[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.
____________________