[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 91 (Tuesday, July 6, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7590-S7592]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              THE CALENDAR

                                 ______
                                 

                         NATIONAL AIRBORNE DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                      NATIONAL HEALTH CENTER WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

           NATIONAL ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER AWARENESS DAY

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate 
proceed to immediate consideration of Calendar Nos. 585, 586, and 587, 
en bloc.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 322) designating August 16, 2004 as 
     ``National Airborne Day.''
       A resolution (S. Res. 357) designating the week of August 8 
     through August 14, 2004, as ``National Health Center Week.''
       A resolution (S. Res. 370) designating September 7, 2004, 
     as ``National Attention Deficit Disorder Awareness Day.''

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolutions en bloc.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. I ask unanimous consent the resolutions be agreed to, 
the preambles be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be laid on 
the table, all en bloc.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

[[Page S7591]]

  The resolutions were agreed to.
  The preambles were agreed to.
  The resolutions, with their preambles, read as follows:

                              S. Res. 322

       Whereas the airborne forces of the United States Armed 
     Forces have a long and honorable history as units of 
     adventuresome, hardy, and fierce warriors who, for the 
     national security of the United States and the defense of 
     freedom and peace, project the effective ground combat power 
     of the United States by Air Force air transport to the far 
     reaches of the battle area and, indeed, to the far corners of 
     the world;
       Whereas August 16, 2004, marks the anniversary of the first 
     official validation of the innovative concept of inserting 
     United States ground combat forces behind the battle line by 
     means of a parachute;
       Whereas the United States experiment of airborne infantry 
     attack began on June 25, 1940, when the Army Parachute Test 
     Platoon was first authorized by the United States Department 
     of War, and was launched when 48 volunteers began training in 
     July of 1940;
       Whereas the Parachute Test Platoon performed the first 
     official Army parachute jump on August 16, 1940;
       Whereas the success of the Parachute Test Platoon in the 
     days immediately preceding the entry of the United States 
     into World War II led to the formation of a formidable force 
     of airborne units that, since then, have served with 
     distinction and repeated success in armed hostilities;
       Whereas among those units are the former 11th, 13th, and 
     17th Airborne Divisions, the venerable 82nd Airborne 
     Division, the versatile 101st Airborne Division (Air 
     Assault), and the airborne regiments and battalions (some as 
     components of those divisions, some as separate units) that 
     achieved distinction as the elite 75th Ranger Regiment, the 
     173rd Airborne Brigade, the 187th Infantry (Airborne) 
     Regiment, the 503rd, 507th, 508th, 517th, 541st, and 542nd 
     Parachute Infantry Regiments, the 88th Glider Infantry 
     Regiment, the 509th, 551st, and 555th Parachute Infantry 
     Batallions, and the 550th Airborne Infantry Battalion;
       Whereas the achievements of the airborne forces during 
     World War II provided a basis of evolution into a diversified 
     force of parachute and air assault units that, over the 
     years, have fought in Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, the 
     Persian Gulf Region, and Somalia, and have engaged in 
     peacekeeping operations in Lebanon, the Sinai Peninsula, the 
     Dominican Republic, Haiti, Bosnia, and Kosovo;
       Whereas the modern-day airborne force that has evolved from 
     those World War II beginnings is an agile, powerful force 
     that, in large part, is composed of the 82nd Airborne 
     Division, the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), and the 
     75th Ranger Regiment which, together with other units, 
     comprise the quick reaction force of the Army's XVIII 
     Airborne Corps when not operating separately under a regional 
     combatant commander;
       Whereas that modern-day airborne force also includes other 
     elite forces composed entirely of airborne trained and 
     qualified special operations warriors, including Army Special 
     Forces, Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance units, Navy SEALs, 
     and Air Force combat control teams, all or most of which 
     comprise the forces of the United States Special Operations 
     Command;
       Whereas in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the 
     United States on September 11, 2001, the 75th Ranger 
     Regiment, special forces units, and units of the 82nd 
     Airborne Division and the 101st Airborne Division (Air 
     Assault), together with other units of the Armed Forces, have 
     been prosecuting the war against terrorism by carrying out 
     combat operations in Afghanistan, training operations in the 
     Philippines, and other operations elsewhere;
       Whereas in the aftermath of the President's announcement of 
     Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2003, the 75th Ranger 
     Regiment, special forces units, and units of the 82nd 
     Airborne Division, the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), 
     and the 173rd Airborne Brigade, together with other units of 
     the Armed Forces, have been prosecuting the war against 
     terrorism, carrying out combat operations, conducting civil 
     affair missions, and assisting in establishing democracy in 
     Iraq;
       Whereas the airborne forces are and will continue to be at 
     the ready and the forefront until the Global War on Terrorism 
     is concluded;
       Whereas of the members and former members of the United 
     States combat airborne forces, all have achieved distinction 
     by earning the right to wear the airborne's ``Silver Wings of 
     Courage'', thousands have achieved the distinction of making 
     combat jumps, 69 have earned the Medal of Honor, and hundreds 
     have earned the Distinguished-Service Cross, Silver Star, or 
     other decorations and awards for displays of such traits as 
     heroism, gallantry, intrepidity, and valor;
       Whereas the members and former members of the United States 
     combat airborne forces are members of a proud and honorable 
     fraternity of the profession of arms that is made exclusive 
     by those distinctions which, together with their special 
     skills and achievements, distinguish them as intrepid combat 
     parachutists, special operations forces, and (in former days) 
     glider troops; and
       Whereas the history and achievements of the members and 
     former members of the airborne forces of the United States 
     Armed Forces warrant special expressions of the gratitude of 
     the American people as the airborne community celebrates 
     August 16, 2004, as the 64th anniversary of the first 
     official jump by the Army Parachute Test Platoon: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates August 16, 2004, as ``National Airborne 
     Day''; and
       (2) requests that the President issue a proclamation 
     calling on Federal, State, and local administrators and the 
     people of the United States to observe ``National Airborne 
     Day'' with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
                                  ____


                              S. Res. 357

       Whereas community, migrant, public housing, and homeless 
     health centers are nonprofit, community owned and operated 
     health providers and are vital to the Nation's communities;
       Whereas there are more than 1,000 such health centers 
     serving 15,000,000 people in over 3,500 communities in every 
     State and territory, spanning urban and rural communities in 
     all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, 
     and the Virgin Islands;
       Whereas these health centers have provided cost-effective, 
     high-quality health care to the Nation's poor and medically 
     underserved (including the working poor, the uninsured, and 
     many high-risk and vulnerable populations), acting as a vital 
     safety net in the Nation's health delivery system, meeting 
     escalating health needs, and reducing health disparities;
       Whereas these health centers provide care to individuals in 
     the United States who would otherwise lack access to health 
     care, including 1 of every 8 uninsured individuals, 1 of 
     every 9 Medicaid beneficiaries, 1 of every 7 people of color, 
     and 1 of every 9 rural Americans;
       Whereas these health centers and other innovative programs 
     in primary and preventive care reach out to over 621,000 
     homeless individuals and more than 709,000 migrant and 
     seasonal farm workers;
       Whereas these health centers make health care responsive 
     and cost effective by integrating the delivery of primary 
     care with aggressive outreach, patient education, 
     translation, and enabling support services;
       Whereas these health centers increase the use of preventive 
     health services such as immunizations, Pap smears, 
     mammograms, and glaucoma screenings;
       Whereas in communities served by these health centers, 
     infant mortality rates have been reduced between 10 and 40 
     percent;
       Whereas these health centers are built by community 
     initiative;
       Whereas Federal grants provide seed money that empowers 
     communities to find partners and resources and to recruit 
     doctors and needed health professionals;
       Whereas Federal grants on average form 25 percent of such a 
     health center's budget, with the remainder provided by State 
     and local governments, Medicare, Medicaid, private 
     contributions, private insurance, and patient fees;
       Whereas these health centers are community oriented and 
     patient focused;
       Whereas these health centers tailor their services to fit 
     the special needs and priorities of communities, working 
     together with schools, businesses, churches, community 
     organizations, foundations, and State and local governments;
       Whereas these health centers contribute to the health and 
     well-being of their communities by keeping children healthy 
     and in school and helping adults remain productive and on the 
     job;
       Whereas these health centers engage citizen participation 
     and provide jobs for over 70,000 community residents; and
       Whereas designating the week of August 8 through August 14, 
     2004, as ``National Health Center Week'' would raise 
     awareness of the health services provided by health centers: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the week of August 8 through August 14, 
     2004, as ``National Health Center Week''; and
       (2) requests that the President issue a proclamation 
     calling upon the people of the United States to observe the 
     week with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
                                  ____


                              S. Res. 370

       Whereas Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (also 
     known as AD/HD or ADD), is a chronic neurobiological 
     disorder, affecting both children and adults, that can 
     significantly interfere with an individual's ability to 
     regulate activity level, inhibit behavior, and attend to 
     tasks in developmentally appropriate ways;
       Whereas AD/HD can cause devastating consequences, including 
     failure in school and the workplace, antisocial behavior, 
     encounters with the justice system, interpersonal 
     difficulties, and substance abuse;
       Whereas AD/HD, the most extensively studied mental disorder 
     in children, affects an estimated 3 percent to 7 percent 
     (2,000,000) of young school-age children and an estimated 4 
     percent (8,000,000) of adults across racial, ethnic, and 
     socioeconomic lines;
       Whereas scientific studies clearly indicate that AD/HD runs 
     in families and suggest that genetic inheritance is an 
     important risk factor, with between 10 and 35 percent of 
     children with AD/HD having a first-degree relative with past 
     or present AD/HD, and with

[[Page S7592]]

     approximately 50 percent of parents who had AD/HD having a 
     child with the disorder;
       Whereas despite the serious consequences that can manifest 
     in the family and life experiences of an individual with AD/
     HD, studies indicate that less than 85 percent of adults with 
     the disorder are diagnosed and less than half of children and 
     adults with the disorder are receiving treatment;
        Whereas poor and minority communities are particularly 
     underserved by AD/HD resources;
       Whereas the Surgeon General, the American Medical 
     Association (AMA), the American Psychiatric Association, the 
     American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), 
     the American Psychological Association, the American Academy 
     of Pediatrics (AAP), the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention (CDC), and the National Institute of Mental 
     Health, among others, recognize the need for proper 
     diagnosis, education, and treatment of AD/HD;
       Whereas the lack of public knowledge and understanding of 
     the disorder play a significant role in the overwhelming 
     numbers of undiagnosed and untreated cases of AD/HD, and the 
     dissemination of inaccurate, misleading information 
     contributes to the obstacles preventing diagnosis and 
     treatment of the disorder;
        Whereas lack of knowledge, combined with the issue of 
     stigma associated with AD/HD, has a particularly detrimental 
     effect on the diagnosis and treatment of AD/HD;
       Whereas there is a need to educate health care 
     professionals, employers, and educators about the disorder 
     and a need for well-trained mental health professionals 
     capable of conducting proper diagnosis and treatment 
     activities; and
       Whereas studies by the National Institute of Mental Health 
     and others consistently reveal that through proper and 
     comprehensive diagnosis and treatment, the symptoms of AD/HD 
     can be substantially decreased and quality of life for the 
     individual can be improved: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates September 7, 2004, as ``National Attention 
     Deficit Disorder Awareness Day'';
       (2) recognizes Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder 
     (AD/HD) as a major public health concern;
       (3) encourages all people of the United States to find out 
     more about AD/HD and its supporting mental health services, 
     and to seek the appropriate treatment and support, if 
     necessary;
       (4) expresses the sense of the Senate that the Federal 
     Government has a responsibility to--
       (A) endeavor to raise public awareness about AD/HD; and
       (B) continue to consider ways to improve access to, and the 
     quality of, mental health services dedicated to the purpose 
     of improving the quality of life for children and adults with 
     AD/HD; and
       (5) requests that the President issue a proclamation 
     calling on Federal, State and local administrators and the 
     people of the United States to observe the day with 
     appropriate programs and activities.

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