At a House Energy Committee hearing prior to the Congressional recess, Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-CA) questioned HHS Sec. Xavier Becerra about combatting Alzheimer's Disease.
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NewsTranscript
00:00 Recognize Ms. Bergan for five minutes.
00:02 Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
00:05 Thank you, Secretary Becerra, for being here, for all you're doing.
00:10 When I first walked into the hearing earlier, the ranking, the chairman was in this opening
00:16 statement and was talking about the border, and I thought I walked into the wrong congressional
00:21 hearing.
00:22 What I heard was expressing a disappointment that the budget request didn't address the
00:26 influx of illicit drugs like fentanyl, which are coming across our border at a rapid rate.
00:32 I just want the American people to know that President Biden had a supplemental request
00:38 that had $850 million that he was asking for to help combat fentanyl from crossing the
00:44 southern border.
00:45 Another $100 million for HSI, which is investigations from crossing the southern border regarding
00:52 fentanyl, and the hiring of more border patrol agents for this very reason.
00:57 So the President of the United States and this administration asked for money, millions
01:03 of dollars, hundreds of millions of dollars.
01:05 And it is Republicans who said no to that.
01:08 So expressing a disappointment about the lack of money in the budget for that is a little
01:13 rich considering the President asked for the money and Congress, with the Republicans in
01:19 charge have said no.
01:21 And with that said, Mr. Secretary, I'm going to move on to my questions I have for you.
01:24 I want to thank you for all you're doing on healthcare, all you're doing in the space
01:30 of women's reproductive rights, and all you're doing on Alzheimer's.
01:33 And my question, my first question is on Alzheimer's, Mr. Secretary.
01:38 85% of initial diagnoses of Alzheimer's are made by clinicians who are usually primary
01:44 care providers.
01:46 And half of these providers report that they do not feel adequately prepared to care for
01:51 those individuals.
01:52 That's why I've introduced a bill called the ADAPT Act with my Republican colleague, Representative
01:58 Carter, which would empower primary care providers to better diagnose Alzheimer's and deliver
02:03 high quality, personal centered care.
02:07 As the number of people with dementia is set to increase, how will HHS work to support
02:13 workforce, readiness, as well as access to treatments and services?
02:18 Congressman, thank you for the question and all the work you've done on this issue of
02:22 dementia.
02:24 We are continuing to work to try to make sure that as we graduate the next generation of
02:30 physicians, nurses, that we have them going into the areas that we need the most.
02:35 And so we are trying to make sure that GME, graduate medical education slots, are going
02:39 into those spaces.
02:41 We're trying to make sure that, as you just mentioned, a primary care physician gets training
02:45 beyond what they currently get in most medical schools.
02:48 I focused earlier on the issue of behavioral health because too many family care doctors,
02:54 too many internists are not really trained on behavioral health services.
02:58 And that means someone going in with a child that has behavioral health challenges has
03:03 to wait to get to a specialist before they start to get the care.
03:06 Very similar to the question you're asking with regard to Alzheimer's.
03:09 We would be very supportive of any initiatives, especially if they come with resources, so
03:14 we can make sure we can implement that to make sure the healthcare workforce actually
03:18 addresses the needs of the populations that we're seeing grow.
03:21 Great.
03:22 Thank you, Mr. Secretary.
03:24 I also want to thank you for a demonstrated commitment to, in the budget, to cut the cancer
03:29 death rate by 50 percent over the next 25 years, which includes implementation of President
03:35 Biden's Cancer Moonshot Initiative.
03:37 Every three minutes, someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with blood cancer.
03:42 One such cancer is multiple myeloma, where early detection is key to effective treatments.
03:48 My sister has multiple myeloma.
03:50 She's only two years older than I am.
03:52 Of course, our colleague, Republican Steve Scalise, has been battling multiple myeloma.
04:01 And so I know firsthand, you know, what he's going through with the stem cell transplant
04:06 and ongoing chemo meds people take.
04:08 Can you share the importance of funds for the Advanced Research Projects Agency to improve
04:15 early detection of such cancers?
04:18 Congresswoman ARPA-H, the agency you just referenced, unlike the National Institute
04:23 of Health, when it engages in a research program, it is not the long-term 10, 15-year process
04:33 that NIH usually goes through to try to get some innovative therapy on the ground.
04:38 ARPA-H is meant to harness those innovative ideas that are out there in America but haven't
04:44 yet been catalyzed with resources.
04:47 And ARPA-H says, if you can get something going in the next two or three years, then
04:51 you're in ARPA-H's space.
04:53 And so something like the issue of cancer, if there's an innovative idea on how to address
04:59 any number of cancers, ARPA-H is a great platform so long as that proposal can get out there
05:06 within two or three years.
05:07 Well, thank you.
05:08 I'm interested in working with the agency on the Moonshot Initiative, especially on
05:11 blood cancers, because there is no formal program at the Centers for Disease Control
05:16 and Prevention.
05:17 So hopefully we can get that on a bipartisan basis done.
05:20 And with that, thank you, Mr. Secretary.
05:21 I yield back.
05:22 The gentleman yields back.
05:25 Recognize Mr. Pence.
05:26 Five minutes.
05:27 Thank you, Mr. Chairman.