Healthcare

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass H.R. 6099, the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act.

This much-needed legislation would require that women considering an abortion be informed of the pain their unborn child would feel during the procedure, and then offer those women still considering the procedure the option of giving the unborn child anesthesia.

Medical evidence suggests an unborn child can feel pain at 20 weeks, if not earlier.

As such, it is our responsibility as legislators to see women throughout America are informed of the intense pain experienced by their unborn child during an abortion and offer them an option to ease their child’s pain.

In the days following the 9/11 attacks, the Bush Administration, through the EPA, falsely assured us that the air in Manhattan was safe to breathe. This gave a green light to workers, residents, and students to return to potentially dangerous and unhealthful conditions, and provided thousands of first responders, volunteers with false confidence as they worked long hours on the pile, often without the proper protective equipment. The EPA betrayed its mandate to protect public health and the environment, and now we have to deal with the consequences.

There is still much we don't know about the short- and long-term health effects of the dust, debris, and fumes that were released when the World Trade Center was destroyed. But we do know that tens of thousands of people are now or will be sick, and every day more people develop symptoms. Those most affected by the terrorist attacks deserve answers, deserve a proper clean-up, and most importantly, deserve appropriate medical care.

The federal government has yet to come up with a plan to monitor and treat those who were affected on 9/11. That is why I have introduced H.R. 6046, The 9/11 Comprehensive Health Benefits Act. My bill provides people with illnesses related to 9/11 access to comprehensive health benefits under the Medicare program - a notion supported by the New York Times. It is a sensible, easy-to-access, and cost-effective way to provide medical treatment to affected individuals. Read more...

As we celebrate World AIDS Day on December 1, I call on all of my Senate colleagues to put aside controversy and pass the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act when the Senate reconvenes next week.

HIV/AIDS affects not just patients, but their families and communities. That's why I have fought in the Senate to fund programs that reduce new incidences of HIV infection and to increase funding for treatment and finding a cure.

This bill is an important step in the battle against HIV/AIDS. But it must not stop with this bill. I will continue the battle and stand sentry to fight and prevent HIV/AIDS in Maryland and around the world. We must be ready to respond and support our families and communities suffering from HIV/AIDS.

A continuing resolution seems inevitable at this point, despite the hard work of the Appropriations Committee and the desires of many Members from both sides of the aisle to move more of the funding bills in the waning days of the session.   But there are some real concerns with the delay in passing FY07 appropriations bills, especially in regard to veterans’ health care funding.

Both the House and Senate-passed versions of the VA appropriations bill contain solid health care increases above the FY 2006 funding level.  Although not up to the level proposed by the Independent Budget, H.R. 5385 would provide VA with vital funding that is necessary to meet the health care needs of our veterans. So I’m concerned that if this session of Congress ends without an FY2007 bill and the VA is funded at the same level as FY 2006, we will see many of the same problems we faced last year, such as health care rationing and transferring dollars from much-needed equipment and maintenance accounts in order to attempt to cover health needs.

The Appropriations Committee did great work to move a VA funding bill forward and the House passed it back in May.  Unfortunately, Congress has not yet sent anything to the President.   It is my hope that we will be able to pass a FY2007 bill as soon as possible to make sure that veterans’ health care is funded at the level that veterans need in the year ahead.  Unfortunately, even the short delay between a CR and a final bill may create budgetary problems throughout the VA.

Around 40 million people in the world are living with HIV/AIDS, and millions more are infected each year.  Though we have taken steps to combat the disease, the global epidemic must be fought on a number of fronts with every nation as a partner.  Education and prevention campaigns, promotion of testing, and consistent treatment are critical to fighting HIV/AIDS.  Only with the help every nation, local organizations, and communities can we fight this growing epidemic and ensure that people living with HIV/AIDS, in America and abroad, have access to quality care and life-saving treatments.

I hope that World AIDS Day, December 1, 2006, will serve as a reminder to people across the globe of the importance of getting tested for HIV and knowing one’s status.  Making an HIV test part of a routine physical exam is an important step toward improving treatment of HIV/AIDS patients and stopping the spread of the disease.  By identifying HIV-positive individuals sooner, doctors can provide patients with better access to life-saving and life-extending care.

For so long, we could only treat the symptoms of AIDS and provide comfort to the dying.  Today, we have the ability to fight back against HIV itself.  We have medicines that can effectively halt the evolution of HIV and help people live normal lives. Read more...

Today reminds us of the millions of lives already lost to HIV/AIDS. As a doctor I have seen this devastating disease firsthand and the suffering it causes. We must continue to search for a cure.

I also want today to remind my colleagues of the importance of reauthorizing the Ryan White Act. This bill funds programs that ensure HIV/AIDS patients get the care they need, even if they lack insurance or have exhausted their policies. I ask my colleagues from New York and New Jersey to stop blocking this crucial, lifesaving piece of legislation.

Today is National Methamphetamine Awareness Day and Rep. Boswell is a co-chair of the Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control Methamphetamine

Today, November 30 is National Methamphetamine Awareness Day. As co-chair of the Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control Methamphetamine, I am committed to eliminating the manufacturing and use of methamphetamine across our nation. With over 140 members, the Caucus has continually worked to educate our colleagues and eradicate this epidemic that faces our country.

In 2004, 73,000 drug-related emergency room visits involved methamphetamine affecting not only adults but also children. Methamphetamine does not discriminate about your sex, race, religion, educational background, where you live, or your economic status. It has a devastating impact on families and communities—ruining countless lives. We must ensure that federal, state and local law enforcement agencies have the resources they need to effectively fight meth.

We have made progress in this fight. But more needs to be done. In the 110th Congress, I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to educate and find new ways to treat and prevent the use and manufacturing of methamphetamines.

Today is National Methamphetamine Awareness Day and Rep. Cannon is a co-chair of the Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control Methamphetamine

I've seen the destruction meth leaves in its wake.  It's a problem that has reached every corner of our country.  As a nation, we need to be aware of just how dangerous this drug is and how to fight its spread.

The Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control Methamphetamine has pledged to combat this epidemic across the United States, and that's exactly what we are going to do.

Today is National Methamphetamine Awareness Day and Rep. Larsen is a co-chair of the Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine is a highly dangerous drug that is wreaking havoc on families and communities across our country. The popularity of meth is spreading. While domestic production has decreased, two-thirds of our nation's meth supply is coming from overseas.

This drug is more dangerous than any other drug on our streets today. It is a chemical cocktail that leaves behind a wake of destruction. It impacts every aspect of our communities - our neighborhoods, our businesses, the environment, and our children.

Without educating our kids and young adults about the dangers of meth use and adequately treating those who are addicted, we'll never abolish meth from our communities. Read more...

It's been more than five years since the attacks of 9/11 and since many of those exposed to the toxic air around Ground Zero began to suffer, but the federal government still has yet to develop a plan to deal with the health crisis or to dedicate serious and steady funding for medical monitoring and treatment. The fifth anniversary has passed and the cameras are pointed elsewhere, but that doesn't mean that the health effects are going away. Doctors have testified before us that this is not a problem that will only be around for a few years, it will be around for as much as a few decades, and the government needs to deal with it as such. Together with Rep. Vito Fossella (R-NY) and a bipartisan group of our colleagues, we have asked the president to include medical monitoring and treatment for the sick in his upcoming FY08 budget proposal. Our goal is to make sure that every one exposed to the toxins at Ground Zero is monitored and everyone who is sick is treated.