[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 399 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 399

       Supporting the goals and ideals of International Myalgic 
       Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Awareness Day.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 22, 2019

 Ms. Lofgren (for herself, Mr. Bergman, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, and Mr. 
 Joyce of Ohio) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
                to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
       Supporting the goals and ideals of International Myalgic 
       Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Awareness Day.

Whereas the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), formerly known as the Institute 
        of Medicine, has found Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue 
        Syndrome (ME/CFS) to be ``a serious, chronic, complex, and systemic 
        disease that frequently and dramatically limits the activities of 
        affected patients'';
Whereas between 836,000 and 2,500,000 individuals of all ages, races, and sexes 
        in the United States are believed to be afflicted with ME/CFS, with 
        millions more afflicted by ME/CFS worldwide, and the vast majority of 
        individuals with ME/CFS are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed;
Whereas ME/CFS is approximately 4 times more prevalent in women than in men;
Whereas ME/CFS is a chronic disease with no known cure and leaves \1/4\ of 
        individuals with ME/CFS housebound or bedbound for extended periods of 
        time;
Whereas 50 to 75 percent of individuals with ME/CFS cannot work or attend 
        school;
Whereas medical expenses and lost productivity related to ME/CFS cost the 
        economy of the United States an estimated $17,000,000,000 to 
        $24,000,000,000 annually;
Whereas the cause of ME/CFS is unknown, there is no diagnostic test for ME/CFS, 
        and there is no treatment for ME/CFS that is approved by the Food and 
        Drug Administration;
Whereas NAM has noted a ``paucity of research'' on ME/CFS and that ``more 
        research is essential'';
Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has called ME/CFS 
        ``America's Hidden Health Crisis'';
Whereas individuals with ME/CFS struggle to find doctors to care for them, and 
        ME/CFS is included in the curricula of fewer than \1/3\ of medical 
        schools;
Whereas in recognition of the dearth of research on ME/CFS and the profound 
        impact that the disease has on individuals with ME/CFS and their loved 
        ones and caretakers, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is 
        ``committed to unraveling the underlying biologic cause(s) of ME/CFS as 
        swiftly as possible, and promoting research that will inform the 
        development of effective strategies for treatment and prevention of this 
        devastating condition'';
Whereas, in 2017, 11 Institutes at the NIH and the Office of the Director of the 
        NIH contributed more than $7,000,000 in grants to assist in establishing 
        Collaborative Research Centers and a Data Management Coordinating Center 
        to improve the coordination of ME/CFS research and help accelerate 
        understanding of ME/CFS; and
Whereas, in 2019, May 12 is recognized as International ME/CFS Awareness Day: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the goals of International Myalgic 
        Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Awareness Day;
            (2) recognizes and affirms the commitment of the United 
        States to--
                    (A) supporting research and medical education for 
                ME/CFS; and
                    (B) promoting awareness among health professionals 
                and the public about ME/CFS; and
            (3) recognizes the continued importance of--
                    (A) health care professionals and medical 
                researchers who care for individuals with ME/CFS; and
                    (B) those who work to discover the cause of, and 
                develop and improve diagnosis of, treatments for, and a 
                cure for, ME/CFS.
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