{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=91AABAE0-4824-49A6-A943-8F94F1B6797E", "Chairman Alexander: This Congress, HELP Committee Produced 18 Laws Including Landmark Opioid Legislation to Combat Nations Most Pressing Public Health Crisis", "2018-12-20", "2018", "2018-12", "Republican", "House", "TN", "Lamar Alexander", "A000360", "www.alexander.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, December 20, 2018  U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said, over the last two years, this committee has produced solutions that will have an impact on the lives of virtually every American.\r\nChairman Alexander continued: Most recently, in October, President Trump signed into law what Senate Majority Leader McConnell called landmark' legislation to fight the opioid crisis. President Trump said that this new law is the single largest bill to combat a drug crisis in the history of our country.' That legislation included more than 40 proposals from this committee and contributions from 70 senators, many on this committee.\r\nIn July, President Trump signed the Perkins CTE Act, which we passed through this committee to strengthen the career and technical education programs that train the skilled workers employers tell us they need. And last August, the president signed into law the FDA user fee agreements that will help bring new drugs and devices to patients more quickly.\r\nWe have also passed bills such as the PREEMIE Act, to prevent preterm births and reduce infant deaths, and the Childhood Cancer STAR Act, to encourage pediatric cancer research. Those are just a few of the important pieces of legislation this committee has worked on and passed.\r\nAlexander concluded: While we have accomplished quite a bit working together this Congress, looking towards next year, there are some things I hope to work on. This includes finding real ways to lower the cost of health care for Americans and updating the Higher Education Act to ensure the education students receive is worth their time and money.\r\nThe HELP Committee approved 18 bills that are now public law:\r\n1. Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018  Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash) (H.R.6): This bipartisan package of landmark legislation to fight the opioid crisis included more than 40 HELP Committee proposals. It deals with the nation's worst public health challenge by helping to stop deadly fentanyl from coming from China to the United States by mail, finding new non-addictive pain killers, allowing opioids to be dispensed in blister packs, for example a 3- or 7- day supply, and providing more opportunities for treatment.\r\n\r\nAs chairman of the Senate health committee, Senator Alexander was the lead Senate sponsor.\r\n\r\nWhen he signed the bill into law, President Trump called it, the single largest bill to combat a drug crisis in the history of our country.\r\n\r\n10 key provisions in the legislation: \r\n \r\nSTOP Actto stop illegal drugs, including fentanyl, at the border\r\nNew non-addictive painkillers, research and fast-track\r\nBlister packs for opioids, such as a 3- or 7- day supply\r\nExtends support for Medicaid patients seeking treatment from 15 to 30 days, covering all substance use disorders\r\nTREAT Actpermanently allows more medical professionals to treat people in recovery to prevent relapses and overdoses\r\nPrevent doctor-shopping by improving state prescription drug monitoring programs\r\nMore behavioral and mental health providers\r\nSupport for comprehensive opioid recovery centers\r\nHelp for babies born in opioid withdrawal and for mothers with opioid use disorders\r\nMore early intervention with vulnerable children who have experienced trauma\r\n \r\n2. Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act  Sens. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) and Bob Casey (D-Penn.) (H.R2353): More than 200,000 students in Tennessee participate in career and technical education programs. This new law updates a nearly $1.2 billion federal program of grants to states that help fund the programs that train the workers we need, for example, a high school student looking to become a computer coder, or an adult going back to school to learn about commercial construction.\r\n3. FDA Reauthorization Act of 2017  Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) (H.R.2430):This reauthorization of the four Food and Drug Administration (FDA) user fee agreements ensures the FDA has the funding it needs to quickly and safely bring new drugs and treatments to patients and make sure the promising research supported by the 21st Century Cures Act actually reaches patients.\r\n4. Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act  Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) (S.2554): This law bans the gag clauses that prevented a pharmacist from telling a patient their prescription would be cheaper if they paid with cash instead of using their insurance.\r\n5. Childhood Cancer STAR Act  Sens. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Shelly Capito (R-W.Va.) (S.292): If you're the parent of a child with cancer, this law encourages pediatric cancer research by building on last year's RACE for the Children Act and reauthorization of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) user fee agreements.\r\n6. National Clinical Care Commission ActSens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) (S.920):This law creates a commission of leading experts to study complex metabolic or autoimmune diseases, like diabetes. The commission will recommend improvements to federal programs that work to help prevent diseases like diabetes or educate patients on their condition.\r\n7. The Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act  Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) (S.652):If you're a parent with a newborn, infant, or young child, this law supports state-based efforts to screen them for hearing loss and ensure proper follow-up care, including diagnosis and early intervention.\r\n8. Protecting Patient Access to Emergency Medications Act of 2017  Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) and Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Michael Bennet (D- Colo.) (H.R.304):If someone is the victim of a life-threatening emergency, like a burn victim or a child experiencing a seizure, this law ensures that he or she will continue to have access to time-sensitive and life-saving treatments under the supervision of a physician.\r\n9. The RAISE Family Caregivers Act  Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) (S.1028): This lawhelps develop a strategy to coordinate federal programs to better support the millions of Americans who are caregivers for a family member.\r\n10. Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act  Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Bob Casey (D-Penn.) (S.1091): If you are a grandparent raising your grandchild, this law helps you navigate that process by creating a task force, made up of federal agencies and grandparents, to coordinate federal resources and information available to you.\r\n11. Firefighter Cancer Registry Act  Sens. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) (H.R.931): Firefighters are exposed to a range of harmful toxins, and research has shown a strong connection between firefighting and an increased risk for several major cancers. This legislation creates a national registry for firefighters diagnosed with cancer.\r\n12. Animal Drug and Animal Generic Drug User Fee Amendments of 2018  Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) (H.R.5554): This reauthorization of the FDA animal drug and animal generic drug user fee agreements helps bring new animal drugs to farmers and ranchers, families, and veterinarians to keep their animals healthy and our food supply safe.\r\n13. Children's Hospital GME Support Reauthorization Act of 2018  Sens. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) (H.R.5385): This bill reauthorizes the children's hospital graduate medical education (CHGME) program that provides funding to more than 50 freestanding children's hospitals around the country, supporting the training of pediatricians and improving children's access to care.\r\n14. Sports Medicine Licensure Clarity Act of 2017  Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) (H.R.302): This law ensures when a sports medicine professional travels with a team outside the state in which they are licensed, they will continue to be covered by their medical malpractice insurance provider.\r\n15. Action for Dental Health Act (H.R.2422)  Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) (3016): This legislation supports states, dental associations, and community-based oral health programs to help prevent dental disease, and expands efforts to provide care to underserved patients.\r\n16. Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early Reauthorization Act of 2018  Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) (S.3029): In Tennessee, about 11 percent of babies are born preterm. This bill reauthorizes legislation first introduced by Alexander in 2003 to help researchers, doctors, and parents prevent premature births and give more babies the chance for long and healthy lives.\r\n17. Sickle Cell Disease Research, Surveillance, Prevention, and Treatment Act of 2018  Sens. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) (S.2465): At least 100,000 Americans have sickle cell disease, but the exact number is unknown because we do not have sufficient data. This bill will allow the Department of Health and Human Services to study sickle cell disease and other heritable blood disorders so we know how many people are affected by these conditions and implement strategies to help treat these diseases.\r\n18. Improving Access to Maternity Care Act  Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) (H.R.315): This bill will help bring more doctors and nurses to provide care for pregnant women living in rural areas and other areas where there is a shortage of these health care providers.\r\nThe Full Congress has passed five additional bills that are awaiting President Trump's signature:\r\n1. Maternal Health Accountability Act of 2017  Sens. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) (S.1112): This legislation aims to support states in reviewing pregnancy-related deaths to identify ways to improve maternal care and reduce maternal mortality in the United States.\r\n2. BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act  Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Shelley Capito (R-W.Va.), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) (S.2076): This legislation will create Centers of Excellence to advance public health knowledge and ensure public health professionals, doctors and nurses, and patients and their families have the support and updated information on Alzheimer's and related dementia diseases they need.\r\n3. Congenital Heart Futures Act  Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) (H.R. 1222): If you're the parent of a child who suffers from a congenital heart disease, this reauthorization is important because it will continue to support the research and data collection that is needed to better understand congenital heart disease.\r\n4. Traumatic Brain Injury Program Reauthorization Act of 2018  Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Bob Casey (D-Penn.) (S.3657): This bill reauthorizes state grants and programs related to surveillance, prevention, care, and research of traumatic brain injuries, and encourages data collection and analysis so we can better understand trends and causes of concussions.\r\n5. State Offices of Rural Health Reauthorization Act of 2018  Sens. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) (S.2278): This law reauthorizes grant programs that strengthen rural health care systems and develop long-term solutions to rural health challenges.\r\nThe Senate has passed an additional five bills awaiting House action:\r\n1. Museum and Library Services Act of 2018  Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Kristen Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) (S.3530): This bill reauthorizes programs for museums and libraries, including the only federal program exclusively for librariesthe Library Services and Technology Act.\r\n2. Emergency Medical Services for Children Program Reauthorization Act of 2018  Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Bob Casey (D-Penn.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) (S.3482): This bill will ensure that, from the ambulance to the emergency department, emergency health care providers are prepared to treat children, who typically require smaller equipment and different doses of medicine.\r\n3. Strengthening Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health (SMASH) Act  Sens. Angus King (I-Maine), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) (S.849): This bill will improve public health preparedness capabilities to help combat the Zika virus and other mosquito-borne diseases that threaten public health by strengthening key programs that support state and local mosquito surveillance and control efforts.\r\n4. Congenital Heart Futures Act  Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) (H.R. 1222): If you're the parent of a child who suffers from a congenital heart disease, this reauthorization is important because it will continue to support the research and data collection that is needed to better understand congenital heart disease.\r\n5. Traumatic Brain Injury Program Reauthorization Act of 2018  Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Bob Casey (D-Penn.) (S.3657): This bill reauthorizes state grants and programs related to surveillance, prevention, care, and research of traumatic brain injuries, and encourages data collection and analysis so we can better understand trends and causes of concussions.\r\nThe committee reported an additional two bills to the Senate floor:\r\n1. Over-the-Counter Drug Safety, Innovation, and Reform Act  Sens. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.)  (S.2315): This legislation would modernize the way over-the-counter medications are regulated and brought to market, to encourage the development of new drugs for patients.\r\n2. Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2018  Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Bob Casey (D-Penn.) (S.2852): It is crucial we are prepared to face a range of public health threats  including outbreaks of infectious diseases like Ebola, Zika, or the flu; natural disasters, such as hurricanes and the wildfires that swept across East Tennessee in 2016; or deliberate attacks with dangerous agents, like anthrax or nuclear weapons. This legislation strengthens our preparedness and response capabilities so we can better protect Tennesseans and all Americans from 21st century threats.\r\nThe HELP Committee approved 50 nominees to carry out President Trump's agenda:\r\nIn the 115th Congress, the HELP Committee approved 50 nominees to carry out President Trump's agenda.\r\n35 HELP nominees were confirmed by the Senate:\r\nDepartment of Health and Human Services:\r\nScott Gottlieb, M.D.  FDA Commissioner\r\nJerome M. Adams, M.D., M.P.H.  Surgeon General, Public Health Service\r\nRobert Kadlec, M.D.  Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response\r\nElinore F. McCance-Katz, M.D., Ph.D.  Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use\r\nLance Allen Robertson  Assistant Secretary for Aging\r\nBrett P. Giroir, M.D.  Assistant Secretary of Health\r\n\r\nDepartment of Education:\r\nBetsy DeVos  Secretary\r\nPeter Louis Oppenheim  Assistant Secretary for Legislation and Congressional Affairs\r\nJohnny Collett  Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services\r\nDouglas W. Webster  Chief Financial Officer\r\nCarlos G. Muiz  General Counsel\r\nJames Blew  Assistant Secretary for Planning, Evaluation, and Policy\r\nBrigadier General Mitchell Zais, USA (Ret.)  Deputy Secretary\r\nKenneth Marcus  Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights\r\nScott Stump  Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and Adult Education\r\nFrank T. Brogan  Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education\r\nMark Schneider, Ph.D.  Director of the Institute of Education Services\r\n\r\nDepartment of Labor:\r\nR. Alexander Acosta  Secretary\r\nDavid Zatezalo  Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health\r\nKate O'Scannlain  Solicitor\r\nPreston Rutledge  Assistant Secretary for the Employee Benefits Security Administration\r\nKatherine Brunett McGuire  Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs\r\nPatrick Pizzella  Deputy Secretary\r\nJames Edwin Williams  Chief Financial Officer\r\n\r\nNational Labor Relations Board:\r\nMarvin Kaplan  Member\r\nWilliam Emanuel  Member\r\nPeter Robb  General Counsel\r\nJohn F. Ring  Member\r\n\r\nNational Mediation Board:\r\nKyle Fortson  Member\r\nGerald W. Fauth III  Member\r\nLinda Puchala  Member\r\n\r\nOccupational Safety and Health Review Commission:\r\nHeather L. MacDougall  Member\r\nJames J. Sullivan  Member\r\n\r\nCorporation for National and Community Service \r\nBarbara Stewart  Chief Executive Officer\r\n\r\nNational Endowment for the Humanities\r\nJon Parrish Peede  Chairman\r\n\r\nThe committee approved 15 additional nominations:\r\n\r\nDepartment of Education Nominees:\r\nMark Schultz  Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration\r\nRobert L. King  Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education\r\n\r\nDepartment of Labor Nominees:\r\nDr. William Beach  Commissioner of Labor Statistics\r\nScott Mugno  Assistant Secretary for the Occupational Safety and Health\r\nCheryl Stanton  Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division\r\nJohn Lowry III  Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment and Training\r\nJohn P. Pallasch  Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training\r\n\r\nPension Benefit Guaranty Corporation\r\nGordon Hartogensis  Director\r\n\r\nEqual Employment Opportunity Commission Nominees\r\nJanet Dhillon  Member\r\nDaniel M. Gade, Ph.D.  Member\r\n\r\nFederal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission\r\nMarco M. Rajkovich, Jr.  Member\r\n\r\nCorporation for National and Community Service \r\nVictoria Ann Hughes  Member\r\nHeather Reynolds  Member\r\n\r\nNational Council on the Arts\r\nBarbara Coleen Long  Member\r\n\r\nRailroad Retirement Board\r\nErhard Chorl  Chair\r\n\r\nThe HELP Committee held 58 hearings to address issues that matter to American families\r\nThe committee held seven hearings to hear from doctors, governors, families, addiction experts, and others about steps the federal government could take to help states and communities end the opioid crisis. The committee took their input and turned it into more than 40 proposals included in the opioid package that became law in October 2018:\r\nThe Federal Response to the Opioid Crisis:The committee began a series of hearings on the opioid crisis, starting by hearing what the federal government is doing from administration witnesses.Alexander saidthe crisis is tearing our communities apart, tearing families apart, and posing an enormous challenge to health care providers and law enforcement officials.\r\nThe Front Lines of the Opioid Crisis: Perspectives from States, Communities, and Providers:The committee held a second hearing on the opioid crisisto hear from those on the front lines how the tools and resources Congress provided when it passed the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act and the 21stCentury Cures Act in 2016 are helping states fight the crisis.Alexander said that, We must ensure the federal government is the best possible partner for states on the front lines of the opioid crisis ravaging our country.\r\nThe Opioid Crisis: An Examination of How We Got Here and How We Move Forward: Author Sam Quinones, who has extensively researched and written about the opioid crisis, testified at the committee's third hearing. Alexander told Mr. Quinones, You and I apparently have at least one thing in common: I am a skeptic of Washington's capacity to solve problems that are essentially problems of communities, families and lifestyles. In your words, I believe more strongly than ever that the antidote to heroin is community.'\r\nThe Opioid Crisis: Impact on Children and Families: The committee's fourth hearing on the opioid crisis focused on the impact on children and families. Alexander pointed out this impact is especially felt in Tennessee, which is on the front lines as the opioid crisis has caused what the Tennessee Department of Health has described as a sharp increase' in the number of babies born in opioid withdrawal.\r\nThe Opioid Crisis: The Role of Technology and Data in Preventing and Treating Addiction: At the committee's fifth hearing, Alexander said that the federal government's most helpful role in the opioid fight may be supporting the amazing potential of data and technology. As we've examined the opioid crisis over the last five months, we've learned that strong local communities are key to finding solutions and Washington's role is to support those efforts. When we look at what the federal government can do, sharing more data and utilizing new technologies may be the most helpful thing that we do.\r\nThe Opioid Crisis: Leadership and Innovation in the States: Governors from Maryland and Oregon testified at the committee's sixth hearing on the opioid crisis. Alexander said, States are the ones who come up with the good ideas on how to tackle big problems because they're on the front lines, and it's usually the federal government's role to encourage them and cut the red tape to create an environment so that states can innovate.\r\nThe Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018: At the seventh hearing, expert witnesses provided feedback on draft opioids legislation. Alexander called the legislation, which would later become the opioid legislation signed into law in October 2018, the next step in helping end the national opioid crisis.\r\nLaunching a series of hearings to explore what the federal government, states, and private companies can do to reduce health care costs for American families: \r\nHow to Reduce Health Care Costs: Understanding the Cost of Health Care in America: In June 2018, the committee launched a series of hearings exploring how to reduce health care costs. Alexander said, The most obvious fact about health care costs, other than that they're too high, is that they are indecipherable...\r\nReducing Health Care Costs: Eliminating Excess Health Care Spending and Improving Quality and Value for Patients: At the committee's second hearing on reducing health care costs, a witness testified that 30 percent, and probably more than 50 percent, of what the United States spends on health care is spent on unnecessary tests, procedures, and administrative work. \r\nReducing Health Care Costs: Decreasing Administrative Spending: The committee's third hearing examined the administrative burden the federal government imposes. Alexander said the federal government is at fault for some of the administrative burden that the nation's doctors and hospitals facewhich means more time spent on paperwork, less time actually treating patients, and an increase to the cost of health care.\r\nReducing Health Care Costs: Examining How Transparency Can Lower Spending and Empower Patients: The fourth hearing on reducing health care costs looked at why Americans can easily check reviews and prices before purchasing everything from a new coffeemaker to a car, while information on the price and quality of health care has remained in a black box. \r\nReducing Health Care Costs: Improving Affordability Through Innovation: At the fifth hearing on reducing health care costs, the committee examined how private sector companies are disrupting the health care system to lower costs. At the hearing, Alexander said, Going forward, I plan to take what we've learned today and from our previous four hearings, and ask leading health care policy experts for specific ideas on how the federal government can reduce the cost of health care.\r\nExamining the price Americans pay when picking up their prescription drugs:\r\nThe Cost of Prescription Drugs: How the Drug Delivery System Affects What Patients Pay:The committee heldthe first in a series of bipartisan hearings looking at the price Americans pay when they pick up their prescriptions and where that money goes. Alexander said,This is a discussion that affects the well-being of every American family.It is important that we work together to conduct this fact finding in a bipartisan way.\r\nThe Cost of Prescription Drugs: How the Drug Delivery System Affects What Patients Pay, Part II:The committee held the second in a series of bipartisan hearings on what goes into the prices Americans pay when picking up the 4.4 billion prescriptions written every year. At the hearing, Alexander said the focus is to learn the facts on the drug delivery system and its effects on health care costs.\r\nThe Cost of Prescription Drugs: An Examination of The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Report Making Medicines Affordable: A National Imperative:At the third bipartisan hearing on drug pricing,Alexander told the story of Joseph, a West Tennessean whose family struggled to afford a $150 prescription. The committee met to examine a National Academies report on the prices Americans pay for their prescription drugs.\r\nPerspectives on the 340B Drug Pricing Program: In March 2018, the committee launched a series of hearings on the 340B Discount Drug Program, which was created by Congress in 1992 to help qualifying hospitals and clinics that treat low-income patients, by requiring drug manufacturers that participate in Medicaid to provide discounts on prescription drugs or treatments to these hospitals and clinics. The hospitals and clinics may then provide the drugs at the reduced price to low-income patients or they can sell the drugs at a higher price to patients who have insurance and then keep that money and use it to provide care to low-income patients or for other purposes.\r\nExamining Oversight Reports on the 340B Drug Pricing Program: At the committee's second hearing on the 340B Discount Drug Program, Alexander said that federal watchdog reports find the program needs better oversight, and the agency in charge may need more authority to conduct that oversight and collect reliable data. It very well may be that hospitals and clinics are using the savings to benefit low-income patients as intended. But it is hard to know that until we have more information.\r\nThe Cost of Prescription Drugs: Examining the President's Blueprint American Patients First' to Lower Drug Prices: In June 2018, the committee continued its series of hearings on the price of prescription drugs, hearing from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar on the Administration's blueprint to lower drug prices. At the hearing, Alexander said that the Trump Administration's comprehensive drug pricing blueprint will bring help to the one in eight Americans who say it is difficult to afford their prescriptions.\r\nEffective Administration of the 340B Drug Pricing Program: At the committee's third hearing on the 340B Discount Drug Program, Alexander said that Congress needs more accurate information to determine how to make the 340B Program work better for patients and hospitals. There is no consistent data that shows how hospitals and clinics are spending the money they save through the 340B Program. The reason we don't have much data is because the agency that oversees the program  the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)  may not have the authority to actually collect data and conduct oversight over the program.\r\nEnsuring promising biomedical research leads to results for patients:\r\nImplementation of the 21stCentury Cures Act: Achieving the Promise of Health Information Technology:At the first oversight hearing on the 21stCentury Cures Act  a law the committee wrote in 2016 to bring new drugs and devices more quickly to patients  Alexander said, Electronic health records are a critical piece to the future of medical innovationand the success of the 21stCentury Cures Act,and I intend to ensure these provisions are implemented properly.\r\nImplementation of the 21stCentury Cures Act: Progress and the Path Forward for Medical Innovation:At a second oversight hearing held on the first anniversary of the 21st Century Cures Act's Senate passage with Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb and Director of the National Institutes of Health Francis Collins, Alexander said, It is not an overstatement to say that the 21stCentury Cures Act has the potential to affect virtually every American family by taking advantage of breathtaking advances in biomedical research.\r\nImplementation of the 21stCentury Cures Act: Responding to Mental Health Needs:The committee's third oversight hearing on the 21stCentury Cures Act examined the mental health provisions,which updated federal mental health programs for the first time in a decade. Alexander said that early intervention for patients with mental health disorders is critical: Prior to our work on Cures, the coordination between federalagencies that provide mental health care was not as effective as it could have been. I look forward to hearing about the progress being made to ensure more people can receive the help they need.\r\nFDA User Fee Agreements: Improving Medical Product Regulation and Innovation for Patients, Part I:The committee held its first hearing on updating the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) user fee agreements thatpaya quarter of all FDA's work to ensure promising new drugs and devices reach patients.Alexander saidCongress owes patients and their families a prompt, bipartisan reauthorization of the FDA medical devices and drug user fee agreements.\r\nFDA User Fee Agreements: Improving Medical Product Regulation and Innovation for Patients, Part II:At the second of two hearings on updating the FDA's user fee agreements, Alexander said a timely reauthorizationis integral to helping patients and delivering on the promise of 21stCentury Cures.\r\nGene Editing Technology: Innovation and Impact:The committee held a hearing on gene-editing technology, including CRISPR-cas9, which Alexander said has the potential to transform human health, when used properly. CRISPR's use in humans is more recent, butthe possibility of the diseases it could treat and the lives that could be improved is remarkable.\r\nImproving Animal Health: Reauthorization of FDA Animal Drug User Fees: The committee held a hearing on the reauthorization of the Animal Drug and the Generic Animal Drug User Fee Agreements that Alexander said are critical to help keep our farm animals and pets healthy, prevent outbreaks of disease, and keep our food supply safe.\r\nPrioritizing Cures: Science and Stewardship at the National Institutes of Health: At an oversight hearing of the National Institutes of Health, Alexander said, We often say it is hard to think of a major scientific advancement since World War II that has not been supported by federal funding  but we are not the only country to have figured that outother countries have seen that investing in basic research can lead to breathtaking new discoveries. \r\nExploring how to help Americans lead healthier lives:\r\nExamining How Healthy Choices Can Improve Health Outcomes and Reduce Costs:The committee held the first in a series of hearings looking at theremarkable consensus that a healthy lifestyle leads to longer and better lives, and reduces the nation's health care costs.At the hearing, Alexander said, If we really want to focus on improving Americans' health, why not connect the consensus on wellness to the insurance policies that 178 million Americans get from their job.\r\nEncouraging Healthy Communities: Perspective from the Surgeon General:Trump Administration HHS Surgeon General Jerome Adams testified at the committee's second hearing looking at how to encourage healthier behaviors as a way to lower health care costs. Alexander said that Dr. Adams' focus on wellness could have a real impact on the lives of millions of Americans, saying it makes sense for that to be his focus, because there is a remarkable consensus that wellness  lifestyle changes like eating healthier and quitting smoking  can prevent serious illness and reduce health care costs.\r\nFacing 21st Century Public Health Threats: Our Nation's Preparedness and Response Capabilities, Part I: The committee held a hearing to discuss the reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA), legislation which helps ensure the United States is prepared for public health threats including natural disasters, bioterror attacks, and outbreaks of infectious diseases.\r\nFacing 21st Century Public Health Threats: Our Nation's Preparedness and Response Capabilities, Part 2: At the committee's second hearing on reauthorizing PAHPA, Alexander said, Tennessee has seen already heartbreaking stories this winter as the flu has spread across the state and this country. PAHPA provides a medical and public health preparedness framework that ensures we are ready and able to respond to public health threats, encourages research and development of medicines to protect Americans, and enables our hospitals and state and local health departments to be prepared to respond to public health emergencies.\r\nThe Health Care Workforce: Addressing Shortages and Improving Care: At a committee hearing examining the projected shortage of health care workers, Alexander said, We also know the shortage affects certain populations more than others. Rural areas where 60 million Americans live suffer the greatest impact of the shortage of health care professionals.\r\nHearing from governors, state insurance commissioners, and health policy experts on how to stabilize the individual health insurance market:\r\nObamacare Emergency: Stabilizing the Individual Health Insurance Market:Alexander chaired the committee's first hearing of the year on the individual health insurance market where18 million Americans and 350,000 Tennesseans purchase their insuranceand invited Tennessee's state insurance commissioner, Julie Mix McPeak, to testify.Alexander said, Without quick action, many of these 18 million Americans may have zero choices for insurance next year.\r\nStabilizing Premiums and Helping Individuals in the Individual Insurance Market for 2018: State Insurance Commissioners:Alexander launched a series of hearings this fall on stabilizing the individual health insurance market and helping 18 million Americans be able to access and afford health insurance in 2018. At this first hearing, the committee heard from state insurance commissioners, including Julie Mix McPeak.\r\nStabilizing Premiums and Helping Individuals in the Individual Insurance Market for 2018: Governors:At the second hearing on stabilizing the individual health insurance market, the committee heard from governors, including Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, on steps Congress could take to make it easier for states to reclaim control of their insurance markets and limit premium increases in 2018.\r\nStabilizing Premiums and Helping Individuals in the Individual Insurance Market for 2018: State Flexibility:At the third hearing on stabilizing the individual health insurance market, the committee heard from state flexibility experts on ways to allow states to offer more flexible insurance plans.Alexander said waivers from Obamacare regulations could offer states as many options as a Dr. Seuss book titled Oh, ThePlaceYou'll Go.\r\nStabilizing Premiums and Helping Individuals in the Individual Insurance Market for 2018: Health Care Stakeholders:At the fourth hearing on stabilizing the individual health insurance market,Alexander said, It'sclear to truly protect patients, we need to stabilize the markets, limit premium increases, and begin to lower premiums in the future.\"\r\nExploring how to make college degrees more affordable and worth students' time and money:\r\nExploring Free Speech on College Campuses: At a hearing on free speech on college campuses, Alexander said,Universities should be the place where people of different views may speak, audiences can listen, and many contrasting viewpoints are encouraged There should be some sensible way to allow speakers to speak and audiences to listen while still protecting freedoms offered by the First Amendment.\r\nReauthorizing the Higher Education Act: Examining Proposals to Simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): At the first hearing on the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act Alexander said,After four years of discussions over how to simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or the FAFSA, it is time to come to a result to make it easier for students to apply for federal financial aid. Alexander has said the committee plans to continue its work on updating the Higher Education Act in the New Year to make it simpler and easier for students to attend college.\r\nReauthorizing the Higher Education Act: Financial Aid Simplification and Transparency: The committee's second hearing on reauthorizing the Higher Education Act examined how to simplify the federal student aid system of two grant programs, five loan programs, and nine repayment plans. Alexander said, There is a bipartisan consensus that students looking for federal financial aid to go to college need a much simpler system so that it is not a barrier to college for the very students the aid is intended to help.\r\nReauthorizing the Higher Education Act: Access and Innovation: At the committee's third hearing on reauthorizing the Higher Education Act, Alexander asked, How can Congress create an environment for colleges to innovate to meet the needs of today's  and tomorrow's  students? As the typical university student has changed into a more wide-ranging group, there is a bipartisan consensus that colleges need to be able to offer solutions to meet those students' diverse needs flexible class schedules or online learning to accommodate for family and work commitments.\r\nReauthorizing the Higher Education Act: Accountability and Risk to Taxpayers: At the committee's fourth hearing on reauthorizing the Higher Education Act, Alexander said, I believe Congress should consider new accountability measures that are more effective at holding all individual programs at all colleges and universities accountable for the ability of their students to pay back their loans.\r\nReauthorizing the Higher Education Act: Improving College Affordability: The committee's fifth hearing on reauthorizing the Higher Education Act looked at making college more affordable. Alexander said, The Appropriations Committee will consider whether Congress should appropriate more taxpayer dollars for student aid, but in the meantime, Congress can also help students afford college by better spending the $28 billion in grants and $92 billion in loans we spend annually. This would mean simplifying student aid, redirecting existing dollars for more Pell grants, helping students complete their degrees more rapidly, and making colleges more accountable for students repaying loans.\r\nOverseeing the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act and ensuring local control of schools: \r\nThe Every Student Succeeds Act: States Leading the Way: The committee held an oversight hearing in September, 2018 on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), a law the committee passed in 2015 to fix No Child Left Behind, to hear from state education chiefs from Nebraska, Delaware and South Carolina about how they are implementing the law. Alexander said that, States are back in the driver's seat for decisions on how to help their students.\r\nThe Every Student Succeeds Act: Unleashing State Innovation:At an oversight hearing on ESSA in 2017, Alexander said,Tennessee, Louisiana, and New Mexico have taken the most advantage of the flexibility we offered under the law in creating innovative state plansI look forward to seeing ways other states are taking advantage of the freedom to innovate under ESSA. \r\nExploring issues important to American workers: \r\nThe Impact of Zero Tariffs on U.S. Autoworkers: At a committee hearing looking at the impact of tariffs, Alexander said the president's zero tariff goal would help autoworkers in Tennessee, where automotive jobs have nearly doubled since 1994 when the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) went into effect. Alexander said, One of the reasons Tennessee has been able to have so much success building cars and SUV's is because the North American Free Trade Agreement is fundamentally a zero tariff trade agreement.\r\nModernizing Apprenticeships to Expand Opportunities: As the economy booms, employers are in need of skilled workers more than ever. The committee held a hearing to examine how federally-administered apprenticeship programs could be modernized to meet the needs of growing industries like health or finance. Alexander said, The hope is that with a modernized approach to apprenticeships, industries that weren't around when Paul Revere was training to be a silversmith or even when Elvis was learning to be an electrician would be able to start apprenticeship programs.\r\nConfirmation hearings on President Trump's nominees:\r\nNomination of Sharon Fast Gustafson to be General Counsel of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: The committee met to consider the nomination of Sharon Fast Gustafson to serve as General Counsel of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a position Alexander said is important to our nation's workers.\r\nNomination of John F. Ring to be a Member of the National Labor Relations Board: The committee met to consider the nomination of John Ring to serve as a member of the National Labor Relations Board. Alexander said, I hope confirming Mr. Ring will continue the trend of returning balance to our labor laws.\r\nNomination of Frank T. Brogan to be Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education: The committee met to consider the nomination of Frank Brogan to serve as Assistant Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education. Alexander said, In this role, Mr. Brogan's job will be to implement laws as Congress wrote them, including the law we wrote fixing No Child Left Behind we produced a law that reflected our consensus at the start: Continue the law's important measurements of academic progress of students but restore to states, school districts, classroom teachers and parents the responsibility for deciding what to do about improving student achievement. This change should produce fewer tests and more appropriate ways to measure student achievement.\r\nDepartment of Education and Department of Labor Nominations:The committee met to considertwo Department of Education nominees, Ken Marcus to serve as Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights and Johnny Collett to serve as Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, and two Department of Labor nominees, Scott Mugno to serve as Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health and Dr. William Beach to serve as Commissioner of Labor Statistics.\r\nNomination of Alex Azar to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services:The committee held a hearing for Alex Azar to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Alexander said that Azar'sbroad experience is a principal asset to leading the Department you are ready to take advantage of the law Leader McConnell called, the most important piece of legislation,' the 21stCentury Cures Act, which gave new, broad powers to FDA and NIH, and included the first major reorganization of mental health programs in a decade, as well as significant new funding for the opioid crisis.\r\nDepartment of Education and Department of Labor Nominees:The committee met to considertwo Department of Education nominees, Brigadier General Mitchel Zais to serve as Deputy Secretary and James Blew to serve as Assistant Secretary for Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development, and two Department of Labor nominees, Kate O'Scannlain to serve as Solicitor and Preston Rutledge to serve as Assistant Secretary for the Employee Benefits Security Administration.\r\nDepartment of Labor and National Labor Relations Board Nominations:The committee met to consider two Department of Labor nominations and one National Labor Relations Board nomination: Cheryl Stanton to serve as Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division; David Zatezalo to serve as the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health; and Peter Robb to serve as the General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board.\r\nDepartment of Education and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Nominations:The committee met to consider two Equal Employment Opportunity Commission member nominees,Janet Dhillon and Daniel Gade, and a Department of Education nominee, Carlos Muniz, to serve as General Counsel.\r\nDepartment of Health and Human Services Nominations:The committee met to consider five Department of Health and Human Services nominees, including:Lance Allen Robertson to serve as Assistant Secretary for Aging; Dr. Brett Giroir to serve as Assistant Secretary for Health; Dr. Robert Kadlec to serve as Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response; Dr. Elinore F. McCance-Katz to serve as Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use; and Dr. Jerome Adams to serve as Surgeon General of the Public Health Service.\r\nDepartment of Labor and Members of the National Labor Relations Board Nominations: The committee met to consider the nomination of Patrick Pizzella to serve as Deputy Secretary of the Department of Laborand Marvin Kaplan and William Emanuel to serve as members of the National Labor Relations Board.\r\nNomination of Scott Gottlieb, MD, to serve as Commissioner of Food and Drugs:The committee met to consider the nomination of Dr. Scott Gottlieb to serve as Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. Alexander said Dr. Gottlieb hasimpressive qualifications from nearly every perspective and is the right person to lead the Food and Drug Administration and its vital mission for patients.\r\nNomination of Alex Acosta to serve as Secretary of Labor:The committee met to consider Secretary of Labor nominee R. Alexander Acosta. Alexander saidthat the Labor Secretary and Congress's goal is to create an environment for American workers to succeed in a rapidly changing workplace and that harmful Obama-era labor regulations have only made it harder for Americans to create, find, or keep good-paying jobs.We are fortunate today to have a presidential nominee for Labor Secretary who understands how a good-paying job is critical to helping workers realize the American dream for themselves and for their families.\r\nNomination of Tom Price to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services:The committee met to consider the nomination of Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) to lead theDepartment of Health and Human Services.The committee does not vote on this nomination but does hold a courtesy hearing.\r\nNomination of Betsy DeVos to serve as Secretary of Education:The committee met to consider the nomination of Betsy DeVos to serve as Secretary of Education. Alexander said,Betsy DeVos is on our children's side. On charter schools and school choice, she is in the mainstream of those trying to help children succeedand her critics are outside of it.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=91AABAE0-4824-49A6-A943-8F94F1B6797E"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5091549139469862, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}