[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 35 (Tuesday, March 18, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H1077]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       THE FIGHT TO CURE DIABETES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Washington [Mr. Nethercutt] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. NETHERCUTT. Mr. Speaker, March 19, 1997, is a very important day 
in the fight to cure diabetes. Between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. tomorrow, in 
the Rayburn House Office Building foyer, Members of Congress, the U.S. 
Senate, staff, family, and the public are invited to undertake a very 
important test. It is called a blood glucose test. It is free of 
charge.
  It takes about 1 minute, and what will happen is this: If you show up 
in the Rayburn foyer tomorrow morning between 11 in the morning and 3 
p.m., there will be a test administered. Your finger will be stuck and 
a drop of blood will be placed on a test strip and put into a little 
computer and it will measure your blood glucose level. That test will 
determine whether or not you may have diabetes.
  This testing is part of an NIH, National Institutes of Health, study 
which will focus on a cure for diabetes, and literature will also be 
there available for members of the public and Members of Congress to 
learn about this very important disease. It is a very serious disease 
in our country.
  Over 16 million Americans have diabetes. About half of that 16 
million do not know that they have this disease and they will not be 
diagnosed until serious complications develop. Diabetes affects all 
races, both genders, all religions, Democrats, Republicans, it is 
indiscriminate. All are subject to becoming diabetic and over a million 
children in our country have insulin-dependent diabetes.
  The incidence of diabetes is prevailing throughout the world. The 
earlier diabetes is diagnosed, the easier it is to slow the progression 
of this disease and prevent very, very costly complications; costly in 
terms of health status and dollars and cents.
  This diabetes screening test on Capitol Hill is sponsored by the 
Congressional Diabetes Caucus. It has 51 Members of Congress who are 
associated in this fight to cure diabetes. This test is also in 
association with the Diabetes Prevention Program, which will conduct 
this test; Eli Lilly & Co.; the American Diabetes Association; the 
Juvenile Diabetes Foundation; the American Association of Diabetes 
Educators; the Endocrine Society; and many others who care deeply about 
curing this disease.
  Diabetes is a silent disease. It is a serious disease. Taking this 
simple test could save your life. So I urge my colleagues and the staff 
who may be listening and watching and learning about diabetes, as well 
as the public, to come and take this test tomorrow in the Rayburn foyer 
from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. And I urge others across the country to take 
this simple test in your hometown or in your area and learn if you have 
diabetes. It could save your life.
  I hope that there will be a great turnout tomorrow, with a lot of 
press focusing on this very important and very serious disease.

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