Timely Reauthorization of Necessary Stem-Cell Programs Lends Access to Needed Therapies Act of 2021

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 941, the Timely Reauthorization of Necessary Stem-Cell Programs Lends Access to Needed Therapies Act, or the TRANSPLANT Act.

As co-chair of the Blood Cancers Caucus, I urge my colleagues to support the TRANSPLANT Act. This bill is about providing hope to those who are struggling with life-threatening illnesses. The TRANSPLANT Act reauthorizes the C.W. Bill Young Transplant Program, in addition to the National Cord Blood Inventory Program.

I remember Bill Young, Chairman Young, a great friend of ours, and he said that this was one of his greatest accomplishments. I also know that Chris Smith, who will be speaking later, was also involved in this. He has been a champion on this issue, Mr. Speaker. So I appreciate both of them.

This Federal program provides critical support in the advancement of research for better treatments and the infrastructure necessary to organize registries, which will help ensure transplant patients have access to lifesaving procedures. Simply put, its continued reauthorization is vital for patients with diseases like blood cancer, sickle cell anemia, and inherited metabolic or immune system disorders.

I sincerely appreciate the work of my friend and colleague and fellow Blood Cancers Caucus co-chair, Congresswoman Matsui, in addition to the legacy of bipartisan leadership and support of these programs by Members like, as I said, Chris Smith.

I thank the chairman, as well and the ranking member, for placing this particular bill on the agenda. I know it will get through the Senate this time.

Additionally, I appreciate the critical daily work of the National Marrow Donor Program, operating the Be the Match national registry, connecting patients in search of a cure with lifesaving bone marrow donors, even in the midst of this historic pandemic.

I would also like to take a moment to recognize the great work of Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg, the president of the Cord Blood Association. She also serves in multiple roles at Duke University, including the director of Carolinas Cord Blood Bank. Dr. Kurtzberg has dedicated her professional career to cord blood research, banking, and transplantation; and she is an internationally recognized umbilical cord blood transplanter. She advised Congress on the creation of the public cord blood banking program, which was part of the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005. Dr. Kurtzberg continues to be a trusted adviser to Congress on this important program.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to join us in expediting passage of this lifesaving bipartisan bill.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, today, the House of Representatives will vote to reauthorize the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act, a law that I authored in 2005. This was an original idea of mine 20 years ago.

My good friend from Florida just mentioned Dr. Kurtzberg. Dr. Kurtzberg was in the meetings that we held in drafting this legislation, and she provided incredible insights as to what we should do, what path we should follow. So I appreciate him recognizing her.

I also thank Artur Davis, who was my Democratic colleague and the principal Democratic cosponsor of the bill during those several years. It took 5 long years of hard work and numerous setbacks, but the bill was finally signed into law on December 20, 2005.

The new law created a nationwide umbilical cord blood stem cell program designed to collect, derive, type, and freeze cord blood units for transplantation into patients to mitigate and even cure serious disease. Pursuant to the law, it also provided stem cells for research. The new cord blood program was combined with an expanded bone marrow initiative, which was crafted over several years by our distinguished colleague, Congressman Bill Young.

Umbilical cord blood stem cells, Mr. Speaker, obtained after the birth of a child have proved to be highly efficacious in treating some 70 diseases, including sickle cell disease, lymphoma, leukemia, and in treating metabolic and immune deficiencies. Scientists are continuing to study and better understand the regenerative effects of cord blood cell therapies for other diseases and disabilities, including autism. I would say in like manner, bone marrow donations are also providing lifesaving transplants for some of those very same diseases. So we have great regenerative initiatives that will be continued.

The National Cord Blood Inventory, NCBI, provides funding to public cord blood banks participating in the program to allow them to expand the national inventory of cord blood units available for transplant. These units are then listed on the registry by the Be the Match program. The funds appropriated thus far have led to an important increase in the overall number of high-quality cord blood units available through the national registry, now totaling 111,000 NCBI units. Within the Be the Match Registry, there are now more than 800,000 worldwide.

The program registry, Mr. Speaker, allows patients and physicians to locate matching cord blood units, as well as adult donors for marrow and peripheral blood stem cells. The program is the world's largest, most diverse donor registry, with more than 23 million volunteers. To date, the National Marrow Donor Program/Be the Match, through its operation of the program, has facilitated more than 105,000 transplants. According to Be the Match, more than 40,000 patients have received cord blood transplants.

The reauthorization before us authorizes $23 million each year for 5 years for the cord blood side and, again, some $30 million each year for the bone marrow program.

Mr. Speaker, each year, nearly 4 million babies are born in America. In the past, virtually every placenta and umbilical cord was tossed as medical waste. Today, doctors have turned this medical waste into medical miracles.

Not only has God, in His wisdom and goodness, created a placenta and an umbilical cord to nurture and protect the precious life of an unborn child, but now we know that another gift awaits immediately after birth. Something very special is left behind: Cord blood that is teeming with lifesaving stem cells.

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Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, this is a very important bill and needs to pass as soon as possible. I really appreciate the chairman placing the bill on the agenda. I urge the Senate to pass it as soon as possible, and, of course, my colleagues today, if we can pass this bill immediately so we can get it to the Senate.

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