Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for scheduling this markup. The bills before us have been fashioned in a bipartisan manner and I support each of them.

The first bill on the agenda makes minor technical and conforming changes to the Health Care Safety Net Improvement Act. These changes ensure that one of the foundations of our Nation's healthcare system is operating as intended by the terms of the bipartisan community health center reauthorization bill that was enacted last year .

My friend and colleague from New York, Rep. Towns, has been working in concert with other members of this Committee on the second bill, H.R. 3034, which reauthorizes the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry. Approximately 30,000 people are diagnosed with leukemia or another blood disease each year, and about 20,000 will not find a marrow donor match within their family and must rely upon strangers. Since the founding of the National Marrow Donor Program in 1986, more than 15,000 unrelated transplants have been facilitated. The National Bone Marrow Donor Registry Reauthorization Act ensures that we keep pace with advances in science, technology, and medicine.

In recognition of the horrific effects of torture, the next bill, H.R. 1813, amends the Torture Victims Relief Act of 1998 by including an authorization of funds for the Department of Health and Human Services to assist domestic centers and programs that treat victims of torture.

And finally we have before the Committee, H.R. 1260, which creates a user fee program for animal drugs. I want to commend Rep. DeGette for her tremendous dedication and foresight in developing this legislation. The Animal Drug User Fee Act of 2003 is designed to give the Food and Drug Administration the resources and incentives necessary to significantly improve the animal drug review process. Despite a statutory review time of 180 days, the average review currently takes about 1.5 years and may indeed drag on for several years. Stagnant review times delay and jeopardize the supply of new, safe, and effective animal drugs needed to keep our pets, flocks, and herds healthy. A coalition of organizations, including the American Veterinary Medical Association, the National Milk Producers Federation, and the American Farm Bureau, to name a few, have endorsed this legislation, and I strongly support it.