Pancreatic Islet Cell Transplantation Act of 2004

PANCREATIC ISLET CELL TRANSPLANTATION ACT OF 2004 -- (House of Representatives - October 05, 2004)

Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3858) to amend the Public Health Service Act to increase the supply of pancreatic islet cells for research, and to provide for better coordination of Federal efforts and information on islet cell transplantation.

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Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, today this body can greatly improve the lives of more than 1 million Americans who are affected by juvenile diabetes. The Pancreatic Islet Cell Transplantation Act addresses a significant problem by reducing the nonscientific barriers standing in the way of this promising treatment.

Pancreatic islet cell transplantation is a procedure that infuses new insulin-producing cells into an individual with juvenile diabetes. This procedure has now been performed in over 300 people in this country. The results are nothing short of miraculous. A majority of those islet cell transplantation recipients no longer need to inject themselves with insulin.

For a person with juvenile diabetes this change is life altering. It means no more needles and no more worry. It means the question of what to eat no longer requires calculation or cause for alarm. For those patients islet cell transplantation means freedom, and ultimately islet cell transplantation will be a cure for type 1 diabetes.

As we know too well, Mr. Speaker, living with diabetes is challenging. Insulin is not a cure. It is only a means of managing the disease, and it is more complicated by the difficulties of monitoring glucose levels. Very serious complications like blindness and kidney disease are not uncommon. In fact, a staggering number of patients with juvenile, or type 1, diabetes suffer from some type of complication. Every year 82,000 individuals lose their foot or leg to diabetes. Heart disease is the leading cause of diabetes-related deaths. And diabetes is the leading cause of new blindness in people 20 to 74 years old.

This bill, which I was proud to introduce with the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Nethercutt), who, unfortunately, cannot be here with us today, takes us one step closer to preventing these devastating complications. H.R. 3858 will help increase the supply of pancreata for islet cell transplantation and better coordinate Federal Government efforts and information. These are narrow, yet essential, improvements to our health care system that may not only change the lives of people with juvenile diabetes but also will reduce costs in our health care system.

The total annual cost of diabetes in 2002 was estimated to be $132 billion. Of that, $23 billion was due to the cost care for complications of diabetes. This is exactly why we need to use new procedures like islet cell transplantation to improve lives and reduce the cost of health care in the United States.

We are at a time of extraordinary opportunity in the field of juvenile diabetes research, and pancreatic islet cell transplantation is just one of the new procedures that gives us great hope. The gentleman from Washington (Mr. Nethercutt) and I have been the co-chairs of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus for many years now, and we are pleased to say it is still the largest caucus in Congress. We have seen the technologies improve, and we have worked to improve the coordination and Federal support for diabetes programs. The Pancreatic Islet Cell Transplantation Act continues that work.

Like so many of my colleagues, I support improved scientifically based efforts that will improve patients' lives and even eradicate this disease. Since the science in this area is developing at a rapid pace, additional efforts are needed to ensure that Federal policies and regulatory actions support the momentum.

I want to add my thanks to the gentleman from Texas (Chairman BARTON) and for the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell) as well as the Committee on Energy and Commerce staff on both sides of the aisle for their hard work and diligence on this and all of the health bills being considered today.

Their leadership provides exactly the kind of bipartisan cooperation that we need to address significant issues like improving our health care system, that Congress faces today.

I also want to thank the volunteers of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the American Diabetes Association. These two organizations have been tireless, and they are to be commended.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank you for all of your hard work in this area over the years.
Pancreatic islet cell transplantation is an incredible innovation in medicine. I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Fossella). The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3858.

The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.

A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.