[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.

[[Page S3929]]



                          ____________________