110 HRES 1353 IH: Remembering Dr. Michael E. DeBakey, known U.S. House of Representatives 2008-07-17 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IV 110th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 1353 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 17, 2008 Mr. Buyer (for himself and Mr. Scalise) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce RESOLUTION Remembering Dr. Michael E. DeBakey, known as the best surgeon who ever lived, who served our Nation throughout his career and was the father of cardiovascular medicine and Veterans Administration Medical Research.

Whereas Dr. Michael E. DeBakey was born on September 7, 1908, in Lake Charles, Louisiana, to 2 self-educated Lebanese immigrants; Whereas at the age of 23, Dr. Michael E. DeBakey developed the roller pump for blood transfusions, which was later adapted for use as a major component of the heart-lung machine used in the first successful open heart operation; Whereas Dr. Michael E. DeBakey served his country in the Army Surgeon General’s office during World War II, rising to the rank of colonel during the War and Chief of the Surgical Consultants Division at the end of the War; Whereas through his first-hand knowledge of military service and the treatment of wounded soldiers in combat theaters, Dr. Michael E. DeBakey contributed to the development of mobile army surgical hospitals (MASH) units, which earned him the Legion of Merit in 1945; Whereas Dr. Michael E. DeBakey founded a private organization, the Society of Medical Consultants to the Armed Forces, for the purpose of establishing graduate-level medical education in the military medical departments; Whereas Dr. Michael E. DeBakey fought for the war zone deployment of vascular surgeons, which saved the limbs of hundreds of civilians and members of the Armed Forces; Whereas Dr. Michael E. DeBakey volunteered for active duty following World War II to ensure that the lessons of military medicine documented in the War became long-standing policy; Whereas Dr. Michael E. DeBakey led the movement for a National Library of Medicine in Bethesda, Maryland, and the creation of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; Whereas Dr. Michael E. DeBakey developed innovative and groundbreaking procedures that later became standards of surgical practice in the treatment of strokes and aneurysms; Whereas Dr. Michael E. DeBakey developed Dacron grafts for use in heart bypass surgery; Whereas Dr. Michael E. DeBakey performed the first removal of blockage in a carotid artery and the first patch-graft angioplasty; Whereas Dr. Michael E. DeBakey worked with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to develop an implantable device to help the heart pump blood; Whereas Dr. Michael E. DeBakey served for 55 years as the first chairman of the Dean’s Committee at the Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Houston, Texas, a facility which now bears his name in recognition of the lifetime of service he gave to sick and wounded veterans; Whereas Dr. Michael E. DeBakey was awarded by President Lyndon B. Johnson the highest civilian honor, the Congressional Medal of Freedom with Distinction, as well as the National Medal of Science by President Ronald Reagan, for his groundbreaking research and leadership in medical and veterans matters; Whereas Dr. Michael E. Debakey was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson to the position of Chairman of the President’s Commission on Heart Disease, Cancer, and Stroke, leading to the creation of Regional Medical Programs, established to assist and encourage the creation of cooperative arrangements for research and training among medical schools, research institutions, and hospitals; Whereas the leadership and groundbreaking work of Dr. Michael E. DeBakey saved countless lives and made the Veterans Administration Research Program the best of such programs in the world; Whereas Dr. Michael E. DeBakey published over 1,600 articles and 3 best-selling books, and performed over 60,000 surgical operations; and Whereas on July 11, 2008, all Americans, especially veterans, were greatly saddened by the death of Dr. Michael E. DeBakey: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives honors Dr. Michael E. DeBakey for his legendary career as a skilled surgeon, caring healer, inventor, teacher, medical statesman, leader, and patriot, and expresses condolences on his passing to his family, friends, and all those affected.