[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 90 (Tuesday, June 24, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H4228]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page H4228]]
                              ALS RESEARCH

  (Mr. CAPPS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, along with my colleague, the 
gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman], I introduced a bill to help 
persons suffering with ALS, or as it is more commonly known, Lou 
Gehrig's disease.
  ALS is a progressive disease that currently afflicts 30,000 Americans 
each year. Our bipartisan bill will make Medicare more accessible to 
them, covering drugs to treat ALS symptoms. The bill will also double 
Federal funding for research.
  The terrible nature of ALS was brought home to me recently through a 
very close friend of mine, Tom Rogers of Santa Barbara, CA, who is 
courageously fighting this disease. Tom was an inspiration to me well 
before this ever happened, but he is an able and compelling legislator 
whose heroism during this time has been an inspiration to our entire 
community.
  It is to my good friend Tom Rogers and others suffering with ALS 
across the country that the gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman] and I 
dedicate this effort. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this 
critically important legislation.

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