[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 120 (Thursday, September 22, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S10391]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          GOALS AND IDEALS OF INFANT MORTALITY AWARENESS MONTH

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the HELP Committee 
be discharged from further consideration and that the Senate now 
proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 239.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 239) supporting the goals and ideals 
     of Infant Mortality Awareness Month.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider 
be laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 239) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 239

       Whereas infant mortality refers to the death of a baby 
     before it reaches its first birthday;
       Whereas the United States ranks 28th among industrialized 
     nations in the rate of infant mortality;
       Whereas in the United States, infant mortality increased in 
     2002, for the first time in more than 4 decades;
       Whereas in 2002 the rate reached 7 deaths per 1,000 live 
     births, which was the first increase since 1958;
       Whereas the recent increase is a significant and troubling 
     public health issue, especially for African American 
     families, Native American families, and Hispanic families;
       Whereas the infant mortality rate among African American 
     women is more than double that of Caucasian women, according 
     to a report produced by the National Healthy Start 
     Association and by a related group supported by the health 
     department of Allegheny County, in the State of Pennsylvania;
       Whereas the Secretary of Health and Human Services has 
     designated 2010, as the year by which certain objectives 
     should be met with respect to the health status of the people 
     of the United States;
       Whereas such objectives, known as Healthy People 2010, 
     include an objective regarding a decrease in the rate of 
     infant mortality;
       Whereas September 1, 2005, is the beginning of a period of 
     several months during which there will be several national 
     observances that relate to the issue of infant mortality, 
     including the observance of October as Sudden Infant Death 
     Awareness Month and November as Prematurity Awareness Month; 
     and
       Whereas it would be appropriate to observe September 2005, 
     as Infant Mortality Awareness Month: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate supports the goals and ideals of 
     Infant Mortality Awareness Month in order to--
       (1) increase national awareness of infant mortality and its 
     contributing factors; and
       (2) facilitate activities that will assist local 
     communities in their efforts to meet the objective, as 
     established by the Secretary of Health and Human Service in 
     Healthy People 2010, that the rate of infant mortality in the 
     United States be reduced to a rate of not more than 4.5 
     infant deaths per 1,000 births.

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