[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 51 (Wednesday, May 3, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H2007-H2009]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  EXPRESSING NEED FOR PUBLIC AWARENESS OF TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AND 
    SUPPORT FOR DESIGNATION OF NATIONAL BRAIN INJURY AWARENESS MONTH

  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to

[[Page H2008]]

the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 99) expressing the need for 
enhanced public awareness of traumatic brain jury and support for the 
designation of a National Brain Injury Awareness Month.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 99

       Whereas traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of death 
     and disability among children and young adults in the United 
     States;
       Whereas at least 1.4 million Americans sustain a traumatic 
     brain injury each year;
       Whereas, each year, more than 80,000 of such Americans 
     sustain permanent life-long disabilities from a traumatic 
     brain injury, resulting in a life-altering experience that 
     can include the most serious physical, cognitive, and 
     emotional impairments;
       Whereas every 21 seconds, one person in the United States 
     sustains a traumatic brain injury;
       Whereas at least 5.3 million Americans currently live with 
     permanent disabilities resulting from a traumatic brain 
     injury;
       Whereas most cases of traumatic brain injury are 
     preventable;
       Whereas traumatic brain injuries cost the nation $56.3 
     billion annually;
       Whereas the lack of public awareness is so vast that 
     traumatic brain injury is known in the disability community 
     as the Nation's ``silent epidemic'';
       Whereas the designation of a National Brain Injury 
     Awareness Month will work toward enhancing public awareness 
     of traumatic brain injury; and
       Whereas the Brain Injury Association of America has 
     recognized March as Brain Injury Awareness Month: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring),  That Congress--
       (1) recognizes the life-altering impact traumatic brain 
     injury may have both on Americans living with the resultant 
     disabilities and on their families;
       (2) recognizes the need for enhanced public awareness of 
     traumatic brain injury;
       (3) supports the designation of an appropriate month as 
     National Brain Injury Awareness Month; and
       (4) encourages the President to issue a proclamation 
     designating such a month.

  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.


                             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 on this legislation and to insert extraneous material on 
the bill.
  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, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 99, a resolution 
expressing the need for enhanced public awareness of traumatic brain 
injury and in support for designation of a National Brain Injury 
Awareness Month.
  I want to thank the principal sponsors of this legislation, 
Congressman Bill Pascrell from New Jersey and Congressman Todd Platts 
from Pennsylvania, who are the cochairs of the Congressional Brain 
Injury Task Force. I commend them for their leadership and hard work to 
increase the level of public awareness of this silent epidemic of 
traumatic brain injury.
  Despite the fact that each year an estimated 1.4 million Americans 
sustain a traumatic brain injury, costing our society tens of billions 
of dollars and permanently altering the lives of countless people, too 
few people are aware of the dangers posed by these highly preventible 
injuries.
  To help address this problem, House Concurrent Resolution 99 resolves 
that Congress, one, recognizes the life-altering impact traumatic brain 
injury may have both on Americans living with the resultant 
disabilities and on their families; two, recognizes the need for 
enhanced public awareness of traumatic brain injury; three, supports 
the designation of an appropriate month as National Brain Injury 
Awareness Month; and, four, encourages the President to issue a 
proclamation designating such a month.
  Again, I commend Mr. Pascrell and Mr. Platts for their leadership on 
this issue. I encourage my colleagues to adopt the resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate 
that there are over 5 million Americans living with disabilities 
resulting from traumatic brain injury. Another 1.4 million of our 
fellow citizens sustain a traumatic brain injury every year.
  In 1996, Congress recognized the severity of traumatic brain injury 
by passing the Traumatic Brain Injury Act, legislation that advances 
prevention and education and research and community living for people 
living with these injuries and for their families. But there is more to 
be done.
  Every 21 seconds, someone in our country sustains a traumatic brain 
injury. While half of these injuries result in only short-term 
disabilities, for others, they are obviously far more serious.
  Half a million of these Americans die, including 2,800 children less 
than 14 years of age. Another 80,000 Americans sustain severe long-term 
disabilities, costing our health care system something in the vicinity 
of $56 billion a year.
  But many of those disabilities are preventible. The problem is that 
most Americans don't know when to classify an injury as a traumatic 
injury. It means they may not know to recognize the signs of a serious 
injury, which can be as simple as recurring headaches or feeling tired 
or having difficulty concentrating. They don't know to get themselves 
to a medical professional before there is actually permanent damage. 
Just because it only feels like a bump in the head, you have to be 
aware of how you are feeling and how you are acting. Your family and 
friends need to be able to recognize the signals that something is 
wrong. This is particularly important for children, who are less likely 
to recognize when they need to see a doctor.
  H. Con. Res. 99, offered by my friend Mr. Pascrell and others, will 
help increase America's awareness about the seriousness of traumatic 
brain injury and the importance of getting checked out by a health care 
professional after injury.
  To help meet that goal, this resolution supports the creation of a 
National Brain Injury Awareness Month, an event around which patients 
and advocates and providers can organize to educate the public and 
bring needed attention to this issue. I am pleased to support the 
resolution.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time 
and reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield 7 minutes to the gentleman 
from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell), the sponsor of this resolution.
  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, to the chairman, my good friend from 
Georgia, I thank you for bringing this to the floor, and the ranking 
member.
  I rise today, Mr. Speaker, in support of House Concurrent Resolution 
99, legislation designed to bring attention to what I would call an 
American tragedy, a stealthy thief who can strike anyone at any time 
without warning and often with devastating consequences.
  Traumatic brain injury, TBI, is a leading cause of death and 
disability among young Americans in the United States. As you have just 
heard, someone will sustain a traumatic brain injury every 21 seconds. 
We are talking about 1.5 million Americans every year. More than 1.4 
million sustain brain injuries, more than the incidence of HIV/AIDS, 
spinal cord injury, even multiple sclerosis. Fifty thousand of those 
injured will die; 55 million Americans are living with TBI right now. 
Think about that, Mr. Speaker.
  These injuries manifest themselves in a myriad of ways, from a small 
behavioral change to complete physical disability and even death. 
Traumatic brain injury costs the country an estimated societal cost of 
$60 billion every year and, currently, there is no cure. Most of these 
injuries are due to falls, motor vehicle traffic crashes or violence. 
Additionally, due to the changing nature of warfare, American troops 
are suffering TBI at an alarming rate.
  Individuals with TBI account for 2 percent of the total United States 
population and represent nearly 10 percent of our Nation's disability 
population, 10 percent. Yet despite these staggering statistics, lack 
of public awareness is so vast that TBI remains a silent epidemic 
plaguing our Nation.
  The good news is that traumatic brain injury is often preventable. 
That

[[Page H2009]]

is why awareness and education are imperative.
  The resolution before the House today, Mr. Speaker, to designate a 
National Brain Injury Awareness Month, will work toward enhancing 
public awareness and give this epidemic and its victims a voice.
  Former Congressman Jim Greenwood from Pennsylvania and I formed the 
Congressional Brain Injury Task Force in 2001. Today, that task force, 
which I chair with my good friend Congressman Platts from Pennsylvania, 
works to further education and awareness of brain injury, its 
incidence, its prevalence, its prevention and treatment. The task force 
also supports funding for basic and applied research on brain injury 
rehab and the development of a cure.
  It is my hope that this resolution will encourage Americans to learn 
more about the long-lasting effects of brain injury and its impact on 
both the civilian and military communities.
  The Traumatic Brain Injury Act is the only legislation that 
specifically addresses issues faced by people who live with long-term 
disability as a result of traumatic brain injury. It has successfully 
provided a foundation for coordinated and balanced public policy for 
people living with TBI and their circles of support. This law is due to 
be reauthorized. I look forward to continued congressional support to 
make it happen.
  Another important Federal program, Mr. Speaker, focused on TBI, 
traumatic brain injury, is the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury 
Center. For our Armed Forces, TBI is an important clinical problem in 
peace and war, and its consequences may extend for many years.
  The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center was established in 1992 
after Operation Desert Storm. Military doctors are naming traumatic 
brain injury as the result of a blast the signature wound of the war in 
Iraq.
  Because soldiers are now equipped with state-of-the-art body armor, 
they are living through attacks that troops in past wars were unable to 
survive. Systemwide, the DVBIC has evaluated over 1,400 military 
personnel with TBI. Of those troops evacuated to Walter Reed Medical 
Center, 28 percent had traumatic brain injury.
  The DVBIC trains combat medics, surgeons, general medical officers 
and Reservists in the recognition and best practices of TBI care and 
provides continuity of care from the battlefield to rehab and back to 
active duty or civilian life.
  Continued congressional support is vital. Traumatic brain injury is a 
unique issue, an epidemic so vast it is almost overwhelming and so 
personal its effects defy definition. Passage of this resolution will 
confirm our commitment to awareness and education and prevention and 
research.
  I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of H. Con. Res. 99, to 
designate a National Brain Injury Awareness Month in support of our 
common goal, the eradication of traumatic brain injury as a 
debilitating, costly and deadly plague on humankind.
  I must say in conclusion, Mr. Speaker, that what has happened over 
the past 5 or 6 years gives us a tremendous amount of hope in 
developing that part of the brain which has not been injured to 
compensate for that part which has been injured. We are truly living in 
great times.
  Mr. PLATTS. Mr. Speaker, as a Co-Chair of the Congressional Traumatic 
Brain Injury Taskforce, I rise in strong support of House Concurrent 
Resolution 99. This resolution will help increase awareness for 
traumatic brain injury (TBI), the leading cause of death and disability 
among children and young adults in the United States.
  Mr. Speaker, few Americans may understand the amount of devastation 
caused by TBIs every year. This year alone, over 1.4 million people 
will sustain a traumatic brain injury. Sadly, at least 80,000 of those 
individuals will remain permanently disabled from the trauma.
  Falls, motor vehicle crashes, sports injuries, and violence are among 
the major causes of TBI, leaving every individual susceptible. 
Additionally, TBls can manifest themselves in various ways, from a 
small behavioral change to complete physical disability, and even 
death. Brain injuries affect the whole family emotionally and 
financially, often resulting in huge medical and rehabilitation 
expenses.
  It is now especially important that we promote awareness for TBI 
because military doctors are naming it the signature wound of the war 
in Iraq. Thanks to the state-of-the-art body armor with which our men 
and women overseas are equipped, they are able to survive violent 
attacks, while still receiving a blunt force to the head. Walter Reed 
Memorial Hospital found that over 60% of all soldiers wounded in an 
explosion, vehicle accident, or gunshot to the head or neck, sustained 
a Traumatic Brain Injury.
  Mr. Speaker, because all of our fellow citizens have family, friends 
and neighbors who could fall victim to TBI at any time, I urge support 
from my distinguished colleagues for this resolution here today.
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time 
and urge the adoption of the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. 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. 99.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was 
agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________