Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 109 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION
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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 109 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 151 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2005 No. 142 House of Representatives The House met at 12:30 p.m. and was ticularly virulent, with a 50 percent as eight other common childhood vac- called to order by the Speaker pro tem- mortality rate once contracted. To cinations such as measles, mumps, pore (Mr. PORTER). date, 110 people have been infected, and diphtheria and meningitis. Lawsuits f 60 deaths have been attributed to this make production unprofitable and flu. The virus has been tracked from risky, pushing producers away from DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO Mongolia and Siberia, through the vaccines and towards the more lucra- TEMPORE Ukraine and Croatia to Turkey. Avian tive industry of antiviral medications. The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- flu has spread to 16 countries. There is This raises concern among health ex- fore the House the following commu- not yet an avian pandemic in the perts about resurgence of formerly nication from the Speaker: United States, but as we live in an eradicated diseases if vaccine shortages WASHINGTON, DC, ever-shrinking world with all our trav- continue. Congress should consider of- November 1, 2005. el, we must be prepared for its unwel- fering companies incentives to enter I hereby appoint the Honorable JON C. POR- come arrival. the vaccine industry and, of course, TER to act as Speaker pro tempore on this In this week’s edition of Newsweek, limiting the liability burden. These day. Dr. Margaret Chan, head of prepared- were included in President Bush’s J. DENNIS HASTERT, ness for the World Health Organiza- avian flu strategy this morning. The Speaker of the House of Representatives. tion, states, ‘‘Key factors to combating President has asked Congress to re- f a global pandemic are early detection, move the litigation burden on vaccine quarantines, availability of vaccines manufacturers and fund development MORNING HOUR DEBATES and antiviral drugs, and the state of of new cell culture techniques. These The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- hospital readiness to treat those in- techniques reduce the time lag between ant to the order of the House of Janu- fected.’’ identification of a new pandemic ary 4, 2005, the Chair will now recog- I would like to focus on one of these threat and development of a vaccine. nize Members from lists submitted by key factors in particular, the avail- Avian flu is the current threat to our the majority and minority leaders for ability of this medication. On May 4 of Nation’s health, but we can be assured morning hour debates. The Chair will this year in the Oversight and Inves- it will not be the last. Therefore, in- alternate recognition between the par- tigation Subcommittee where I serve, creasing our vaccine capacity is nec- ties, with each party limited to not to hearings were held on the current state essary to our national security. exceed 30 minutes, and each Member, of preparedness for the upcoming flu There are two antiviral medications except the majority leader, the minor- season. In those hearings, health offi- available that are believed to treat ity leader, or the minority whip, lim- cials testified that manufacturing of avian flu, Tamiflu and Relenex. ited to not to exceed 5 minutes. flu vaccines is an annual process begin- Tamiflu is the more widely rec- The Chair recognizes the gentleman ning in February with the World ommended medication, and our govern- from Florida (Mr. STEARNS) for 5 min- Health Organization and the Centers ment is currently building stockpiles utes. for Disease Control publishing their of this medication in anticipation of f predictions of flu strains that are most possible outbreaks in this country. likely to spread that winter. Manufac- However, there is a danger of many in- AVIAN FLU: PROTECT AMERICANS turing vaccines is a lengthy and com- dividuals building personal Tamiflu Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, the plex process that leaves little margin stockpiles. The Washington Post re- prospect of an avian flu pandemic has for error. The possibility of contamina- ported that 1.7 million prescriptions for mobilized government officials and tion of these biologically grown vac- Tamiflu were filled in the United health care professionals across the cines is great, and, as we saw with the States in just the first 8 months of 2005, United States. Every year there is a vaccine producer Chiron in 2003, could which is three times more than last new outbreak of flu strains, with po- potentially render entire productions year. Personal stockpiles pose a two- tentially serious consequences for the worthless. Fear of liability compounds fold risk. The first is that private con- elderly, children and people with com- the short supply of vaccines. In the sumers reduce the already limited sup- promised immune systems. In his ad- 1960s, the U.S. had more than 26 vac- ply of the drug, causing the govern- dress this morning, President Bush ac- cine producers in this country. Today ment to have to compete to fulfill its curately differentiated between tradi- only five companies remain. Currently, supply goals, and cause a shortage of tional flu viruses and the avian flu. we rely upon one vaccine producer to supply for public health care providers. This specific flu strain, H5N1, is par- make the annual flu cocktails as well The second threat is from individuals b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H9437 . VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:01 Nov 02, 2005 Jkt 049060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A01NO7.000 H01NOPT1 H9438 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2005 incorrectly self-medicating that can America was founded on the idea preme Court to the Constitution itself. lead to development of a resistant viral that everyone who works hard can ob- We want a Supreme Court which will strain, limiting the medication’s effec- tain the American dream. Over the do justice under the Constitution and tiveness. past 5 years, this Congress has aban- not over it.’’ The 2006 agriculture appropriations doned those ideals and intensified pov- The preceding words were a quote conference report includes the appro- erty. We can do better to help Amer- from President Franklin D. Roosevelt priation of $28 million to control and ican families. It is unconscionable that in 1937. He reformed the Court by ap- manage avian flu. We have the ability every day we are here, we are working pointing eight out of nine justices. and obligation to do more. President to see how we can give a bigger tax cut Today, the Supreme Court must have Bush this morning announced his for the wealthy and how we can take it at least one more judge who can read three-part avian flu strategy to the away from the poor. It does not just af- the Constitution without visual hallu- public, requesting congressional sup- fect the poor, it affects all of us. Until cinations. It sounds like Judge Alito is port. This plan incorporates the rec- we are fair about distribution of some such a judge. Without five constitu- ommendations of the World Health Or- wealth, we will never have fairness re- tionally literate justices, the Supreme ganization by monitoring and rapid re- turned. We have got to invest to solve Court’s traditional pronouncement as sponse to outbreaks, increasing avail- these problems. That does not mean it enters the courtroom should be ability of vaccines and antiviral medi- throwing money at the problem but it changed to that of a confused bailiff in cation, and creating effective pandemic does mean paying people a living wage east Texas while flustered who once an- emergency plans in cooperation with to live on. When we hear about South- nounced a judge’s entrance by pro- State and local authorities. I believe western Bell, AT&T, TXU laying off claiming: ‘‘God save us from this hon- these recommendations are a good 1,200, 1,400, 1,500 people, it impacts orable court.’’ start and look forward to reviewing those families. Children have to drop f them in further detail. out of college or out of school. Fami- GOOD ECONOMIC NEWS We must not panic. We must be pre- lies’ houses go up in foreclosure. These pared. are law-abiding, working Americans. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- f Do we care? Our record does not show ant to the order of the House of Janu- ary 4, 2005, the gentleman from Georgia NATIONAL HUNGER AND POVERTY that we care. We simply must address this issue. (Mr. PRICE) is recognized during morn- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- I hear all the statistics about the ing hour debates for 5 minutes. ant to the order of the House of Janu- jobs created. Maybe it is like in New Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, ary 4, 2005, the gentlewoman from Orleans where every job created is there has been a whirlwind of news Texas (Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON) is going to an illegal alien. That simply is lately, from Supreme Court nominees recognized during morning hour de- not fair to the American people and to hurricanes and natural disasters and bates for 5 minutes. most especially it is not fair to people the cost of gasoline. If you were to lis- Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of who were in New Orleans who called it ten to many folks in this Chamber, you Texas.