THE HOUSE WILL COME TO ORDER.

FOR WHAT PURPOSE DOES THE

GENTLEMAN FROM PENNSYLVANIA

RISE?

MR. SPEAKER, I ASK UNANIMOUS

CONSENT THAT ALL MEMBERS MAY

HAVE FIVE LEGISLATIVE DAYS TO

REVISE AND EXTEND THEIR REMARKS

ON THE LEGISLATION AND TO

INSERT EXTRANEOUS MATERIAL IN

THE BILL.

WITHOUT OBJECTION.

PURSUANT TO HOUSE RESOLUTION

219 AND RULE 18, THE CHAIR

DECLARES THE HOUSE IN THE

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE HOUSE ON

THE STATE OF THE UNION FOR

CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1217.

THE CHAIR APPOINTS THE

GENTLEMAN FROM TEXAS, MR.

CONAWAY, TO PRESIDE OVER THE

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE.

CHAPLAIN COUGHLIN: THE

--

COMMITTEE WILL COME TO ORDER.

THE COMMITTEE WILL

COME TO ORDER.

MEMBERS WILL TAKE THEIR SEATS.

THE HOUSE WILL COME TO ORDER.

MEMBERS WILL TAKE THEIR

CONVERSATIONS OFF THE FLOOR.

THE HOUSE WILL COME TO ORDER.

THE COMMITTEE WILL COME TO

ORDER.

THE HOUSE IS IN THE COMMITTEE

OF THE WHOLE HOUSE ON THE STATE

OF THE UNION FOR THE

CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1217

TITLE.

WHICH THE CLERK WILL REPORT BY

A BILL TO REPEAL THE

PREVENTION AND PUBLIC HEALTH

FUND.

PURSUANT TO THE

RULE, THE BILL IS CONSIDERED

READ THE FIRST TIME.

THE GENTLEMAN FROM

PENNSYLVANIA, MR. PITTS, AND

THE GENTLEMAN FROM NEW JERSEY,

30 MINUTES.

MR. PALLONE, WILL EACH CONTROL

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE

GENTLEMAN FROM PENNSYLVANIA.

THANK YOU, MR.

CHAIRMAN.

I YIELD MYSELF SUCH TIME AS I

MAY CONSUME.

THE GENTLEMAN IS

RECOGNIZED.

SECTION 4002 OF THE

PACA, WHICH MY BILL WOULD

REPEAL.

THE SECTION AUTHORIZES THE

OPERATIONS -- APPROPRIATIONS OF

AND APPROPRIATES THE FUND TO

THE TREASURY THE FOLLOWING

AMOUNTS, $500 MILLION FOR F.Y.

2010, $750 MILLION FOR F.Y.

2011, $1 BILLION FOR F.Y. 2012,

$1.25 BILLION FOR F.Y. 2013,

$1.25 BILLION FOR F.Y. 2014.

AND FOR F.Y. 2015 AND EVERY

FISCAL YEAR THEREAFTER, $2

BILLION.

HUMAN SERVICES HAS THE FULL

THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND

AUTHORITY TO USE THIS ACCOUNT

TO FUND ANY PROGRAMS OR

ACTIVITIES UNDER THE PUBLIC

HEALTH SERVICE ACT THAT SHE

CHOOSES WITHOUT CONGRESSIONAL

INPUT, APPROVAL OR OVERSIGHT.

H.H.S. HAS ALREADY MADE

DISBURSEMENTS FROM THE FUND

SPENDING $500 MILLION LAST YEAR

AND SHE HAS $750 MILLION

AVAILABLE FOR HER TO SPEND THIS

YEAR TO FUND PREVENTION

ACTIVITIES.

THE NATION'S PUBLIC HEALTH

INFRASTRUCTURE, WORK FORCE

EXPANSION, INCREASING

IMMUNIZATIONS AND PREVENTING A

VARIETY OF DISEASES.

THE GOALS OF SOME OF THESE

DISBURSEMENTS ARE LAUDABLE.

BUT WE MUST REMEMBER THAT THIS

AMOUNT THAT CONGRESS HAS

FUNDING IS OVER AND ABOVE THE

ALREADY AUTHORIZED AND

APPROPRIATED FOR THESE

ACTIVITIES.

THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN

QUESTIONABLE PROJECTS THAT HAVE

BEEN FINANCED FROM THESE FUNDS

INCLUDING PLACING SIGNS

DIRECTING PEOPLE TO BIKE PATHS.

WHEN SECRETARY SEBELIUS

TESTIFIED BEFORE MY

SUBCOMMITTEE I ASKED HER IF SHE

NEEDED FURTHER CONGRESSIONAL

APPROVAL TO SPEND THE MONEY

FROM THE SECTION 4002 FUND AND

SHE ANSWERED NO.

I THEN ASKED HER IF SHE COULD

FUND ACTIVITIES ABOVE THE LEVEL

CONGRESS APPROPRIATED AND SHE

STATED YES.

THIS SHOULD CONCERN EVERY

MEMBER THAT WE HAVE CREATED A

SLUSH FUND THAT THE SECRETARY

CAN SPEND FROM WITHOUT ANY

CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT FOR

APPROVAL.

NO ONE HERE CAN TELL US HOW

THIS FUNDING WILL BE USED.

NEXT YEAR OR FIVE OR 10 OR 20

YEARS OR 50 YEARS FROM NOW.

WE CAN'T PREDICT HOW THE MONEY

WILL BE SPENT AND WORSE WE

CAN'T EVEN INFLUENCE IT.

I WOULD SUGGEST TO MY

COLLEAGUES THAT IF YOU WANTED

MORE FUNDING TO GO TOWARDS

SMOKING CESSATION OR ANY OTHER

PROGRAM, THE HEALTH CARE LAW

SHOULD HAVE CONTAINED AN

EXPLICIT AUTHORIZATION BECAUSE

YOU'RE NOT GUARANTEED THAT A

DIME OF THE MONEY IN THIS FUND

WILL GO TO YOUR PARTICULAR

ACTIVITY.

BY ELIMINATING THIS FUND WE'RE

NOT CUTTING ANY SPECIFIC

PROGRAM OR ACTIVITY.

I'M NOT AGAINST PREVENTION AND

WELLNESS.

THIS IS NOT WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.

THIS IS ABOUT RECLAIMING OUR

OVERSIGHT ROLE OF HOW FEDERAL

TAX DOLLARS SHOULD BE USED.

I URGE SUPPORT FOR MY BILL,

H.R. 1217, AND I RESERVE THE

BALANCE OF MY TIME.

THE GENTLEMAN

RESERVES THE BALANCE OF HIS

TIME.

THE GENTLEMAN FROM NEW JERSEY

IS RECOGNIZED.

I THANK YOU, MR.

CHAIRMAN.

I YIELD NOW THREE MINUTES TO

THE ENERGY AND COMMERCE

THE RANKING MINORITY MEMBER OF

COMMITTEE --

YIELD ME TWO.

MR. WAXMAN, TWO

MINUTES.

THE GENTLEMAN IS

RECOGNIZED FOR TWO MINUTES.

THIS IS A NEW

ATTACK TO DISRUPT, DISMANTLE

AND DESTROY THE AFFORDABLE CARE

ACT.

TODAY THEY ARE DOING SO BY

SACRIFICING A LONG-STANDING

BIPARTISAN POLICY TO PUSH A NOW

PARTISAN IDEOLOGY.

FOR YEARS REPUBLICANS HAVE

JOINED WITH DEMOCRATS IN

SUPPORTING PROGRAMS TO PREVENT

DISEASE AND PROMOTE HEALTH AND

IN TURN TO CUT HEALTH CARE