[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 129 (Wednesday, September 29, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S11651]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE RESOLUTION 190--DESIGNATING THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 10, 1999, 
  THROUGH OCTOBER 16, 1999, AS NATIONAL CYSTIC FIBROSIS AWARENESS WEEK

  Mr. CAMPBELL (for himself, Mr. Gramm, Mr. Ashcroft, Mr. Kerry, and 
Mr. Robb) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 190

       Whereas Cystic Fibrosis is the most common fatal genetic 
     disease in the United States, for which there is no known 
     cure;
       Whereas Cystic Fibrosis, characterized by digestive 
     disorders and chronic lung infections, has been linked to 
     fatal lung disease;
       Whereas a total of more than 10,000,000 Americans are 
     unknowing carriers of Cystic Fibrosis;
       Whereas 1 out of every 3,900 babies in the United States 
     are born with Cystic Fibrosis;
       Whereas approximately 30,000 people in the United States, 
     many of whom are children, suffer from Cystic Fibrosis;
       Whereas the average life-expectancy of an individual with 
     Cystic Fibrosis is age 31;
       Whereas prompt, aggressive treatment of the symptoms of 
     Cystic Fibrosis can extend the lives of those who suffer with 
     this disease;
       Whereas recent advances in Cystic Fibrosis research have 
     produced promising leads in relation to gene, protein, and 
     drug therapies; and
       Whereas education can help inform the public of Cystic 
     Fibrosis symptoms, which will assist in early diagnoses, and 
     increase knowledge and understanding of this disease: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the week of October 10, 1999, through 
     October 16, 1999, as National Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Week;
       (2) commits to increasing the quality of life for 
     individuals with Cystic Fibrosis by promoting public 
     knowledge and understanding in a manner that will result in 
     earlier diagnoses, more fund raising efforts for research, 
     and increased levels of support for Cystic Fibrosis sufferers 
     and their families; and
       (3) requests the President to issue a proclamation calling 
     on the people of the United States to observe the week with 
     appropriate ceremonies and activities.

  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, today I submit a resolution recognizing 
October 10, 1999, through October 16, 1999, as National Cystic Fibrosis 
Awareness Week. I am pleased to be joined by my colleagues Senators 
Gramm, Ashcroft, Kerry, and Robb in submitting this resolution. We are 
hopeful that greater awareness of cystic fibrosis (CF) will lead to a 
cure.
  Incredibly, CF is the number one genetic killer in the United States. 
Approximately 30,000 Americans suffer from the life-threatening 
disease. Today, the average life expectancy for someone with CF is 31 
years. We must do what we can to change that.
  While there remains no cure, early detection and prompt treatment can 
significantly improve and extend the lives of those with CF. For 
example, my home state of Colorado is one of the first and only states 
that requires CF screening for newborns, providing a greater quality of 
life for CF sufferers. And since the discovery of the defective CF gene 
in 1989, CF research has greatly accelerated. At Children's Hospital of 
Denver, researchers are participating in the innovative Therapeutics 
Development Program, a promising venture with the CF Foundation. 
Designed to aid the development of new therapeutics for CF, researchers 
in the program are expediting the early phases of clinical trials that 
evaluate safety and dosing regimens for new drugs. I applaud their 
efforts.
  But while I am encouraged by the CF research in Colorado and 
elsewhere, more needs to be done. Therefore, I urge my colleagues to 
act quickly on this resolution so that we can move one step closer to 
eradicating this disease.

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