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July 17, 2006 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS, Vol. 152, Pt. 11 14613 clearly the preferred alternative. Commercial THANK YOU, HECTOR BARRETO, time high. All this was accomplished while health plans have long recognized the clinical FOR A JOB WELL DONE transforming the SBA into an agency to meet value and cost-effectiveness of home infusion the challenges of the 21st century. Change is therapy, and full and proper coverage of home HON. DONALD A. MANZULLO hard but Mr. Barreto made the courageous de- infusion therapy is commonplace among these OF ILLINOIS cision to have the SBA operate more like the payers. Medicare stands virtually alone in its IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES private sector than a bureaucracy. Doing more with less should be praised. not condemned, antiquated coverage policies that discourage Monday, July 17, 2006 particularly in this tough budget environment. the use of a therapy that in actuality should be Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, last Monday Then, Hurricanes Katrina, Rita. and Wilma promoted for its cost savings, safety, clinical was the last day in office for Hector Barreto, violently struck the gulf coast last year. It was effectiveness, and convenience. At a time the second-longest serving SBA Administrator as if a swath of complete devastation 100 when there is a growing awareness of the in its 53-year history. Last week, there was a miles wide ripped through our country from need to prevent or limit inpatient hospital stays reception in honor of former Administrator Boston to Chicago. Again. Administrator for our Nation’s elderly, we believe this legisla- Barreto with a broad spectrum of the small Barreto and his team in the Office of Disaster tion is extremely timely. business community in Washington in attend- Assistance came through despite enormous ance. This reflected well upon Mr. Barreto and obstacles placed in their path, including not Our bill is very simple in its approach. Cur- his leadership style to bring people together of being able to really get to the areas of deep- rently, whatever coverage exists for home in- diverse interests and backgrounds. est destruction until well after a month after fusion therapy is divided between part B and I don’t know how Mr. Barreto put up with Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans. The part D. Part B coverage is based on the dura- being in Washington for these past 5 years. SBA and Administrator Barreto in particular ble medical equipment benefit, because an I’m proud to be associated with Mr. Barreto took many below-the-belt political potshots item of DME—the infusion pump—is some- and where he has taken the SBA to serve along the way. I know when a person’s integ- times needed to administer home infusion more small businesses than ever before in the rity has been unfairly questioned, and I had to therapy. That coverage, however, is limited to history of the agency. I’m also proud to say stand up to defend a decent and honorable about 23 drugs. Part D, the outpatient pre- that Mr. Barreto and I have similar back- man. I was proud to stand with Mr. Barreto grounds, growing up in the family restaurant scription drug benefit, covers more infusion last December in the press conference to put business in the Midwest. drugs than part B, but does not cover the some context and additional facts into a very It’s amazing to see what has happened dur- complicated situation. services, supplies and equipment necessary to ing the tenure of Mr. Barreto as Administrator Just as a side note, it is very interesting to safely and appropriately administer these of the SBA. Mr. Barreto was confirmed by the me that the media is not reporting that the therapies in the home. As a result, both part Senate and then sworn into office on July 25, SBA thus far has approved a record amount B and part D coverage of home infusion are 2001. Several weeks later, our Nation was hit of over $10 billion in disaster loans to more very limited. Under part B, Medicare bene- by the awful terrorist attacks on September than 152,000 Gulf States residents, rep- ficiaries do not have access to many of the 11. More Americans were killed in 9/11 than at resenting an accomplishment 21⁄2 times great- most common infusion drugs covered by com- Pearl Harbor. Mr. Barreto was just getting er than the Nation’s previous largest dis- mercial health plans. Under part D, many used to his new job responsibilities and this aster—and all done at a faster pace. That is beneficiaries have to pay for the infusion serv- terrible tragedy struck America. Administrator something to be proud of. Barreto rose up to the challenge by extending ices, supplies, and equipment with out-of- Mr. Speaker, I want to take this brief oppor- Economic Injury Disaster loans to small busi- pocket funds. The clear result is that access to tunity to once again thank Mr. Barreto for his nesses all across America regardless of their leadership; for his friendship; and for his serv- home infusion therapy, despite its potential for proximity to the locations of the actual terrorist ice to our country. Our Nation’s small business cost savings and good clinical outcomes, is attacks. The terrorists sought to devastate our community is better for Mr. Barreto’s tenure as needlessly limited. economy by tearing down the World Trade the second longest serving SBA Administrator Our bill would consolidate coverage for Center and disrupting air travel but they did in history. The new SBA Administrator, Steve home infusion therapy under part B, so that not count on the resiliency of the small busi- Preston, has some fairly big shoes to fill. coverage would be centered in one benefit ness sector and the American people. More Freda and I wish Hector Barreto and his and coverage would be designed to appro- than 10,000 small businesses across the Na- family all the best in his new endeavor as the tion employing 166,000 workers were helped priately and accurately reflect what is involved new national chairman of the Latino Coalition. with over $1 billion in 9/11 SBA disaster loans. in the safe and effective provision of home in- I am confident that Mr. Barreto will never for- If that wasn’t enough, Mr. Barreto achieved get his small business roots. fusion therapy. The Secretary of HHS would great results in other programs of the SBA. f apply quality standards that are consistent Between 2000 and 2005, the SBA more than with prevailing community standard of care doubled the number of loans made through its PAYING TRIBUTE TO KATHY commonly utilized by commercial health plans. main business loan guarantee programs. The AUGUSTINE Both beneficiaries and the Medicare program dollar volume also dramatically increased—in itself would reap the benefits of broader ac- 7(a) by nearly 40 percent and in the 504 pro- HON. JON C. PORTER cess to these important medical treatments in gram by threefold. And after a series of pro- OF the home. grammatic shut-downs and curtailments, I IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES joined with Mr. Barreto in making the historic I introduced a similar bill in 2001 that would decision in late 2004 to finally get the 7(a) pro- Monday, July 17, 2006 have established a home infusion therapy gram off the rollercoaster of the appropriations Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to benefit under part B. Since then Congress en- process and have it funded entirely through honor the life of Kathy Augustine, a dedicated acted the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 user fees just like the 504 and the SBIC pro- Nevada leader, who passed away on Tues- which created the part D prescription drug gram. Now, the 7(a) program is going like day, July 11, 2006. benefit. While I appreciate the efforts to broad- gangbusters, serving record numbers ,of small Kathy was a devoted and passionate public en coverage of the drug portion of home infu- businesses throughout all demographic servant, having served in the Nevada State sion therapy, the problems I have described groups, as compared to when it was receiving Assembly from 1993 to 1995, and also in the still persist because CMS believes it does not a loan subsidy. State Senate from 1995 to 1999, where she have the authority to cover anything beyond There has also been a steady increase in chaired the Legislative Affairs and Operations the drugs. Thus, effective coverage of home the number of individuals receiving technical Committee and was Vice Chairman of Tax- assistance, education, and counseling through ation and the Human Resources and Facilities infusion therapy has remained elusive. We the SBA and its resource partners. Also, as a Committees. In 1999, Kathy became the first can fix this now. result of active engagement between the SBA woman to be elected as Nevada State Con- Along with my colleagues, I urge early con- and Federal agencies, Federal procurement troller. To add to her impressive re´sume´, sideration of this long-overdue bill. dollars going to small businesses are at an all- Kathy was also a Trustee for the Center for

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Expansion and Advanced Technology Com- JULY 19 SR–253 mittee. 9 a.m. 2 p.m. Kathy’s work on behalf of her constituents Environment and Public Works Judiciary earned her a number of honors throughout her To hold hearings to examine the science Business meeting to consider pending years of public service. She was a recipient of and risk assessment behind the Envi- calendar business. the American Legion Achievement Medallion, ronmental Protection Agency’s pro- SD–226 the Community Partners Family Resource posed revisions to the particulate mat- 2:15 p.m. Center 1998 Community Service Award of Ex- ter air quality standards. Judiciary cellence, the 1998 National Republican Legis- SD–628 To hold hearings to examine judicial 9:30 a.m. nominations. lators Association, Legislator of the Year, Ne- Judiciary vada Opera Theatre’s International Friendship SD–226 To hold hearings to examine antitrust 2:30 p.m. Award (2003), and the Augustus Society’s concerns relating to credit card inter- Foreign Relations change rates. Italian American of the Year (2003). To hold hearings to examine Extradition In addition to her vast public service career, SD–226 10 a.m. Treaty Between the of Kathy also had an impressive array of aca- America and the United Kingdom of demic achievements. She earned a Bachelor’s Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Business meeting to consider the nomi- Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Degree in Political Science from Occidental nations of Frederic S. Mishkin, of New and related exchanges of letters, signed College in , and a Master’s in York, to be a Member of the Board of at Washington on March 31, 2003 (Trea- Public Administration from State Governors of the Federal Reserve Sys- ty Doc. 108–23). University, Long Beach. She served as a Del- tem, Linda Mysliwy Conlin, of New SD–419 egate to Russia and the Ukraine with the Jersey, to be First Vice President, Intelligence American Council of Young Political Leaders James Lambright, of Missouri, to be To receive a closed briefing regarding in- (ACYPL) in 1993 and was selected as an Ex- President, and J. Joseph Grandmaison, telligence matters. of New Hampshire, to be a Member of SH–219 ecutive Committee Member to the Biennial As- the Board of Directors, all of the Ex- sembly of the Atlantic Association of Young port-Import Bank of the United States, JULY 20 Political Leaders (AAYPL) in Paris, France in Geoffrey S. Bacino, of Illinois, to be a 9:30 a.m. 1995. She participated in the Council of State Director of the Federal Housing Fi- Armed Services nance Board, Edmund C. Moy, of Wis- Governments Henry Toll Fellowship Program To receive a closed briefing regarding and was also selected for the Flemming Fel- consin, to be Director of the Mint, De- partment of the Treasury; to be fol- overhead imagery systems. lows Leadership Institute’s Class of 1996. In S–407, Capitol 1999, she attended the Governors Center at lowed by a hearing to examine the semiannual Monetary Policy Report to Foreign Relations Duke University Strategic Leadership for State Congress. To hold hearings to examine U.S. policy Executives and, in 2000, graduated from the SD–106 options regarding North Korea. Greater Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce Commerce, Science, and Transportation SD–419 Leadership program. In 2001, she completed Business meeting to consider the nomi- Judiciary the Harvard University, John F. Kennedy nations of Mark V. Rosenker, of Mary- Business meeting to consider pending School of Government, Senior Executives in land, to be Chairman of the National calendar business. State and Local Government Program. Transportation Safety Board, R. Hun- SD–226 Mr. Speaker, I am saddened by the unex- ter Biden, of Delaware, and Donna R. 10 a.m. McLean, of the District of Columbia, Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry pected and sudden loss of such a young and each to be a Member of the Reform To hold hearings to examine USDA dairy ambitious woman. Kathy will be remembered Board (Amtrak), John H. Hill, of Indi- programs. for her dedication to the State of Nevada, to ana, to be Administrator of the Federal SR–328A her family, and to her friends. She will be Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Energy and Natural Resources deeply missed. Andrew B. Steinberg, of Maryland, to To hold hearings to examine the nomina- be an Assistant Secretary of Transpor- tions of John Ray Correll, of Indiana, f tation, routine lists in the Coast Guard to be Director of the Office of Surface and NOAA, and other pending calendar Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, SENATE COMMITTEE MEETINGS business. and Mark Myers, of Alaska, to be Di- Title IV of Senate Resolution 4, SR–253 rector of the United States Geological agreed to by the Senate on February 4, Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Survey, both of the Department of the Business meeting to consider proposed Interior, and Drue Pearce, of Alaska, 1977, calls for establishment of a sys- Pandemic and All-Hazards Prepared- to be Federal Coordinator for Alaska tem for a computerized schedule of all ness Act, S. 843, to amend the Public Natural Gas Transportation Projects, meetings and hearings of Senate com- Health Service Act to combat autism Federal Energy Regulatory Commis- mittees, subcommittees, joint commit- through research, screening, interven- tion and education, and the nomina- sion. tees, and committees of conference. SD–366 This title requires all such committees tions of Elizabeth Dougherty, of the District of Columbia, Peter W. Tredick, Small Business and Entrepreneurship to notify the Office of the Senate Daily Business meeting to mark up an original Digest—designated by the Rules Com- of California, and Harry R. Hoglander, of Massachusetts, each to be a Member bill to reauthorize the Small Business mittee—of the time, place, and purpose of the National Mediation Board. Administration. of the meetings, when scheduled, and SD–430 SR–428A any cancellations or changes in the Homeland Security and Governmental Af- Veterans’ Affairs meetings as they occur. fairs To hold hearings to examine ‘‘VA Data As an additional procedure along To hold hearings to examine Department Privacy Breach: Twenty-Six Million with the computerization of this infor- of Homeland Security purchase cards. People Deserve Assurance of Future mation, the Office of the Senate Daily SD–342 Security’’. SR–418 Digest will prepare this information for Energy and Natural Resources Public Lands and Forests Subcommittee Aging printing in the Extensions of Remarks To hold an oversight hearing on the im- To hold hearings to examine the generic section of the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD plementation of Public Law 108–148 The drug maze relating to access to afford- on Monday and Wednesday of each Healthy Forests Restoration Act. able, life saving drugs. week. SD–366 SD–106

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