[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 72 (Thursday, May 26, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1113-E1114]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       ON THE INTRODUCTION OF THE VISION PRESERVATION ACT OF 2005

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GENE GREEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 26, 2005

  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the 
Vision Preservation Act of 2005. I am proud to introduce this 
legislation today along with my fellow co-chairs of the Congressional 
Vision Caucus: Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Repesentative David 
Price and Repesentative Pat Tiberi. The four of us created the 
Congressional Vision Caucus in 2003 to increase education and awareness 
of vision problems among Members of Congress and their staff. The 
Vision Caucus has been fortunate to have the support of Prevent 
Blindness America and many other vision organizations in these efforts.
  In 2004, Prevent Blindness America joined with the American Academy 
of Ophthalmology, the American Optometric Association, Lighthouse 
International and the National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research to 
put together an action plan to address vision problems. The legislation 
we introduce today is a legislative response to the recommendations 
outlined in that action plan.
  Currently, an estimated 80 million people in the United States have a 
potentially blinding eye disease, 3 million have low vision, 1.1 
million are legally blind, and 200,000 are more severely visually 
impaired. In my state of Texas alone, more than 370,000 people suffer 
from diabetic retinopathy. At least 90,000 Texans over 50 live with 
AMD. And cataracts affect more than 1.2 million people in my state.
  Despite evidence that half of all blindness can be prevented, the 
number of Americans who suffer vision loss is expected to double by 
2030 unless more effective prevention and treatment efforts can be 
implemented. The Vision Preservation Act will enhance current 
prevention and treatment efforts by focusing increased attention on 
vision research, expanding current federal vision programs, developing 
vision screening standards and providing for vision rehabilitation 
services under Medicare.

[[Page E1114]]

  The Vision Preservation Act builds on the quality programs currently 
in operation at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the 
National Eye Institute within the National Institutes of Health. These 
agencies lead the way in health care research and the prevention of 
disease, and the enactment of this legislation will ensure that 
appropriate federal resources and research are dedicated toward 
stemming the vision diseases that afflict too many Americans.
  I encourage my colleagues to co-sponsor this legislation in 
recognition of Healthy Vision Month and ask for their continued support 
of the Congressional Vision Caucus's efforts to help improve the vision 
of our constituents throughout this nation.

                          ____________________