From the time that I was first elected to Congress, improving access to health care and the quality of health care has been one of my top priorities. For this reason, I sought a seat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee, which has wide-ranging jurisdiction over federal health programs and agencies, such as Medicare, Medicaid, community health programs, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). I am now a senior member of the Subcommittee.

BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH

I am a strong supporter of biomedical research. Investments in biomedical research provide huge dividends in enhanced quality of life and in long-term savings in health care costs as we find ways to prevent and cure such devastating diseases as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cancer, and heart disease.

I am pleased to report that the House-passed budget resolution for fiscal year 2003, which I strongly supported, incorporates President Bush’s request for $27.3 billion for the NIH, fulfilling the promise the House Republican Leadership made four years ago and the President embraced to double the NIH’s budget by fiscal year 2003.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Treatment. After meeting and getting to know a Kalamazoo family whose son is fighting a courageous battle with this progressive debilitating disease, I worked hard on improving funding for and coordination of research into the causes and ways to treat this disease. The Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Childhood Assistance, Research, and Education Amendment of 2001, which was developed by my colleagues and I on the Health Subcommittee, was signed into law by President Bush on 12/18/2002.

PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY

Bioterrorism and Disaster Preparedness. The horrific events of September 11^th and the subsequent incidences and deaths from exposure to anthrax-contaminated letters brought home to all of us the need to strengthen our public health infrastructure. On May 22, 2002, the House voted 425-1 to give final approval to and send to the President’s desk the landmark Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act (H.R. 3448), legislation that my colleagues and I on the Health Subcommittee initially wrote. This legislation gives states, local communities, and our local hospitals, public health departments, and clinics the tools and funding they need to prepare for and respond to potential terrorist attacks, catastrophic accidents, and natural disasters and to secure the safety of our food, drugs, and drinking water. To obtain a summary or copy of this bill, click on to www.house.gov.

Date Rape Drug Prevention. Following the death of a Michigan teenager who unknowingly drank a soda laced with GHB, a powerful sedative which was increasingly being misused as a date-rape drug, I held an Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing to learn more about the breadth of this problem and how it could best be confronted. Based on the information gained at the hearing, I introduced H.R. 2130, legislation putting GHB in the most highly-controlled and regulated category of drugs. House of Representatives approved this legislation on October 12, 1999, on a vote of 423-1. It was unanimously approved by the Senate and became P.L. 106-172.

Poison Control Centers. With poison control centers closing in large numbers across the country because of economic pressures on the hospitals that usually run these centers as a public service, I introduced H.R. 1221, the Poison Control Center Enhancement and Awareness Act of 1999. This legislation, which garnered 135 cosponsors, was included in a broader children’s health bill and ultimately became P.L. 106-174 on February 25, 2000.

West Nile Virus Prevention. With 504 confirmed cases and 41 deaths, Michigan is second only to Illinois in the number of West Nile Virus infections and deaths in the U.S. To address this rapidly spreading disease, my colleagues and I on the Health Subcommittee developed the Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health Act (H.R. 4793), legislation authorizing grants to states and local governments for planning and developing comprehensive mosquito control programs. This legislation was approved by the House of Representatives on 10/1/2002.

Drug Free Communities. The Drug Free Communities Act (H.R. 2291) establishes programs to support and encourage local communities to continue their anti-drug efforts. It authorizes funds to allow programs with successful anti-drug track records to assist other communities in their efforts. This Act was signed into law by President Bush on 12/14/2001.

ACCESS TO CARE

Patients' Bill of Rights. I believe strongly that we need to take steps to ensure that the patient-health professional relationship is at the center of our health care system—that health professionals are making health care decisions with their patients, not insurance plan administrators focused more on the bottom line than what is best for the patient. As a senior member of the Health Subcommittee, I have actively participated in the development of patients’ bill of rights proposals. On August 2, 2001, I voted for an amended version of H.R. 2563, the Bipartisan Patients Protection Act, which passed the House by a vote of 226-203.

Preventive Health. I am a strong believer that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." As a senior member of the Health Subcommittee, I have worked hard and successfully with my colleagues to initiate or expand Medicare coverage for services such as mammography, colorectal screening, immunizations, prostate cancer screening, nutrition education, diabetes education and testing supplies, bone density screening, Pap smears and pelvic exams, glaucoma screening, and immunosuppressive drugs needed by those with kidney and heart transplants. These services were added under the Medicare provisions of the 1997 Balanced Budget Act and the Benefits Improvement Act of 2000.

Children’s Health Care Coverage. As a senior member of the Health Subcommittee, I helped to develop the State Children’s Health Insurance Program as part of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. These important provisions provide grants to the states to implement programs to ensure children in working families who do not have health insurance. Michigan’s program is MICHILD. For further information about MICHILD, please go to www.michigan.gov.

Rural Health. As a member of the House Rural Health Care Coalition and a senior member of the Health Subcommittee, I have worked hard to preserve and enhance health care in rural Michigan and across the nation. Each major Medicare bill approved by Congress from 1987 onward has included provisions to adjust the Medicare and Medicaid programs to reflect the unique problems facing rural hospitals and clinics.

Health Care for the Uninsured. Nearly 40 million Americans lack health insurance coverage, and most are small business employees or the spouses and dependents of small business employees. I am cosponsoring H.R. 1774, the Small Business Health Fairness Act, to enable small businesses to form state-wide, regional, or national association health plans to give small businesses the same market clout that large employers have in the purchase of health care for their employees. I am also a strong supporter of making health insurance 100 percent deductible for the self-employed.

Nursing Shortage. Nurses are the key to quality health care. To address the increasingly critical shortage of nurses in Michigan and nationwide, my colleagues and I on the Health Subcommittee developed the Nurse Reinvestment Act (H.R. 3487). This legislation will help address the looming nursing crisis by focusing resources in two major areas: recruitment and retention. The law provides scholarships and loan repayments for nurses who agree to practice in areas and facilities with shortages and promotes collaboration between hospitals and nursing schools to improve programs that encourage nurses to remain in the profession. The bill was signed into law by President Bush on 8/1/2002.

Health Care for the Uninsured and Underserved. Over 41 million Americans have no health insurance, and many rural and inner-city areas lack sufficient numbers of doctors and other health professionals to provide care for everybody. To respond to these problems, my colleagues and I developed and shepherded through Congress the Health Care Safety Net Amendments of 2002. This legislation reauthorizes, strengthens, and improves two vital safety net programs-Community Health Centers and the National Health Service Corps. The Community Health Center program alone has provided care to more than 11 million uninsured and under-insured Americans. The National Health Service Corps program encourages health care professionals to practice in under-served communities. Together, these programs provide many Americans with access to critical health care services that they may not have the ability to obtain through other means.

Safer Prescription Drugs for Children. My colleagues and I on the Health Subcommittee developed the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act (H.R. 2887) to renew a provision in Food and Drug Administration law that provides drug manufacturers a strong incentive to conduct specialized clinical trials for children. Prior to this law, many drugs were given to children without solid information on proper dosing regimens. With this law, many doctors are now better armed with the information they need to correctly prescribe medicine to children. The bill was signed into law by President Bush on 1/4/2002.

Access to Medical Technology. Speeding the availability of breakthrough medical devices will improve access to care and quality of care in our nation and maintain our status as the world leader in medical technology. To accomplish this, my colleagues and I on the Health Subcommittee developed and shepherded into law the Medical Device User Fee and Modernization Act (H.R. 3580). This legislation will provide the FDA with the resources it needs to review new medical device approval applications in a timely fashion, streamline regulations and increase inspections, and ensure that devices which are reprocessed are safe and effective. The bill was signed into law by President Bush on 10/26/2002.

Drugs and Devices for the Treatment of Rare Diseases. To provide incentives for researchers to develop drugs and devices to treat "orphan" disease, we enacted the Rare Disease Orphan Product Development Act of 2002 (H.R. 4014). This bill was signed into law by President Bush on 11/6/2002.