[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 132 (Wednesday, November 17, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H9870-H9872]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SUPPORTING GOALS AND IDEALS OF NATIONAL TOURETTE SYNDROME AWARENESS 
                                 MONTH

  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 430) recognizing the importance 
of early diagnosis, proper treatment, and enhanced public awareness of 
Tourette Syndrome and supporting the goals and ideals of National 
Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 430

       Whereas Tourette Syndrome is an inherited neurological 
     disorder characterized by involuntary and sudden movements or 
     repeated vocalizations;
       Whereas approximately 200,000 people in the United States 
     have been diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome and many thousands 
     more remain undiagnosed;
       Whereas lack of public awareness has increased the social 
     stigma attached to Tourette Syndrome;
       Whereas early diagnosis and treatment of Tourette Syndrome 
     can prevent physical and psychological harm;
       Whereas there is no known cure for Tourette Syndrome and 
     treatment involves multiple medications and therapies with 
     costs that can be prohibitive;
       Whereas the Tourette Syndrome Association is the only 
     national nonprofit membership organization dedicated to 
     identifying the cause, finding the cure, and controlling the 
     effects of Tourette Syndrome; and
       Whereas the Tourette Syndrome Association has designated 
     May 15 through June 15 as National Tourette Syndrome 
     Awareness Month, the goal of which is to educate the public 
     about the nature and effects of Tourette Syndrome: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That the Congress--
       (1) recognizes the impact that Tourette Syndrome can have 
     on people living with the disorder;
       (2) recognizes the importance of an early diagnosis and 
     proper treatment of Tourette Syndrome;
       (3) recognizes the need for enhanced public awareness of 
     Tourette Syndrome;
       (4) supports the goals and ideals of National Tourette 
     Syndrome Awareness Month, as designated by the Tourette 
     Syndrome Association; and
       (5) encourages the President to issue a proclamation 
     calling on the people of the United States and interested 
     organizations to observe National Tourette Syndrome Awareness 
     Month.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis).


                             General Leave

  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 430.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 430 introduced 
by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young), my friend and colleague from 
my home State of Florida.
  This resolution recognizes the importance of early diagnosis, proper 
treatment and enhanced public awareness of Tourette Syndrome and 
supports the goals and ideals of National Tourette Syndrome Awareness 
Month.
  Tourette Syndrome, or TS, is a neurological disorder that arises 
during childhood or adolescence. TS is characterized by repeated and 
involuntary body movements, tics, and uncontrollable vocal sounds. Tics 
can include eye blinking, repeated throat clearing or sniffing, arm 
thrusting, kicking movements or jumping. Although the symptoms of TS 
vary from person to person and range from very mild to severe, the 
majority of cases fall into the mild category. Some associated 
conditions can include attention problems, impulsiveness and learning 
disabilities.
  The National Institutes of Health, NIH, estimates that about 2 
percent of Americans are affected by TS. However, these numbers are 
thought to be

[[Page H9871]]

conservative because individuals with varied mild symptoms may never 
seek medical attention. TS is also four times as likely to occur in 
boys as in girls.
  Most people with TS lead productive lives and participate in all 
professions. However, lack of public awareness has increased the social 
stigma attached to TS. Increased public understanding and tolerance of 
TS symptoms are of extreme importance to people with Tourette Syndrome. 
With early diagnosis and treatment, as well as increased social 
understanding and acceptance, much of the physical and psychological 
harm of TS can be prevented.
  I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 430 today.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I would like to thank the gentleman from Florida (Chairman Young) for 
sponsoring this important resolution and thank the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) for yielding me this time this evening.
  Tourette Syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by 
involuntary actions such as physical and vocal tics, as the gentleman 
from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) said. It is a spectrum disorder, meaning 
that it manifests in a range of behaviors that occur with varying 
frequency and severity.
  It is estimated that up to 3 percent of children in regular education 
classrooms and up to 7 percent of children in special ed classrooms 
have Tourette Syndrome. Most of these cases go undiagnosed. The media's 
portrayal of Tourette Syndrome has fueled significant misperceptions 
and misconceptions about this disorder. For example, most patients do 
not display the frequent involuntary use of violent language and other 
vocal tics that actors typically draw upon when they play adults with 
Tourette's. Physical tics are a far more common symptom.
  While physical tics may be less dramatic than violent outbursts, they 
can have the same disruptive effect on the lives of Tourette patients. 
The gentleman from Florida's (Chairman Young's) concurrent resolution 
acknowledges the significant impact that Tourette Syndrome has on 
patients and on their families. Given Tourette's prevalence, given the 
importance of early detection and treatment in mitigating its symptoms 
and given the tragic consequences for patients when Tourette's is 
exploited or trivialized, it is clearly in the public interest to 
destigmatize Tourette Syndrome and build the necessary support to find 
its cure. I think this concurrent resolution takes a small step in 
doing that.
  I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) and the gentleman 
from Florida (Mr. Young) for bringing this concurrent resolution to the 
floor, and I urge my colleagues to support the concurrent resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young), the author of this legislation.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida 
(Mr. Bilirakis) for yielding me this time and for bringing this 
concurrent resolution to the House floor today and also the gentleman 
from Ohio (Mr. Brown), the ranking member, for supporting this bill.
  This concurrent resolution has been explained by the gentleman from 
Florida (Chairman Bilirakis) very well, and I introduced this because 
of a friend that I have, a 17-year-old teenager in my district who 
suffers from Tourette's and has for most of his life. I have learned 
his personal story of living with Tourette's and what it is like. And 
like so many children and adults with Tourette's, he faced 
difficulties, not only in his life but in his classroom because 
classmates and teachers did not understand the nature of the illness. 
He faces daily difficulties with the medication he has to take to 
reduce the symptoms of Tourette's so that he can work and function. 
Johnny Loder is one of the thousands of Tourette sufferers who bravely 
seek to lead a normal life with a disease that tries to make that 
virtually impossible.
  Despite coping with the condition, Johnny has been wonderfully 
successful in his own endeavors, and I wish that there was some magic 
cure because this kid is such a great young American, and he and so 
many others that suffer with this disease really do suffer.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge the support of this concurrent resolution, and I 
include the balance of my statement in the Record.
  Mr. Speaker, last May I introduced House Concurrent Resolution 430 to 
support the goals and ideals of a National Tourette Syndrome Awareness 
Month. This issue is very important to me and the other cosponsors of 
this resolution; we all have many friends and constituents whose lives 
are affected by Tourette Syndrome. It is quite clear that our country 
needs more medical research, education and increased public knowledge 
about this greatly misunderstood and frequently misdiagnosed disease.
  The resolution we consider today recognizes the importance of an 
early and accurate diagnosis of Tourette Syndrome, appropriate 
treatment, and educational outreach. The resolution will enhance our 
collective efforts to encourage new awareness, attention and 
understanding.
  Tourette Syndrome, or TS--is a genetic neurobiological disorder 
characterized by repeated involuntary movements and sounds that are 
known as ``tics.'' This complex disorder affects children and adults in 
all racial and ethnic groups. In a large percentage of cases TS is 
accompanied by other ``co-occurring'' disorders, the most common of 
which are Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Attention Deficit 
Hyperactivity Disorder and nonverbal learning disabilities.
  Researchers estimate that about 200,000 Americans have what is called 
substantially impairing Tourette Syndrome, and even more individuals 
have milder symptoms of the disorder. Largely due to the nature of the 
disease and the lack of understanding in our society, many individuals 
with Tourette Syndrome endure the stigma, isolation, and the 
psychological impact of this chronic disorder on a daily basis.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to report that the Appropriations Committee 
which I chair appropriated funds to the Centers for Disease Control for 
a new research and educational outreach program on TS. This effort is 
designed to provide intensive training for the public, physicians, 
allied healthcare workers and teachers. It is our hope that this new 
effort will begin to educate the public and remove the stigma and other 
obstacles associated with living with this complex disorder.
  Johnny Loder, a 17-year-old teenager from my Congressional District 
in Pinellas County, Florida, shared with me his personal story of 
living with Tourette Syndrome. Like so many children and adults with 
Tourette's, he faced difficulties in the classroom because his 
classmates and teachers did not understand the nature of his illness. 
He faces daily difficulties with the medication he takes to reduce the 
symptoms so that he can work and function. Johnny is one of the 
thousands of Tourette's sufferers who bravely seek to lead a normal 
life with a disease that tries to make that virtually impossible. 
Despite coping with the condition, Johnny has been wonderfully 
successful in his own endeavors. He and many others with Tourette 
Syndrome are leading rich, fulfilling lives despite the challenges that 
may be present along the way. They each provide outstanding examples of 
determination, perseverance and hope to their families, and to us all.
  Mr. Speaker, the Tourette Syndrome Association has designated 
National Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month for the purposes I have 
described. I wholeheartedly support its goals and encourage Members to 
do the same. Passage of House Concurrent Resolution 430 would give all 
of us an opportunity to participate in the larger effort to familiarize 
ourselves and our citizens with the condition and the need for more 
research. It will help us better understand the impact that Tourette 
Syndrome can have on people living with the disorder, while recognizing 
the importance of early diagnosis and proper treatment.
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I, too, want to compliment and thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. 
Brown) and all of the committee staffers for their work on this and for 
their cooperation.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 430.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was 
agreed to.

[[Page H9872]]

  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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