Washington, D.C.-Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) delivered the following remarks in a Health Subcommittee Hearing entitled, “Enhancing Public Health: Legislation to Protect Children and Families."
Excerpts as prepared for delivery:
SOLUTIONS
“I have led for years on the importance of addressing expired authorizations that continue to be appropriated, so I’m pleased to see our Members fulfilling the duties we have as an authorizing committee.
“Mr. Carter’s Improving the Health of Children Act reauthorizes activities at the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. Mr. Walberg’s Lead Poisoning Prevention Act renews critical lead poisoning prevention and screening initiatives. Dr. Dunn’s bill reauthorizes prostate cancer activities at the CDC.
Other bills reauthorize programs that expire next year, like Mr. Guthrie’s Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Reauthorization Act.
“We will also be considering bills that establish new public health programs. Like Representative Mullin and Herrera Butler’s SHINE for Autumn Act to mitigate the risk of stillbirths and help more moms and babies, and Mr. Barr’s CAROL Act that will improve research and public health outreach related to heart disease.
HOLDING THE BIDEN ADMIN ACCOUNTABLE
“All of these solutions reflect the importance of the committee’s authorizing responsibilities over key public health programs.
“It’s important for federal agencies to come before this committee to comment, discuss programs, and other related health initiatives, and that should have happened today.
[…]
“We need to hear from the administration and public health officials. They have not been before this committee [since] making top-down decisions that impact every person in this country related to COVID-19 data, changing guidelines, schools, vaccine mandates, and booster shots.
“It’s undermining trust in public health, and people’s abilities to make the best decisions for themselves.
“We are also seeing an historic surge in opioid overdose deaths made worse by economic shutdowns, lost jobs, isolation, fear, and despair."
PLOWING THE HARD GROUND
“We should be plowing the hard ground, listening and working together, to crush this pandemic and modernize health care.
“The bills we are considering touch on several important issues. We also must recognize the central role our public health programs have played over the last year and a half, and the massive influx of funding they have received as part of the pandemic response. We should be addressing these public health agencies more holistically.
“Let’s hear from states and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration on how to save lives, combat the opioid epidemic, and improve the mental health of children who are in crisis.
“Let’s permanently schedule fentanyl analogs in Schedule I. DEA is warning the American public on the increasing dangers of fake prescription pills containing fentanyl.
“Let’s learn from the pandemic how we can safely speed up innovation, like we did to get safe and effective vaccines and apply those lessons to discover new cures and treatments. Let’s investigate how this pandemic even started so it never happens again.
“This Committee has a rich history of bipartisan work-by listening and leading on solutions to solve our greatest challenges.
SPEAKER PELOSI’S TAX AND SPENDING SPREE
“This brings me to the tax and spending spree that Speaker Pelosi is re-writing right now behind closed doors. It will lead to fewer cures, lost coverage, and force the sick to beg the government for lifesaving care.
“Just yesterday, CBO provided its analysis that shows the dangers of the Majority’s lurch to socialized medicine that will cost more than a half trillion dollars. 2.8 million people will lose their employer sponsored health care.
“Just like 11 years ago, Speaker Pelosi plans to pass a massive bill that radically disrupts people’s lives and livelihoods- and if you like your health insurance, you may not be able to keep it.
“I again urge this Committee to get back to the People’s work, not the Speaker’s agenda.
“We’re taking a step in the right direction today. I hope we can continue this encouraging trend by addressing the important major public health issues facing our nation today."
