Comprehensive Tuberculosis Elimination Act of 2008

COMPREHENSIVE TUBERCULOSIS ELIMINATION ACT OF 2008 -- (House of Representatives - September 23, 2008)

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Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of H.R. 1532, the Comprehensive Tuberculosis Elimination Act--a bill to amend and reauthorize the preventative health services regarding tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis causes more deaths than any other infectious disease caused by a single microorganism with approximately 1.6 million people worldwide succumbing to the disease each year. While the U.S. has done well in combating the disease in the past, the global burden continues to be high, and the emergence of drug-resistant tuberculosis has added a new level of difficulty to the problem.

The bill before us recognizes these issues by creating a Federal tuberculosis task force, by modifying the structure and duties of the Advisory Council for the Elimination of Tuberculosis and by encouraging the director of the National Institutes of Health to expand, intensify and coordinate research and development activities with respect to tuberculosis.

All of these efforts will steer us closer to the final goal of the elimination of tuberculosis.

I want to acknowledge my colleague on the Energy and Commerce Committee, Congressman Gene Green of Texas, for his leadership on this issue. This bill was negotiated in a bipartisan and bicameral fashion. I am proud to support it. I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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