[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 91 (Thursday, June 19, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H5643-H5644]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING THE CONTRIBUTIONS LOU GEHRIG AND HIS LEGACY HAVE MADE IN 
                         THE FIGHT AGAINST ALS

  Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on 
Energy and Commerce be discharged from further consideration of the 
resolution (H. Res. 278) recognizing the contributions Lou Gehrig and 
his legacy have made in the fight against Amyotrophic Lateral 
Sclerosis, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Nebraska?
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I do not 
intend to object, but I would like to speak from the well so I can 
stand here with a picture of Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees.
  Today is the 100th birthday of Lou Gehrig, and I am proud to rise 
today in favor of my resolution H. Res. 78 which celebrates Lou 
Gehrig's 100th birthday.
  Lou Gehrig was born on June 19, 1903, 100 years ago today. He lived a 
storied life which ended tragically at the hands of a disease that 
still carries his name, Lou Gehrig's Disease, known as Amyotrophic 
Lateral Sclerosis or ALS. It is a devastating condition and a testament 
to Lou Gehrig's courage in the face of this horrible affliction.
  In my own family, my grandmother, my father's mother, also died of 
the same disease and literally thousands upon thousands of Americans 
are suffering with this ALS disease.
  Today there are celebrations in New York in honor of Lou Gehrig, most 
notably at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, where I am from, this 
afternoon. The ALS Association is remembering Lou Gehrig; today is Lou 
Gehrig Day at Yankee Stadium, the Iron Horse, that was his nickname, 
and is raising greater awareness about the disease. The ALS Association 
is committed to greater awareness about those suffering with ALS and 
the sacrifices of their loved ones who require the intense care these 
patients require.
  Approximately 30,000 individuals in the United States are afflicted 
with ALS with about 5,000 new cases appearing each year. ALS destroys 
the lives of its victims and their families, leaving patients unable to 
walk, eat or even talk.

                              {time}  1745

  The life expectancy of an individual with ALS is only 3 to 5 years 
from the time of diagnosis. I have had many sufferers of ALS come into 
my office very courageously to talk about this affliction.
  There is no known cure or cause for ALS. Research has given birth to 
new aggressive treatments for the symptoms of ALS that can extend the 
lives of patients. Recent advances in ALS research have produced 
promising leads into neurodegenerative diseases, and it is imperative 
that this important work continues. Furthermore, the sequencing of the 
Human Genome holds great promise in the search for cures for many 
diseases, including ALS.
  My resolution honors Lou Gehrig and the contributions his legacy has 
made in the fight against this terrible disease. It also recognizes the 
efforts of the ALS Association in raising awareness, pursuing research, 
and providing support for ALS patients and their families. ALS patients 
exhibit incredible courage in their fight against this disease, and 
this resolution commends them for that and affirms the support of 
Congress for continued research into better treatments and a cure for 
ALS.
  Mr. Speaker, perhaps there was no greater act of courage than when 
Lou Gehrig gave his farewell speech before the Yankee faithful at 
Yankee Stadium who were not ready to let him go. I want to read that 
famous speech into the Record. We all know it, where he said he 
considered himself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. He said: 
``Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad 
break I got. Yet today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face 
of the earth. I have been in ballparks for 17 years and have never 
received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans.
  ``Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn't consider it the 
highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day? 
Sure I'm lucky. Who wouldn't consider it an honor to have known Jacob 
Ruppert? Also, the builder of baseball's greatest empire, Ed Barrow? To 
have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins? 
Then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, 
that smart student of psychology, the best manager in baseball today, 
Joe McCarthy.
  ``Sure I'm lucky. When the New York Giants, a team you would give 
your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you gifts, that's 
something. When everybody down to the groundkeepers and those boys in 
white coats remember you with trophies, that's something. When you have 
a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles with 
her own daughter, that's something. When you have a father and a mother 
who work all their lives so you can have an education and build your 
body, it's a blessing. When you have a wife who has been a tower of 
strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed, that's the 
finest I know. So I close in saying that I may have had a tough break, 
but I have an awful lot to live for.''
  Now, Mr. Speaker, I will close by saying that we must do all we can 
to find a cure for a disease that still ravages the lives of its 
victims. I am proud that our colleagues in the House of Representatives 
are honoring a true hero in Lou Gehrig and affirming its commitment to 
overcoming the scourge of ALS for Lou Gehrig and every person who has 
fought this terrible disease.
  Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. ENGEL. Further reserving the right to object, Mr. Speaker, I 
yield to the gentleman from Nebraska.
  Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from the Bronx, and a 
Yankee fan, for yielding to me.
  ``Today, I am the luckiest man on the face of the earth.'' That one 
Yankee phrase immortalizes and is synonymous with courage, and that is 
why I am proud to stand with my friend from the Bronx and rise in 
support of his resolution, House Resolution 278. It is brought to the 
floor on June 19, 2003, the 100th birthday of Lou Gehrig, baseball's 
original ``Iron Horse,'' and perhaps the greatest, or one of the 
greatest to ever play the game. As my friend from New York knows, I am 
a bit of a baseball fan myself, having named two of my children Noland 
and Ryan.
  Now, more importantly, this resolution recognizes the contribution 
that Gehrig and his legacy have made in the fight against ALS, the 
disease that claimed Lou Gehrig's life at age 37, and the disease that 
is named after him.
  So what is Lou Gehrig's disease? Quite simply, ALS is the slow but 
steady deterioration of nerve cells in the brain and in the spinal 
cord. When these motor neurons can no longer send impulses to the 
muscles, the muscles begin to waste away causing increased muscle 
weakness. As the disease reaches its advanced stages, its victims 
struggle to even breathe and swallow. There is no cure for ALS.
  Every day, an average of 15 people are newly diagnosed with ALS. 
Approximately one out of 800 male deaths and 1 out of 1,200 female 
deaths in the United States are due to ALS. More

[[Page H5644]]

people die every year of ALS than Huntington's Disease or multiple 
sclerosis.
  One of the more frightening aspects of this disease is its 
unpredictability. It can arise in a family that has never had ALS 
throughout its generations. It is truly an equal opportunity disease, 
with no racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic boundaries. All of us are 
threatened by this disease.
  This country has devoted substantial resources to finding a cure for 
ALS. Last year alone, the National Institutes of Health spent nearly 
$35 million on ALS research. However, while this is a significant 
amount of money, it pales in comparison to the amount we spend on other 
diseases.
  Recent advances in genetics and technology have created new 
opportunities for the study and treatment of this terrible disease, but 
more can be done. This resolution recognizes that fact while providing 
the House of Representatives an opportunity to pay tribute to one of 
America's greatest heroes and human beings, Lou Gehrig.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Franks of Arizona). Is there objection 
to the request of the gentleman from Nebraska?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 278

       Whereas Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (hereinafter in this 
     resolution referred to as ``ALS'') is a progressive 
     neuromuscular disease characterized by a degeneration of 
     nerve cells of the brain and spinal cord leading to the 
     wasting of muscles, paralysis, and eventual death;
       Whereas approximately 30,000 individuals in the United 
     States are afflicted with ALS, with approximately 5,000 new 
     cases each year;
       Whereas the life expectancy of an individual with ALS is 
     three to five years from the time of diagnosis;
       Whereas there is no known cause or cure for ALS;
       Whereas aggressive treatment of the symptoms of ALS can 
     extend the lives of individuals with the disease;
       Whereas recent advances in ALS research have produced 
     promising leads related to shared disease processes that 
     appear to operate in many neurodegenerative diseases;
       Whereas, on June 19, 1903, New York Yankee baseball legend 
     Henry Louis (Lou) Gehrig was born in New York City;
       Whereas, on June 19, 2003, The ALS Association will help 
     America celebrate what would have been Lou's 100th birthday, 
     honoring his magnificent baseball career and his unwavering 
     courage as he faced the deadly disease that would carry his 
     name; and
       Whereas The ALS Association Greater New York Chapter will 
     celebrate Lou Gehrig's 100th birthday at Yankee Stadium on 
     June 19, 2003, by honoring the life and legacy of Lou Gehrig 
     through a pre-game home plate ceremony, and these activities 
     will help bring greater awareness to the disease, Amyotrophic 
     Lateral Sclerosis: Now, therefore, be it
        Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) recognizes the celebration of Lou Gehrig's 100th 
     birthday and commends the contributions he and his legacy 
     have made in the search for better treatments and a cure for 
     ALS;
       (2) acknowledges the struggle of the thousands of 
     individuals battling ALS everyday and their courage in facing 
     this debilitating disease;
       (3) supports cutting-edge research to find a cure for ALS; 
     and
       (4) applauds the efforts of all organizations, including 
     The ALS Association, in their endeavors to raise awareness 
     about the disease, support research initiatives, and assist 
     those suffering with ALS and their families in the challenges 
     of coping with this terrible affliction.

  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________