Washington, D.C. – Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR) and Health Subcommittee Republican Leader Dr. Michael Burgess (R-TX) released the following statement after the House passed ten bipartisan health bills advanced by the Energy and Commerce Committee.

“Finally, the Democratic majority advanced legislation that will help prevent ‘deaths from despair,’ something we know was long overdue and is so important, especially during the pandemic which continues to negatively impact mental health. Another bill passed today will help keep counterfeit medical devices – like the fake COVID-19 tests Customs and Border Protection has confiscated – out of our country. This pandemic has shown us how important it is to strengthen our domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing and Strategic National Stockpile, and the bills advanced will help achieve these goals. Today we also moved forward legislation to improve maternal and children’s health, as well as further solidified the availability of medical transportation benefits for Medicaid beneficiaries. These measures will undoubtedly help Americans through this difficult time, and we hope the Senate will act on these important bills soon,” said Walden and Burgess.

Background:

The following bills were advanced out of the House of Representatives:

   - H.R. 1646, Helping Emergency Responders Overcome Act or the HERO Act

   - H.R. 2271, Scarlett’s Sunshine on Sudden Unexpected Death Act

   - H.R. 3935, Protecting Patients Transportation to Care Act

   - H.R. 4564, Suicide Prevention Lifeline Improvement Act

   - H.R. 4585, Campaign to Prevent Suicide Act

   - H.R. 4866, National Centers of Excellence in Continuous Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Act

   - H.R. 4995, Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act

   - H.R. 5619, Suicide Prevention Act

   - H.R. 5663, Safeguarding Therapeutics Act

   - H.R. 7574, Strengthening America’s Strategic National Stockpile Act