[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 121 (Thursday, July 26, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10191-S10192]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 281--CONGRATULATING CAL RIPKEN JR. FOR HIS INDUCTION 
    INTO THE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME, FOR AN OUTSTANDING CAREER AS AN 
  ATHLETE, AND FOR HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO BASEBALL AND TO HIS COMMUNITY

  Ms. MIKULSKI (for herself, Mr. Cardin, and Mr. Schumer) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 281

       Whereas Cal Ripken, Jr. was born and raised in Maryland;
       Whereas Cal Ripken, Jr. was elected to the Baseball Hall of 
     Fame on January 9, 2007, his first year of eligibility, for 
     his outstanding accomplishments during his 21-year career in 
     Major League Baseball;
       Whereas Cal Ripken, Jr. will be inducted into the Baseball 
     Hall of Fame on July 29, 2007, along with fellow baseball 
     legend Tony Gwynn;
       Whereas Cal Ripken, Jr. was nearly unanimously elected to 
     the Baseball Hall of Fame with the highest number of votes 
     ever received for a regular position player;
       Whereas Cal Ripken, Jr. is widely considered the ``Iron 
     Man'' of baseball, having earned this moniker by playing in 
     2,632 consecutive games, a feat unmatched in professional 
     sports;
       Whereas Cal Ripken, Jr. was the American League Rookie of 
     the Year in 1982;
       Whereas Cal Ripken, Jr. had 3,184 career hits and 431 home 
     runs and received 8 Silver Slugger Awards for his superior 
     offensive play;
       Whereas Cal Ripken, Jr. is first among the all-time 
     Baltimore Orioles career leaders in total games played, 
     consecutive games played, at bats, hits, runs, runs batted 
     in, extra base hits, doubles, home runs, total bases, walks, 
     strikeouts, assists, and double plays;
       Whereas Cal Ripken, Jr. is first among all Major League 
     Baseball players in the number of consecutive games played 
     and the number of double plays by a shortstop;
       Whereas Cal Ripken, Jr. is the all-time leader in Major 
     League Baseball All-Star fan balloting, has made the most 
     Major League Baseball All-Star Game appearances at shortstop, 
     and has made the most consecutive Major League Baseball All-
     Star Game starts;
       Whereas Cal Ripken, Jr. has not only proven to be a great 
     hitter but a great defensive player, winning 2 Gold Glove 
     awards;
       Whereas Cal Ripken, Jr. was selected to play on 19 All-Star 
     teams throughout his career and was twice voted All-Star Game 
     Most Valuable Player;
       Whereas Cal Ripken, Jr. helped the Baltimore Orioles win 
     the World Series in 1983;
       Whereas, in an era when money dominated the game of 
     baseball, Cal Ripken, Jr. chose to play in Baltimore for the 
     Baltimore Orioles when it was believed that he could have 
     earned more money with another team in another city;
       Whereas Cal Ripken, Jr. is an example of good sportsmanship 
     who has always conducted himself with dignity;
       Whereas Cal Ripken, Jr. is a role model for young people 
     and for all the people of the United States;
       Whereas Cal Ripken, Jr., along with his family and the 
     Ripkin Baseball organization, is a philanthropist dedicated 
     to the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, which gives underprivileged 
     children the opportunity to attend baseball camps around the 
     country;
       Whereas Cal Ripken, Jr. operates baseball camps and designs 
     baseball fields for youth, college, and professional teams;
       Whereas Cal Ripken, Jr. gives speeches about his time in 
     baseball and some of the lessons he has learned;
       Whereas, in 1992, Cal Ripken, Jr. was awarded Major League 
     Baseball's Roberto Clemente Man of the Year Award and the Lou 
     Gehrig Memorial Award for his community involvement; and
       Whereas Cal Ripken, Jr. has been selected for the Major 
     League Baseball All-Century Team: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) congratulates Cal Ripken, Jr. for his election to the 
     Baseball Hall of Fame;
       (2) honors Cal Ripkin, Jr. for an outstanding career as an 
     athlete; and
       (3) thanks Cal Ripkin, Jr. for his contributions to 
     baseball and to his community.
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 SENATE RESOLUTION 282--SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF A NATIONAL 
POLYCYSTIC KIDNEY DISEASE AWARENESS WEEK TO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS AND 
UNDERSTANDING OF POLYCYSTIC KIDNEY DISEASE AND TO FOSTER UNDERSTANDING 
  OF THE IMPACT POLYCYSTIC KIDNEY DISEASE HAS ON PATIENTS AND FUTURE 
                     GENERATIONS OF THEIR FAMILIES

  Mr. KOHL (for himself, Mr. Hatch, submitted the following resolution; 
which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 282

       Whereas polycystic kidney disease (known as ``PKD'') is 1 
     of the most prevalent life-threatening genetic diseases in 
     the United States, is a severe, dominantly inherited disease 
     that has a devastating impact, in both human and economic 
     terms, on people of all ages, and affects equally people of 
     all races, sexes, nationalities, geographic locations, and 
     income levels;

[[Page S10192]]

       Whereas, based on prevalence estimates by the National 
     Institutes of Health, it is estimated that about 600,000 
     patients in the United States have a genetic inheritance from 
     1 or both parents for polycystic kidney disease, and that 
     countless additional friends, loved ones, spouses, and 
     caregivers must shoulder the physical, emotional, and 
     financial burdens that polycystic kidney disease causes;
       Whereas polycystic kidney disease, for which there is no 
     treatment or cure, is the leading genetic cause of kidney 
     failure in the United States and the 4th leading cause 
     overall;
       Whereas the vast majority of polycystic kidney disease 
     patients reach kidney failure at an average age of 53, 
     causing a severe strain on dialysis and kidney 
     transplantation resources and on the delivery of health care 
     in the United States, as the largest segment of the 
     population of the United States, the ``baby boomers'', 
     continues to age;
       Whereas end stage renal disease is one of the fastest 
     growing components of the Medicare budget, and polycystic 
     kidney disease contributes to that cost by an estimated 
     $2,000,000,000 annually for dialysis, kidney transplantation, 
     and related therapies;
       Whereas polycystic kidney disease is a systemic disease 
     that causes damage to the kidney and the cardiovascular, 
     endocrine, hepatic, and gastrointestinal organ systems and 
     instills in patients a fear of an unknown future with a life-
     threatening genetic disease and apprehension over possible 
     genetic discrimination;
       Whereas the severity of the symptoms of polycystic kidney 
     disease and the limited public awareness of the disease cause 
     many patients to live in denial and forego regular visits to 
     their physicians or to avoid following good health management 
     which would help avoid more severe complications when kidney 
     failure occurs;
       Whereas people who have chronic, life-threatening diseases 
     like polycystic kidney disease have a predisposition to 
     depression and its resultant consequences due to their 
     anxiety over pain, suffering, and premature death;
       Whereas the Senate and taxpayers of the United States 
     desire to see treatments and cures for disease and would like 
     to see results from investments in research conducted by the 
     National Institutes of Health (NIH) and from such initiatives 
     as the NIH Roadmap to the Future;
       Whereas polycystic kidney disease is a verifiable example 
     of how collaboration, technological innovation, scientific 
     momentum, and public-private partnerships can generate 
     therapeutic interventions that directly benefit polycystic 
     kidney disease sufferers, save billions of Federal dollars 
     under Medicare, Medicaid, and other programs for dialysis, 
     kidney transplants, immunosuppressant drugs, and related 
     therapies, and make available several thousand openings on 
     the kidney transplant waiting list;
       Whereas improvements in diagnostic technology and the 
     expansion of scientific knowledge about polycystic kidney 
     disease have led to the discovery of the 3 primary genes that 
     cause polycystic kidney disease and the 3 primary protein 
     products of the genes and to the understanding of cell 
     structures and signaling pathways that cause cyst growth that 
     has produced multiple polycystic kidney disease clinical drug 
     trials;
       Whereas there are thousands of volunteers nationwide who 
     are dedicated to expanding essential research, fostering 
     public awareness and understanding of polycystic kidney 
     disease, educating polycystic kidney disease patients and 
     their families about the disease to improve their treatment 
     and care, providing appropriate moral support, and 
     encouraging people to become organ donors; and
       Whereas these volunteers engage in an annual national 
     awareness event held during the 3rd week of September, and 
     such a week would be an appropriate time to recognize 
     National Polycystic Kidney Disease Awareness Week: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the week of September 9-16, 2007, as 
     ``National Polycystic Kidney Disease Awareness Week'';
       (2) supports the goals and ideals of a national week to 
     raise public awareness and understanding of polycystic kidney 
     disease (known as ``PKD'');
       (3) recognizes the need for additional research into a cure 
     for polycystic kidney disease; and
       (4) encourages the people of the United States and 
     interested groups to support National Polycystic Kidney 
     Disease Awareness Week through appropriate ceremonies and 
     activities, to promote public awareness of polycystic kidney 
     disease and to foster understanding of the impact of the 
     disease on patients and their families.

  Mr. KOHL. Mr. President, I rise today along with Senator Hatch to 
introduce a resolution to increase awareness of Polycystic Kidney 
Disease, PKD, a common and life threatening genetic illness.
  Over 600,000 people have been diagnosed with PKD nationwide including 
10,000 people in my home State of Wisconsin. There is no treatment or 
cure for PKD. Families and friends struggle to fight this disease and 
provide unwavering support to their loved ones suffering from PKD.
  But there is hope. The PKD Foundation has led the fight for increased 
research and patient education. Recent studies have led to the 
discovery of the genes that cause PKD as well as promising clinical 
drug trials for treatment. More needs to be done and the Government 
wants to help.
  In order to increase public awareness of this fatal disease, I 
propose that September 9 through 16 be designated as ``National 
Polycystic Kidney Disease Awareness Week.'' This week coincides with 
the annual walk for PKD which takes place every September. In 
Wisconsin, residents gather across the State to take part in this very 
special walk.
  Increasing awareness will help all those affected by this terrible 
disease. I hope my colleagues will support this important resolution.
  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce today, along with 
my colleague from Wisconsin, Senator Herb Kohl, a resolution to 
designate the week of September 9-16, 2007, as ``National Polycystic 
Kidney Disease Awareness Week''.
  This resolution acknowledges the dangers of Polycystic Kidney 
Disease, also called PKD, which affects over 600,000 Americans. That is 
more than three times the population of Salt Lake City.
  PKD is the most common, life-threatening genetic disease in the U.S. 
There is no cure, and it is one of the four leading causes of kidney 
failure, also called end-stage renal disease; diabetes being number 
one.
  Polycystic kidney disease is characterized by the growth of numerous 
fluid-filled cysts in the kidney, which slowly reduce the kidney 
function and can eventually lead to kidney failure. When PKD causes 
kidneys to fail, the patient requires dialysis or kidney 
transplantation. About one-half of people with the major type of PKD 
progress to kidney failure.
  PKD is especially personal to me because so many Utahns suffer from 
this disease. The PKD Foundation claims that approximately 5,000 
individuals in Utah live with PKD, and that the incidence of end-stage 
renal disease in Utah is three times that of the national average. To 
cure PKD would result in billions of dollars in savings to the 
military, Medicare, Medicaid, and the Veterans Administration for 
dialysis, transplantation and related treatments.
  Due to the illusiveness of PKD, many people are simply unaware of the 
nature of this disease. A National Polycystic Kidney Disease Awareness 
Week will help spread the word about the deadliness of PKD and vast 
numbers of, not only Utahns, but all Americans affected by this 
disease. With education comes the ability to know how to help people. 
Let us make it possible for everyone to know about PKD, so that more 
people can join the effort in making PKD a disease of the past.

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