South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act of 2022

Floor Speech

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Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my concerns with H.R. 3771, the South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act of 2022.

Investing in the health of all Americans through innovative and targeted programming has been a priority for House Republicans. We have been steadfast in our support for heart health promotion and cardiovascular research through consistent and robust funding of the National Institutes of Health and most recently through passage of Congressman Barr's H.R. 1193, the Cardiovascular Advances in Research and Opportunities Legacy Act.

Unfortunately, H.R. 3771, the South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act of 2022, that we are discussing today will do nothing to meaningfully improve cardiovascular health of Americans.

Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans have repeatedly expressed concerns throughout the entire legislative process. There are already numerous Federal initiatives at the CDC, the NIH, and the Patient- Centered Outcomes Research Institute which are already dedicated to cardiovascular health. What the CDC really needs to do is refocus on its original mission of controlling and responding to infectious diseases.

After extending itself in so many directions in their interest of prevention and public health, the CDC has become nearly incapable of adequately addressing serious threats posed by infectious diseases, especially novel ones for which there is little information about risks, spread, and treatment. Now is not the time to create duplicative programs when the CDC's management of an ongoing pandemic and the current monkeypox outbreak has arguably been abysmal.

Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gotttlieb was recently quoted as saying that it may be too late to control and contain the monkeypox and compared CDC's response to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic saying that the U.S. is making a lot of the same mistakes, such as a lack of testing and not enough vaccines.

I couldn't agree more.

The window to getting this under control is closing fast. There are other concerning infectious diseases that need to be addressed. Ghana just recently declared an outbreak of Marburg virus, an incredibly infectious and deadly virus that needs to be addressed by the global health community immediately before it gets out of hand.

Addressing and preventing heart disease is important. Make no mistake about that. But the ever-expanding portfolio of public health issues is simply not sustainable. We don't need another duplicative public health prevention initiative that further erodes the CDC's focus.

Madam Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Miller-Meeks). Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks is someone who is no less than an expert in public health.

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Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

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Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise to express my concerns with the amendment offered by Representative Sherrill to H.R. 3771, the South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act of 2022.

The amendment requires the Secretary to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, to study the relationship between COVID-19 and rates of morbidity and mortality as a result of heart disease in at-risk populations.

This amendment is highly duplicative of ongoing work at the National Institutes of Health. A basic web search for research on this issue on the National Library of Medicine's PubMed yields over 13,000 publications, reviews, and clinical trial data.

Furthermore, the NIH has an entire resource page titled ``How Does COVID-19 Affect the Heart.'' That page links to several studies funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

This duplicative amendment will add additional costs to the bill, as authorizing the National Academies generally requires about $1 to $2 million to conduct studies. What a waste of precious taxpayer dollars.

Madam Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I oppose this amendment. I think it is duplicative, and I think it is a waste of taxpayers' money.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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