[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 165 (Friday, November 19, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S14927-S14928]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            DESIGNATING A DAY TO ``GIVE THANKS, GIVE LIFE''

  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Judiciary Committee be discharged from consideration of S. Res. 225 and 
the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk 
will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 225) to designate November 23, 2000, 
     Thanksgiving Day, as a day to ``Give Thanks, Give Life'' and 
     to discuss organ and tissue donation with other family 
     members.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I am delighted to join with my 
distinguished colleagues, Senators Frist, DeWine, Kennedy, Levin and 
others in supporting the passage of Senate Resolution 225, which 
designates November 23, 2000, Thanksgiving Day, as a day for families 
to discuss organ and tissue donation with other family members and to 
Give Thanks, Give Life. The purpose of this legislation is to encourage 
discussions concerning family members' intentions to donate their 
organs so that informed decisions can be made if the occasion to donate 
arises.
  As we prepare to recess for the Thanksgiving holiday, we are all 
aware that this is one of the few times throughout the year for 
families to take time out of their busy lives to come together and give 
thanks for the many blessings in their lives. This occasion presents an 
ideal opportunity for family members to have frank discussions about 
their intentions on the issue of organ and tissue donation. This is a 
discussion about life and sharing the gift of life and fits perfectly 
with the theme of Thanksgiving Day. Although family members may have 
already designated themselves as organ donors on their driver's license 
or voter registration, that step does not ensure donation will take 
place since the final decision on whether a potential donor will share 
the gift of life is usually made by surviving family members regardless 
of their loved one's initial intent.
  There are approximately 21,000 men, women, and children in the United 
States who receive the gift of life each year through transplantation 
surgery made possible by the generosity of organ and tissue donors. 
This is only a small proportion of the more than 66,000 Americans who 
are on the waiting list, hoping for their chance to prolong their lives 
by finding a matching donor. Tragically, nearly 5,000 of these patients 
each year, or 13 patients each day, die while waiting for a donated 
heart, liver, kidney, or other organ.
  In order to narrow the gap between the supply and the increasing 
demand for donated organs, we must step up our effort to encourage 
willing donors to make their desire to donate clear to the only people 
usually able to make the decision if the occasion should arise--their 
immediate family members. Although there are up to 15,000 potential 
donors annually, families' consent to donation is received for less 
than 6,000 donors. As the demand for transplantation increases due to 
prolonged life expectancy and increased prevalence of diseases that 
lead to organ damage and failure, including hypertension, alcoholism, 
and hepatitis C infection, this shortfall will become even more 
pronounced. Additionally, the need for a more diverse donor pool, 
including a variety of racial and ethnic minorities, will also continue 
to grow with the predicted population trends.
  Many Americans will spend part of the Thanksgiving Day with some of 
those family members who would be most likely approached to make the 
important decision of whether or not to donate. Therefore, this would 
be a good time for families to spend a portion of that day discussing 
how they might give life to others on a day devoted to giving thanks 
for their own blessings. Open family discussions on this topic on a day 
of relaxation and family togetherness will increase awareness of the 
intentions of those willing to make the courageous and selfless 
decision to be organ donors, leading to more lifesaving transplants in 
the future. Designation of November 23, 2000, Thanksgiving Day, as a 
day for families to Give Thanks, Give Life is an important next step to 
promoting the dialogue between willing donors and their families, so 
that family members will know their loved ones' wishes long before the 
issue arises.
  We have received a great outpouring of support for this resolution 
from many of the national organ and tissue donation organizations, 
including the American Heart Association, American Kidney Fund, 
American Liver Foundation, American Lung Association, American Society 
of Transplant Surgeons, American Thoracic Society, Association of Organ 
Procurement Organizations, Coalition on Donation, Eye Bank Association 
of America, James Redford Institute for Transplant Awareness, National 
Kidney Foundation, National Minority Organ and Tissue Transplant 
Education Program (MOTTEP), Transplant Recipients International 
Organization (TRIO), United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), and the 
Wendy Marks Foundation for Organ Donor Awareness. The tireless efforts 
of these groups and others have been critical in increasing donor 
awareness and education of the public on this extremely important 
cause. Their willingness to become involved with the Give Thanks, Give 
Life resolution and to provide their expertise in the development and 
implementation of a national campaign targeted at Thanksgiving 2000 
will be invaluable in making this a national event with far-reaching 
effects.
  The adoption of this resolution is a small victory for the organ 
donation awareness cause, but we must not forget the many casualties 
who have died awaiting a donated organ. One tragic loss that so many of 
us can relate to is the recent death of Walter Payton, an American 
hero. He contracted a rare liver disease that is often cured if the 
patient can receive a liver transplant. In Payton's case, the risk of 
deadly complications grew too quickly for him to be saved. He likely 
would have had to wait for years for his life-saving organ. The 
prevention of deaths like that of this great man and of so many other 
silent heroes is why our efforts in this life-saving cause must 
continue. A

[[Page S14928]]

day must come when no one dies because there is no available liver, 
kidney, heart, lung or other organ to save his or her life.
  Mr. President, I thank all of my colleagues for joining me in 
supporting this worthwhile resolution designating Thanksgiving day of 
2000 as a day for families to discuss organ and tissue donation with 
other family members, a day to ``Give Thanks, Give Life.''
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution and the preamble be agreed to, en bloc, the motion to 
reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to 
the resolution be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 225) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 225

       Whereas traditionally, Thanksgiving is a time for families 
     to take time out of their busy lives to come together and to 
     give thanks for the many blessings in their lives;
       Whereas approximately 21,000 men, women, and children in 
     the United States are given the gift of life each year 
     through transplantation surgery, made possible by the 
     generosity of organ and tissue donations;
       Whereas more than 66,000 Americans are awaiting their 
     chance to prolong their lives by finding a matching donor;
       Whereas nearly 5,000 of these patients each year (or 13 
     patients each day) die while waiting for a donated heart, 
     liver, kidney, or other organ;
       Whereas nationwide there are up to 15,000 potential donors 
     annually, but families' consent to donation is received for 
     less than 6,000;
       Whereas the need for organ donations greatly exceeds the 
     supply available;
       Whereas designation as an organ donor on a driver's license 
     or voter's registration is a valuable step, but does not 
     ensure donation when an occasion arises;
       Whereas the demand for transplantation will likely increase 
     in the coming years due to the growing safety of 
     transplantation surgery due to improvements in technology and 
     drug developments, prolonged life expectancy, and increased 
     prevalence of diseases that may lead to organ damage and 
     failure, including hypertension, alcoholism, and hepatitis C 
     infection;
       Whereas the need for a more diverse donor pool, including a 
     variety of racial and ethnic minorities, will continue to 
     grow in the coming years;
       Whereas the final decision on whether a potential donor can 
     share the gift of life usually is made by surviving family 
     members regardless of the patient's initial intent;
       Whereas many Americans have indicated a willingness to 
     donate their organs and tissues but have not discussed this 
     critical matter with the family members who are most likely 
     to make the decision, if the occasion arises, as to whether 
     that person will be an organ and tissue donor;
       Whereas some family members may be reluctant to give 
     consent to donate their deceased loved one's organs and 
     tissues at a very difficult and emotional time if that person 
     has not clearly expressed a desire or willingness to do so;
       Whereas the vast majority of Americans are likely to spend 
     part of Thanksgiving Day with some of those family members 
     who would be approached to make such a decision; and
       Whereas it is fitting for families to spend a portion of 
     that day discussing how they might give life to others on a 
     day devoted to giving thanks for their own blessings: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate designates November 23, 2000, 
     Thanksgiving Day, as a day to ``Give Thanks, Give Life'' and 
     to discuss organ and tissue donation with other family 
     members so that informed decisions can be made if the 
     occasion to donate arises.

                          ____________________