Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 105 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 105 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 143 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, JULY 8, 1997 No. 95 House of Representatives The House met at 12:30 p.m. and was the bill (H.R. 2015) ``An Act to provide Law 99±93, as amended by Public Law called to order by the Speaker pro tem- for reconciliation pursuant to sub- 99±151, the Chair, on behalf of the Vice pore [Mr. PETRI]. sections (b)(1) and (c) of section 105 of President, appoints the Senator from f the concurrent resolution on the budg- California [Mrs. FEINSTEIN], as a mem- et for fiscal year 1998,'' requests a con- ber of the United States Senate Caucus DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO ference with the House on the disagree- on International Narcotics Control. TEMPORE ing votes of the two Houses thereon, The message also announced that The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- and appoints from the Committee on pursuant to Public Law 101±509, the fore the House the following commu- the Budget: Mr. DOMENICI, Mr. GRASS- Chair announces, on behalf of the Sec- nication from the Speaker: LEY, Mr. NICKLES, Mr. GRAMM, Mr. LAU- retary of the Senate, his appointment WASHINGTON, DC, TENBERG, Mr. CONRAD, and Mrs. BOXER; of James F. Blumstein, of Tennessee, July 8, 1997. the Committee on Agriculture, Nutri- to the Advisory Committee on the I hereby designate the Honorable THOMAS tion, and Forestry: Mr. LUGAR, Mr. Records of Congress. E. PETRI to act as Speaker pro tempore on HELMS, and Mr. HARKIN; the Committee The message also announced that this day. on Banking, Housing, and Urban Af- pursuant to Public Law 104±293, the NEWT GINGRICH, Speaker of the House of Representatives. fairs: Mr. D'AMATO, Mr. SHELBY, and Chair, on behalf of the Democratic f Mr. SARBANES; the Committee on Com- Leader, appoints J. James Exon of Ne- merce, Science, and Transportation: braska, as a member of the Commis- MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE Mr. MCCAIN, Mr. STEVENS, and Mr. sion to Assess the Organization of the A message from the Senate by Mr. HOLLINGS; the Committee on Energy Federal Government to Combat the Lundregan, one of its clerks announced and Natural Resources: Mr. MURKOW- Proliferation of Weapons of Mass De- that the Senate had passed with SKI, Mr. CRAIG, and Mr. BUMPERS; the struction. amendments in which the concurrence Committee on Finance: Mr. ROTH, Mr. f of the House is requested, bills of the LOTT, and Mr. MOYNIHAN; the Commit- House of the following titles: tee on Governmental Affairs: Mr. MORNING HOUR DEBATES H.R. 2014. An act to provide for reconcili- THOMPSON, Ms. COLLINS, and Mr. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- ation pursuant to subsections (b)(2) and (d) GLENN; the Committee on Labor and ant to the order of the House of Janu- of section 105 of the concurrent resolution on Human Resources: Mr. JEFFORDS, Mr. ary 21, 1997, the Chair will now recog- the budget for fiscal year 1998; and COATS, and Mr. KENNEDY; and the Com- nize Members from lists submitted by H.R. 2015. An act to provide for reconcili- mittee on Veterans' Affairs: Mr. SPEC- ation pursuant to subsections (b)(1) and (c) of the majority and minority leaders for TER, Mr. THURMOND, and Mr. ROCKE- morning hour debates. The Chair will section 105 of the concurrent resolution on FELLER, to be the conferees on the part the budget for fiscal year 1998. alternate recognition between the par- of the Senate. ties, with each party limited to not to The message also announced that the The message also announced that the exceed 30 minutes, and each Member Senate insists upon its amendment to Senate had passed a bill of the follow- except the majority and minority lead- the bill (H.R. 2014) ``An Act to provide ing title, in which the concurrence of er limited to not to exceed 5 minutes. for reconciliation pursuant to sub- the House is requested: The Chair recognizes the gentleman sections (b)(2) and (d) of section 105 of S. 417. An act to extend energy conserva- from Florida [Mr. STEARNS] for 5 min- the concurrent resolution on the budg- tion programs under the Energy Policy and et for fiscal year 1998,'' requests a con- Conservation Act through September 30, utes. ference with the House on the disagree- 2002. f ing votes of the two Houses thereon, The message also announced that and appoints from the Committee on pursuant to the provisions of Public FDA AND EPA SHOULD POSTPONE Finance: Mr. ROTH, Mr. LOTT, and Mr. Law 99±93, as amended by Public Law ACTION AFFECTING ASTHMA PA- MOYNIHAN; and the Committee on the 99±151, the Chair, on behalf of the Vice TIENTS Budget: Mr. DOMENICI, Mr. GRASSLEY, President, appoints the Senator from Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise Mr. NICKLES, Mr. LAUTENBERG, and Mr. Alabama [Mr. SESSIONS], as a member today to bring our colleagues' atten- CONRAD, to be the conferees on the part of the United States Senate Caucus on tion to the FDA's proposed policy that of the Senate. International Narcotics Control. would deny asthma patients the medi- The message also announced that the The message also announced that cines they need to help them breathe. I Senate insists upon its amendment to pursuant to the provisions of Public and the gentleman from New Jersey 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. H4839 H4840 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE July 8, 1997 [Mr. SMITH] expect to propose a resolu- asthmatic patient with a daughter and 3 When Walter Cronkite stepped down tion urging the FDA and the EPA to grandchildren who are also asthmatic, I pro- from anchoring, Charles Kuralt had the postpone action on this matter. test your proposal vehemently. The CFC and opportunity to take the helm but he Mr. Speaker, 30 million people in the the metered dose inhalers have minimal im- pact on the environment, and any one of my turned it down so he could continue to United States today rely on these family could suffer or die because of your see America his way, traveling the for- medications and as each of us know, phasing out the proposal. You will be respon- gotten State highways in his rambling some better than others, these people sible. RV, stopping in the small country use a product called a metered dose in- Another man from Ocala, FL, writes, stores to ``sit a spell.'' haler, which I will refer to as MDI, to In September 1993, I was discharged from deliver the medications they need into He gave a voice to every American. the hospital under the care of a hospice. I Interviewing the North Carolina their lungs. Over the past 25 years, we had been confined for almost a month with have developed many new treatments viral pneumonia and was being treated with woman who at 104 years old visited for people with asthma, chronic pul- a wide range of medications, including 16 li- nursing homes each week to sing and monary disease, and other airway dis- ters a minute of oxygen. The pulmonary spe- to bring a smile to tired faces. Or the eases that prevent people from breath- cialist who had attended me had given up story of the poor southern family that hope and estimated that I could live for per- ing. In fact, there are now 70 different worked to send all nine kids to college. haps 2 weeks. Needless to say, they were products available in metered dose in- wrong and I survived but my lungs are se- Charles Kuralt believed these families halers. For people who cannot breathe, verely damaged. I have been using three dif- and their stories were not only ``small these products are lifesavers and allow ferent MDI medications ever since my `re- town'' America, they were the very es- people to lead normal lives. covery' and would not survive without them. sence of America. We understand our- On March 6, 1997, the Food and Drug Great strides have been made in elimination selves and each other better because of Administration surprisingly issued an of these products in refrigeration systems the work he did among us. advance notice of proposed rulemaking and in various aerosol sprays but MDI prod- ucts must be viewed in a totally different An ambassador for North Carolina that sets in motion a process to take way. They are essential to the health of who made us proud, Charles Kuralt is these medications away from patients. many persons as opposed to the other prod- being honored at this moment at a me- According to the FDA, this proposed ucts which were used for comfort or conven- morial service at his alma mater, the rule was developed in collaboration ience. Moreover, reasonable substitutes have with the Environmental Protection been found for nonmedical products. This is University of North Carolina at Chapel Agency because of EPA's desire to not the case for MDI's. Potential substitutes Hill. He was a North Carolinian who eliminate all uses of chlorofluoro- must be subjected to the usual comprehen- set out to understand America and sive scrutiny that the FDA applies to all carbons. These are what are called today, after an incredible journey, he medications. I cannot believe that the tiny will come back home to rest beneath CFC's, which I will refer to them as.