December 5, 2014

By Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) 

Florida — the Sunshine State — is one of America’s best destinations for tourists. Florida’s Twelfth Congressional District — which I have the distinct pleasure of representing — is no different. From the growing Sunwest Harbourtowne in Hudson and sponge diving in Tarpon Springs, to the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary in Palm Harbor and the famous BMX track in Oldsmar, my district and the Tampa Bay area at large boast significant tourism destinations.

Tourism and travel are vital to our economy, employing over 1 million Floridians. On Nov. 17, an editorial published in The Tampa Tribune underscored that fact (“Boosts from record tourism,” Our Views).

Visit Tampa Bay is the “promotion engine” to draw visitors to the Tampa Bay area. Visit Tampa Bay reports that “hotel revenues in Hillsborough County climbed to $524 million in fiscal year 2014, a 13 percent jump over the previous year.

Visit Florida, Florida’s version of Visit Tampa Bay, boasts similar successes. From January-July 2013 to January-July 2014, travel and tourism expenditures increased by over 7 percent, to the tune of $49.3 billion.

These programs are clearly working, on the state and local level.

I am the only Florida member of Congress on the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade, which oversees travel and tourism. I am in a unique position to boost travel and tourism to Florida. The national version of Visit Florida is the Corporation for Travel Promotion, better known as Brand USA.

Brand USA is a public-private partnership that serves as the nation’s first cooperative destination marketing organization. The organization is charged with growing America’s share of the global travel market. Through a combination of voluntary private sector contributions and a nominal fee on foreign visitors, Brand USA’s activities are aimed at influencing increased global visitation to and spending in the United States, without a cost to U.S. taxpayers. Additionally, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) expects this bill to cut the deficit by $264 million over 10 years.

Brand USA’s efforts were responsible for bringing over 1 million visitors to America last year – visitors who would not have traveled here without the marketing efforts of Brand USA. These tourists spent $3.4 billion.

The bottom line is that Brand USA works, just like Visit Tampa Bay and Visit Florida. That is why I introduced the Travel Promotion, Enhancement and Modernization Act. My legislation extends Brand USA through 2020, adding numerous accountability measures.

Florida heavily relies on tourism and travel, and the Sunshine State has much to offer visitors. Through public-private partnerships and international tourism, we can welcome visitors to our country and, more particularly, to our beautiful state. My legislation will help the U.S. economy flourish and will show the world why Florida is a special place to visit.

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, represents the 12th Congressional District, which includes all of Pasco County and northern parts of Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

To read the full article click here. 

###

WASHINGTON, DC – Bipartisan House Energy and Commerce Committee leaders today released a request for ideas and feedback from the public on graduate medical education financing. The leaders write, “Given the importance of graduate medical education, we would like your thoughts on GME financing, federal program governance and structure, and how it might be improved or restructured to better meet the country’s health professional needs in both the short and long terms.”

The letter was signed by Health Subcommittee Chairman Joe Pitts (R-PA), Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Rep. Gene Green (D-TX), Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), Republican Conference Chair Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT), Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA), and Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL).

Read the complete letter online here. 

###

WASHINGTON, DC – The House Energy and Commerce Committee today announced its hearing schedule for the week of December 8. As Congress prepares for the New Year, members will look into the fiscal challenges and opportunities for savings within the federal health care budget, discuss genetically modified food ingredients, and examine America’s changing energy market.

On Tuesday, the Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing to discuss fiscal priorities in federal health care spending as it prepares for the 114th Congress. Spending on Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act are key drivers of our nation’s fiscal challenges. Members will examine these challenges and discuss opportunities for savings within the federal health care budget. The Majority Memorandum, a witness list, and witness testimony will be available here as they are posted.

On Wednesday, the Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing to examine the Food and Drug Administration’s role in regulating genetically modified ingredients in our nation’s food supply. Members will hear from the FDA, outside experts, and interested stakeholders about the agency’s current review process for our food ingredients. The subcommittee will also discuss related bipartisan legislation, H.R. 4432, the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act. The Majority Memorandum, a witness list, and witness testimony will be available here as they are posted.

On Thursday, the Subcommittee on Energy and Power will hold a hearing to examine the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975. America’s energy position is much different today than it was in the 1970s when the Act was first written in response to the Arab oil embargo. America has emerged as one of the world’s greatest energy superpowers, but the right policies are needed in order for us to take full advantage of our resources. Subcommittee members will revisit and examine the current law to determine if it is still relevant in this era of abundance. The Majority Memorandum, a witness list, and witness testimony will be available here as they are posted.

Hearing Details:

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

10:30 AM2123 Rayburn HOBSubcommittee on HealthHearing on “Setting Fiscal Priorities”

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

10:15 AM2123 Rayburn HOBSubcommittee on HealthHearing on “Examining FDA’s Role in the Regulation of Genetically Modified Food Ingredients”

Thursday, December 11, 2014

10 AM2123 Rayburn HOBSubcommittee on Energy and PowerHearing on “The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975: Are We Positioning America for Success in an Era of Energy Abundance?”

###

Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) partnered with Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) in the spring of this year to launch the 21st Century Cures initiative, seeking to accelerate the pace of cures and treatments. The initiative’s first white paper explained, “Advances in science and technology, as well as personalized medicine, present us with an enormous opportunity, but it’s going to take time and collaboration.”

In an in-depth look at efforts to use scientific advances to unlock new cures, including a conversation with Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health, National Journal reports, “Most of the genome map’s potential hasn’t yet been tapped, but Collins says it has already helped scientists identify the underlying causes of about 5,000 of the 7,000 known diseases. In most cases, they’re still a long way from turning that knowledge into treatments or cures, but they’ve taken the first step.”

The committee has hosted hearings and roundtables in Washington, D.C. and across the country and is currently working to introduce a discussion draft in the New Year.

December 5, 2014

Cure Hunters

Francis Collins was fresh off one of the most important scientific advances of all time—decoding a rough draft of the entire human genome—when he first met 4-year-old Sam Berns.

Sam did not look like a typical preschooler. His hair was falling out. He wasn't gaining weight. He was beginning to look like an old man. But as the two played catch in Collins's backyard, "it was clear that this was a wonderfully precocious little boy," Collins says.

The symptoms had shown up in the first few months of Sam's life, when his growth essentially stopped and his bones began to deteriorate. His parents tried doctor after doctor, test after test. Finally, they hit on Sam's diagnosis: progeria, a disease so rare that few of his doctors had seen it outside of a textbook. It affects only one in every 4 million to 8 million children.

The diagnosis gave Sam's parents an answer but not much hope. There was no effective treatment for progeria, never mind a cure. No one knew what caused it. Hardly anyone had spent much time studying the disease. Those who had couldn't crack it. The only certainty was a grim prognosis: Children with progeria usually died around age 12 or 13, often from a stroke or heart disease.

Collins had done some research into progeria early in his career but had been frustrated by his inability to make much progress. "I thought to myself, 'Maybe someday, something will be learned about this' ... but I didn't know where to go with it," he recalls.

More than 15 years later, Collins met Sam's father, Scott Berns, at a cocktail party in Washington, where Berns had landed a prestigious White House fellowship. Berns was surprised that Collins had even heard of his son's disease. Berns and Collins started talking about what they could do to jump-start progeria research. A few months later, Sam's parents brought the boy along when they visited Collins's house to talk about setting up a scientific workshop. And the closer Collins grew to the energetic, determined child, the more invested he became in the search for a cure. …

Read the article online HERE. 

###

WASHINGTON, DC – House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) today applauded the news that President Obama had signed H.R. 5728, the STELA Reauthorization Act, into law. The bipartisan legislation ensures that 1.5 million satellite television subscribers continue to receive broadcast programming and makes a number of changes to improve the video marketplace for consumers.

“Hearing that our bipartisan work is now law is stellar news. With a stroke of the president’s pen today, over a million satellite subscribers will continue receiving their favorite broadcast content uninterrupted,” said Upton. “Bipartisan legislating has been the cornerstone of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and I look forward to continuing that tradition as we work toward a #CommActUpdate.”

“It was important that Congress came together and got its work done on time. After nearly a year-long process, I am proud to say that the bipartisan STELA Reauthorization Act signed by President Obama today is a job well done. This law ensures continuity of service for rural satellite subscribers and helps bring the laws governing our video marketplace onto the same playing field. While there is still plenty of work ahead as we bring our communications laws into the 21st century, this is an important milestone. Consumers are well served by this legislation, and I am ready to continue our work on these important issues next Congress.”

H.R. 5728 is a bipartisan product of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and the House and Senate Judiciary Committees and was approved by the House and Senate in late November. To view a list of groups supporting the legislation, click here.

### 

 #TBT: Upton and Walden host Google Hangout launching #CommActUpdate a year ago this week

One year ago this week, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) announced a bold initiative, the #CommActUpdate, to review and update our nation’s communications laws. Upton and Walden today commented on the committee’s progress.

“Written in a time when the telegraph was the prevailing technology and last updated when dial-up Internet was considered lightning speed, the Communications Act has not kept pace with the innovation that has been the hallmark of America’s technological leadership. We have made incredible strides, but we can be doing better,” said Upton and Walden. “Over the past year, the committee has sought and received thoughtful public and stakeholder feedback on a variety of issues to inform our work moving forward. As that work continues, we will begin drafting legislation next year to update the law to better meet the dynamic needs of the 21st century.”

In the year since the announcement, the committee has asked for and received public input through a series of white papers and held a hearing with former chairmen of the Federal Communications Commission to better understand their perspective on the law. 

#TBT: #SubCommTech Chairman Greg Walden after the #CommActUpdate hearing with former FCC chairmen

Visit the committee’s one-stop-shop on the #CommActUpdate.

###

In 1985 President Ronald Reagan proclaimed December to be National Made in America month to encourage consumers and workers alike to “observe this month with appropriate programs and activities to recognize and celebrate the excellence of American products.” Made in America month has since become a proud tradition that highlights the hard work and ingenuity of American workers and the products they make right here at home.

The Energy and Commerce Committee has a proven track record of making it easier to make it in America. At the start of this Congress, the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade held a bipartisan manufacturing showcase highlighting products proudly made in America, and the committee recently unveiled a new webpage dedicated to the #NationOfBuilders initiative supporting American manufacturers and making American manufacturing and businesses more competitive in the global marketplace. The House passed several pieces of committee legislation this Congress to help support our Nation of Builders, including bills to make energy more affordable for manufacturers and to increase investment into U.S. factories. With the 114th Congress on the horizon, the committee will continue its bipartisan efforts to bolster manufacturing and create American jobs.  

Manufacturing affects every corner of our country, and the potential benefits are especially sought after at a time when our economy is struggling. When the government gets out of the way, American entrepreneurs are able to create and make some of the best products in the world, right here at home. Made in America creates jobs and boosts our economy, and that’s something we should all agree on.

###  

December 3, 2014

EPA Must Not Hamper Energy Boom

By Congressman Pete Olson (R-TX)

As the 113th Congress comes to a close and we look ahead to next year, we have a great deal of work ahead of us. On the House Energy and Commerce Committee, we have many items on our “to do” list. We will be hard at work developing sound energy policy based around the “architecture of energy abundance” with a focus on infrastructure, electric generation, manufacturing, energy innovation and energy diplomacy. As the incoming vice chairman of the Energy and Power Subcommittee, I am particularly focused on developing American energy production and jobs while slashing excessive regulations that harm our economy. 

Turn on the news and you’ll see evidence of an American energy boom. Major oil producers, from Syria to Libya and points in between, have faced a steady stream of unrest. Ten years ago, these events would have sent oil prices through the roof; today prices are falling. 

The critical difference is American energy flooding the market. Our refined products fill gas tanks around the world. The light and medium crude oil we would have imported years ago is staying in the global market. 

Energy production pulled our economy out of a recession, in spite of the administration’s efforts to regulate it out of existence. American energy is good for our economy and our allies abroad. In many parts of the world, energy-producing countries use their energy to hold their neighbors hostage. According to NATO, Russia is behind anti-fracking events across Europe to strengthen opposition to domestic European gas. Hurt Europe, hurt America. 

Thanks to American innovation, we sit on decades’ worth of natural gas, which allows us to help our allies across the globe. That’s why increasing exports of natural gas will be high on the agenda this upcoming congress. Any discussion of natural gas exports also brings us to the current debate on crude oil exports. In my view, this discussion calls to mind an energy Hippocratic oath: first do no harm. 

American diesel and other “refined products” already stream out of Houston — but crude is different. The decision on whether or not to widen exports of U.S. crude oil must be handled delicately. I don’t expect sweeping changes overnight, but we should have a healthy debate on the topic. Studies are coming out that assess any impact that oil exports could have on the American consumer, if any. The next major step will be debate and hearings in my committee and other relevant committees, which I expect to happen very soon. 

We must also ensure a proper balance of regulations affecting the energy sector. Impacts on the energy sector spill over to every aspect of our economy. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been hard at work issuing damaging rules that, if fully implemented, could crush our nation’s fragile recovery. 

While much of America has made important improvements in air quality, many areas are still struggling to meet the current ozone standard of 75 parts per billion (ppb). The EPA just issued a proposed rule to lower the current standard to between 65 ppb and 70 ppb, with a request for comment at a dangerously low 60 ppb. The National Association of Manufacturers has estimated that at 60 ppb, this rule would cost our economy upwards of $2 trillion over 10 years, not to mention the EPA itself admits many areas simply don’t have the technology to achieve these lower standards. 

Under current law, the agency cannot consider economic costs or feasibility. That’s why I introduced H.R. 5505, the Clean Air, Strong Economies (CASE) Act. This bipartisan, bicameral bill states that the EPA must consider the economic impacts and feasibility of its regulations while still focusing on protecting human health. The CASE Act also prevents the EPA from updating the current standard until at least 85 percent of counties in the country have come into compliance with the existing rule. This would ensure communities are not constantly having the goal posts changed mid-game. 

As we begin a new session, the Energy and Commerce Committee will be hard at work developing sound energy policy and working to rein in an EPA all too willing to ignore the economic realities that come with its hard-line regulatory agenda.

To read the article, click HERE. 

###

WASHINGTON, DC – The House of Representatives on Wednesday evening approved three more bipartisan bills that will now head to President Obama to be signed into law. H.R. 669, the Sudden Unexpected Death and Data Enhancement Awareness Act, S. 2917, the Adding Ebola to the FDA Priority Review Voucher Program Act, and S. 2673, the U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Act were all approved by unanimous consent. 

H.R. 669, introduced by Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Rep. Peter King (R-NY), provides for activities to help improve the understanding of stillbirth, sudden unexpected infant death, and sudden unexplained death in children.

S. 2917, championed by full committee Vice Chairman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) in the House, will strengthen the Food and Drug Administration’s voucher program to include diseases like Ebola. This will help encourage more investment and innovation for the development of treatments for these diseases. Blackburn commented, “With nearly 15,000 cases and over 5,000 deaths, the 2014 Ebola epidemic is the worst since the discovery of the virus in 1976. In light of this global outbreak there should be an intensive effort to find and approve a treatment or better yet, a vaccine to prevent Ebola.”

S. 2673, the U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Act, includes language authored by Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Ranking Member Henry A. Waxman (D-CA) to strengthen the collaboration between the United States and Israel on energy development and to bolster the existing United States-Israel energy relationship by encouraging increased cooperation between the two countries.

These bills join H.R. 5728, the STELA Reauthorization Act, and H.R. 4067, an act to provide for the extension of the enforcement instruction on supervision requirements for outpatient therapeutic services in critical access and small rural hospitals through 2014, that are both awaiting the president’s signature.

“Once these pending measures are signed by President Obama, our total will be 40 bipartisan committee bills that have become law in the 113th Congress. We have a proud bipartisan record of results that is positively impacting countless Americans, and our success gives great optimism about what we will be able to accomplish in the new Congress,” commented Upton.

A complete list of the committee’s bipartisan #RecordOfSuccess is available online here. 

###

The Subcommittee on Health, chaired by Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA), has scheduled a hearing for Wednesday, December 10, 2014, at 10:15 a.m. in room 2123 of the Rayburn House Office Building. The hearing is entitled, “Examining FDA’s Role in the Regulation of Genetically Modified Food Ingredients.”

Subcommittee members will hear from the Food and Drug Administration, outside experts, and interested stakeholders about the agency’s current review process for food ingredients and discuss the role that foods with genetically modified ingredients play in our nation’s food supply and economy. The subcommittee will also discuss H.R. 4432, the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act, bipartisan legislation authored by. Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS), Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), Rep. Jim Matheson (D-UT), Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY).

The Majority Memorandum, a witness list, and witness testimony will be available here as they are posted.

###