[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 28 (Thursday, March 10, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2495-S2496]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  By Ms. MIKULSKI (for herself, Mr. Bond, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Warner, Ms. 
Collins, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Sarbanes, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Nelson 
of Florida, Ms. Landrieu, Ms. Stabenow, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. Kerry, Mr. 
Lautenberg, Mr. Dayton, Mr. Kohl, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Durbin, Mrs. Boxer, 
Mr. Dodd, Mr. Talent, Mr. Lieberman, Mrs. Dole, Mr. Hagel, Mr. Lugar, 
Mr. Coleman, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Harkin, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Bayh, and Mr. 
Rockefeller):
  S. 602. A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to fund 
breakthroughs in Alzheimer's disease research while providing more help 
to caregivers and increasing public education about prevention; to the 
Committee on Finance.
  Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I rise today to speak of the life, 
leadership and the truly remarkable legacy of the 40th President of the 
United States, Ronald Reagan.
  President Reagan was a great communicator with a powerful message. He 
preached the gospel of hope, freedom and opportunity not just for 
America but for the world. Reagan was a genuinely optimistic person who 
brought that spirit of optimism and hope to the American people and to 
enslaved peoples around the world. He was a man who took disappointment 
and moved on. He was a man of unfailing good humor, care and 
thoughtfulness. Even people who disagreed with his policies across the 
board could not help but like him.
  In the U.S., his policies encouraged the return of more tax dollars 
to average Americans and unfettered entrepreneurship to create jobs and 
build the economy. Reagan's strong military opposition to the Soviet 
Union helped bring down the walls that harbored communism and tyranny 
throughout Eastern Europe and much of the world.
  In a letter to the American people in 1994 Ronald Reagan announced he 
was one of the millions of Americans with Alzheimer's disease. One of 
the most courageous things Ronald and Nancy Reagan did was to announce 
publicly that he had Alzheimer's disease. Through their courage and 
commitment, the former President and his wife, Nancy, changed the face 
of Alzheimer's disease by increasing public awareness of the disease 
and of the need for research into its causes and prevention.
  In honor of Ronald Reagan, today my colleague Senator Mikulski and I 
are introducing the Ronald Reagan Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act. This 
bill will increase research for Alzheimer's and increase assistance to 
Alzheimer patients and their families. This bill will serve as a living 
tribute to President Reagan and will: 1. Double funding for Alzheimer's 
Research at the National Institute of Health; 2. increase funding for 
the National Family Caregiver Support Program from $153 million to $250 
million; 3. reauthorize the Alzheimer's Demonstration Grant Program 
that provides grants to states to fill in gaps in Alzheimer's services 
such as respite care, home health care, and day care; 4. authorize $1 
million for the Safe Return Program to assist in the identification and 
safe, timely return of individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related 
dementias who wander off from their caregivers; 5. establish a public 
education campaign to educate members of the public about prevention 
techniques that can ``maintain their brain'' as they age, based on the 
current research being undertaken by NIH; 6. establish a $3,000 tax 
credit for caregivers to help with the high health costs of caring for 
a loved one at home; and 7. encourage families to prepare for their 
long term needs by providing an above-the-line tax deduction for the 
purchase of long term care insurance.
  Ironically it was President Reagan who drew national attention to 
Alzheimer's for the very first time when he launched a national 
campaign against Alzheimer's disease some 22 years ago.
  In 1983 President Reagan proclaimed November as National Alzheimer's 
Disease Month. In his proclamation President Reagan said ``the 
emotional, financial and social consequences of Alzheimer's disease are 
so devastating that it deserves special attention. Science and clinical 
medicine are striving to improve our understanding of what causes 
Alzheimer's disease and how to treat it successfully. Right now, 
research is the only hope for victims and families.''
  Today, approximately 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer's, with 
annual costs for this disease estimated to exceed $100 billion. Today 
there are more than 4.5 million people in the United States with 
Alzheimer's, and that number is expected to grow by 70 percent by 2030 
as baby boomers age.

[[Page S2496]]

  In my home State of Missouri, alone, there are over 110,000 people 
with Alzheimer's disease. Based on population growth, unless science 
finds a way to prevent or delay the onset of this disease, that number 
will increase to over 130,000 by 2025--that is an 18 percent increase.
  In large part due to President Reagan, there has been enormous 
progress in Alzheimer research--95 percent of what we know we 
discovered during the past 15 years. There is real potential for major 
breakthroughs in the next 10 years. Baby boomers could be the first 
generation to face a future without Alzheimer's disease if we act now 
to achieve breakthroughs in science.
  President and Mrs. Reagan have been leading advocates in the fight 
against Alzheimer's for more than 20 years, and millions of Americans 
have been helped by their dedication, compassion and effort to support 
caregivers, raise public awareness about Alzheimer's disease and 
increase of nation's commitment to Alzheimer's research.
  This bill will serve as a living tribute to President Reagan and will 
offer hope to all those suffering from the disease today. As we 
celebrate the life and legacy of Ronald Reagan, we are inspired by his 
legendary optimism and hope, and today we move forward to confront this 
expanding public health crisis with renewed vigor, passion, and 
compassion.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, as the Senate co-chair of the Bipartisan 
Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease, I am pleased to join Senators Bond 
and Mikulski in introducing the Ronald Reagan Alzheimer's Breakthrough 
Act of 2005.
  Alzheimer's is a devastating disease that takes a tremendous personal 
and economic toll on both the individual and the family. As someone 
whose family has experienced the pain of Alzheimer's, I know that there 
is no more helpless feeling than to watch the progression of this 
dreadful disease. It is an agonizing experience to look into the eyes 
of a loved one only to receive a confused look in return.
  Ronald Reagan had a profound effect on our Nation in many ways during 
his Presidency. But what many of us will remember most is the grace and 
dignity with which he and his wife Nancy faced the final battle against 
Alzheimer's--the one campaign they knew he wouldn't win.
  Ironically, it was President Reagan who first drew national attention 
to Alzheimer's disease when he launched a national campaign against the 
disease some 22 years ago. In 1983, President Reagan proclaimed 
November as National Alzheimer's Disease Month. In his proclamation, 
President Reagan said: ``The emotional, financial and social 
consequences of Alzheimer's disease are so devastating that it deserves 
attention. Science and clinical medicine are striving to improve our 
understanding of what causes Alzheimer's disease and how to treat it 
successfully. Right now, research is the only hope for victims and 
their families.''
  An estimated 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease, more 
than double the number in 1980. Moreover, Alzheimer's disease costs the 
United States more than $100 billion a year, primarily in nursing home 
and other long-term care costs. This figure will only increase 
exponentially as the baby boom generation ages. As the baby boomers 
move into the years of highest risk for Alzheimer's disease, a strong 
and sustained research effort is our best tool to slow down the 
progression and prevent the onset of this terrible disease.

  Our investments in Alzheimer's disease research have begun to pay 
dividends. Effective treatments for Alzheimer's disease and a possible 
vaccine are tantalizingly within our grasp. Moreover, if scientists can 
find a way to delay the onset of this devastating disease for even five 
years, our Nation will save at least $50 billion in annual health and 
long-term care costs and an incalculable amount in human suffering.
  If we are to keep up the momentum we have established, we must 
increase our investment in Alzheimer's disease research. Millions of 
Americans, including the families of Alzheimer patients, are profoundly 
grateful for our historic accomplishment of doubling funding for 
biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health. We have made 
tremendous progress, but more must be done. The bill we are introducing 
today therefore doubles the authorization levels for Alzheimer's 
research at the NIH from the current funding level of $700 million to 
$1.4 million.
  In addition to increasing funding for research, our bill provides 
much needed support for Alzheimer's patients and their families by 
increasing funding for the National Family Caregiver Support Program 
and by providing a tax credit of up to $3,000 to help families meet the 
costs of caring for a loved one with long-term care needs.
  The Ronald Reagan Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act of 2005 will serve as 
a living tribute to President Reagan and will offer hope to all of 
those suffering from the disease today. It is now time for Congress to 
pick up the banner and pass this important legislation, and I urge all 
of my colleagues to sign on as cosponsors.

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