[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 123 (Wednesday, September 28, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H8481-H8485]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE NEED TO PURSUE RESEARCH INTO CAUSES, TREATMENT AND CURE 
                   FOR IDIOPATHIC PULMONARY FIBROSIS

  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 178) recognizing the 
need to pursue research into the causes, a treatment, and an eventual 
cure for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, supporting the goals and ideals 
of National Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Week, and for other 
purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 178

       Whereas idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a serious lung 
     disorder causing progressive, incurable lung scarring;
       Whereas idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is one of about 200 
     disorders called interstitial lung diseases;
       Whereas idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is the most common 
     form of interstitial lung disease;
       Whereas idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a debilitating and 
     generally fatal disease marked by progressive scarring of the 
     lungs, causing an irreversible loss of the lung tissue's 
     ability to transport oxygen;
       Whereas idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis progresses quickly, 
     often causing disability or death within a few short years;
       Whereas there is no proven cause of idiopathic pulmonary 
     fibrosis;
       Whereas approximately 83,000 United States citizens have 
     idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and 31,000 new cases are 
     diagnosed each year;
       Whereas idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is often misdiagnosed 
     or underdiagnosed;
       Whereas the median survival rate for idiopathic pulmonary 
     fibrosis patients is 2 to 3 years, and about two thirds of 
     idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients die within 5 years; 
     and
       Whereas a need has been identified to increase awareness 
     and detection of this misdiagnosed and underdiagnosed 
     disorder: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring),  That the Congress--
       (1) recognizes the need to pursue research into the causes, 
     a treatment, and an eventual cure for idiopathic pulmonary 
     fibrosis;
       (2) supports the work of advocates and organizations in 
     educating, supporting, and providing hope for individuals who 
     suffer from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, including efforts 
     to organize a National Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis 
     Awareness Week;
       (3) supports the designation of an appropriate week as 
     National Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Week;
       (4) encourages the President to issue a proclamation 
     designating a National Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis 
     Awareness Week;
       (5) congratulates advocates and organizations for their 
     efforts to educate the public about idiopathic pulmonary 
     fibrosis, while funding research to help find a cure for this 
     disorder; and
       (6) supports the goals and ideals of National Idiopathic 
     Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Week.

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


                             General Leave

  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. 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 the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Georgia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, about 7 years ago, my good friend and a good friend of 
many Members in this Chamber, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Norwood) 
was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease that, despite his own 
lifetime experience in the medical care field, he said he had never 
heard of before. In fact, the vast majority of Americans have never 
heard of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, or IPF. That is why we are here 
today, to raise the awareness of the American public about this 
debilitating and fatal disease so one day we may seek and find a cure.
  IPF is a serious lung disorder for which there is no known cause, and 
more importantly, at this time no known cure. IPF causes progressive 
scarring or fibrosis of the lungs, gradually interfering with a 
patient's ability to breathe and ultimately resulting in death.
  Recent studies have identified that approximately 83,000 individuals 
suffer from IPF in the United States, and an estimated 30,000 new cases 
develop each year. The availability of a new treatment option for IPF 
is essential to improving overall patient care and further research 
will be required to develop these new therapies as well as assess their 
safety and efficacy.
  Over the past 7 years, as I have watched my friend, the gentleman 
from Georgia (Mr. Norwood), I have seen

[[Page H8482]]

firsthand the debilitating effect this disease can have on a person's 
life, and given that the median survival rate for IPF patients is only 
2 to 3 years, we are extremely fortunate to have our friend with us 
today. But unfortunately, each year thousands of Americans are not as 
fortunate as the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Norwood) and that is why I 
encourage my colleagues to adopt this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes.
  Mr. Speaker, over 80,000 Americans, 5 million people worldwide suffer 
from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. As with so many diseases, the 
difficulty in diagnosing IPF indicates that the actual numbers may be 
much higher. Members of this body, as the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Deal) said, all have a personal connection to this disease. Our 
colleague, the distinguished member of our subcommittee, the gentleman 
from Georgia (Mr. Norwood) has battled the disease since 1998 and 
underwent a lung transplant about a year ago.
  There are currently no effective treatments or cure for idiopathic 
pulmonary fibrosis. The only option for patients is a lung transplant, 
which simply does not come in time for so many who suffer from the 
disease. There is hope, but it requires the continued investment in the 
development of new treatments. Drugs designed both to treat the lungs 
scarred by the fibrosis and to suppress the inflammation it causes are 
currently in the experimental stages. We need to build on that progress 
and move on towards a cure.

                              {time}  1800

  This resolution reflects several important goals as we, government, 
patients and their doctors and society at large fight this disease. 
First and foremost, it underscores the need for research, not just in a 
new treatment for IPF, but into the causes of the disease so we can 
understand more about this and some 200 other related diseases, 
particularly various kinds of lung disorders.
  It also underscores the point of funding NIH and CDC, not making huge 
tax cuts and underfunding these very important government programs that 
we realize in this country more and more are so important for all 
people in this country.
  It is appropriate this body recognize the goals and ideals of a 
National Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Week.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman 
from Georgia (Mr. Norwood).
  Mr. NORWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and my friend for 
yielding me this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 178, which I 
did author, the purpose of which is to bring attention to idiopathic 
pulmonary fibrosis to as many people as humanly possible. This is known 
as IPF.
  I would like to start, of course, by thanking all of the IPF 
patients, survivors, advocates who have come to Capitol Hill this week 
to just simply make us aware of this disease. I know the story these 
brave individuals have to tell because it is one that I have lived.
  I was very fortunate to be correctly diagnosed with IPF when I was in 
the early stages of the disease in 1998, diagnosed right here in this 
Capitol. IPF is too often misdiagnosed in the critical, critical early 
stages. I was blessed to have a loving family, who saw me through the 
difficult times as this disease progressed. I was fortunate enough to 
receive a single lung transplant late last year that spared me from 
further harm from the disease. I am incredibly grateful to have the 
best nurse I could ask for in my loving wife, Gloria.
  I am thankful for the opportunity to join a community of terrific 
folks who want nothing more, nothing more, than to bring needed 
attention to this relatively unknown disease.
  IPF is a progressive and generally fatal lung disease. It is marked 
by the inflammation and the scarring of the delicate lung tissues and 
hinders the lung's ability to transport oxygen to the rest of one's 
body.
  While my colleagues have seen me come back from the effects of IPF 
since my lung transplant, a transplant is really not a treatment, and 
it is certainly not a cure. A transplant is a medical decision of last 
resort in the face of an irreversible disease whose causes remain a 
mystery for us today.
  Unfortunately, a lung transplant will not work for every patient, in 
every case; and as I well know, organs are very much in short supply in 
this Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, in an era in which medical science can do much, there is 
no reason why we cannot give hope to the 83,000 Americans currently 
living with this disease and the 31,000 that are diagnosed each year. 
The reason the number of current patients remains so low despite over 
30,000 new cases each year is that far too many of those with IPF face 
severe disability and death within a few short years. In fact, two 
thirds of IPF patients die within 5 years of developing the disease. 
That is why this resolution is so important.
  H. Con. Res. 178 will bring awareness, I hope, to the severity of 
this devastating disease by encouraging the President to recognize IPF 
Awareness Week. It will also recognize and encourage the need for 
further research, further research, into IPF in the hopes of finding a 
cause and a treatment and a cure.
  Over 50 of our colleagues have already cosponsored, Mr. Speaker, this 
important resolution; and I urge this body to join with me in taking 
the first step toward a cure by passing this resolution to bring more 
attention to IPF in Washington, our capital city, and in our Nation.
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman 
from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished 
gentleman from Ohio for yielding me this time.
  I am a cosponsor of this legislation; and, of course, there could be 
no more eloquent speaker than the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Norwood) 
on this question. But I think if there is anything we emphasize with 
this resolution it is that in this instance research is equal to pounds 
and pounds of cure. So I rise to support H. Con. Res. 178.
  This legislation recognizes the need to research the cause of and 
find a treatment and cure for IPF. It also recognizes the Coalition of 
Pulmonary Fibrosis and urges the President to designate an IPF 
Awareness Week. As the number of over-50 bipartisan cosponsors 
indicates, there is very strong support for this legislation.
  Let me just mention a few points that I think are worth emphasizing. 
The disease is debilitating and generally fatal, causing an 
irreversible loss of the lung tissue's ability to transport oxygen to 
the organs. It moves very quickly. There is no proven cause of IPF, and 
83,000 Americans are living with this disease and 31,000 are diagnosed 
each year. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis progresses quickly, often 
causing disability or death within a few short years.
  So the movement of research has to be key. I know that research will 
lead to solution. And when we start determining in the budget 
reconciliation, Mr. Speaker, I am asking that our colleagues be 
considered in their thoughts that not only is it most important to cut, 
cut, cut, but it is important to be able to find the resources to do 
the important work that our constituents have sent us to do.
  Furthermore, a recent study found that IPF may be five to 10 times 
more prevalent than previously thought. It is unknown whether this may 
be due to an increased prevalence of the disease or to a previous lack 
of definitive guidelines for diagnosing IPF. This research effort will 
help us understand that. Unfortunately, many patients, particularly in 
the early stages of the disease, can continue to go about their normal 
activities for months or years before the disease runs its course. IPF 
can strike anyone, but the disease tends to affect men more than women 
and usually strikes people between the ages of 50 and 70.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join in the leadership of this 
resolution and support it enthusiastically.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 178. This legislation 
recognizes the need to research the cause of, and to find a treatment 
and cure for IPF. It also recognizes the work of the Coalition for 
Pulmonary Fibrosis,

[[Page H8483]]

and urges the President to designate an Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis 
Awareness Week. As the number of over 50 bipartisan co-sponsors 
indicates, there is strong support for this legislation.
  Let's take a moment to mention a few important facts about this 
issue:
  Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a serious lung disorder causing 
progressive, incurable lung scarring.
  Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is the most common form of interstitial 
lung disease.
  There is no cure or treatment for this disease.
  The disease is debilitating and generally fatal, causing an 
irreversible loss of the lung tissue's ability to transport oxygen to 
the organs.
  There is no proven cause of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
  There are 83,000 Americans living with this disease and 31,000 are 
diagnosed each year.
  Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis progresses quickly, often causing 
disability or death within a few short years.
  It is often misdiagnosed in the early stages.
  The median survival rate for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients 
is 2 to 3 years, and about two thirds of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis 
patients die within 5 years of developing the disease.
  Furthermore, a recent study found that IPF may be 5 to 10 times more 
prevalent than previously thought. It is unknown whether this may be 
due to an increased prevalence of the disease or to a previous lack of 
definitive guidelines for diagnosing IPF. Unfortunately, many patients, 
particularly in their early stages of the disease, can continue to go 
about their normal activities for months or years, before the disease 
runs its course. IPF can strike anyone, but the disease tends to affect 
men more than women and usually strikes people between the ages of 50 
and 70.
  In closing, I support this legislation and the need to pursue 
research into the causes, a treatment, and an eventual cure for 
idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman 
from Georgia (Mr. Westmoreland).
  Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend from Georgia 
for yielding me this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 178, 
bringing attention to the need to research and to find a cure for 
idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. I am one of more than 50 bipartisan 
cosponsors of this legislation.
  I first learned that the gentleman from the great State of Georgia 
(Mr. Norwood) had this disease a few years ago, and I was amazed to 
learn of its effects. There is no cure or treatment for IPF, and the 
disease continues to build up scar tissue in the lungs until fatality 
results in many cases.
  More than 31,000 Americans are diagnosed with IPF each year, and the 
median survival rate is only 2 to 3 years.
  Although IPF is three times more common than cystic fibrosis, it only 
receives a fraction of the research funding. This resolution does the 
right thing by calling attention to it and increasing public awareness. 
Increased awareness will also help the diagnosis process to help ensure 
that the disease is caught as early as possible. Many times the disease 
is misdiagnosed in the early stages and doctors do not even realize the 
effects the disease is having until it moves on to its later stages.
  The gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Norwood), my friend, has been 
incredible in his strength and has been an example to me. He did not 
let the difficulties he faced prior to his lung transplant slow him 
down. And after the transplant, he continued to zoom around the 
Capitol, often quicker than I, as he has recovered. Even when he was 
still on oxygen full time, he was up speaking to this House and 
addressing the issues and concerns of his constituents. He did not miss 
a beat. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be able to serve with such a great 
American as the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Norwood).
  I ask for support of House Concurrent Resolution 178.
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman 
from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey).
  Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 178 takes an important step 
toward recognizing the need to research not only the cause of 
idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis but also viable therapies and, we hope 
one day, a cure.
  It has recently been cited that IPF may be five to 10 times more 
prevalent than previously documented, and this may be due to increased 
awareness or an increased prevalence of the disease state. Regardless 
of what the reason, we need to act.
  That is why I applaud the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Norwood), my 
friend and colleague, for bringing this resolution to the floor. It is 
important to elevate the education and awareness of this disease in our 
country because 83,000 Americans, including the gentleman from Georgia 
(Mr. Norwood), are currently living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
  In that spirit, I want to commend the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Norwood) for his courage and resilient spirit. He has fought this 
disease every step of the way, always maintaining his hard work and 
commitment to this great body, the House of Representatives; and I want 
him to know his dedication is deeply appreciated.
  Unfortunately, there is a lot we do not know and do not yet 
understand about this debilitating disease. We do not know what causes 
IPF, and in many cases the disease is misdiagnosed.
  Additionally, we are relying on treatment therapies that are more 
than 30 years old. These IPF patients need the help of cutting-edge 
technology. Unfortunately, researchers are being held back by the lack 
of appropriate funding. Currently, IPF research receives only a 
fraction of the funding of what other diseases get that are less 
prevalent in our country.
  I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this legislation. I urge my 
colleagues to support these efforts to bring national attention to this 
horrible and devastating disease.
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I listened to this debate, and I hope that all of my 
friends on the other side of the aisle who support this resolution, as 
we all should, keep this in context. As we spend a billion dollars a 
week in Iraq, as my friends on the other side of the aisle insist on 
tax cuts for the wealthiest people in our society, as we continue to 
drive this Federal budget deficit up and up and up, and I hear some 
people in this body say we need to cut National Institutes of Health 
spending, that we need to cut Centers for Disease Control in the 
gentleman from Georgia's (Mr. Deal) area, that we need to cut programs 
on Medicaid and Medicare, I hope they will remember this debate tonight 
about how important this program is to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Norwood) and how important this program is to so many in our country 
who, frankly, do not have the good health plans and the good insurance 
that Members of this institution have.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman 
from Georgia (Mr. Norwood).
  Mr. NORWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I guess I hope people will remember this 
debate too because this is one of the debates that ought to be 
absolutely nonpartisan and ought to have not any political bickering in 
it. This is about the lives of a lot of human beings that we need to 
work on.
  I am on the floor as maybe the only Member of Congress who has IPF. I 
may not be the only one, but I am the only one we know for sure has 
IPF.

                              {time}  1815

  I am here to bring this resolution to the floor to talk about what 
this disease is, what IPF is, and to say it over and over again, 
because that is how you get the word out.
  I can speak from personal experiences that IPF is a serious lung 
disorder. Many may not know it, but IPF is the most common form of 
interstitial lung disease. I guarantee you, most of us do not know 
that.
  Idiopathic, and I have been asked this 1,000 times, means that there 
is no known cause. It is hard to cure something when you do not know 
what caused it. Pulmonary fibrosis has no cure or treatment. However, I 
would say to my friend the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown), having a 
new lung certainly extends one's lifetime, and I am going to be here to 
argue with him a lot longer than the statistics say. So

[[Page H8484]]

do not give up. I am going to be with you awhile. With this disease, a 
person's ability to breathe becomes increasingly restricted, and it is 
painful, and eventually, of course, it results in death.
  As we review the legislation today and as we think about what we are 
actually asking to be done, I want us to remember there are 83,000 
Americans today, right now, that are facing this painful reality of 
IPF, and they all cannot get a lung. I was blessed to have one, but not 
everybody can.
  Unfortunately, an unknown number above and beyond those 83,000 
Americans succumb to its fatal outcome without even knowing they have 
had IPF. There is little awareness of IPF, and it is often missed or 
underdiagnosed in this Nation, as the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Gingrey) pointed out. It is true.
  In fact, a recent study found that IPF may be five to ten times more 
prevalent than we previously thought. It is unknown whether this 
increase is due to an actual spike in the occurrence of the disease or 
simply a previous lack of definite guidelines for diagnosing IPF.
  Even those who are properly and quickly diagnosed, as I was fortunate 
enough to be, must face the facts that the medium survival rate for 
idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients is 2 to 3 years. I would say to 
the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown), do not count on that, I have a new 
lung. I am going to be around a lot longer than that. About two-thirds 
of the IPF patients die within 5 years of developing the disease. I am 
not going to do that. I was blessed to have a new lung.
  Furthermore, knowledge of this disease is hindered by very low public 
awareness, awareness that is alarmingly low when compared to other less 
prevalent diseases. A recent poll indicates only 29 percent of 
Americans know the first thing about IPF, half of which are familiar 
only with its name. This resolution is a start. It is an effort to make 
IPF, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a well-known name.
  Lastly, I make a plea to all of Americans and all of the families in 
America to consider being organ donors. It is not simply a matter of 
simply deciding you will be a donor. You must talk this over with your 
family at your kitchen table.
  I want to talk to everyone about this donor list. You cannot just be 
a donor. It does not just work that way. You have got to talk this over 
with your family, and you have got to talk to them at your kitchen 
table. God forbid if you or any of your family have to have this 
discussion in an emergency room. That is not the place to have it. My 
donor saved my life and four other lives a year ago October 5.
  This is important stuff that is affecting thousands of people. It is 
worth doing. But you must discuss this with your family. On behalf of 
other IPF patients and others who are suffering, I hope all Americans 
will consider this and discuss and talk over being an organ donor. 
Currently, a lung transplant is simply the only hope for long-term 
survival for victims of my disease, IPF.
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, so many of us in this body prayed for and were thrilled 
by recovery of the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Norwood), and I 
appreciate tonight, all of us do, how he has said so well how he, 
because he has insurance, because he knew how to negotiate the whole 
medical care system, health care system, how lucky he has been, and how 
so many in this country are not so lucky. I appreciate that he said 
that.
  As I said earlier, I hope we in this body can get serious at some 
point about the 45 million people without health insurance and about 
what we are going to do about Medicaid in this body, not to make cuts 
in Medicaid, but to make our health care system work better than it has 
in the past.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman 
from Georgia (Mr. Kingston).
  (Mr. KINGSTON asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to say I certainly support this resolution and 
support all the good work of the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Deal) and 
the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Norwood), and I think that this is the 
kind of thing that, if we cannot have more recognition of it, there 
would not be more success stories like the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Norwood).
  I have to say to my good friend from Ohio, who was elected the same 
year that I was, that we have always enjoyed the great spirit of this 
House in terms of debate, and we know that it is people like the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Norwood) who add to that debate and make it 
a lot more fun to be up here, no matter what side you are on. And 
because the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Norwood) was able to get his 
new lung, he came out here with a lot of vim and vigor from that class 
of 1994, and then he got kind of quiet for a while, and I know there 
are many, maybe on both sides, I cannot say to the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Norwood), but who might wish you were still quiet at 
times.
  But the reality is the gentleman is back, and he is back because he 
was one of the fortunate miracles. We are just delighted to see the 
blood is flowing back in his veins and the spirit is back in his heart 
and the ideas and thoughts are back in his mind.
  Yet as we look at the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Norwood) as a 
miracle, we know that there are lots of folks out there who may not be 
so fortunate. H. Con. Res. 178 makes it possible for others to know 
more about IPF, and it raises that recognition so that Congress can 
help its own internal education process so we can know what we can do 
and do a lot more studying and try to come up with what the cause is 
and so forth.
  I want to say to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Norwood), best of 
luck to you. We all love you and we are glad you are back, and we pray 
for others in your same situation. I support H. Con. Res. 178.


                             points on bill

  H. Con. Res. 178: Recognizes the need to research cause of, treatment 
and cure for IPF; Recognizes the work of the Coalition for Pulmonary 
Fibrosis.
  Urges the President to designate an Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis 
Awareness Week; Over 50 bipartisan co-sponsors.


                                  IPF

  Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a serious lung disorder causing 
progressive, incurable lung scarring. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is 
the most common form of interstitial lung disease. There is no cure or 
treatment for this disease. The disease is debilitating and generally 
fatal, causing an irreversible loss of the lung tissue's ability to 
transport oxygen to the organs. There is no proven cause of idiopathic 
pulmonary fibrosis. There are 83,000 Americans living with this disease 
and 31,000 are diagnosed each year. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis 
progresses quickly, often causing disability or death within a few 
short years. It is often misdiagnosed in the early stages. The median 
survival rate for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients is 2 to 3 
years, and about two thirds of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients 
die within 5 years of developing the disease.


                    coalition for pulmonary fibrosis

  The Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis (CPF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit 
organization, founded in 2001 to further education, patient support and 
research efforts for pulmonary fibrosis, specifically idiopathic 
pulmonary fibrosis. The CPF is governed by the nation's leading 
pulmonologists, individuals affected by pulmonary fibrosis, medical 
research professionals and advocacy organizations. It has more than 
8,500 members nationwide, and is the largest nonprofit organization in 
the country specifically dedicated to helping those with IPF.


                          congressman norwood

  Congressman Norwood was diagnosed with IPF in 1998--due to the slow 
progression of the disease (if caught early) he was able to manage his 
condition until the summer of 2004.
  Despite coming to the top of the transplant list several times in the 
intervening years, Congressman Norwood was judged `too healthy' for a 
transplant and thus continued his duties in Washington and Georgia.
  In the Summer of 2004 Congressman Norwood's case began to worsen (as 
the disease does as it runs its course) and he was forced to pursue the 
only medical option available to IPF patients; a lung transplant.
  Charlie received a single lung transplant at Inova Fairfax Hospital 
in Fairfax, Virginia on October 5, 2004.
  While there is no standard recovery model for transplant patients, 
generally speaking, Congressman Norwood's recovery was impressive with 
him leaving the hospital in short

[[Page H8485]]

order and continuing his work in Congress by January 2005.
  While still needing the assistance of oxygen at times, Congressman 
Norwood continues his recovery and remains an active member of the 
109th Congress.
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the cooperation of the gentleman from Ohio 
(Mr. Brown) in bringing this resolution to the floor. As you have 
heard, those of us from Georgia have paid tribute to the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Norwood), who has been the victim of IPF. But it is a 
testament to his fighting spirit and to the esteem with which we hold 
him that we have used his situation as the example for which this 
legislation has been based.
  We urge the adoption of the concurrent resolution so that those in 
the American public as a whole can become aware of the significance of 
this disease. Hopefully through our efforts here and the efforts of 
researchers across the country, we will find a cure for this now fatal 
disease.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Sodrel). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Deal) that the House suspend 
the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 178, as 
amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

                          ____________________