Protecting Our Infants Act of 2015

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, today 58 babies, 1 baby every 25 minutes, will be born suffering from the same pain adults describe as the worst pain of their lives, the pain of drug withdrawal.

Over the last decade, the number of infants born experiencing withdrawal from powerful drugs has grown nearly fivefold. It is a condition called neonatal abstinence syndrome. It results from prenatal exposure to opioids like heroin and prescription painkillers. In States like Massachusetts, we are seeing this happen at a rate three times the national average.

In addition to the human suffering, the costs associated with NAS births are staggering. They are five times more expensive than healthy births, totaling $1.5 billion for hospitals in 2012, with 80 percent being paid by Medicaid.

But despite the best efforts of doctors, nurses, and others, there is no coordinated response to this crisis. There are no clear best practices for treating these infants, and more research is needed to help understand the problem. That is why I have worked with my colleagues, researchers, doctors, and advocates to introduce the Protecting Our Infants Act, the first Federal bill to take proactive steps in addressing the rise of NAS births.

We were able to pass this bill in the House in September, thanks to the help of my partner on this bill, Representative Steve Stivers. A slightly modified version was passed a few weeks ago, due to the hard work of our Senate sponsors, Majority Leader McConnell and Senator Casey. With broad support in both Chambers, this is an opportunity for Congress to make a difference for moms and babies suffering because of the opioid epidemic.

The Protecting Our Infants Act will require the Department of Health and Human Services to develop recommendations to prevent and treat prenatal opioid abuse and NAS, and to develop a strategy in the Department to coordinate programs and research. This will help ease the suffering of the smallest victims of the opioid crisis. It will help hospitals and Medicaid save money, and ease the burden on doctors and nurses that are overwhelmed by this problem.

This is not controversial, partisan, or political. It is just good policy. I thank my Republican partner in the House, Steve Stivers, for his leadership in getting this bill to where it is today.

I ask the House to come together and help the thousands of babies and mothers who are fighting this epidemic, and I urge my colleagues to pass the bipartisan Protecting Our Infants Act and send this legislation to the President for his signature.

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