Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) delivered the following remarks on the House Floor as prepared for delivery today during consideration of H.R. 5585, Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health Act:
I rise to speak in support of H.R. 5585, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health Act.
In February, the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee held a hearing to discuss the Biden Administration’s proposal to establish the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, better known as ARPA-H. The agency is modeled after the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency or DARPA. The mission of ARPA-H is to translate fundamental biomedical research into breakthrough, platform technologies that will change health care as we know it.
ARPA-H will focus on the highest-risk, highest-reward issues in disease research. It will attempt to solve the problems that the private and public sectors have not been able to conquer.
The expectations we have for this agency are justifiably high. Our hope is that within five years of operation, ARPA-H will have led to the development of cutting-edge treatments and cures for cancer, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and mental health conditions. In order to be truly successful, we must ensure that all Americans have access to these innovations. Equity and promoting the health of all Americans must also be part of ARPA-H’s mission.
The Fiscal Year 2022 omnibus appropriations law provided the Department of Health and Human Services with $1 billion to get ARPA-H off the ground. We must now provide the necessary and appropriate authorities to make ARPA-H successful, to clarify its mission and its organizational structure, and to ensure that the work at ARPA-H is not duplicative or redundant. H.R. 5585 does just that.
ARPA-H will be led by a Director and cadre of program managers with the autonomy and authority to develop high-risk high reward portfolios. This will be coupled with the appropriate contracting, hiring, and procurement authorities that will pull from the best minds and resources in the biomedical research ecosystem.
This legislation authorizes $500 million annually for five fiscal years. ARPA-H projects will be time and milestone limited, ensuring that each project delivers real and measurable results. The ARPA-H Act also includes reporting requirements to ensure proper compliance and avoid redundancy. The Director will be required to submit reports on the actions, results, and forthcoming strategic plans of ARPA-H to Congress so that we can confirm that the agency is meeting our intent.
Last month, the Energy and Commerce Committee advanced H.R. 5585 by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 55-3. This was a tremendous achievement and demonstrates Congress’ ability to come together and find solutions that will improve the health of all Americans.
I would like to thank Health Subcommittee Chairwoman Eshoo who is the author of this legislation, along with Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Guthrie, full Committee Ranking Member Rodgers, and Representatives DeGette and Upton, for their work on this important bill.
I strongly urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5585
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