October 3, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E2231 

Atlanta to witness firsthand the result of this 

investment. 

f 

INTRODUCTION OF THE PROTECTING HOSPITAL OUTPATIENT 

AND COMMUNITY CLINIC SERVICES ACT OF 2008 (H.R. 7219) 

HON. JOHN M. McHUGH OF NEW YORK

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, October 3, 2008 

Mr. MCHUGH. Madam Speaker, on September 29, 2008, I introduced legislation, the 

Protecting Hospital Outpatient and Community 

Clinic Services Act of 2008 (H.R. 7219), which 

would prohibit the U.S. Secretary for Health 

and Human Services (HHS) from taking any 

action before April 1, 2009, to implement a 

proposed regulation related to the redefinition 

of Medicaid outpatient hospital services. This 

initiative was developed by HHS’ Centers for 

Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and 

was published on September 28, 2007 (72 

Federal Register 55158). 

The proposal is designed to limit the definition and scope of Federally reimbursable Medicaid outpatient services provided in a hospital 

clinic or facility as well as those offered in a 

rural health clinic. CMS has stated that it is 

unable to determine the fiscal impact of the 

rule and that they believe this measure would 

not significantly alter current practices in most 

states. However, the National Association of 

State Medicaid Directors (NASMD) reports 

that the proposed regulation ‘‘would significantly affect the Medicaid program in every 

state.’’ According to one source, in New York 

State alone, health care providers would lose 

over $452 million. It is important to note that 

this estimate, large as it is, excludes the costs 

encountered by hospital settings. By way of 

example, New York’s 23rd Congressional District, which I have the privilege of representing, 

would lose over $2.6 million in Federal funding. Moreover, even after attempting to fully 

analyze this complex regulation, New York 

State is still unable to fully assess the total 

magnitude of its impact. 

Needless to say, such a loss of funding 

would have a devastating impact upon the 

health care infrastructure, and thus the residents, of Northern and Central New York. 

Specifically, several constituent providers have 

estimated the proposed rule would not only reduce their ability to provide critical services to 

some of our nation’s most vulnerable individuals but also literally force these providers out 

of business. 

As stated above, CMS readily admits, it 

does not fully understand the impact of its actions. The State of New York has documented 

that the proposal would result in significant 

negative consequences. In the face of such 

circumstances, prudence demands that the 

rule’s actual consequences be thoroughly examined, and well understood, before its implementation. H.R. 7219 would provide CMS, and 

Congress, until April 1, 2009, to closely examine the proposed rule and act accordingly. 

Thus, I urge my colleagues to join with me to 

enact this legislation before the conclusion of 

the 110th Congress. 

IN SUPPORT OF TITLE H.R. 6503, 

TO AMEND THE VIOLENT CRIME 

CONTROL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT ACT OF 1994 TO REAUTHORIZE THE MISSING ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE PATIENT 

ALERT PROGRAM 

HON. SHEILA JACKSON-LEE OF TEXAS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, October 3, 2008 

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam 

Speaker, thank you for your leadership in 

bringing this bill to the floor. I support H.R. 

6503, to amend the Violent Crime Control and 

Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to reauthorize 

the Missing Alzheimer’s Disease Patient Alert 

Program. I urge my colleagues to support this 

bill. 

Thousands of vulnerable older adults go 

missing each year as a result of dementia, diminished capacity, foul play or other unusual 

circumstances. The Alzheimer’s Foundation of 

America estimates that over 5 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, and that 

60 percent of these are likely to wander from 

their homes. Alzheimers diseases and other 

dementia related illnesses often leave their 

victims disoriented and confused and unable 

to find their way home. According to the Alzheimers Association, up to 50 of wanderers 

risk serious illness, injury or death if not found 

within 24 hours. The problem can be exacerbated greatly by national disasters, such as 

Hurricane Katrina, that can, in a matter of 

hours, increase the number of missing persons by the thousands. 

H.R. 6503 reauthorizes the existing Missing 

Alzheimer’s Disease Patient Alert Program. 

The bill authorizes $5 million for each fiscal 

year through 2015 for competitive grants to 

nonprofit organizations. The money may be 

used to pay for the ‘‘costs of planning, designing, establishing, and operating locally based, 

proactive programs to protect and locate missing patients with Alzheimers disease and related dementias and other missing elderly individuals.’’ The bill states a preference for ‘‘national nonprofit organizations that have a direct line to patients, and families of patients, 

with Alzheimers disease and related dementias.’’ 

When I consider the necessity of this bill, I 

am reminded about the time when I was personally called upon by a constituent in the 

18th Congressional District in Texas. A few 

years back, the family of Mr. Sammy Kirk, enlisted my help in searching for Mr. Kirk. Mr. 

Kirk was an elderly man, suffering from Alzheimers and he had wandered away from his 

family in Houston. He was lost. His family 

called me to help search for him. I, along with 

his family, searched many hours and many 

days. In total, I searched for 3 days for Mr. 

Kirk. Finally, Mr. Sammy Kirk was found. He 

was found and he was dead. He wandered 

many miles away from his family and was 

found dead along the bayou. It would have 

been so much easier, and his life could have 

been spared if there was an electronic monitoring service that could have been used to 

help keep Mr. Kirk close to his family and it 

would have certainly aided in our search for 

Mr. Kirk. An innocent, yet vulnerable, life could 

have been saved. This bill is necessary and I 

encourage my colleagues to support it. 

IN RECOGNITION OF LIFETIME 

TELEVISION’S CONTRIBUTIONS 

TO THE FIGHT AGAINST SEXUAL 

ASSAULT 

HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY OF NEW YORK

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, October 3, 2008 

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Madam 

Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Lifetime Television for its vigorous and effective educational 

programs that help promote efforts to combat 

the epidemic of sexual assault that has afflicted our nation. Among other measures, 

Lifetime Television mounted an extraordinary 

campaign to inform its millions of viewers 

about the Debbie Smith Act that was enacted 

into law in 2004 as part of the Justice for All 

Act. A reauthorization bill passed both the 

House and Senate this year and awaits the 

President’s signature. 

Founded in 1984, Lifetime Television is a 

national leader in women’s television that now 

serves 96 million households across America. 

One of the top-rated basic cable television 

networks in the world, Lifetime is committed to 

offering the highest quality entertainment and 

information programming, and educating viewers about a wide range of issues affecting 

women and their families. 

Lifetime Television and its top leadership 

have also been remarkable in their commitment to serving their viewership through public 

education and outreach efforts. Countless notfor-profit and community-based organizations 

have benefitted from Lifetime’s commitment to 

addressing critical issues in our society, increasing public awareness of violence against 

women, breast cancer, race relations, school 

bullying and AIDS. Many Members of Congress and government decision-makers from 

both sides of the aisle have praised Lifetime 

Television for helping to use its expansive 

reach as the most popular women’s television 

network in the world to help generate support 

to enact sound public policies. 

Lifetime Television’s educational outreach 

efforts played an instrumental role helping to 

pass the Debbie Smith Act in 2004. Their educational efforts helped generate a groundswell 

of support from the public. 

I was honored to name that bill after a courageous, determined advocate named Debbie 

Smith when I first introduced it in the 107th 

Congress. A rape survivor, she had been invited to testify before the House about the lack 

of resources to test DNA samples collected in 

rape and sexual assault cases. Her compelling 

testimony and relentless advocacy were instrumental in garnering support for the bill. 

The legislation increased federal spending on 

DNA evidence processing to $151 million annually from fiscal year 2005 through 2009, and 

created a new grant program providing resources to sexual assault examiners and acquiring forensic equipment. It was called ‘‘the 

most important piece of anti-rape legislation 

that Congress has ever passed’’ by the Rape 

Abuse and Incest National Network, or 

RAINN. 

Lifetime has maintained that degree of commitment throughout the course of its Emmy 

Award-winning ‘‘End Violence Against 

Women’’ campaign over the last seven years. 

Lifetime Television later dramatized Debbie 

Smith’s inspirational activism in an original 


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