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Washington, D.C.  – U.S. Representative John D. Dingell (D-MI15) released the following statement regarding President Obama’s fiscal year (FY) 2013  budget request:

“Although the economy has shown significant signs of improvement over the last few months, it is clear that more action is needed to get Americans back to work.  This involves investing in key areas such as education, infrastructure, and manufacturing.  Addressing our long-term debt problems is also a national priority which deserves our attention.  I commend President Obama for releasing his fiscal year (FY) 2013 budget request which makes the key investments needed to help the U.S. become more competitive, all while reducing the deficit by $4 trillion over ten years.

“Manufacturing is playing and will continue to play a central role in our economic recovery.  The President has made a wise decision by continuing to invest in this vital sector.  President Obama’s budget helps promote “insourcing” by providing tax incentives for those who create jobs right here in America, while ending preferential tax treatment for companies that ship jobs overseas.  We must also ensure that American workers have the skills they need to compete for the jobs of the 21st century, and the new Community College to Career Fund will help do just that.  By facilitating increased collaboration between community colleges and businesses, we will ensure students get the practical and high-tech skills that companies are actually looking for.  These expenditures are wise ones, as you can never go wrong by investing in the American worker.

“I am also pleased to see President Obama’s continued support for U.S. public health and safety.  This budget contains $76.4 billion for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which will allow for the proper implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.  Such funding is especially timely, as states begin their work on setting up the health insurance exchanges and other key aspects of the law will be up and running during this timeframe.  Additionally, providing $4.5 billion to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will aid them in their efforts to ensure the safety of our food supply by continuing the implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act.  These funds will also help ensure FDA has the staff and funding they need to oversee and approve innovative new drug treatments and medical products.  As the author of food safety reform and the original user fee programs for our prescription drugs, rest assured I will work with the President to ensure FDA is equipped to oversee an increasingly globalized food, drug and medical product supply chain.  These programs are only a small fraction of what is contained in the budget, and I will continue to examine and study the budget for its impact on the State of Michigan.  While I am disappointed in the funding level for the proposed Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) at Michigan State University, I am certain we can all work together to address this important project moving forward.

“We will hear much from those on the other side of the aisle about how this budget balloons the deficit while encouraging wasteful spending.  In fact, nothing could be farther from the truth.  This budget follows the tough budgetary caps mandated by the Budget Control Act, which will lead to meaningful deficit reduction, while making the investments we need to succeed in the short term.  Let’s get to work and follow the President’s lead on this critical issue.”

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Today, U.S. Representative John D. Dingell (D-MI15) issued the following statement at the House Committee on Energy and Commerce's Subcommittee on Communications and Technology hearing entitled, “Cybersecurity: Threats to Communications Networks and Private-Sector Responses”:

 "Mr. Chairman, thank you for holding this important hearing today.  I am not alone among my colleagues in recognizing that growing interconnectedness has brought with it new security risks that require well-reasoned responses.  In the past year, computer hackers have infiltrated the networks at both CitiGroup and Sony.  Additionally, RSA Security, which manufactures the SecureID tokens used by many federal employees also had its security compromised in a recent attack.  Moreover, we have all read about Chinese hackers attacking the Pentagon.  In short, these attacks are serious reminders of the vulnerabilities in our private and public communications systems and the pressing need to address them.

"Although most recent cyberattacks have been commercial in nature and were carried out by hackers seeking to make a profit through espionage, those who seek to do our country harm could soon turn to a cyberattack to accomplish their aims.  Our utilities, communications networks, and financial system are all currently at risk.  As Mr. Lewis notes in his testimony, a recent U.S. Department of Homeland Security study indicates that most critical infrastructure companies had been penetrated by a cyberattack at least once.  Such vulnerabilities are real and could allow terrorists to do great harm to our way of life using only a computer.

"I hope this hearing will be a useful starting point for the Committee.  There are several pieces of legislation moving through Congress which address the issue of cybersecurity, and each takes a different approach to the problem.  However, it is clear that there needs to be more cooperation and collaboration between the private sector and the federal government to protect the country’s critical infrastructure.  I would also implore my colleagues to approach this problem reasonably, with an open mind, and a willingness to compromise.  We live in the 21^st century, and achieving a 21^st century solution will require bipartisan cooperation. 

"In closing, our national security requires that we competently address cyberthreats.  As the Internet and the nature of communications continue to evolve, adaptable solutions to the pernicious problem of cybersecurity must be found and agreed upon.  I urge my colleagues to take heed of this and show their constituents we can stop bickering for a moment to address a problem that has the potential to touch every American.  Thank you for your courtesy, Mr. Chairman.  I yield back the balance of my time."

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Washington, D.C.  – Today, U.S. Representative John D. Dingell (D-MI15) sent the following letter to the House Majority Leadership expressing his fear that both sides of Congress are moving too quickly on the “STOCK Act of 2012”:


February 7, 2012


The Honorable John Boehner                                                    The Honorable Eric Cantor
Speaker                                                                                  Majority Leader
U.S. House of Representatives                                                  U.S. House of Representatives
H-232, The Capitol                                                                   H-329, The Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20515                                                               Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Speaker Boehner and Majority Leader Cantor:

                As you are both aware, President Obama’s recent State of the Union speech conveyed a great urgency to enact legislation that would explicitly ban insider trading by Members of Congress.  I wholeheartedly support strict ethical standards for all government employees with respect to profiting privately in the performance of governmental duties.  Indeed, throughout my career, it has always been my understanding that the House Ethics Rules specifically prohibit this sort of behavior. 

I am writing to you because I fear both bodies are moving too expeditiously and rather haphazardly in their respective consideration of S. 2038 and H.R. 1148, both known as the “STOCK Act of 2012.”  At the beginning of the 112th Congress, the House of Representatives committed to increasing transparency and allowing Members and the American public sufficient time to understand fully all aspects of legislation under consideration.  I have deep fears that S. 2038 and H.R. 1148, while meritorious in intention, will cause unintended consequences that have yet to be discussed.  For example, the bills make the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodity Futures Trading Corporation (CFTC) the primary enforcement agencies in cases of congressional insider trading.  Congress, as you know, has oversight authority over these agencies.  The thought of such agencies’ policing Congress at the same time raises questions about the very real possibility that political pressure might be exercised to thwart a congressional insider trading enforcement action by the SEC or CFTC.

As chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, I held numerous hearings in the 1980s on the subject of insider trading and related enforcement.  Based on the extensive record of these hearings, the Committee worked in a bipartisan fashion to write and report favorably P.L. 98-376, the “Insider Trading Sanctions Act of 1984,” and P.L. 100-704, the “Insider Trading and Securities Fraud Enforcement Act of 1988,” to address the causes of and strengthen the penalties related to insider trading.  Unfortunately, I believe Congress’s consideration of S. 2038 and H.R. 1148 has not benefitted from the careful consideration major pieces of legislation in years past did.

I therefore request that all members of the House of Representatives be given a bipartisan briefing by appropriate experts before any vote is held on S. 2038 and H.R. 1148.  Such a briefing is necessary in order to understand better the practical effects of mandates contained in both bills, including their potential to muddle and consequently weaken the existing insider trading enforcement authority of the Securities Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Exchange Commission.  I am also concerned about the constitutionality of S. 2038 and H.R. 1148, as well as both bills’ impact on current interpretations of the House Ethics Rules. 

Thank you for your kind consideration of my request.  I, like all of my colleagues, strive to promote and practice the highest standard of ethical behavior.  Improvements to such standard, however, must not unintentionally undercut other laws meant to protect the American public from harm.

With every good wish,

                                                                Sincerely,
                                                                John D. Dingell
                                                                Member of Congress


cc:          The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
                Minority Leader

                The Honorable Steny Hoyer
                Minority Whip

The Honorable Spencer Bachus, Chairman
                Committee on Financial Services

                The Honorable Barney Frank, Ranking Member
                Committee on Financial Services

                The Honorable Frank Lucas, Chairman
                Committee on Agriculture

                The Honorable Collin Peterson, Ranking Member
                Committee on Agriculture

               

The Honorable Daniel E. Lungren, Chairman
                Committee on House Administration

                The Honorable Robert A. Brady, Ranking Member
                Committee on House Administration

                The Honorable Lamar Smith, Chairman
                Committee on the Judiciary
                               
                The Honorable John Conyers, Ranking Member
                Committee on the Judiciary

                The Honorable Jo Bonner, Chairman
                Committee on Ethics

                The Honorable Linda T. Sánchez, Ranking Member
                Committee on Ethics  
 

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Washington, D.C.  – Today, U.S. Representative John D. Dingell (D-MI15) issued the following statement in opposition to H.R. 3835, a bill to extend the pay limitation for Members of Congress and federal employees:

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 3835, legislation to extend the pay limitation for Members of Congress and federal employees.  Members of this body agree that Congress should not receive a pay raise while Americans on Main Street continue to struggle.  Yet instead of bringing real bi-partisan legislation to the floor which would do just that, the Republican Majority has combined it with continuing the pay freeze for federal employees, which prohibits any cost-of-living adjustment or COLA.  Rather than offer real solutions to the problems Americans are facing, here my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are again distracting the public from the real issue at hand by choosing to attack middle class workers instead of asking the wealthiest among us to contribute their fair share. 

“H.R. 3835 denies federal employees any COLA increase through December 31, 2013, which would have a negative impact on more than two million hard working American middle class families – from your postman to the person processing your Social Security check.  As the price of fueling your car, feeding your family and heating your home continues to increase, salaries for two million middle class American workers are remaining stagnant.  It is important to remember that 85 percent of federal employees work outside of Washington, DC, meaning that these middle class working families are constituents of many members of this body, and are Main Street consumers.  This year, we gave Social Security beneficiaries and disabled veterans a cost-of-living increase to help them account for rising inflation.  It would be irresponsible not to do the same for middle class families who just also happen to be federal employees.  These working families do their fair share and have to deal with these rising costs as much as the rest of us.

“Returning to our core American values can help guide our nation during these difficult times.  I, along with others, believe that shared responsibility is a foundation of these values.  Federal employees serve this country ably, competently, and well.  We must not allow Republicans to pick the pockets of the middle class instead of asking the wealthiest Americans to give up the special loopholes and tax breaks that allow them to shirk their shared responsibility to reduce the deficit.  H.R. 3835 should be rejected as nothing more than crass political pandering.  Let’s stop this rascality and political smoke and mirrors, and vote on a clean extension of the pay freeze for Members of Congress.  Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I yield back the balance of my time.”

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Washington, D.C.  – Today, U.S. Representative John D. Dingell (D-MI15) spoke out to protect Americans from unsafe pharmaceuticals and to ensure domestic pharmaceutical manufacturers have a level playing field.  He questioned two expert panels and issued the following statement at the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing exploring the fifth reauthorization of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act.  He also voiced his opinion on CNN.com in his op-ed published today, ‘Are we sure our drugs are safe?’ 

“I want to thank the Chairman for holding today’s hearing on the reauthorization of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA).  Legislation updating FDA’s authority to protect American people from unsafe pharmaceuticals is desperately needed as shown from a large number of scandals in recent years.  This hearing is a critical first step in crafting legislation that will affect millions of Americans who take prescription medication.  FDA has the tremendous responsibility of ensuring these medications are safe and effective for use, and ensuring patients have access to innovative new treatments in a timely fashion.

“The agreement proposed by FDA and the industry will help to achieve this goal by ensuring FDA has adequate funding: to hire review and inspection staff needed for drug approvals, to improve the communication between FDA and industry during the approval process to ensure a more predictable and efficient process, and to improve regulatory science at the FDA.  One way that we can strengthen this proposed agreement is by focusing on the safety of our drug supply chain.  What many Americans don’t realize is the staggering fact that the number of drug products being manufactured outside of the United States doubled between 2001 and 2008.  A globalized drug supply demands a globalized FDA that can enforce and oversee the quality of drugs entering our market from both domestic and foreign drug manufacturers.

“This Committee has heard previously from Dr. Janet Woodcock, Director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, that FDA does not have the authorities it needs to oversee our drug supply.  Currently FDA does not have the authority to require a manufacturer to notify FDA if they know that a drug has been adulterated, to recall drugs that the FDA believes are causing harm to the public’s health, to refuse or seize imported drugs that are unsafe or counterfeited at the border, or to require a drug manufacturer to know their suppliers.  Further, we must ensure FDA has the resources needed to conduct comparable inspections of domestic and foreign drug manufacturers.  FDA is now required to inspect domestic drug facilities once every two years, but does not have a similar requirement in the law for foreign drug facilities.  I would hope my colleagues would agree that we must hold foreign drug manufacturers to the same high standards we hold domestic drug manufacturers.

“H.R. 1483, the Drug Safety Enhancement Act, builds on the success of the food safety reform law – H.R. 2751, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act – enacted by Congress last year and we have the opportunity to do the same thing for pharmaceuticals that we did for food.  FDA must have updated authorities and needed resources to properly oversee a globalized drug supply.  With the PDUFA expiring at the end of this fiscal year, this Committee must work quickly and efficiently to ensure that we pass legislation that will reauthorize this program in order to avoid any personnel disruptions at the FDA.  The hardworking employees of the FDA are looking for Congress to do our job, so that they can continue to do theirs.  I look forward to working with the Chairman and my colleagues on the other side of the aisle on reauthorization.  Thank you.”

Click here to view Congressman Dingell questioning FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg on the first panel, and click here to view him questioning Mr. Gene Germano of Pfizer and Dr. David Wheadon of PhRMA on the second panel.

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