Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers Who Deliver Infants Early Reauthorization Act of 2018

Floor Speech

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Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding.

I also want to commend the Subcommittee on Health and the Committee on Energy and Commerce for its outstanding work under the leadership of Dr. Burgess.

Mr. Speaker, I am going to speak about sickle cell, a bill that has been worked on and passed. Of course, sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder characterized by affected red blood cells that mutate into the shape of a crescent or sickle. And as such, these cells are unable to pass through small blood vessels. It is a recessive- genetic condition that occurs when a child inherits two sickle cell genes, or traits, from each parent.

The consequences and complications of this disease are extreme. The Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, whom we have worked with for many years on this legislation, have studied and reported that common complications with this disease include early childhood death from infection; stroke in young children and adults; lung problems similar to pneumonia; chronic damage to organs, including the kidney, leading to kidney failure; damage to the lungs, causing pulmonary hypertension; and severe, painful episodes. In fact, pain episode are a hallmark of sickle cell disease.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that we are at this juncture in passing S. 2465, a bill designed to help improve, treat, prevent, and conduct research on sickle cell disease and to include other blood diseases for surveillance and data collection.

While this legislation includes other blood diseases, its original intent and its continuing focus is to put major emphasis on sickle cell disease and issues related to it.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues, Representative Michael Burgess, and Representative G.K. Butterfield, Senator Tim Scott, and Senator Cory Booker for their tireless support and efforts to bring this bipartisan and bicameral bill to fruition.

There has been a great deal of back and forth on this bill. Therefore, I want to thank, again, Dr. Burgess, the chief Republican cosponsor and advocate. I want to commend the leadership on the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Chairman Greg Walden and Ranking Member Frank Pallone.

Mr. Speaker, I want to highlight the work of my colleague and friend, Representative G.K. Butterfield, who carried the bill for this legislation in the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Our staffs did outstanding work, and I commend all of them, especially my Health Subcommittee staffer, Dr. Caleb Gilchrist. I want to acknowledge and thank our advocate organizations, the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, the American Society of Hematology, and other organizations, hospital providers, families, and those infected with the sickle cell disease.

Mr. Speaker, those who say that Congress does not work and is not working, I tell you, when we pass legislation of this sort, it tells me that America is on the right track and we are, indeed, moving forward to help make our communities as safe and healthy as they can possibly be.

I end by just thanking Dr. Burgess, again, for his outstanding leadership on this issue.

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