Anna Eshoo: “I thank my colleague and my classmate, Mr. Green, for his distinguished service here in the House. He is retiring, and I…”

“I thank my colleague and my classmate, Mr. Green, for his distinguished service here in the House. He is retiring, and I want to salute him. I also want to salute my partner in this effort, Mr. Lance from New Jersey. He is going to be missed at the committee and missed in the House. I think he has always been value added to the Congress, and we all wish him well. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bipartisan legislation. The shorthand for it is the PREEMIE Act. It is legislation that I introduced with Congressman Lance to expand research, education, and the prevention of preterm birth. Preterm birth, or birth before 37 weeks of pregnancy, is the leading cause of newborn mortality and the second leading cause of infant mortality in our country. In 2016, over 388,000 infants were born too early; and, every year, over 20,000 babies in the United States will die before their first birthday, many of them from complications of preterm birth. In addition to being the leading cause of newborn death, premature birth can cause a lifetime of health challenges and intellectual disabilities for children who survive. In addition to the emotional and physical toll of prematurity, there are significant healthcare costs to families, medical systems, and our overall economy.…”