Anna Eshoo: “I thank the chairman of the full committee. I want to acknowledge the ranking member of the Health Subcommittee, Dr.…”

“I thank the chairman of the full committee. I want to acknowledge the ranking member of the Health Subcommittee, Dr. Burgess. I want to salute Mr. Doyle and Mr. Smith for their passion and their advocacy inside the Congress and all the advocates and their organizations outside the Congress, without whom we wouldn't be on the floor today on this bill. I am so proud that our Health Subcommittee advanced this bipartisan legislation, sponsored by Mr. Doyle and Mr. Smith. The legislation extends the Autism CARES Act for 5 years, and that is very important. The other very important bookend is that the bill funds research at the NIH to understand the biology behind autism. It will help to build the infrastructure at CDC to advance our understanding of autism, and it trains medical providers on screening, on diagnosis, and on intervention. I think what is so important in the paragraph that I just stated is understanding the biology behind autism. There is so much that we still don't know today. This act renews the Federal Government's commitment to getting the answers. During the hearing on the bill at our Health Subcommittee, we heard how critical the Autism CARES programs are. Researchers, physicians, parents, and patients rely on Autism CARES to fund the support services, research, training, and surveillance programs to get people the diagnoses and the services they need.…”