Rep. Mike Carey

Lower Costs, More Cures Act of 2021 This bill establishes and modifies several programs and requirements to address prescription drug prices. The bill modifies provisions under Medicare and Medicaid relating to prescription drug coverage and price transparency. Among other changes, the bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to publish certain information, as reported by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), relating to generic dispensing rates, drug discounts and rebates, and payments between PBMs, health plans, and pharmacies; caps annual out-of-pocket spending under the Medicare prescription drug benefit; allows prescription drug plan sponsors under the Medicare prescription drug benefit to offer additional plans in a region; requires pass-through pricing models, and prohibits spread-pricing, for payment arrangements with PBMs under Medicaid; and allows states to include in the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program covered outpatient drugs that are provided as part of physician or outpatient hospital services. The bill also generally modifies other provisions relating to the regulation and costs of generic and brand-name drugs. Among other changes, the bill prohibits the manufacturer of a brand-name, generic, or biosimilar drug from entering into certain agreements to resolve or settle a patent infringement claim in connection with the sale of a drug or biological product; permanently allows high deductible health plans to waive deductibles for insulin and associated products; and establishes the position of Chief Pharmaceutical Negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

Drug Cartel Terrorist Designation Act This bill directs the Department of State to designate the Reynosa/Los Metros faction of the Gulf Cartel and the Cartel Del Noreste faction of Los Zetas as foreign terrorist organizations and to submit a detailed report on those drug cartels and any other cartels it may identify. Based on this report, the State Department must designate as a foreign terrorist organization any such identified cartel (or faction thereof) that meets certain criteria for designation as a foreign terrorist organization.

Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2021 This bill allows certain individuals to sue and recover damages for harm from exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987. This action is available only to individuals who were exposed to contaminated water for at least 30 days. The bill prohibits the U.S. government from asserting specified immunity from litigation in response to such a lawsuit. The bill also prohibits an individual who brings such an action from bringing a separate tort action against the United States based on the same harm.

COVID-19 Border Protection (CBP) Act This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to devise and implement a strategy to ensure that no alien with COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) in DHS or Department of Health and Human Services custody may be released into the community during a public health emergency related to COVID-19. Funds previously provided to the Department of State for supporting international efforts to help migrants and refugees respond to COVID-19 shall be transferred to DHS to implement this strategy.

Prohibiting IRS Financial Surveillance Act This bill prohibits the Department of the Treasury from requiring a financial institution to report the transfers into and out of a financial account. This prohibition does not apply to laws or regulations in effect on October 1, 2021.

Preventing Overdoses and Saving Lives Act of 2021 This bill establishes a grant program for states, Indian tribes, and territories to respond to the opioid crisis. In awarding the grants, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must give priority to recipients with the highest opioid dispensing rates. Recipients must use at least 20% of grant funds to implement a program that requires a prescription for an opioid overdose reversal drug along with an opioid prescription if (1) a patient is prescribed benzodiazepines, medication-assisted treatment, or high-dose opioids; or (2) the prescriber has reason to know of the patient's history with substance use disorders. As part of this program, recipients must also require continuing education on opioid-prescribing practices for prescribers and on recognizing opioid overdose fatalities for coroners. Recipients must use the remaining funds to develop a strategic plan for the jurisdiction's response to the opioid crisis.

Working Dog Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue 50,000 $5 gold coins, 500,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins in commemoration of the service that working dogs provide to society. The designs of the coins minted under this bill shall be emblematic of the contributions of working dogs to society, including in detection, military service, therapy and assistance. Treasury may issue coins only during the one-year period beginning on January 1, 2023. All sales of coins shall include a surcharge, which shall be paid to America's VetDogs for general expenses associated with the fulfillment of its mission.

Curriculum Review of Teachings Transparency Act or the CRT Transparency Act This bill requires a local educational agency, in order to receive certain federal education grants, to post on a publicly accessible website the curriculum for each grade level of its elementary and secondary schools.

Border Security for America Act of 2021 This bill addresses border security and related issues. For example, the bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to resume all activities to construct a border barrier system along the U.S.-Mexico border that were underway or planned prior to January 20, 2021; requires DHS to deploy, in addition to physical barriers, tactical infrastructure and technology to achieve situational awareness and operational control of the southwest border; authorizes U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to carry out a program to acquire innovative commercial items through a competitive selection of proposals; imposes certain requirements for DHS border security technology acquisition programs that have a total expenditure of at least $300 million; requires CBP to implement certain technologies, including a program to establish a biometric exit data system at ports of entry; requires CBP to increase or maintain certain staffing levels for agents, officers, processing coordinators, and other positions; requires CBP to implement a workload staffing model for the U.S. Border Patrol and for CBP's Air and Marine Operations; and provides statutory authority through FY2026 for Operation Stonegarden, a Federal Emergency Management Agency program that provides grants to states and territories involved in certain active CBP border security operations.

This resolution impeaches Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas for high crimes and misdemeanors related to his actions regarding border security and immigration.