[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 53 (Wednesday, April 25, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3928-S3929]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENATE RESOLUTION 75--DESIGNATING THE WEEK BEGINNING MAY 13, 2001, AS
``NATIONAL BIOTECHNOLOGY WEEK''
Mr. LOTT (for Mr. Hutchinson (for himself, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Crapo, Mr.
Kennedy, Mr. Inhofe, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Craig, Mrs. Murray, Mr.
Specter, Mr. Edwards, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Helms, Mr. Biden, and Mr.
Kerry) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary:
S. Res. 75
Whereas biotechnology is increasingly important to the
research and development of medical, agricultural,
industrial, and environmental products;
Whereas public awareness, education, and understanding of
biotechnology is essential for the responsible application
and regulation of this new technology;
Whereas biotechnology has been responsible for
breakthroughs and achievements that have benefited people for
centuries and contributed to increasing the quality of human
health care through the development of vaccines, antibiotics,
and other drugs;
Whereas biotechnology is central to research for cures to
diseases such as cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, multiple
sclerosis, heart and lung disease, Alzheimer's disease,
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), and innumerable
other medical ailments;
Whereas biotechnology contributes to crop yields and farm
productivity, and enhances the quality, value, and
suitability of crops for food and other uses that are
critical to the agriculture of the United States;
Whereas biotechnology promises environmental benefits
including protection of water quality, conservation of
topsoil, improvement of waste management techniques,
reduction of chemical pesticide usage, production of
renewable energy and biobase products, and cleaner
manufacturing processes;
Whereas biotechnology contributes to the success of the
United States as the global leader in research and
development, and international commerce;
Whereas biotechnology will be an important catalyst for
creating more high-skilled jobs throughout the 21st century
and will lead the way in reinvigorating rural economies and;
Whereas it is important for all Americans to understand the
beneficial role biotechnology plays in improving quality of
life and protecting the environment: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates the week beginning May 13, 2001, as
``National Biotechnology Week''; and
(2) requests that the President issue a proclamation
calling upon the people of the United States to observe the
week with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
Mr. HUTCHINSON. Mr. President, I rise today with Senators Dodd,
Crapo, Kennedy, Inhofe, Feinstein, Craig, Murray, Spector, Edwards,
Mikulski, Helms, Biden, and Kerry to introduce a Senate Resolution
declaring May 13-20, ``National Biotechnology Week.''
There have been phenomenal advancements in science over the last few
years that are allowing us to improve health care, increase crop
yields, reduce the use of pesticides, and replace costly industrial
processes involving harsh chemicals with cheaper, safer, biological
processes. These advancements have occurred due to the hard work and
diligence of scientists and researchers in United States, and all
around the world, who have spent their lives promoting and perfecting
the practice of biotechnology.
Biotechnology is the use of biological processes to solve problems or
make useful products. While the use of biological processes for these
purposes is not new, the use of recombinant DNA technology and our
greater understanding of the role of genetics in our lives have led to
the creation of hundreds of products and therapeutic treatments with a
wide variety of health, agricultural, and environmental benefits.
Through the analysis of genes and gene products, we will soon be able
to forecast disease and create preventative therapies that will
drastically reduce the cost of health care by limiting the number of
drug treatments necessary and reducing the amount of time patients must
be in the hospital. This same technology will enable us to refocus
health care on promoting health and preventing disease rather than
restoring health in the sick and treating the symptoms and effects of
full-blown illness in our nation's health care clinics.
With the publication of the human genome sequence, we are now one
step closer to understanding the mechanisms of disease. The
identification of which genes are activated, how, and the determination
of the functional characteristics of their RNA and protein products are
frontiers that remain for our next generation of scientists. However,
we are quickly moving towards those frontiers, shedding light on the
complex functions of our own bodies that have been shrouded in mystery
and speculation for centuries.
In the area of agriculture, the benefits and potential for
biotechnology are no less stunning--allowing us to increase the yield
of commodities while reducing the use of pesticides. As the world
population continues to balloon and the amount of arable land available
decreases, we will increasingly look to biotechnology to meet the needs
of people everywhere. Researchers in industry and academia are also
exploring the possibilities for genetic traits that will yield maximum
production, even in the face of inclement weather.
They are also looking for ways to use biotechnology to create novel
plants that will provide food that has value added traits such as
reduced fat content and increased levels of vitamins and minerals that
our diets here in the United States or those in the developing world
may be deficient in. The potential for the product known as ``golden
rice,'' which could substantially combat blindness and anemia in the
third world, is immense. In the next ten to twenty years, we will
likely be able to grow vaccines in plants, eliminating the difficulties
of distribution in many areas of the world.
Industrial biotechnology also shows tremendous potential for reducing
the pollution and waste generated through industrial production.
Through the use of enzymes and other biological components, industries
are able to minimize material and energy inputs while simultaneously
maximizing renewable resources. An added benefit of those processes is
that they limit the production of hazardous pollutants and wastes while
producing recyclables or biodegradable products. Industrial
biotechnology has been used to create environmentally friendly laundry
detergents with fewer phosphates and paper production treatments that
reduce the discharge of chlorine. Industrial enzymes have also been
used to create ethanol and other alternative fuels from corn and
biomass.
Aside from the environmental benefits of both agricultural and
industrial biotechnology, researchers have used this technology to
actually solve environmental problems and clean up environmental
disasters. Through the use of bioremediation, the use of living
organisms to degrade toxic waste into harmless byproducts, researchers
and environmentalists have been able to clean polluted coastlines and
areas where fuels have leaked into the soil. Cities and towns
throughout the world are now using microbes to remove pollutants from
their sewage systems, and the EPA is now using bioremediation to clean
up some of our nation's most serious waste sites.
With all of these marvelous benefits, there is no doubt that
biotechnology is touching our lives and improving our world. But, along
with this technology comes the responsibility to understand and
carefully evaluate it. If there is to be a future for this technology,
and we are to fully realize its benefits, elected officials and the
public must be informed and engaged about the basics of technology
itself and its incredible benefits.
This is why my colleagues and I are pleased to introduce this
resolution declaring May 13-20, 2001, as ``National Biotechnology
Week.'' It is our hope that public officials, community leaders,
researchers, professors, and school teachers across the country will
take this week to actively promote understanding of biotechnology in
their communities and their classrooms.
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