Mr. Chairman, thank you for scheduling today's markup. I support all three bills on the agenda, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

H.R. 2023, the "Asthmatic Schoolchildren's Treatment and Health Management Act of 2004," is aimed at the problem encountered by asthmatic children who attend schools that prohibit them from bringing their asthma medications to school. For some, the results of these policies have been tragic. While the bill before us does not preempt state laws on this subject, it provides a preference in awarding asthma related grants for states that allow children to bring their asthma medication to school.

The bill that we will consider today is an amendment in the nature of a substitute. While it contains some changes from the original text, the essential function and purpose of the bill as introduced is retained. I want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, particularly Chairman Barton and Representative Towns.

I introduced the bill we will consider next, and I invite my colleagues to join as cosponsors. H.R. 4555, the "Mammography Quality Standards Reauthorization Act of 2004" is a simple reauthorization of the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) of 1992. The MQSA has made a solid contribution to improving the quality of mammograms.

Just a few days ago, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) published a detailed report entitled: "Saving Women's Lives, Strategies for Improving Breast Cancer Detection and Diagnosis." According to the IOM, "[m]ammography is a safety net that saves lives each year, . . . and although mammography saves lives, it is not perfect." The IOM report noted that many women who would benefit from mammography do not undergo regular screening and others who do undergo regular screening develop breast cancers that were not detected by their mammography exam. While the report notes that progress has been made in reducing mortality from breast cancer, it is still the second leading cause of death for women.

While research will hopefully lead us to improved techniques for detecting and treating breast cancer, another IOM study entitled: "Mammography and Beyond: Developing Technologies for Early Detection of Breast Cancer," concluded that mammography, while not perfect, was still the best choice for screening the general population to detect breast cancer at early and treatable stages. To be sure, there are important issues regarding quality and access with respect to screening and treatment services, but some of them are beyond the scope of this bill.

This legislation is almost identical to S. 1879, a bill recently passed by the Senate. The only substantive difference is the authorization period. My bill extends the authorization period through FY 2007, two years longer than the Senate bill. Patient advocates and other stakeholders are keenly interested in seeing a timely completion of various mammography issues studies requested by Senator Mikulski, and I support that effort. I plan to work with Senator Mikulski, my other colleagues, and stakeholders to bring an MQSA bill to the President's desk as quickly as possible.

Finally, we will consider S. 741, the "Minor Use and Minor Species Animal Health Act of 2004." This bill, known as "MUMS," will make an important contribution to animal health. S. 741 is similar to H.R. 2079, sponsored by Reps. Pickering and John. Although we are taking up the Senate bill, I think they, along with my colleague Rep. Brown, deserve credit for their work and leadership on this issue.

S. 741 is endorsed by the MUMS Coalition and the Keep Antibiotics Working Coalition. The MUMS Coalition includes the American Farm Bureau Federation, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Animal Health Institute, the National Fisheries Institute, and many other organizations. The Keep Antibiotics Working Coalition includes the Sierra Club, the Union of Concerned Scientists, Environmental Defense, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest. In sum, the proverbial "delicate balance" has been found.

Lastly, I note that the MUMS bill contains a distinct provision on food allergens. I want to acknowledge the hard work in the House on this issue by my colleague, Rep. Lowey. Eight food allergens cause over 90 percent of serious allergic reactions from food. This legislation will require that food labels bear the name of any of these allergens if they are in the food and are not already noted on the ingredient label.

I urge my colleagues to support each of these bills.