February 12, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 29 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session
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THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TURNS 100 YEARS OLD; Congressional Record Vol. 166, No. 29
(House of Representatives - February 12, 2020)
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[Pages H1054-H1055] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TURNS 100 YEARS OLD The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Marshall) for 5 minutes. Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, growing up on our family farm in rural Kansas, one thing was for sure: Every day at about 12:20, over the lunch hour, and then again at about 10:20 at night, our family would be gathered around the television set to watch the latest weather forecast for the upcoming day. From aviation to agriculture, accurate and timely weather forecasts are essential to a number of industries across the United States, and especially to farmers and ranchers back home in Kansas. 150 years ago, on February 9, 1870, President Ulysses S. Grant signed into law a joint resolution creating what was known as the Signal Service, laying the foundation for what would become today's National Weather Service. While the organization has evolved over the years, the National Weather Service provides important weather data, forecasting, and warnings aimed at protecting life and property across the United States. There are four National Weather Service offices across Kansas working to analyze data and provide timely weather information. They are located in Topeka, Dodge, Wichita, and Goodland, and I have had the opportunity to visit several of these locations and the fine ladies and gentlemen that run those stations. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to say happy 150th birthday to the National Weather Service and to say thank you for the around-the-clock work they do to keep us all safe and informed. Surprise Billing Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, if you or a loved one has ever experienced a medical emergency, you know how stressful these situations can be; but for far too many, the stress and heartache does not end when help arrives or treatment is delivered. Nearly one in four Kansans seeking medical treatment either through planned surgery or emergency medical care are hit with a surprise bill because the care they received was from a provider outside of their network. In Kansas, this can happen after a trip to the emergency room for, say, a child's broken arm, a motor vehicle accident, or chest pain. Surprise billing may occur when a patient receives emergency care from a professional outside of their insurance network. Unfortunately, surprise billing can also occur in nonemergency situations where a surgery is planned out well in advance, but you later find out one of the doctors or services was not in your plan's network. These unplanned expenses can leave Kansans on the hook for thousands--if not tens of thousands--of dollars in additional medical bills, often depleting [[Page H1055]] family savings or forcing individuals into long-term debt and even bankruptcy. The nightmare of unplanned medical billing has gone on far too long. Working alongside the White House and President Trump's leadership and my fellow members of the House Doc Caucus, I am proud of the solutions we have developed that would put an end to the unfair practice of surprise billing. I am encouraged by the widespread agreement in Congress to address the issue and am optimistic we can agree to commonsense policies that President Trump is eager to sign into law. We should all be able to agree on sensible reforms that address surprise billing. Specifically, patients should always be protected from surprise medical bills when receiving emergency or nonemergency care. Patients should only pay in-network rates for emergency care, and claims should be settled between healthcare providers and the insurer without roping in the patient. In the 21st century, we should expect that consumers have a right to accurate, transparent information about providers and their network with real and honest cost estimates before they make healthcare decisions. When referring a patient to another specialist as a physician myself, I always told my patients to check their health plan's provider directory, but also encouraged them to double-check with the physician's office directly in case the information was not up to date. This process can be confusing, time consuming, and unnecessary to physicians' offices as well as the patients, and it is my priority to fix it. These solutions have been more than a year in the making, and I am optimistic we are very close to accomplishing our shared goal of lowering the cost of healthcare and ending surprise billing once and for all. Recognizing Stephanie Sigler Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, later today, a Kansan from my district will be honored at the Next Generation 911 Institute's Annual 911 Honor Award Showcase to recognize emergency response heroes and leaders from across the country for their excellence in emergency response. Stephanie Sigler works as a 911 phone operator for the Rice County Emergency Communications Center in Lyons, Kansas, and will be honored as a 911 public safety professional for her superior response efforts on the job. In April of last year, Stephanie received a 911 phone call reporting the shooting of a Rice County sheriff and undersheriff, which led to an hours-long standoff involving numerous law enforcement agencies. Thanks to the swift and professional job done by Stephanie, many lives were spared. Hundreds of millions of 911 callers, every year, rely on the dedication and cooperation of our public safety professionals like Stephanie. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize Stephanie Sigler for dedicating herself to help Kansans in need. I would like to also recognize Rice County Sheriff Bryant Evans and Undersheriff Chad Murphy, who were wounded in the shooting, as well as those who were heroically responding during this situation. ____________________
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