[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 169 (Thursday, November 20, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S15290-S15291]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. REED (for himself, Mr. Specter, Mr. Durbin, and Mr. 
        Allen):
  S. 1902. A bill to establish a National Commission on Digestive 
Diseases; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, I rise today, along with my colleague, 
Senator Specter of Pennsylvania, to introduce the National Commission 
on Digestive Diseases Act.
  It is estimated that over 62 million Americans presently suffer from 
a range of painful, debilitating and in some cases, fatal digestive 
diseases. Conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), 
irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), colorectal cancer, gastroesophageal 
reflux disease impact the lives of our friends, loved ones and 
neighbors. These diseases produce total estimated direct and indirect 
costs in excess of $40 billion annually. Of course, these figures do 
not take into account the serious physical and emotional toll digestive 
diseases have on those afflicted.
  Thanks to significant advances in medical science, we are now on the 
brink of some major scientific breakthroughs in the area of digestive 
disease research. However, in other areas

[[Page S15291]]

of this diverse field, we still lack even a basic understanding of the 
condition itself, let alone effective methods of treatment and 
prevention.
  The bill I am proposing today would call upon the Secretary of the 
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a Commission 
of scientific and health care providers with expertise in the field, as 
well as persons suffering from digestive ailments, to assess the state 
of digestive disease research and develop a long range plan to direct 
our scientific research agenda with regard to digestive disease. The 
Commission would submit their report to Congress in 18 months.
  This legislation would build upon the successes of a digestive 
disease commission that was assembled roughly 25 years ago with a 
similar goal. The 1976 Commission's findings directed significant 
progress in the area of digestive disease research.
  While the plan set forth by the first Commission has certainly 
accomplished a great deal, the burden of digestive diseases in this 
country remains substantial and advancements in genetics and medical 
technology compel the assembly of a new commission to guide our 
research efforts well into the 21st century.
  I look forward to working with my colleagues towards expeditious 
passage of this important, bipartisan legislation.
  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I have sought recognition today to join 
my colleague Senator Reed of Rhode Island to introduce the National 
Commission on Digestive Diseases Act.
  Each year, more than 62 million Americans are diagnosed with 
digestive diseases and disorders. These conditions, such as colorectal, 
liver and pancreatic cancers, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable 
bowel syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and chronic 
hepatitis C require patients to undergo rigorous courses of medical 
therapies and treatment. As Chairman of the Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee, I am acutely aware 
that while promising research developments have been made in these 
areas, the causes of many of these diseases are unknown and their 
incidence is on the rise.
  In 2001, the Lewin Group conducted a study of the economic burden to 
our society resulting from the direct and indirect costs associated 
with just 17 of the over several hundred digestive diseases. The 
results of this study revealed that the total costs associated with 
physician care, inpatient and outpatient hospital care as well as loss 
of work for patients with digestive disorders was $42 billion in the 
year 2000. It is clear from this study and the findings of digestive 
disease specialists around the country that these disorders represent 
enormous health and economic consequences for the nation.
  The National Commission on Digestive Diseases Act would address the 
burden of digestive diseases in a comprehensive and coordinated manner. 
This legislation would create a panel of scientists in the relevant 
disciplines, patient representatives, employers and other appropriate 
experts to conduct a comprehensive study on the current state of 
scientific and clinical knowledge in digestive diseases. The commission 
would then be charged with evaluating the resources necessary to 
expedite the discovery of treatments and cures for patients with these 
diseases and develop a 5-10 year long-range plan for effectively 
addressing these needs.
  In 1976, Congress created a Commission on Digestive Diseases Research 
which serves as the successful model for this new initiative. Following 
18 months of deliberations, the 1970s commission created a long-range 
plan and recommendations that laid the groundwork for significant 
progress in the area of digestive diseases research. The state of 
scientific knowledge has changed substantially since the late 1970s, 
however, and the advent of genetics and genomics research, as well as 
the discovery of additional digestive diseases, compels us to look anew 
at the challenges that digestive diseases present to patients and those 
who care for them.
  It is my hope that this legislation will advance our understanding of 
the causes, effective treatments, possible prevention, and cures for 
digestive diseases. I look forward to working with my colleagues to 
enact this important bipartisan legislation.
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