respect, and the honor that andy has given to carol. for her life and for her memory. with that, madam speaker, i yield back. >> i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kentucky reserves.

the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. pallone: madam speaker, i would now yield two minutes to the gentleman from california, mr. panetta. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. panetta: thank you, madam speaker. thank you, mr. chairman. i rise today to support the bipartisan carol act. my good friend, representative andy barr, and so many others in this nation who either have valvular heart disease or lost loved ones to this disease. the carol act is necessary now more than ever. as each year 25,000 americans lose their lives to this often hidden, yet very deadly deefficient i -- deficiency of the human heart. this legislation would help prevent those deaths by authorizing grant programs at the national heart, lung and blood institute that will not only bolster research on heart valve disease, but also it will help identify those with this

disease so they can treat this disease before it's too late. so on behalf of the very fruitful life lived by carol barr, on behalf of the future fulfilled lives of mary clay and eleanor barr, i not only support the carol act, but i, and i urge my colleagues to, stand in solidarity with andy barr to give him our vote and the full strength to fulfill carol's legacy and to continue carrying the torch so that those with this disease can continue living their lives to the fullest. thank you, madam speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey reserves. >> we have more speakers. madam speaker, i yield three minutes to the republican whip, mr. scalise from louisiana. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from louisiana is recognized. mr. scalise: thank you, madam speaker. i thank the gentleman from

kentucky for yielding. i rise with a heavy heart, but in strong support of this legislation, the carol act. clearly, if you look at the policy, we're here today to expand research on valvular heart disease, to help save more lives. but we're also here to pay tribute to carol barr. and talk about a special person that we were blessed to know. carol was one of those people who would light up a room. i was blessed to be in many of those rooms with andy and carol and their two beautiful daughters. and then we got the news. it was news that you don't wish upon anybody. but to watch how andy has carried on a legacy since then,

obviously caring for carol's legacy, caring for those two beautiful young daughters, but then turning it into something bigger with the carol act. this legislation is going to help some of those 25,000 americans who lose their lives every year to valvular heart disease. many of them young women like carol. so hopefully we can prevent others from having to go through what andy went through and what all of us went through. because while we battle on the day to day issues, we care about each other. we're family in many ways. we spend a lot of time here together. we get to know each other personally. i got to know andy, i was in charge of recruiting in 2012 and he was the first recruit that i called. we hit it off from day one and just developed an incredible friendship. with friendships like that, you get to know the families of the people that we serve with.

every time you're in a room with andy and carol and their family, it was just a special, special time. and so i know so many of my colleagues that on both sides of the aisle that are expressing those same passions, at least we get to channel this into something, something positive that can help other people. andy, your strength in her death serves as a constant tribute to carol's life. carol used to have a saying. she would say, just get it done. today we're going to get something special done in honor of an incredibly special person and i'm sure they have c-span in heaven and i know carol's watching right now as she's so proud of the strength you've exhibited. but today she knows that her name is also going to be attached to something that's going to save lives for years to

come. with that, god bless andy, his beautiful daughters, carol, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kentucky reserves. the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. pallone: continue to reserve as we hear from the republican members. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kentucky is recognized. >> madam speaker, i yield as much time as he may consume to my good friend from kentucky, andy barr. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kentucky is recognized. mr. barr: thank you, madam speaker. i rise today in support of an issue that is obviously very personal to me. my legislation that cardiovascular advances in research and opportunities legacy act, or the carol act. i'm just overwhelmed, i'm so grateful to my friends and colleagues on both sides of the aisle. i thank them for their kindness, their kind words about carol and their advocacy for this very important legislation and an important bill of i do ask for the indulgence of the house and my colleagues to speak about a

topic that is very personal and i've become unfortunately very passionate about it. my life and my girls' lives were changed forever when we lost carol. who was my best friend. and that was a sudden cardiac event on june 16 of 2010. she was -- 2020. she was only 39 years old. this was a few weeks before her 40th birthday. the end of her life didn't define her life. i want people to know not just, when they hear about the carol act, i want them to know not just about the legislation, i want them to know about carol, the woman that inspires it. because so much of her life really continues to make a positive impact on all of us. first of all, carol was obviously a beautiful person. but her beauty was not on the outside, as much as it was on the inside. as beautiful as she was as a

person. she was an amazing friend and daughter and wife. she was so supportive. everybody who serves in this body knows it takes so much support from a spouse. i witnessed that every day. both in this job and out of this job in the 12 she was a supporter and selfless giver and she was a selfless person with her friends and family and always going out of her way to do for others and put others ahead of herself. professionally, she worked in the pharmaceutical industry, a planner, a list maker and detailed organizer, which was great for me. he she complimented me and kept me on time. i was not a list maker and she was. she was a go-getter. as my friend whip scalise and had a great saying and said it

to me, just get it done. but, of course, you know, her greatest legacy was her motherhood. she was defined by being mother of our girls. she was the best mother in our world and she packed it in and left a great mark on those kids and they are her greatest legacy. and may youngest said, daddy, when you give speeches, why don't you talk about me and i'm talking about you and your sister because you are your mother and your mother will continue to shine through you all. what is carol's story? at a young age, she was diagnosed with an underlying condition of floppy valve and this is benign syndrome that

results in only .2% of the cases. the odds were in her favor and she knew that and her physicians talked about that and she said it was no big deal and i said it was no big deal. we just had to monitor it, and we did. and carol was one of those unlucky person in that .2% category and did have a near fainting episode and in 2020 and sought help from a cardiologist and said we need to investigate this and we need to get an echo express test. and there was no chest discomfort and nothing between march and sadly june 16, when i came home that night. so what factors placed carol in

the .2%? that's what we don't know. that's what we need to know for other families. in my discussions with top medical experts, researchers and advocates following carol's passing, i learned the extent that the meed am community lacks answers to this critical question. and over 25,000 americans die each year from heart valve disease because of undertreatments for the condition. my wife and also many, many experts and the cardiologists who contributed to this work, we interviewed the carol act to better equip with the resources needed to save lives. the carol act authorizes a grant program administered by the heart, lung and blood institutes

to support research and this marshals the full power of 21st century technology and imaging and precision medicine to generate research. we can help identify americans at high risk from valvular disease. and enabling interventions and treatment plans to keep patients healthy. the carol act will instruct the centers for disease control to increase public awareness and preventing sudden cardiac death. i'm honored and so grateful that this bill, the carol act has earned support from both sides of the aisle and bringing this legislation to this point. the speaker is here today and i'm humble and grateful to them and my good friend, congressman

guthrie who was a dear friend of my wife, to the minority leader, kevin mccarthy and whip scalise and counted carol as one of their good friends and representative rice and representative panetta and chairman pallone, i appreciate your leadership and leader hoyer as well. my good friend brad wenstrup and bill highinger who have been helpful. i'm thankful to mitch mcconnell who is leading the companion bill and kyrsten sinema. she lost a constituent to a similar condition. and timely, i want to thank the over 20 medical groups including the american heart association, the american college of

cardiologists and the scores of doctors who were instrumental in helping us. dr. mary she hard and dr. department ofhomeland securitiy in the district dha i represent, the university of kentucky and doctor gibons and and dr. ben allen were instrumental in crafting this legislation. madam speaker, carol bower's legacy was her two daughters. she wanted to raise our kids. even though, even though the doctors said her heart gave out, because of her life and legacy and this bill, she is going to be remembered as having the most powerful heart of all. and i hope my colleagues will help me to enshrining that

legacy that will others avert this tragedy. and honey, we are getting it done. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kentucky reserves. >> may i inquire how much time i have remaining? the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman has five minutes remaining. mr. pallone: you can use whatever time. mr.guthrie: i yield one minute from michigan. one minute. mr. huizenga: andy, you talked a lot about carol, as you should, but we want to talk about you.

and how you responded. you know, this is an opportunity to turn a tragedy into hope. and there's a lot of people that would be too bitter, too angry, too frustrated, too betrayed to take that opportunity. and refocus it and turn it into help for others. you're doing that. and you are showing your daughters what your wife would do. those of us who knew her, you are absolutely right. i can still hear in my mind's eye, just get it done and it would be a desperate tone, sometimes, right? just get it done. but the words i was thinking and i have thrown out the prepared

remarks. i started writing down a few words -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. huizenga: it goes quick, but passionate, patriot, fierce, not mean, but fierce and focused. she was a leader of teams, a leader of your family, too. and andy, that's you. you have been forced into some roles that you weren't expecting to have to take care of. and this is what you do best. you throw yourself in. you dive in. and you work hard to help others. and that, too, is a legacy, a legacy for carol and for the girls and for eleanor and mary claire, know that your mother loved you and your dad loves you and she is not with us today but

not gone, because we won't forget her and make sure her legacy continues. we are here for you and glad to help so many others around the country. mr.guthrie: i yield three minutes to our good friend from cincinnati and has taken andy under his wing over the last year. but brad wenstrup from ohio. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. wenstrup: i'm proud to rise today in support of my good friend, my dear friend, congressman andy barr and his legislation named in memory of his late wife carol. andy knows monica and i love being with carol and andy. whenever we could get together, it was great. and let me talk about the bill.

the carol act will help to advance research on value have you lar heart disease. this bill aidentify to identify individuals with value have you lar disease and help doctors determine which individuals are at high risk. and finally, the bill will convene subject matter experts to strategize on what research is needed to develop guidelines. as a doctor, i know this legislation will undoubtedly help to save lives, many, many lives. the bill has 180 co-sponsors that span the political spectrum. so today, we take another step

towards getting this bill across the finish line and will be a fitting tribute to a beautiful wife when we see it signed into law. i know carol is beaming with pride as she looks down on andy today. and andy and carol's girls are even more proud of both their mom and their dad than they already are on this particular day. so, may god bless andy and carol barr. carol reached out and touched the face of god. but the positive effects of her life and andy's work, will never perish. their regular asies is that they bring good things to life. i'm glad to see all of my colleagues here to support this bill and i urge its passage and with that, i yield back.

mr.guthrie: i'm close to out of time. if the chairman would yield to the ranking member. mr. pallone: i yield such time as we have to mr. guthrie. mr.guthrie: i yield to the ranking member of the full committee as much time as she may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from washington is recognized. mrs.mcmorris rodgers: to my colleague and friend, andy barr, what a beautiful tribute to carol. i join my colleagues in strong support of the carol act. we love you, we loved carol. our hearts go out to you. i'm sitting here and thinking what a beautiful tribute and to eleanor and mary clay, i just saw your christmas card and you

are beautiful and shine brightly, just like your mom did. this has been such a difficult time and to see you step forward and bring this legislation, the carol act, that is going to help thousands of others across the country and highlight important research that needs to be done so that others will not have to go through this similarly, that you have led in such a strong way. we are grateful. we are grateful to know you and want you to know that you are not alone. i will always remember the times i was with carol and join so many others and she was one of those persons who did it all and do it well and i remember they lit up the room and shined so brightly. and your girls are shining

today. we join today in strong support of this legislation. it's going to help us get answers so that answers will not be impacted the same way and let's get this done, as carol said. i yield back. .. . we know they're carrying on her legacy. i know her husband is here today moving forward with her legacy. i urge my colleagues to support the passage of this bill and i yield back the balance of my time. thank you to the gentleman for yielding to me. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. pallone: let me just say again what a tribute that andy barr has made to his wife. this is such an important bill in terms of trying to deal with this disease. so, again, i urge bipartisan support and i yield back.

the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 1193, as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the bill is passed and, without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. without objection, the title is amended. for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey seek recognition? mr. pallone: madam speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1667, the doctor lorna breen health care provider protection act, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 154. h.r. 1667. a bill to address behavioral

health and well-being among health care professionals. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new jersey, mr. pallone, and the gentleman from kentucky, mr. guthrie, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new jersey. mr. pallone: madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.r. 1667. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. pallone: madam speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. pallone: madam speaker, the covid-19 pandemic has placed an extraordinary amount of stress on physicians and other health professionals. according to a recent survey by the physician foundation, nationwide half of physicians report feeling anxious due to covid-19-related concerns. and nearly 60% report experiencing burnout. that's a significant increase from just two years ago. yet many are not getting the help they need. only 13% of providers have sought treatment to address pandemic-related mental health

concerns. nearly half of emergency physicians report not feeling comfortable seeking mental health treatment for fear of professional or personal repercussions, even though 87% say they've been experiencing increased stress. earlier this year congress took action in the american rescue plan to address these concerns. we invested in training for health care professionals on strategies to reduce burnout and stigma associated with seeking mental health care. and we provided support to the employers of front line providers so they can better care for the mental health needs of their work force. these were important investments for a work force stretched to the limit but there is still more to be done. that's why congress must pass h.r. 1667, the doctor lorna breen health care provider protection act. this legislation is named in honor of dr. lorna breen, a sister, friend, daughter and emergency department physician who tragically died by suicide after the physical and mental

toll of a pandemic became too unbearable. dr. breen was fearful of seeking assistance for her debilitating mental burden which left her despondent and unable to move from her office chair. earlier this year her family testified before the energy and commerce committee about how the work load and stress of her position during the beginning of the pandemic broke an otherwise indomitable spirit of a compassionate woman with a strong love of her job and her co-workers and her patients. so the dr. lorna breen health care provider protection act will make significant strides in improving access to mental and behavioral health services. first, the bill authorizes grants for training health profession students, residents or health care professionals in evidence-informed strategies to reduce or prevent suicide, burnout, mental health conditions and substance use disorders. it will also identify and disseminate evidence, inform best practices for reducing and preventing suicide and burnout

among health care professionals. the legislation also establishes a national evidence-based education and awareness campaign targeting health care professionals to encourage them to seek support and treatment for mental and behavioral health concerns. and finally it calls for a comprehensive study to be conducted by health care professional mental and behavioral health and burnout. this bill received unanimous support in the energy and commerce committee and it's part of a series of bipartisan bills the committee has worked on to bolster and support our health care work force. i'd like to thank the sponsor of this bill, most importantly representative wild who was the lead sponsor, and my colleagues on the committee for their steadfast work in honoring dr. green and -- breen and her family and the countless health care providers who will now have additional support and resources available to them. it's my hope that this bill will lead to more health care providers seeking help when they need it without fear of repercussions or stigma. i urge my colleagues to support the bill and i reserve the balance of my time.

the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from michigan will control the time for the minority. >> thank you, madam speaker. i yield three minutes to the gentlewoman from puerto rico, ms. gonzalez. missgonzalez-colon: thank you, mr. upton. thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in support of h.r. 1667, the dr. lorna breen health care provider protection act. this bill strikes close to my home for me. i know a gentleman who served in our armed forces as an enlisted hospital corpsesman and advocated for this bill. responded after the 2011 earthquake in haiti, working in an intensive care unit, and caring for local residents. even as an estimated 200,000 lives were lost, he and many of his fellow corpsmen were

teenagers at the time. upon returning home he thought, as this bill calls it, that he was simply burnt out. many of those he served with abruptly left the service. after suffering from flashbacks during these emergencies and medical situations, this gentleman will quietly leave the service as well. recognizing that he could no longer render the care that he has been trained to give. it will take nearly a decade for him to begin accessing mental health resources that he needed. i told this story with his permission, of course, to make two points. first, that widespread provider burnout can lead to staffing shortages. second, that many times we use the phrase burnout to hide deeper wounds. burnout implies a short-term change, one that seemingly heals

with a break or vacation. but as our hospitals have overflowed with -- in places with covid patients, burnout can be something more serious. that's why this bill is important, it establishes a communication contained toad kate and encourage providers to seek care. it will decrease costs by establishing grants programs for providers who use that care and it will produce science on the problem of burnout on physicians. all health care providers should know that accessing the resource this act will provide is a good thing. it means they're still human enough to appreciate the experience. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan reserves. the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. pallone: thank you, madam speaker. i yield three minutes to the lead sponsor of the bill, ms. wild of pennsylvania. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from pennsylvania is recognized. ms. wild: thank you, madam speaker. i rise today in support of my

bill, the dr. lorna breen health care provider protection act, which will finally provide resources and support to our health care heroes who face burnout and mental health crises as a result of their experiences with covid-19. america owes an incredible debt of gratitude to these professionals who work to keep us safe and healthy. doctors die by suicide at twice the rate of the general population. the trauma of their experience during covid and before, while treating patients, is something we must address head-on. dr. lorna breen was the emergency room director at new york presbyterian hospital and was a hero who embodied the spirit of service in our time of national crisis. she died by suicide in april, 2020, at the peak of the covid crisis in new york, after contracting covid herself, quarantining and then returning to work.

her father said, she was truly in the trenches of the front line. she tried to do her job and it killed her. make sure she is praitzed as a hero -- praised as a hero. she was a casualty of this pandemic as much as anyone else who died. i am honored in her memory to lead this bill to prevent burnout among health professionals answering the call of dutyy. i want to thank my seven co-leads, mr. krishnamoorthi, chu, upton, katko, and to note that the strong bipartisan support that this bill enjoys is confirmation that congress can still come together to tackle big problems. i'd like to thank jennifer and corey fife, dr. breen's sister and brother-in-law who have championed in this bill from the beginning, to ensure that lorna's legacy is codified here in the halls of congress. but most of all i want to thank every last doctor, nurse, e.m.t., can stolial staffer,

food service worker and especially our emergency room doctors who put themselves into harm's way to keep the rest of us safe. our work to secure for you the support you need is far from other -- over. thank you, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey reserves. the gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. upton: thank you, madam speaker. i would yield myself the balance of the time. as much time as i might consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. upton: madam speaker, i know, first of all, i want to thank our leadership and our committee. i want to thank mr. pallone, mrs. mcmorris rogers, mr. guthrie, and obviously chair eshoo for moving this, and our staffs. for moving this legislation forward. this is a very important bill. all of our health care workers, particularly in this covid pandemic, are really heroes. they are. without exception.

all of us know many of these workers because they're our neighbors and friends and each of us have heard those cries of woe as they have done their job every day, every day, day after day, for 24/7. i can't imagine how they do it. watching so many folks suffer as they try to help them from their hospital beds. passing on the sad words that they passed away to family members, maybe not even in person because of this terrible pandemic. and thinking of the hundreds of thousands of americans that have died because of this awful disease. let alone so many more across the globe. but one of those health care workers was well publ sietzed at the time -- publicized at the time, lorna breen.

physician from charlottesville. working on the front lines of the pandemic in new york, moving up there to try and help the need. and, yes, as was mentioned, took her own life. this was a national story. it gripped the nation. i can remember watching the news shows that week as this tragic story was portrayed. it outlined the severe stress that this pandemic has put on our health care workers and the need for the resources that they need to help them cope. the demands that our health care heroes are facing, they've not changed. they haven't changed yet. for months. for a year and a half. they've been asked to care for communities in my district, in southwest michigan, and across the country, 24/7. as the pandemic continues. this bill helps us have their

backs. you know, i talk to major hospitals in my district every week. and the common refrain that we've been hearing throughout the state of michigan is that our hospitals are still strained to their breaking point. staff short andle -- shortages are very veer -- severe. i saw a story a few hours ago. i think the state of maine is taking up their national guard. we've asked for national help from president biden as well in michigan. there have been too many examples of health care workers that are suffering from this enormous pressure as they fight the worst public health crisis in a century. this legislation is going to help promote mental and behavioral health for those health care professionals, improving their overall well-being and maybe even saving their own lives. this bill helps promote mental and behavioral health among those working on the front lines of the pandemic. it supports training for health professionals to prevent suicide and burnout, it increases

awareness about suicide and mental health concerns among their peers. so i'm glad that we're considering this important bill, we'll vote on yet tonight. i look forward to having it be signed into law. and again i thank the bipartisan cooperation on both sides of the aisle and hopefully we can get our senate colleagues, i know they're with us on this, to work together to get this bill to the president as soon as we can. we can't wait another day. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time the gentleman from new jersey. mr. pallone: i yield two minutes to the gentlewoman from california, ms. chu. ms.chu: i rise in strong support of the drr lorna breen act. the past two years have stretched our nation to the brink and no one has shouldered

this more than the doctors and health care workers who worked day in and day out through surge after surge and put their lives on hold to help care for us and our loved ones as the pandemic spread around the country. in many instances, they have done it while understaffed without sufficient p.p.e. and putting their own lives at risk before a vaccine was available to them. this could have a profound impact and today we are taking an important step to ensure they get the help they need. this establishes grants for training health care workers and strategies to prevent suicide, burnout and mental health conditions and substance use disorders and establishes a national awareness campaign to

encourage health care professionals to to seek support for mental health care. i know how much mental health care matters and how stigma can prevent people getting the help they need. we can say to health care workers, you are not alone. i urge my colleagues to support this critical legislation, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey reserves. the gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. upton: we are ready to close and have no further speakers. mr. pallone: i have a few more speakers. i yield two minutes to congressman krish in a moorgty from illinois. mr. krishnamoorthi: i rise in support of this act.

my wife of three years is a physician. she has worked tirelessly during the pandemic and during the pandemic people have referred to these health care workers as heroes. but as you know, our heroes are human. they struggle with the trauma of losing colleagues and patients and expose themselves to the daily risk of code and suffer from burnout, depression and suicide. in fact, even before the pandemic one physician every day committed suicide and that rate has gone up significantly during the pandemic. i'm reminded of the situation of dr. scott jolly in you tay. he would sometimes work until 3:00 a.m. as the only physician, the only physician on duty at his hospital in you tay. by november 2020, he was diagnosed with ptsd and by

february of 2021, he committed suicide. these stories are unending. but today, in honor of these heroes, the drr lorna breen protection act will expand access to mental and behavioral health resources to help our heroes and help them cope with the stresses they face every single day and some of those stresses and anxieties will continue after this pandemic and that's why this act is so important. i look forward to passing this necessary piece of legislation today, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey reserves. and the gentleman from michigan. mr. upton: we have no further speakers on our side. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. pallone: i yield to the gentleman from rhode island, mr.

mr. cicilline: for too long, health care workers have suffered in silence and afraid of being penalized of seeking treatment. 42% of physicians reported burnout and 40% didn't want to seek treatment. how can we expect our doctors to take care of us when they can't take care of themselves. this act is named for a doctor who lost her life to suicide will prevent suicide, burnouts and mental health conditions. it does so by supporting training to prevent suicide and burnout and national awareness campaign for professionals to seek support and establishing a comprehensive study on mental health and burnout including the

impact of the pandemic. health care professionals have been taking care of us. it's time we take care of them. i urge my colleagues to support this critical legislation. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey reserves. the gentleman from michigan. the gentleman from new jersey. mr. pallone: i yield two minutes to representative stevens from michigan. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from michigan is recognized. >> i rise to voice support susan wild's bipartisan dr. lorna breen health care provider protection act which establishes training programs to health care workers to prevented suicide and burnout, to prevent suicide and burnout. i think of my constituents back home in michigan, who are in the

midst of another covid-19 fight, who are telling us in our hospitals they are full and cannot provide the care in the way they were trained and taught and in the way they would like to. this fight leaves us exhausted and leave our health care workers all the more stressed. people are being pushed to the limit. and since the start of this pandemic, michigan's health care work force has become fragile and lost workers due to the stress of this pandemic and yet this bipartisan legislation that brings us together here today will provide support to the work force. health care workers deserve this and they are continuing to work on the front lines and time to change our health care industry approaches mental health and we

must step up to provide support of infrastructure for health care professionals and took a pandemic for us to get this dr. lorna breen bill and we will not forget our health care workers and continue to stand up for them. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. pallone: i'm prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. mr. upton: i yield back the balance of my time. this is a great bill and need to vote for it without delay and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. pallone: i urge support of this bill, which is bipartisan and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 1667 as amended.

those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the after tifer -- affirmative. does the gentlemanfrom texas seek recognition? for what purpose? >> i request the yeas and nays. thank you. pursuant to section 3 of house resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings are postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey seek recognition? mr. pallone: madam speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 4445. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 152, a bill to amend the public healthservice act to authorize a campaign across all relevant

programs of health resources and services administration to increase oral health literacy and awareness. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. pallone: i ask unanimous consent -- the speaker pro tempore: pursuan t to the rule the gentleman from new jersey, mr. pal own, and the gentleman from michigan, mr. upton, each will control 20 minutes. mr. pallone: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material. and i yield myself such time as i may consume the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. pallone: oral health is a component of general health but a big problem for many americans. tooth decay. more than one in four adults have untreated cavities.

regular preventive care can catch these. but less than half of americans use this system. we need to increase oral health care literacy. the oral health and literacy act will expand literacy programs. h.r. 4555 will authorize a public education campaign and increase awareness across all relevant programs across the administration. this bill will help us learn about the effectiveness about the campaign and improve health care literacy and i thank the representatives members of the energy commerce committee for their bipartisan work on this legislation. and i urge my colleagues to support this legislation and i

reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time the gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. upton: i would yield myself such time as i might consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized mr. upton: i rise today to speak on 4555 the oral health literacy and awareness act of 2021 sponsored by my energy and committee members. we know orally health plays an important role. lack of proper of oral hygiene has increased the risk of chronic health conditions in addition to increased education to help patients avoid illness and so important for kids to develop healthy habits. this bill directs the administration to develop a

public education committee to increase literacy and awareness. the bill will promote good oral health habits and prevent against complex medical conditions in the future. i urge my colleagues to support the bill. i remind them that this bill passed unanimously in our committee and should not be a problem. and i thank my chairman and ranking member for getting this thing to the house floor as quickly as we can and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time the chair recognizes the gentleman from new jersey. mr. pallone: i yield three minutes to the gentleman from california a member of our energy and commerce committee, mr. cardenas. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. cardenas: thank you, mr. chairman to pass these amazing bills.

the seven bills that we are discussing on the floor over the last hour and a half and vote with the entire body of this house, all of those bills passed out of the energy and commerce committee unanimous and every republican and democrat voted yes. there were no no votes. when you look at the press, they think all we are doing is arguing, fussing and fighting with each other, but we do work together. to all of my colleagues on the committee, thank you so much for doing our job. i rise today, my colleagues, to support this bipartisan bill with congressman bilirakis. oral health is whole body health but unfortunately it is often neglected by parents who lack resources and knowledge. oral health accounts for the deepest health disparities.

for many, the costs of dental neglect could be detrimental. cardiovascular disease, those issues and more could be worsened by untreated tooth decay. children who have poor oral health miss more school and receive lower grades than children who don't. latino kids experience two times more tooth decay and cavities than their piers. ., . .. our legislation will help low income families and communities of color learn about the benefits of regular dental care and empower them to make better decisions on their overall orel health -- or al health -- oral

health. ladies and gentlemen, this is a picture of a child's mouth. too many children across america are going through this pain, through this detrimental situation because their parents don't understand that they can do better for their children. with better practices and information. and that's what this bill is about. once parents have access to information on important or healthy habits, they can prevent this kind of result. these tips help families and children maintain long-term oral hygiene at home. through simple education and awareness campaigns, we will ensure families are better equipped to take control of their families' -- their family's heal. we can't cut corners here -- health. we can't cut corners here, ladies and gentlemen. let's make sure oral health is in every home. it is the only way we will make

sure that children across america do not suffer like this child has suffered. i also want to say once again, thank you to chairman pallone, house subcommittee chairwoman eshoo and all of my colleagues, republican and democrat, on the committee for passing this bill. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey reserves. the gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. upton: madam speaker, we're ready to close on our side. we have no further speakers. i would again urge my colleagues to support this bill, pass it unanimously. greatest committee on the face of the earth. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. pallone: thank you, madam speaker. i would urge bipartisan support for this bill, as mr. cardenas said, there is nothing really more important than oral health. we know there are so many times when poor dental care has led to much more severe problems. so this really is an important bill and i urge its support and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey yields back. the question is, will the house

suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 4555. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the chair -- 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative -- for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> madam speaker, i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to section 3 of house resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings are postponed .

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new york -- the gentlewoman from new york seek recognition? mrs. maloney: i move that the house suspend the rules and agree to the bill, h.r. 5119, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of

the bill. the clerk: h.r. 5119. a bill to amend title 6 of the social security act to expand the coverage of coronavirus relief fund payments to tribal governments. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from new york, mrs. maloney, and the gentleman from kansas, mr. laturner, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from new york. mrs. maloney: thank you, madam speaker. first, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mrs. maloney: i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. mrs. maloney: i rise in strong support of h.r. 5119, a bill to extend the availability of coronavirus relief fund payments allocated to tribal governments under the cares act of 2020 for one additional year. this bipartisan bill was introduced by mr. o'halleran of

arizona and mr. young of alaska. with companion legislation sponsored by mr. sullivan and ms. bureau cowsky in the senate. the historic cares act was signed into law on march 27, 2020. and included critical aid for states, territories, tribes and large localities to combat the coronavirus pandemic. however, the treasury department did not have a pre-existing conditioning allocation process for dispersing the $8 billion set aside for tribes. according to a g.a.o. review, it took extra time to set up these processes. treasury also established some allocation methodologies without consulting with tribes first, which led to legal challenges and even further delays of emergency relief.

taken together, these delays have resulted in a compressed time frame for tribal governments to put their cares act funds to work. which is unacceptable in light of the disproportionate impact the pandemic has had on the tribal community. according to a report by the centers for disease control and prevention, covid-19 infections were three times higher for american indians and alaska natives compared to white americans during the first seven months of the pandemic. other reports revealed that one in 475 native americans in the u.s. has died from covid-19 compared to one in 825 white americans. the ravages of the pandemic have been compounded for our tribal neighbors due to longstanding health disparities and social

inequities. the deaths of tribal elders from covid-19 caused an incalculable and irreplaceable loss of cultural knowledge and language. tribes must be given a fair opportunity to put federal aid dollars to work tackling these serious issues. h.r. 5119 is a commonsense step to ensure that tribes have parity with recipients who have not faced similar delays in gaining access to cares act funding. finally, i want to assure my colleagues that c.b.o. has confirmed that this bill does not increase federal spending. so i urge my colleagues to support this bill and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from new york reserves. the gentleman from kansas is recognized. mr. laturner: thank you, madam

speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. laturner: mary, last year congress set aside $8 billion in the cares act for tribal governments to spend on pandemic-related expenses. however, much of this $8 billion was held up in litigation and distributed to tribes only four short months ago. more than a year after the funds were originally appropriated. this money is supposed to be used by december 31, 2021. about three weeks from today. but it's irresponsible to expect tribal governments to spend all this money within a few months of receiving it. this bill would extend the deadline an additional year, giving tribes more time to responsibly allocate these funds and best serve their people. i thank my colleagues, representative young of alaska and representative cole of oklahoma, for their efforts in working on this matter. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kansas reserves. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from new york.

mrs. maloney: madam speaker, if the gentleman from kansas has no further speakers, i am prepared to close. i have no further speakers. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from kansas is recognized. mr. laturner: thank you, madam speaker. i yield to my colleague, the dean of the house, mr. young from alaska, as much time as he needs. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from alaska is recognized. mr. young: i thank the gentleman for yielding and i rise in strong support of this legislation. it's baddeley needed. i want to thank first the chairwoman, mrs. maloney, the ranking member, for your quick work. i've been trying for the last long time to try to get this bill passed and i've asked everybody to put it in the c.r. and the national defense act and we didn't get it there. but you brought it to the floor. so we'll thank both of you for doing. that of course speaker pelosi and chairman delauro and the leader mccarthy.

this is baddeley needed -- badly needed. a lot of litigation was occurring so the money couldn't be spent. consequently, if they don't spend it, they lose it and they can't take care of the health problems caused by covid. we have to continue this as it goes to the senate. i'm urging my leaders of the house and the senate to really get this bill done. it's needed. it's right. it's justified. let's take care of those first americans in this legislation because of covid. it can be done. again, i thank both of you for the work you've done and the body of the house for voting yes on this legislation. with that, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kansas reserves. the gentlewoman from new york is recognized. mrs. maloney: i thank the dean of the house, the outstanding leader from the great state of alaska, for his insightful comments and fighting so hard for the residents in alaska, the native alaskan residents, and

the american indians, which this bill will take care of the tribes and many of our states across -- in many of the states across the country. i also want to thank my colleague, mr. o'halleran, who could not be with us. he has a conflict with another committee meeting. and i want to thank the democratic leadership here in the house. speaker pelosi and the democratic team for bringing this to the floor. and also mr. comer and mr. turner and others for being part of this bipartisan effort. this is truly a bipartisan effort. and i would say that i have no further speakers and if the gentleman from kansas is ready, then i am prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from new york reserves. the gentleman from kansas is recognized. mr. laturner: madam speaker, i yield three minutes to my friend and colleague, the gentleman from south dakota, mr. johnson. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south dakota is recognized. mr. johnson: thank you, madam speaker. and thank you, mr. laturner. it's been said before but it bears repeating.

24 days. that's how long tribal governments have to utilize their cares act funding before the december 31 deadline. i talked to a number of tribes who rather than rush to spend this money in recent months tried to be thoughtful and deliberate about how to make these critically important investments. as a result, a number of them have millions of dollars left unspent. and that kind of -- in that kind of an environment, it is proper, it is prudent for us to extend the deadline and we should do so and that's why i wholeheart lid support this bill -- wholeheartedly support this bill. but i wouldn't feel right if i didn't point out that there is a better way and it is indeed right before us, madam speaker. the solution is s. 3011, the infrastructure and disaster relief flexibility act. the house companion to that senate bill has been led by democratic representative bourdeaux and myself and it has

overwhelming support, 125 bipartisan co-sponsorsment and our bill would do the -- co-sponsors. and our bill would do the exact same thing as the one before us tonight. well, that's not quite right. i think our bill is superior in a few ways. first off, it doesn't just provide the flexibility to tribal governments, as this bill would rightfully do. it also provides that kind of flexibility to states and localities that also desperately need it. that's not the only way in which the bourdeaux-johnson bill is superior. and the dean of the house alluded to it earlier when he was talking. our bill has already passed the senate. this bill has not. and in fact, the bill that i'm talking about passed the senate unanimously and it has been sitting on the speaker's desk since october 20. so, yes, it is true we find

ourselves with only 24 days for tribal governments to act. but it didn't have to be that way. it doesn't have to be that way. my question for the speaker would be, if our bill was good enough for 100 senators, why is it not good enough for the house? and this legislative approach just means that we're going to go a few more days until tribes have the certainty they need and so, madam speaker, i would close with this. if we brought s. 3011 up tonight and passed it, it could be law before midnight and tribes would not have the uncertainty that they continue to face. and with that, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields bak. the gentlewoman from new york is recognized. mrs. maloney: the gentleman has raised important points and it's under krgs bu this bil is bfr us now. and i am -- and it's an important bil.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from yields back. the gentlewoman from new york is recognized. mrs. maloney: the gentleman has important points. and it's under consideration but this is bill before us today. and it's an important bill. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman. >> i will vote in support of this bill. i urge my colleagues to support this needed and bipartisan legislation. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentlelady from new york is recognized. mrs. maloney: i thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership on this important bill and also the dean of the house, mr. young, for his passionate support, who expressed so clearly the need of this important bill. i thank mr. comer. it was good to work together in a bipartisan way. i like the democratic -- i want to thank, also, the democratic leadership for bringing this bill to the floor. i urge passage of 5119, as

amended, and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from new york yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 5119, as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative -- for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> madam speaker, i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to section 3 of house resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings are postponed. proceedings will resume on questioned previously postponed. votes will be taken in the following order. motion to suspend the rules and

pass h.r. 4996, h.r. 4616, h.r. 5290, h.r. 5609, h.r. 4489, h.r. 5608, h.r. 1155, h.res. 837, h.res. 317, h.r. 3537, h.r. 5487, h.r. 5561, h.r. 5551, h.r. 1667, h.r. 4555, h.r. 5119, h.r. 2355, h.r. 2364, h.r. 3743, h.r. 3894 h.r. 897, h.r. 2074, h.r. 3531, h.r. 4706, h.r. 5677, h.r.

5679, h.r. 5695, h.r. 5705, h.r. 5961, and h.r. 5982. the first electronic vote will be conducted as a 15-minute vote. pursuant to clause 9 of rule 20, remaining electronic votes will be conducted as five-minute votes. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from california, mr. garamendi, to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 4996, as amended, on which the yeas and nays are ordered. the clerk will report the title. the clerk: h.r. 4996, a bill to amend title 46, united states code, with respect to prohibited acts by ocean common carriers or marine terminal operators, and

for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a 15-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from maryland seek recognition? mr. brown: madam speaker, as the member designated by mr. defazio of oregon, i inform the house that mr. defazio will vote yes on h.r. 4996.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from alabama seek recognition? mr. carl: madam speaker, as the member designated by mr. moore of district one, i inform the house that mr. moore will be voting yes on h.r. 4996. also, madam speaker, as the designated member for mr. hagedorn of minnesota 01, i inform the house that will hagedorn will be voting yes. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: for what reason does the gentleman from illinois seek recognition?

mr. quigley: madam speaker, as the member designated by mr. rush of illinois, i inform the house that mr. rush will vote yes on h.r. 4996.

the speaker pro tempore: for what reason does the gentleman from ohio seek recognition? mr. johnson: madam speaker, as the member designated by mr. russ fulcher of idaho, i inform the house that mr. fulcher will vote yea on h.r. 4996.

the speaker pro tempore: for what reason does the gentleman from new jersey seek recognition? mr. pallone: madam speaker, as the member designated by mr. albio sires, i inform the house that mr. sires will vote yes on h.r. 4996. and as the member designated by mr. donald payne, i inform the house that mr. payne will vote yes on h.r. 4996. and as the member designated by mr. bill pascrell, i inform the house that mr. pascrell will vote yes on h.r. 4996.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from south carolina sneek -- seek recognition? for what purpose does the gentleman from south carolina seek recognition? >> madam speaker, as the member designated by dr. dunn of

florida, i inform the house that dr. dunn will vote yea on h.r. 4996. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition? >> madam speaker, as the member designated by mr. gallego, pursuant to h.r. 8, i inform the house that mr. gal go will -- mr. gallego will vote yes on h.r. 4996. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from florida seek recognition? >> madam speaker, on behalf of mr. walz of florida, pursuant to h.r. 8, i inform the house that mr. walz will vote no on h.r. 4996 -- mr. wlatz of florida, pursuant to h.r. 8, i inform the house that mr. wlatz will vote no on h.r. 4996.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from north carolina seek recognition? >> madam speaker, as the member designated by mr. green of texas, pursuant to h.r. 8, i inform the house that mr. green will vote yes, he will vote yes on h.r. 4996. mr. butterfield: as the member designated by mr. cleave ever of -- cleaver of missouri, pursuant to h.r. 8, i inform the house that mr. cleave already vote yes on h.r. 4996. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois seek recognition? >> as the member designated by ms. underwood, pursuant to h.r. 8, i inform the house that

mr. underwood will vote yes on h.r. 4996 .

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? mr. evans: madam speaker, as the member designated by mr. lawson, pursuant to h.r. 8, i inform the house that mr. lawson will vote yes on h.r. 4996 .

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from georgia seek recognition? >> madam speaker, as the member designated by mr. hice of georgia, pursuant to h.r. 8, i inform the house that mr. hice will vote yes on h.r. 4996. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia seek recognition? >> madam speaker, as the member designated by mr. smith of washington, i inform the house that will smith will vote yes on h.r. 4996. mr. beyer: as the member as the member designated bymr. i inform the house that mr. gomez will vote yes on h.r. 4996.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from michigan seek recognition? ms. slotkin: mehm-o, as the member designated by -- as the member designated by mrs. lawrence, i inform the house that ms. law wrebs will vote -- mrs. lawrence will vote yes on h.r. 4996. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from florida seek recognition? >> madam speaker, as the member designated by mrs. demings, i inform the house that mrs. demings will vote yea on h.r. 4996. as the member designated by mr. crist, i inform the house that mr. crist will vote yea on h.r. 4996.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition? >> as the member designated by mr. swalwell of california, i inform the house that mr. swalwell will vote yes on h.r. 4996. as the member designated by ms. bass of california, i inform the house that ms. bass will vote yes on h.r. 4996 . the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from connecticut seek recognition? mrs. hayes: as the member

designated by ms. wilson, i inform the house that ms. wilson will vote yes on h.r. 4996 the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? mr. jeffries: as the member designated by mrs. davis, i inform the house that mrs. davis will vote yes on h.r. 4996. as the member designated by congressman kahele, i inform the house that congressman kahele will vote yea on h.r. 4996. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from indiana seek recognition? >> madam speaker, as the member designated by mr. baird of indiana, i inform the house that mr. baird will vote yes on h.r. 4996.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? >> madam speaker, as the member designated by dr. joyce of pennsylvania, i inform the house that dr. joyce will vote yes on h.r. 4996.

the speaker pro tempore: for what reason does the gentlewoman from west virginia seek recognition? for what reason does the gentlewoman from west virginia seek recognition? mrs. miller: madam speaker, as the member designated by mrs. lesko of arizona, i inform the house that mrs. lesko will vote yes on h.r. 4996. the speaker pro tempore: for what reason does the gentleman from texas seek recognition?

mr. veasey: as the member designated by mr. cuellar of texas, i inform the house that mr. cuellar will vote yea on h.r. 4996.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose -- for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? mr. mccaul: as the member designated by mrs. kim of california, i inform the house that mrs. kim will vote yea.

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 363. the nays are 60. the the bill is passed is passed

and without objection -- the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 364. the nays are 60. 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the unfinished business is the vote on of motion of the gentleman from california, mr. sherman, to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 4616, as amended, on which the yeas and nays are ordered. the clerk will report the title.

the clerk: h.r. 4616, a bill to deem certain references to libor as referring to a replacement benchmark rate upon the occurrence of certain events affecting libor, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended. members will record their votes by electronic device. and this will be a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.] the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from maryland rise? mr. brown: madam speaker, as the member designated by mr. defazio of oregon, i inform the house that mr. defazio will vote yes on h.r. 4616. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from indiana rise? >> madam speaker, as the member designated by mr. baird of indiana, i inform the house that mr. baird will vote yes on h.r. 4616. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from north carolina rise? mr. butterfield: as the member designated by mr. green of texas, i inform the house that mr. green will vote yes on h.r. 4616.

as the member designated by mr. cleaver of missouri, i inform the house that mr. cleaver will vote yes on h.r. 4616. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania rise? >> madam speaker, as the member designated by dr. joyce of pennsylvania, i inform the house that dr. joyce of pennsylvania will vote yes on h.r. 4616. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california rise -- the gentlelady from california rise? ms. brownley: as the member designated by mr. swalwell, i inform the house that mr. swalwell will vote yes on h.r. 4616. as the member designated by ms. bass, i inform the house that ms. bass will vote yes on h.r. 4616. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from alabama rise? >> madam speaker, as the member designated by mr. moore from the state of utah, i inform the house that mr. moore will be voting yes on h.r. 4616. mr. carl: and also, madam speaker, as the member designated by mr. hagedorn of minnesota, i inform the house that mr. hagedorn will be voting

yes also on h.r. 4616. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois rise? mr. quigley: madam speaker, as the member designated by mr. rush, i inform the house that mr. rush will vote yes on h.r. 4616. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from florida rise? >> madam speaker, as the member designated by mr. waltz of florida, i inform the house that mr. waltz will vote yes on h.r. 4616. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? mr. veasey: as the member designated by mr. cuellar of texas, i inform the house that mr. cuellar will vote yea on h.r. 4616. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from georgia rise? mrs. greene: madam speaker, as the member designated by mr. jody hice of georgia, i inform the house that mr. hice will vote yes on h.r. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman rise? >> as the member designated by congresswoman sharice davids, i inform the house that congresswoman davids will vote yes on h.r. 4616. as the member designated by congressman