[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 162 (Tuesday, November 16, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H12033-H12040]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   SENSE OF HOUSE REGARDING DIABETES

  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 325) expressing the sense of the House of 
Representatives regarding the importance of increased support and 
funding to combat diabetes.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 325

       Whereas diabetes is a devastating, lifelong condition that 
     affects people of every age, race, income level, and 
     nationality;
       Whereas diabetes is a serious disease that has a 
     devastating impact, in both human and economic terms, on 
     Americans of all ages;
       Whereas an estimated 16 million Americans suffer from 
     diabetes, and millions more are at greater risk for diabetes;
       Whereas the number of Americans with diabetes has increased 
     nearly 700 percent in the last 40 years, leading the Centers 
     for Disease Control and Prevention to call it the ``epidemic 
     of our time'';
       Whereas approximately 800,000 people will be diagnosed with 
     diabetes in 1999, and diabetes will contribute to an 
     estimated 198,000 deaths this year, making diabetes the sixth 
     leading cause of death;
       Whereas diabetes costs our Nation an estimated $105 billion 
     each year;
       Whereas more than 1 out of every 10 health care dollars in 
     the United States and about 1 out of every 4 medicare dollars 
     is spent on the care of people with diabetes;
       Whereas more than $40 billion a year in tax dollars are 
     spent treating people with diabetes through medicare, 
     medicaid, veterans care, Federal employee health benefits, 
     and other Federal health programs;
       Whereas diabetes frequently goes undiagnosed and an 
     estimated 5.4 million Americans have the disease but do not 
     know it;
       Whereas diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, 
     blindness in adults, and amputations;
       Whereas diabetes is a major risk factor for heart disease, 
     stroke, and birth defects and shortens average life 
     expectancy by up to 15 years;
       Whereas 800,000 Americans have type one diabetes, formerly 
     known as juvenile diabetes, and 15.2 million have type two 
     diabetes, formerly known as adult onset diabetes;
       Whereas 18.4 percent of Americans age 65 years or older 
     have diabetes and 8.2 percent of Americans age 20 years or 
     older have diabetes;
       Whereas Hispanic, African, Asian, and Native Americans 
     suffer from diabetes at rates much higher than the general 
     population, including children as young as eight years old 
     who are now being diagnosed with type two diabetes;
       Whereas there is currently no method to prevent or cure 
     diabetes and available treatments have only limited success 
     in controlling its devastating consequences;
       Whereas reducing the tremendous health and human burden of 
     diabetes and its enormous economic toll depends on 
     identifying the factors responsible for the disease and 
     developing new methods for treatment and prevention;
       Whereas improvements in technology and the general growth 
     in scientific knowledge have created unprecedented 
     opportunities for advances that might lead to better 
     treatments, prevention, and ultimately a cure;
       Whereas after extensive review and deliberations, the 
     Diabetes Research Working Group--established by Congress and 
     selected by the National Institutes of Health--has found that 
     ``many scientific opportunities are not being pursued due to 
     insufficient funding, lack of appropriate mechanisms, and a 
     shortage or trained researchers'';
       Whereas the Diabetes Research Working Group has developed a 
     comprehensive plan for diabetes research funded by the 
     National Institutes of Health and has recommended a funding 
     level of $827 million for diabetes research at the National 
     Institutes of Health in fiscal year 2000; and
       Whereas the House of Representatives as an institution and 
     Members of Congress as individuals are in unique positions to 
     help raise public awareness about the need for increased 
     funding for research and for early diagnosis and treatment: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of 
     Representatives that--
       (1) the Federal Government has a responsibility--
       (A) to continue to increase research funding, as 
     recommended by the Diabetes Research Working Group, so that 
     the causes of, and improved treatment and cure for, diabetes 
     may be discovered;
       (B) to endeavor to raise awareness about the importance of 
     the early detection and proper treatment of diabetes; and
       (C) to continue to consider ways to improve access to, and 
     the quality of, health care services for diagnosing and 
     treating diabetes;
       (2) all Americans should take an active role in fighting 
     diabetes by using all the means available to them, including 
     watching for the symptoms of diabetes, such as frequent 
     urination, unusual thirst, extreme hunger, unusual weight 
     loss, extreme fatigue, and irritability; and
       (3) national and community organizations and health care 
     providers should endeavor to promote awareness of diabetes 
     and its complications and should encourage early detection of 
     diabetes through regular screenings, education, and by 
     providing information, support, and access to services.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) and the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. DeGette) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis).


                             General Leave

  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous matter on House Resolution 325.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 325. Over 
16 million Americans suffer from diabetes and its complications. 
Tragically, diabetes is one of the leading causes of death and 
disability in the United States. I call it the silent disease, if you 
will, the silent killer.
  As we all know, insulin is not a cure for diabetes. Therefore, we 
must increase funding for the research necessary to end this terrible 
disease. As chairman of the Subcommittee on Health and Environment of 
the Committee on Commerce and a member of the Congressional Diabetes 
Caucus, I am committed to achieving that goal. I have endorsed, along 
with so many others, a proposal to double Federal funding for the 
National Institutes of Health over 5 years.
  The budget agreement passed by Congress last year made a sizeable 
downpayment toward that goal by providing a 15 percent increase in 
funding for the NIH. I am hopeful that we can continue that promising 
trend this year.
  I have heard from many constituents about the lack of sufficient 
funding for diabetes research. I had the opportunity to share these 
concerns directly with Dr. Harold Varmus, the NIH Director, in a 
meeting in my office earlier this year.
  I was also pleased to secure enactment of new preventative health 
benefits under Medicare as part of the 1997 balanced budget law. Under 
these provisions, which were based on legislation which I helped to 
author, Medicare beneficiaries who are diabetic are reimbursed for 
outpatient self-managing training and supplies, such as blood testing 
strips.
  House Resolution 325 serves to remind us all of the terrible toll 
diabetes extracts each year in our Nation. We should also take this 
opportunity to commend the tireless efforts of advocates of diabetes 
research. Mr. Speaker, for the millions of people whose lives have been 
touched by diabetes, we must renew and strengthen our commitment to end 
this terrible disease.
  I urge my colleagues to support passage of House Resolution 325.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 5 minutes.
  Mr. Speaker, as the co-chair of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus and 
as an original cosponsor of this legislation, I would especially like 
to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce) for his tireless 
efforts on behalf of this resolution. A similar resolution passed the 
other body 93 to zero, and I commend the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
LaFalce) for bringing this quickly to the attention of the House of 
Representatives.
  Mr. Speaker, there are several forms of diabetes, as we all know. I 
would like to focus in my remarks on how diabetes affects the lives of 
the children of this country.
  Juvenile diabetes or Type I diabetes represents only a small 
percentage of the total cases of diabetes, yet the mortality of Type I 
diabetes is more than double the mortality of Type II diabetes. This 
disease affects over 1 million children nationwide. It strikes when 
they are young and it stays with them the rest of their lives. Type I 
diabetes is one of the most costly chronic childhood diseases, and it 
is one you never outgrow.
  In Type I diabetes, someone's pancreas produces little or no insulin. 
Although the causes are not entirely

[[Page H12034]]

known, scientists believe the body's own immune system attacks and 
destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Because insulin is 
for life, people with Type I diabetes must take several insulin 
injections and many finger-prick blood tests per day.
  People have assumed for a long time that because people with Type I 
diabetes do not immediately die, that insulin is a cure. However, 
anyone who deals with diabetes on a daily basis knows that diabetes is 
one of the leading causes of death in this country. It is a major risk 
for heart diseases and stroke. It is still the leading cause of adult 
blindness, kidney failure, and amputations. It affects an estimated 16 
million Americans, and it is the sixth leading causes of death due to 
disease in the United States, and the third leading cause in some 
minority groups.
  Yet, diabetes research has received woefully little attention over 
the last number of years, and many of us, including myself, the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce), and the gentleman from 
Washington (Mr. Nethercutt), the co-chair of the diabetes caucus, are 
working to make sure that this changes.
  For every statistic that we see on the floor today, there is a human 
face behind it. This summer 100 children from all across the country 
visited us here in Washington to lobby on diabetes issues. One of the 
people they met with was the Secretary of Health and Human Services, 
Donna Shalala. A little boy, Preston Dennis from Phoenix, Arizona, gave 
the Secretary a doll which had hundreds of pins stuck in it to 
represent the hundreds of shots he has had to take since he was 
diagnosed with diabetes.
  When I met with the Secretary about this issue earlier this fall, she 
showed me that doll, and she promised to keep it in her office until we 
find a cure for diabetes. There is good news here. We are at a critical 
point in diabetes research, and now it is time for Congress to step up 
and do its part to find a cure.
  Last spring I had the honor of visiting the Joslin Diabetes Center at 
Harvard University, and visited with many of our leading scientists who 
are on the cusp of major breakthroughs. This disease I believe can be 
cured within 10 years if Congress will fully fund the diabetes research 
outlined in the congressionally-mandated Diabetes Research Working 
Group.
  The DRWG recommended $827 million for diabetes research. Yet, under 
the current budget outline for the National Institutes of Health, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other agencies, diabetes 
will be lucky to get $500 million. This is certainly a substantial step 
in the right direction, but frankly, we are too close to a cure to fail 
to make the full commitment that we need.
  We must expand epidemiological studies to include children with Type 
I diabetes. We also need to explore the critical role epidemiology 
plays in developing an effective public health strategy to address the 
startling growth in the number of children with Type II diabetes.
  Again, I would like to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
LaFalce) for introducing this legislation so Congress can act together 
and with a strong voice to point out how much must be done to fight to 
cure diabetes.
  I would also like to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. 
Weldon), our Vice-Chair of the caucus, for all of his efforts. I would 
especially like to thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), 
the chairman of my subcommittee on the Committee on Commerce, for his 
diligent efforts in this way. I hope this resolution will be the first 
of many efforts by this Congress to find a cure for diabetes.
  Finally, I would like to say what the children say. Angela Bailey, a 
10-year-old with diabetes, said this: ``I could become blind, have a 
heart attack, or kidney disease. When I get old, I might even have to 
get an amputation. If there is a cure, then I won't have to worry.''
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2\1/2\ minutes to 
the gentleman from California (Mr. Bilbray), a member of the committee.
  (Mr. BILBRAY asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support House Concurrent 
Resolution 325, expressing the sense of Congress regarding the 
importance of increasing support for the funding to combat diabetes and 
the research related thereto.
  The fact is that diabetes is not only a great burden on the seniors 
of America, but it is also a great burden on many of the children of 
America. In the United States alone, 16 million people have diabetes, 
and another 6 million do not even know they have diabetes. Everyone 
knows somebody who is affected by diabetes. My mother is a diabetic. 
Some who served in this House a while back will remember that my 
nephew, Representative Bilbray from Las Vegas, died from diabetes or 
complications thereof.
  Each year diabetes contributes to over 178,000 deaths because of 
associated complications with heart disease, kidney failure, stroke, 
not to speak of the blindness and the amputations related to the 
problem.
  In addition to the pain and disruption of the disease to countless 
families, we need to talk about the billions of dollars it costs 
society overall in health care costs. I know we should not be talking 
about just dollars and cents, and we are not, but human misery does 
come at a price that goes beyond just human misery.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud in San Diego to have a program called the 
Human Mapping Research Project going on which will help many diseases, 
but especially diabetes. I ask us to continue this program of figuring 
out why the body does what it does, and the human mapping program will 
give us the ability to do that.
  Mr. Speaker, I will continue to fight for increased resources for the 
National Institutes of Health, and I think all of us recognize that in 
the 1960s John Kennedy asked us to set a sight within 10 years to put a 
man on the moon. Maybe it is time that all of us, Democrat and 
Republican, get behind the next great challenge, and that is to put 
diabetes back into the history of the past, and make sure that 
generations of the future do not have to confront this health scourge.
  Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 4\1/2\ minutes 
to the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce), the sponsor of the 
resolution.
  (Mr. LaFALCE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. LaFALCE. Mr. Speaker, 16 million Americans suffer from diabetes. 
That is perhaps the principal reason that the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention recently called diabetes the epidemic of our 
time.

                              {time}  1600

  The impact diabetes has on the health of our population, on the 
national budget, is staggering. Every year, diabetes causes about 
24,000 more people to lose their sight, 28,000 more people to undergo 
dialysis or transplantation for kidney failure, and 77,000 more people 
to lose their lives from heart disease. These diabetes-related side 
effects, in combination, shorten life expectancy by an estimated 15 
years.
  In the year 1999, approximately 800,000 people will be diagnosed with 
diabetes, and the disease will contribute to almost 200,000 deaths. In 
the United States, the number of Americans with diabetes has increased 
nearly 700 percent in the last 40 years, again a primary reason that 
the CDC has called it the epidemic of our time.
  The public and private costs of diabetes are enormous an estimated 
$105 billion annually, including over $40 billion a year in federal 
dollars. More then 1 out of every 10 health care dollars in the U.S. 
and about 1 out of 4 Medicare dollars is spent on diabetes care. In New 
York State, almost 600,000 people and 10% of our seniors have been 
diagnosed with diabetes at an annual public and private cost of about 
$8 billion.
  Diabetes kills one American every 3 minutes, and a new case of 
diabetes is diagnosed in the United States every 40 seconds. And, 
unfortunately, an estimated 5\1/2\ million Americans have diabetes 
right now and do not even know it.
  But, Mr. Speaker, new research is filled with promise. The Diabetes 
Research Working Group created by Congress in 1997 has developed a 
comprehensive plan for future research that would cost $827 million 
next year.

[[Page H12035]]

 Congress mandated this study, Congress has received its mandated 
report; and yet last year, we gave $448 million, about half of what is 
called for, only 3 percent of the total NIH budget for diabetes. That 
is simply $28 per patient. That is not enough.
  Yet, Mr. Speaker, every day research and new technologies are 
improving diabetes diagnosis and treatment. For example, current 
diagnostic methods cannot always detect adult onset diabetes at the 
earliest stage of the disease, but a new technology has been developed 
that will diagnose adult onset diabetes as much as 5 years earlier than 
any current method by scanning the eye retina with low intensity 
florescent light. An early diagnosis can significantly reduce the risk 
of serious complications. We need to increase research for diagnosis.
  Blood testing is also becoming less obtrusive. A continuous glucose 
monitoring system recently approved by the FDA continuously and 
automatically monitors glucose levels underneath the skin. Future 
generations of this device may permit the patient to monitor blood 
levels and connect to an insulin pump for seamless care.
  A GlucoWatch, a device worn like a wristwatch, will test blood levels 
easily and painlessly. This device, which is pending FDA approval, is 
as successful at blood testing as conventional methods that require 
pricking the finger multiple times every day and causes only a slight 
tingling sensation. We need to increase research for blood monitoring.
  We also must increase research for treatment. For example, we are at 
the brink of developing an ability to inhale insulin rather than inject 
it into the body multiple times per day.
  Another burden for people with diabetes is the need to inject 
themselves with insulin. Several new drugs, taken orally, may reduce 
the need to take insulin injections. One class of drugs, called insulin 
sensitizers, helps to lower blood glucose primarily by reducing insulin 
resistance in muscles. Other groups of drugs work by suppressing 
glucose production from the liver, increasing insulin production by the 
pancreas, or decreasing sugar absorption from the intestine. For those 
who will still need insulin, a power is being developed that can be 
inhaled so that injections might not be necessary. We need to increase 
research for treatment.
  In juvenile diabetes (type 1), insulin-producing cells, called 
islets, are destroyed, making daily insulin injections necessary. The 
Juvenile Diabetes Foundation (JDF) has established three Centers for 
Islet Transportation, which will attempt to transplant healthy islets 
to cure juvenile diabetes and find new ways to prevent transplant 
rejection and other dangerous side-effects. The NIH and the JDF are 
also developing new ways to manipulate the immune system by inhibiting 
harmful immune responses while keeping protective ones intact. We need 
to increase research for cures.
  Ultimately, genetics may hold the key to a cure. The American 
Diabetes Association has initiated the Genetics of Non-Insulin 
Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (GENNID) Study in order to maximize the 
rapid identification of the gene or genes involved in adult-onset 
diabetes. This study has established a national database and cell-bank 
to store information and specimens from families with long histories of 
the disease. The Human Genome Project, which is currently mapping the 
entire human genetic structure, may also provide significant clues to 
the nature of diabetes. Again, we need to increase research for 
treatment.
  But the fight goes on. We must increase support and research for 
diabetes for diagnosis, for monitoring, for treatment, and ultimately 
for a cure.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from 
Washington (Mr. Nethercutt), who cofounded the Diabetes Caucus here in 
the House with our former colleague who retired after last year, Mrs. 
Elizabeth Furse from Oregon. I hope that Elizabeth is viewing in now to 
see that we are trying to carry on the fight, and she is being 
replaced, if that is the right word, by the gentlewoman from Colorado 
(Ms. DeGette) who is constantly talking in committee about the need to 
do something about diabetes.
  Mr. NETHERCUTT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Bilirakis) for yielding me this time, and I certainly join virtually 
every other Member of this body in congratulating him for his 
leadership in this whole effort to try to cure this disease.
  I also congratulate the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce) for his 
sponsorship of this resolution and certainly the gentlewoman from 
Colorado (Ms. DeGette), my colleague and friend, for her leadership as 
cochair with me of the Diabetes Caucus in the House, along with the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Weldon) and the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. LaFalce) who serve as co-vice chairs of the Diabetes Caucus. 
It is a great effort that we are undertaking.
  Mr. Speaker, I was touched by everyone who has spoken today already 
on this resolution. They spoke of the Diabetes Research Working Group 
product, which was a creation of this Congress. Through the Committee 
on Appropriations, money was budgeted to allow a study to be done. The 
product was this publication, ``Conquering Diabetes.'' This is a 
publication that outlines a strategic plan for the 21st century to cure 
this disease.
  It requires money. It requires commitment. It requires dedication. 
All of that is available through the efforts of this Congress and 
through the efforts of those people who work so many long hours to put 
this together, not the least of whom was Dr. Ronald Kahn, the Chair of 
the Diabetes Research Working Group, who worked tirelessly to make this 
report a reality and this cure a reality for the millions and millions 
of people who suffer from this very serious disease.
  Mr. Speaker, we need to keep track, I think, of the statistical 
evidence relative to other diseases that are equally as difficult for 
people in the society, but I think it is illuminating and it is 
illustrative to see that this chart shows that there is an increasing 
incidence of death in connection with diabetes when, in fact, there 
seems to be in our country a decreasing incidence of death for cancer, 
for cardiovascular disease and stroke. They have all been very much on 
the minds of Americans to try to cure these diseases and undertake 
efforts to relieve the misery that comes from them, but diabetes is on 
the upswing.
  The World Health Organization projects that diabetes will become, 
quote, ``One of the world's main disablers and killers within the next 
25 years.'' That is very serious and something that the Congress has to 
pay very clear and serious attention to.
  This next chart looks at the economics of diabetes. The cost of 
diabetes to patients in society is $6,562 per year to the person 
affected by diabetes. But the investment in diabetes research is $30 
per year per person. That is a trend that must change, in my judgment, 
and that is what we are able to change with this report, ``Conquering 
Diabetes,'' and implementation of the Diabetes Research Working Group 
plan.
  The budget recommendations for this program of ``Conquering 
Diabetes'' increase each year, but the goal is to cure the disease and 
apply research through the National Institutes of Health to good 
research opportunities that are out there. We know they are there. We 
know there are lots of opportunities available, it is just the need is 
there to make the commitment to fund those disease research efforts in 
order to cure this disease.
  We cannot talk about the Diabetes Research Working Group or 
``Conquering Diabetes'' without mentioning the efforts that are 
undertaken by the interest groups that support the efforts to cure 
diabetes. The American Diabetes Association, the Juvenile Diabetes 
Foundation, the American Association of Diabetes Educators, the Joslin 
Diabetes Center, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the 
Indian Health Service, and private companies including Eli Lilly, 
Merck, and Johnson & Johnson. They are all part of the team.
  Mr. Speaker, the disease of diabetes is indiscriminate. It 
disproportionately hurts minorities. It hits all of us where we live, 
in our families. It is incumbent upon this Congress to pass this 
resolution and implement this plan.
  Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Romero-Barcelo).
  (Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO. Mr. Speaker, I urge our colleagues to support 
this resolution that aims to focus attention on a disease that has 
reached epidemic proportions throughout the Nation. In every single one 
of our districts, thousands of individuals suffer from diabetes. In 
fact, nationally, diabetes has increased 700 percent in the past 40 
years.

[[Page H12036]]

  For some reason that is not scientifically known, diabetes affects 
our minority populations in even more significant numbers than the rest 
of the population. Hispanics in general, and Puerto Rican Americans in 
specific, are especially at risk. The most recent statistics from the 
Centers for Disease Control indicate that Puerto Rico has the highest 
number of individuals diagnosed with diabetes in the entire Nation. The 
rate in Puerto Rico is almost double that of most States and three 
times that of many States. One out of every four inhabitants in Puerto 
Rico over 45 years of age has diabetes.
  Mr. Speaker, there is a tremendous need for a national diabetes 
strategy targeting the Hispanic population nationwide. This resolution 
is an important step to underscore the need for increased support and 
funding to combat diabetes. Right now, we have already approved in the 
House in Puerto Rico a bill to start a diabetes center for study of the 
diabetes high incidence in Hispanics, and the Senate has committed to 
approve funding for that center. Now, we need more funding. That is not 
enough. We need as much funding as we can get, and I think all of us 
should support this resolution.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
New York (Mr. Sweeney).
  (Mr. SWEENEY asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. SWEENEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Bilirakis) for yielding me this time. I congratulate the gentleman from 
New York (Mr. LaFalce), my colleague and friend, for this important 
piece of legislation which I rise today in strong support of as a 
member of the House Diabetes Caucus.
  Mr. Speaker, the statistics, we have heard them from a number of 
folks, but I would like to focus those from my district on the relevant 
information existing out there. There are more than 30,000 people in my 
district who combat this disease every day. In fact, every day 36 
children are diagnosed with diabetes. Despite the fact that both 
children and adults are diagnosed, the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
LaFalce) pointed out very accurately that over one-third of Americans 
go undiagnosed.
  This is why I think it is of particular importance that we here in 
Congress take this up as a national issue, an issue of great priority, 
and move forward to try to find a cure. Insulin, as has been pointed 
out by the gentleman from Florida, is indeed not a cure. The National 
Institutes of Health recently estimated that diabetes is the single 
most expensive disease in the United States in terms of direct costs.
  Like those who preceded me today, I support this resolution for 
people like 4-year-old Ivy Cerro from Moreau, New York, in my district 
whose mother worries every night that if she does not check her 
daughter's blood count again before she and her husband go off to bed 
that little Ivy will not make it through the night.
  Mr. Speaker, I support H. Res. 325 for people like 41-year-old 
Tambrie Alden from Glens Falls, New York, a good friend of mine, who 
walks a blood sugar tightrope, staying just above the minimum level, 
because having high blood sugar can lead to serious problems in the 
long term. But by keeping her blood sugar down, Tambrie is often 
balancing on the brink of a diabetic coma.
  Mr. Speaker, I will have the honor of addressing the Juvenile 
Diabetes Foundation Ball in Saratoga Springs this weekend celebrating 
the courage of Tambrie, Ivy, and thousands of others in my district who 
battle this disease every day. I am proud to have the opportunity this 
weekend to share with my constituents that Congress is fighting for the 
people with diabetes by passing House Resolution 325.
  As I said, I think it is an important piece of legislation; and I 
urge my colleagues to support it.
  Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos).
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. 
DeGette), my good friend, for yielding me this time, and I congratulate 
her and all the other leaders of our congressional Diabetes Caucus for 
their invaluable work.
  Mr. Speaker, we learn from our young people on our staff. My top 
research assistant, a young gentleman, graduate of Dartmouth who has 
had diabetes since childhood, has been my teacher on diabetes; and I 
publicly want to acknowledge my debt to him.
  I also want to acknowledge my debt to a young lady, a 16-year-old 
page whom I had the privilege and pleasure of appointing from the City 
of San Bruno in California, who a few weeks ago unexpectedly was 
discovered to have juvenile onset diabetes. Her parents flew in from 
California. Her condition has stabilized, and she is back on the job, 
and we are proud of her.
  It is important to get beyond the statistics. Mr. Speaker, 16 million 
Americans have diabetes; 198,000 this year will die from complications 
of diabetes. What brings this disease home to each of us, however, is 
our child, our colleague, our friend who has it and who is on the verge 
of losing his life if proper care is not provided, if proper monitoring 
is not provided. But most importantly, if proper funds for research are 
not provided.

                              {time}  1615

  Diabetes research is an invaluable investment in lives and in 
dollars. The more we understand about this horrible disease the easier 
it will be to halt its spread and limit its complications.
  Eighty years ago, Mr. Speaker, those afflicted with diabetes would 
die within months. During the intervening years, we have witnessed the 
invention of synthetic insulin, home glucose monitoring, insulin pumps, 
the thousand-dollar devices. We are asking for $827 million in diabetes 
research at the National Institutes of Health; and on a bipartisan 
basis, we ought to get it.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 4 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella).
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida for 
yielding me this time, but I also thank him for sponsoring this very 
important resolution. I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
LaFalce), our colleague on the other side of the aisle.
  I also want to thank our co-chairs of the Congressional Diabetes 
Caucus, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Nethercutt), the gentlewoman 
from Colorado (Ms. DeGette), and all of the Members who have come to 
rally for this very important resolution to call attention to it. I am 
very proud of being a member of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus, 
also.
  The magnitude of the problem we have heard from the speakers today, 
it is clearly defined by these simple facts, and I think they bear some 
repeating that diabetes currently affects an estimated 16 million 
Americans, about 800 new cases diagnosed each year.
  I want to point out that diabetes spares no group. It attacks men, 
women, children, the elderly, and people from every racial background. 
African, Hispanic, Native and Asian Americans, some of the fastest 
growing segments of our population are particularly vulnerable to 
diabetes and its most severe complications.
  Diabetes strikes both ends of the age continuum. Children and young 
adults with type 1 diabetes face a lifetime of daily insulin injections 
and the possibility of early complications whose severity will likely 
increase over time.
  I remember when the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation's Childrens Congress 
came to Capitol Hill and met with us, and we all found constituents 
within their group. I remember Jamie Langbein from Olney, Maryland; 
Rebecca Guiterman from Chevy Chase, Maryland, among the few. I remember 
their slogan was ``Promise to remember me, promise to remember me.''
  Also, elderly diabetics are frequently debilitated by multiple 
complications.
  Given all those statistics that we have heard, it is no wonder that 
the cost of diabetes is staggering. In one year alone, the Nation 
spends over $105 billion in diabetes. More than one in every 10 U.S. 
health care dollars is spent for diabetes and one in every four 
Medicare dollars pays for health care of people with diabetes.
  Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that the overall level of funding for 
the National Institutes of Health, which is in the district that I am 
honored to represent, has again been increased by nearly $3 billion 
above fiscal year 1999.
  Unfortunately, the current funding and scope of diabetes research 
fall far short on what is needed to capitalize on many opportunities 
that are currently available. Approximately $450

[[Page H12037]]

million was spent on diabetes-related research in fiscal year 1999.
  While this amount has steadily increased since 1981, there was 
unanimous agreement in the Diabetes Research Working Group, established 
by Congress to identify research steps that were necessary to find a 
cure for diabetes, that this amount is far short of what is required to 
make progress on this complex and difficult problem.
  Actually, the current budget for diabetes research represents less 
than one-half of 1 percent of the annual cost of diabetes. The Federal 
investment in diabetes represents about 3 cents out of every dollar or 
3 percent of the NIH research budget.
  Although it is impossible to determine what is an appropriate funding 
level for the many compelling and competing needs of NIH research 
funds, 3 percent is clearly a small investment for a disease that 
affects 6 to 7 percent of the population and accounts for more than 10 
percent of all health care dollars.
  The proportion devoted to diabetes research relative to the entire 
NIH budget has actually decreased by more than 30 percent since 1981 
when the death rate due to diabetes has increased by 30 percent.
  Well, we all know that real advances can be made by a significant 
investment in research and that it will greatly speed progress and 
understanding in conquering this disease and its complications. I ask 
this body to look to the importance of increasing this Federal 
investment and combatting diabetes and to agree to H. Res. 370.
  Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa).
  (Mr. HINOJOSA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, as an original cosponsor of this 
resolution and a member of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus, I rise to 
express my strong support for increased Federal funding for diabetes 
research and prevention.
  I represent the 15th Congressional District of Texas, comprised of 
south Texas and the Rio Grande Valley. With the help of Dr. Maria C. 
Alen of the Texas Diabetes Council, I am well informed on this issue, 
as all of my colleagues who have spoken before me. For us, we know all 
too well the need to find a cure for this life-threatening disease.
  It is staggering to realize that nearly 75,000 individuals of the Rio 
Grande Valley suffer from diabetes. More troubling, it is estimated 
that over 40 percent of diabetes in Texas are Hispanic.
  The cost to the Nation is staggering, estimated at $105 billion each 
year. More than one out of every 10 health care dollars in the United 
States and about 1 out of every Medicare dollars is spent on diabetes 
care.
  The number of Americans with diabetes has increased nearly 700 
percent in the last 40 years.
  I believe we can find a cure for diabetes in our lifetime if Congress 
is willing to provide the necessary funds for the research. By 
adequately funding the fight, we will continue to make headway in 
stamping out diabetes once and for all.
  I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to express their 
support and vote to increase funding to combat diabetes.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Utah (Mr. Cook).
  Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 325. I 
want to thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) for yielding 
me this time. I also want to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
LaFalce) and my other colleagues on the Diabetes Caucus for their 
efforts to bring this important measure to the floor before the end of 
this session.
  Diabetes is a disease which is affecting over 16 million Americans, 
many of whom are children. My father suffers from diabetes, and I know 
firsthand the pain and anguish this has caused him and my family.
  I am also reminded of Natalie Sadler, a young girl in my district, 
who is courageously fighting diabetes, who came to Washington as Utah's 
representative at the Juvenile Diabetes Congress to ask for our help.
  At least one in 10 Medicare beneficiaries are diagnosed with 
diabetes, and as our baby boomer population ages, this ratio will 
undoubtedly rise. Currently, 25 percent of Medicare costs are consumed 
by treating diabetes. Utah alone incurred almost $615 million in direct 
and indirect costs because of diabetes.
  While we were learning more about how to manage diabetes and minimize 
its complications, the message is not getting out. Many of our 
citizens, particularly Medicare patients, are not aware of what they 
need to do to prevent serious complications from diabetes. While they 
know to get annual physicals, 60 percent never receive annual eye 
exams, despite the fact that diabetes is one of the leading causes of 
blindness.
  Prevention and maintenance, while important, are not a cure. We need 
to do all we can to ensure that all children and our elderly no longer 
have to suffer from this disease.
  This legislation acknowledges the Federal Government's responsibility 
and role to improve access to treatment, raise awareness, and fund the 
necessary research to find a cure for diabetes.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez).
  Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 
325, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the 
Federal Government should increase funding for diabetes research, raise 
awareness about the importance of early detection and treatment, help 
improve access to diabetes diagnoses and treatment, and that all 
Americans should help to fight the national epidemic of diabetes.
  I and the San Antonio, Texas, community recently lost a good friend, 
State Senator Greg Luna, to diabetes and the complications of diabetes. 
Senator Luna's passing is a testimony to the seriousness of the 
diabetes within the Hispanic population.
  The disease affects nearly one in two Hispanics across this country 
and in our own backyards. Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death 
in the United States. Cardio-vascular diseases, which are prevalent 
among Hispanics, is the leading cause of death among people with 
diabetes, accounting for more than one-half of all deaths.
  It is crucial that we not only increase research into prevention and 
treatment of diabetes, but that our communities increase outreach to 
the high-risk populations.
  In my congressional district in south Texas, statistics indicate that 
juveniles are more likely to acquire type 2 diabetes than any other. I 
ask the House to make sure that we fund this diabetes research.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I understand I have the right to close. 
Right now it does not appear like I have any further requests for time, 
and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Reyes.)
  Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman for yielding 
me this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I tell my colleagues that I rise today in support of H. 
Res. 325 because I know personally the impact of diabetes, as both my 
mother and mother-in-law are diagnosed with it; and I have seen their 
daily struggles to manage this terrible disease.
  Mr. Speaker, one of the most difficult things that I have done in 
recent months is to keynote a breakfast that was sponsored by the 
Juvenile Diabetes Foundation where I heard personal testimony from 
young people that are affected by this terrible disease.
  Although there is currently no cure for diabetes, there are many 
effective treatments to head off diabetes-related complications such as 
blindness, kidney disease, amputations, heart disease, and other 
diseases that affect millions of people each and every day.
  But, Mr. Speaker, diabetes has an even more debilitating impact in 
the Hispanic community, as some of my colleagues have pointed out. For 
example, among individuals over 20 years of age, Mexican-Americans are 
twice as likely than non-Hispanic whites to have this terrible disease, 
and more than 21 percent of Hispanics over the age of 65 have been 
diagnosed with diabetes.
  These disproportionate numbers affect districts with significant 
Hispanic

[[Page H12038]]

populations, such as mine in El Paso. This impact will only worsen 
because the Census Bureau projects that the Hispanic population in 
Texas will double over the course of the next 25 years. Thus, the 
future health of America will be affected substantially by our success 
in improving the health of racial and ethnic minorities.
  Research also provides the tools to improve access to community-based 
quality health care and the delivery of preventative and treatment 
services. The most important thing in my opinion that Congress can do 
for diabetes prevention and treatment is to prorate dollars to 
government health organizations for research and for treatment.
  I urge each of my colleagues to support H. Res. 325.
  Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the 
esteemed gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis).
  (Mr. DAVIS of Illinois asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks.)
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I certainly want to thank the 
gentlewoman from Colorado for yielding me this time.
  Let me just add my voice in strong support to all of the sentiments 
that have already been expressed by my colleagues. All of us have 
indicated that one does not have to go very far to see the impact, the 
effects of diabetes. My own mother died of kidney failure. My brother-
in-law probably at this moment is undergoing dialysis treatment. The 
chairman of my political organization just a few months ago, one of my 
young associates who was a childhood diabetic, I used to take in 
between meetings, I would drop him off to get his dialysis treatment.
  Here is an opportunity for this House, for this Congress, for all of 
America to get on board with a resolution that will provide the kind of 
resources for the research, the education, the treatment, the 
information that we really need to enhance the quality of life for 
millions.

                              {time}  1630

  Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  I do not think that we could be any more clear here today. We need to 
adequately fund diabetes research, and we need to do it now. There are 
over 260 Members of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus, which the 
gentleman from Washington (Mr. Nethercutt) and I chair. It is the 
largest caucus in Congress. There are 109 cosponsors of this piece of 
legislation. Every Member of Congress is touched in some way by a 
relative, by a friend, by a constituent with diabetes. The diabetes 
working group report sets out a clear path. The research we need to do 
is not useless, it is not frivolous, it is targeted, and it needs to be 
done.
  I do not think we can say any more clearly to the administration and 
to the National Institutes of Health that we appreciate what they are 
trying to do but that they need to do more. They need to increase the 
funding for diabetes research so that we can cure this disease and we 
can do it in the American spirit, in the way we always tackle all of 
these problems.
  Again I wish to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce) for 
bringing this resolution forward. It is important. And I would like to 
thank the hard efforts of everyone who continues to fight so that we 
may cure this deadly disease and that we may do it soon.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to 
close.
  Mr. Speaker, I made the comment earlier that I call this the 
invisible disease, but God knows even though it has been an invisible 
disease its effects are far from invisible. We heard here today the 
tremendous effect that diabetes has on the blood vessels. It causes 
poor circulation, which leads to so many other terrible things. The 
eyes, decreased vision and ultimately blindness. Poor kidney function 
and kidney failure. It affects the nerves, the autonomic nervous 
system. It affects the skin, with sores and deep infections; diabetic 
ulcers, poor healing, the blood, an increased susceptibility to 
infection, especially the urinary tract and skin.
  Mr. Speaker, this resolution, of course, calls for increased funding 
for research, and many of us recently signed a letter to the 
administration suggesting again very strongly the need of increased 
funding for research. We here in the House have been reluctant in the 
past to earmark funding for specific diseases, feeling it is not really 
our purview, that we do not have the knowledge to know and leaving it 
in the hands of NIH. But there have been times when we have basically 
said to them, even though we do not want to specify specific dollars, 
that there should be increased dollars for things such as Parkinson's, 
diabetes, cancer, et cetera, et cetera.
  So, Mr. Speaker, it is imperative that research continue and be 
improved so that we can finally lick this disease, because as we said 
earlier, insulin and some of the treatments do not really lick it, but 
it is also important for the American people to realize there are 
things they can do to maybe keep from getting diabetes, particularly 
when it is genetically in their family and they know that they are very 
susceptible to it. So I am hopeful what we are doing here today will be 
very helpful in that regard.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank again the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. 
DeGette), along with the others, the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
LaFalce) for bringing up the resolution, the gentlewoman from Colorado 
and the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Nethercutt), who have been 
fantastic about teaching us about diabetes, and, of course, the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Weldon) and the others, who have been 
so much at the forefront.
  Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues today in supporting the 
fight against diabetes.
  Today, nearly 16 million people in the United States have diabetes--
many of which are not aware that they have the disease. With every 
passing day, over 2,000 Americans discover they have diabetes. By the 
end of the year, almost 800,000 people will have been diagnosed as 
diabetics
  The most difficult part about treating and preventing diabetes is 
that most people are not aware they are diabetics until after they 
develop one of its life-threatening complications; including blindness, 
kidney disease, nerve amputations, and stroke. In fact, studies show 
that diabetes is the leading cause for blindness as well as kidney 
failure. Also, over sixty percent of diabetics suffer from nerve 
damage, which can lead to limb amputations. Diabetics are also two to 
four times more likely to suffer a stroke.
  Because of these serious complications, diabetes is one of the most 
costly health problems in America. It is estimated that the costs 
associated with diabetes treatments and overall health care for 
patients with diabetes costs $92 billion each year. Diabetics also 
incur almost $8,000 per year more in medical bills than those who are 
not diagnosed with diabetes.
  Due to the high cost and life-threatening implications of diabetes, I 
believe it is imperative that we raise awareness about the disease. 
Knowing the early signs of diabetes and its risk factors are a 
patient's best defense against diabetes. It would be a tragedy if more 
Americans were forced to suffer from diabetes without an increased 
effort to ensure people are aware of the steps they can take to best 
prevent the disease.
  Members of my own family have suffered from diabetes. I have 
witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of this disease and am 
committed to finding a cure. Like many of my colleagues here today, I 
am a member of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus, chaired by my 
colleague from Washington state. We have worked tirelessly to increase 
the awareness of diabetes in Congress and to promote greater research 
into diabetes.
  For this reason, I stand in strong support of H. Res. 325. This 
resolution underlines the importance of increasing research funding for 
diabetes so that improved treatments and a cure may be discovered. It 
also highlights the need to raise awareness about the importance of the 
early detection and proper treatment of diabetes.
  I am proud to rise in favor of this initiative to help the millions 
of Americans who suffer from diabetes. I strongly support this 
resolution and sincerely hope my colleagues will join me today in 
passing H. Res. 325.
  Ms. KILPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 325, which 
expresses the sense of this chamber that our efforts to fight against 
diabetes deserve increased support and funding. I would like to take 
this opportunity to thank the sponsor of this resolution, the gentleman 
from New York, Representative LaFalce, for raising the American 
public's awareness of this important issue.

[[Page H12039]]

  Our efforts to find new and improved treatments for diabetes and 
ultimately a cure are a personal issue for me.
  I am a diabetic.
  This disease has threaded its way through generations of my family, 
and it impacts on my daily life. Each day begins with an intake of 
insulin. Each meal is carefully selected to help me manage my diabetes. 
Each daily schedule sets time aside for physical exercise as a means of 
reducing the risk of diabetes-related complications.
  Sixteen million Americans live with diabetes. In the last 40 years, 
the number of Americans with diabetes has increased nearly 700 percent. 
This dramatic growth gave cause for the Centers of Disease Control to 
call it the ``epidemic of our time.'' America spends $40 billion 
annually treating people with diabetes through Medicare, Medicaid and 
other health care programs.
  Diabetes is the sixth deadliest disease in America. Since 1980 the 
mortality rate due to diabetes has increased 30 percent. This trend is 
significant when compared to the mortality rates of heart disease and 
stroke, which have decreased over the same time period. The life 
expectancy of diabetics average 10 to 15 years less than that of the 
general population. The damage caused by diabetes is gradual. It occurs 
over a period of years, and it affects virtually every tissue of the 
body with long-term and severe damage.
  In Michigan, nearly 400,000 adults (or 5.7 percent of the adult 
population) have been diagnosed as diabetics. But another 2,600,000 
persons in Michigan are at increased risk of undiagnosed diabetes 
because of the risk factors of age, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. 
Diabetes contributed to the death of 7,433 Michigan residents. Research 
has established that African- and Hispanic-Americans exhibit a greater 
prevalence of diabetes than the general population. And African-
American males often suffer disproportionately. For example, diabetes 
is the leading cause of debilitating disease and death in African-
American men. Persons affected by diabetes suffer higher rates of 
serious, but preventable complications, including: blindness, lower 
extremity amputations and end stage renal disease.
  This spring the Diabetes Research Working Group (DRWG) presented a 
report to Congress identifying hundreds of scientific opportunities 
that could lead to better treatments for the 16 million Americans with 
diabetes and hopefully bring about a cure. It suggested a number of 
research plan recommendations, including increasing the budget for 
diabetes research.
  The Labor--HHS--Education Appropriations bill increased funding by 
over 13 percent, and it instructed the National Institutes of Diabetes 
and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to move forward with the 
recommendations of the Working Group. The National Institutes of Health 
(NIH) will draw on the resources from related research disciplines to 
increase funding for diabetes research by 15 percent overall. The bill 
also urged the Institute to focus increased efforts into areas of 
diabetes research that could lead to a cure in the short term, such as 
beta cell replacement and supply. For this, I appreciate the work of 
the gentleman from Illinois, Rep. John Porter, for assigning diabetes 
research a high priority in NIH's Fiscal Year 2000 funding allocations.
  I look forward to continuing the work of my colleagues who share my 
interest in diabetes and diabetes research and in finding the resources 
necessary to increase our investment in research efforts that could 
lead to new treatments and, hopefully, a cure for diabetes.
  Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to join my fellow cosponsors of H. 
Res. 325 in highlighting the importance of expanding research, 
treatment and education on diabetes.
  I am particularly pleased to recognize the work of the American 
Diabetes Association on World Diabetes Day, which was observed by the 
World Health Organization and more than one hundred international 
scientific and patient advocacy groups this past Sunday November 14.
  Today, managing their diabetes is a health priority for more than 140 
million people across the world. Even before its clinical symptoms were 
recorded by an Egyptian physician in the 15th century B.C., diabetes 
was a chronic disease affecting people across the world. Only today, as 
research into genetic and environmental factors continues, can it be 
said that real hope exists for finding a cure to diabetes.
  In the United States, diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death. 
Disproportionately affecting the elderly and communities of color, 
diabetes is a heavy burden on the health of patients, the lives of 
their families and communities, and upon our system of health care. It 
is therefore fitting that Congress should join patients and their 
families in renewing a commitment to preventing and to finding a cure 
for diabetes.
  Finally, recognizing that important discoveries are often made where 
we least expect, and that research in one field will often spark 
crucial insights in others, I hope in the future that Congress will act 
upon legislation to further enhance the work of the National Institutes 
of Health on juvenile diabetes as well as on other auto immune 
diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and 
Sjogren's Syndrome.
  I congratulate Ms. DeGette and Mr. Nethercutt, the chairs of the 
Congressional Diabetes Caucus, and Mr. LaFalce, the sponsor of the 
resolution, for having advanced this resolution before the Congress 
adjourns.
  Mr. LARSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 325, 
which expresses the critical need for increased funding and education 
to combat diabetes. My commitment to helping those with this disease is 
not limited to H. Res. 325. When I became a Member of Congress earlier 
this year, I joined the Congressional Diabetes Caucus.
  Diabetes, which is the sixth leading cause of death in the United 
States, is currently an incurable disease. This disease is also the 
foremost cause of adult onset blindness, and several debilitating 
health complications such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease. 
In the United States sixteen million individuals have diabetes. 800,000 
Americans have type one (formerly known as juvenile diabetes), and 
while 10.2 million have been diagnosed with type two diabetes, roughly 
5 million are unaware that they have it. In my district alone, 
approximately 37,000 of my constituents and their families have been 
struck with this deadly disease.
  Funding for diabetes treatment, prevention education, and research is 
extremely vital and indispensable. I cannot emphasize enough how 
important it is to fully fund these programs in order to find a cure 
for diabetes, and to find ways to prevent or delay the onset diabetes 
through early identification of individuals who are at high risk.
  Although research continues to try to identify the causes of the 
disease and ways to prevent it, it can only go so far with limited 
funding. The Diabetes Research Working Group was established by 
Congress and selected by the National Institute of Health to develop a 
comprehensive plan for all NIH funded diabetes research efforts. It has 
stated that there may be possible cures, solutions, and opportunities 
for discovery in diabetes research that are not being pursued due to 
the lack of funding. In the Diabetes Research Working Group's summary 
of its report and recommendations, there are over 70 major 
recommendations for research. There is no reason why these 
recommendations should not be funded.
  We desperately need to increase funding for and awareness for this 
disease. Diabetes affects everyone; it does not discriminate based on 
age, race, or creed. That point was painfully expressed to me in a 
letter from a constituent named Michael Hoefling who is 13 years old. 
He writes, ``I really want a cure for diabetes so I don't have to test 
my blood sugar all the time, and then I can do whatever I want without 
worrying, like playing sports and having more freedom.'' For Michael 
and the 16 million other Americans living with this disease, Congress 
must provide that freedom my funding diabetes research and prevention.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in support of H. Res 325.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H. 
Res. 325, a resolution expressing the will of the House that the 
Federal Government has an important responsibility to appropriately 
fund vital life-saving and life-affirming research to treat and cure 
diabetes. As a co-sponsor of this resolution, and as a member of the 
Congressional Diabetes Caucus, I believe the goal of understanding the 
causes of diabetes, and thereby discovering a cure, is both attainable 
and appropriate for our nation.
  Diabetes affects 16 million Americans and is one of the leading 
causes of blindness, amputations, kidney disease, and heart disease. 
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), at our 
hospitals and medical centers, and at our nation's research-based 
pharmaceutical companies, are all working hard to find a cure for 
diabetes. But they need the full support of Congress, because the 
problem is simply too big for any one segment of our society to conquer 
on its own.
  Through this resolution, Congress is putting itself on record 
advocating the funding level of $827 million dollars recommended by the 
Diabetes Research Working Group. This is the amount of NIH funding 
deemed to be necessary to wage a full-fledged war on diabetes. I hope 
the National Institutes of Health (NIH) takes a careful look at this 
vote on H. Res. 325 as they compile their research priorities in the 
coming years.
  In the U.S., there are currently 123,000 persons under age 20--most 
of them children--suffering from diabetes. We know these children 
because they live in every community in America. One such child is 
Charlie Coates, a precocious young boy from Highstown, New Jersey, who 
visited my office in Washington, D.C., along with his father, David 
Coates. Charlie has diabetes, and Charlie's future, and

[[Page H12040]]

the futures of thousands of children just like him, depend in part on 
the decisions made here in Congress and in Bethesda, Maryland, the 
headquarters of the NIH. Diabetes affects virtually every tissue and 
organ in Charlie's body, and it can create serious medical 
complications for him. His mother and father have to be constantly 
vigilant to make sure Charlie's diabetes is kept under control with 
insulin. Right now, the average life expectancy of a person with 
diabetes is 15 to 20 years less than for those without the disease. 
Indeed, the stakes for children like Charlie are very high in this 
fight. Children like him need a medical breakthrough, and they need it 
now.
  We are at a crucial decision point in the war on diabetes. Will we 
try to wage this war on the cheap, with proverbial sticks and rocks? 
For the sake of 16 million Americans, I sure hope not. Or will we use 
the full array of life-affirming and life-saving technology at our 
nation's disposal, and fund the fight at the level recommended by the 
Diabetes Research Working Group?
  As a nation, we need to refocus and rededicate ourselves to finding 
the cure for diabetes. Despite great progress to date at the NIH, we 
are still not designating diabetes among our top priorities. For 
instance, from FY 1980 through 1999, NIH-funded diabetes research as a 
percentage of the total NIH budget has never exceeded 4.1 percent, 
despite the fact that diabetes-related illnesses during the same period 
represented 12 to 14 percent of the health care expenses in the United 
States. Right now, only $30 per year in federal research is spent per 
person affected with diabetes. That is less than a family might spend 
for a movie and a pizza! Affected persons need more care and relief 
than $30 per person per year can buy.
  Diabetes costs our nation an estimated $105 billion annually in 
health care costs. In addition, seniors are also at a great risk for 
diabetes. Fully one out of every four Medicare dollars is spent on 
caring for diabetes, totaling about $28.6 billion per year and making 
diabetes and its related complications Medicare's single largest 
expense. And the human costs of diabetes are simply incalculable.
  Diabetes is not a discriminatory disease. It is a lifelong condition 
that affects people of every age, race, income level, and nationality. 
The number of Americans with diabetes has increased nearly 700 percent 
in the past 40 years, leading the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention to call it the ``epidemic of our time.'' Nearly 123,000 
children and persons under 20 suffer from some form of diabetes.
  The cost would most likely be lower if diabetes were detected 
earlier. Too frequently this epidemic goes undiagnosed: 5.4 million 
Americans have the disease but do not know it. About 197,000 Americans 
die each year from the complications of diabetes, and there are 
approximately 800,000 newly diagnosed cases each year.
  But there is hope, if only Congress will set aside the necessary 
resources to track down promising leads and research proposals. Early 
detection and preventive medicine is crucial in assisting Americans 
become better aware and educated about diabetes. If we can teach 
patients to know the warning signs and symptoms of diabetes, we can 
lower the risks of further infection an complications.
  With the information technology revolution upon us, I believe a cure 
is in sight. I voice my enthusiastic support for H. Res. 325, and urge 
every one of my colleagues to do the same.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shimkus). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, House Resolution 325.
  The question was taken.
  Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

                          ____________________