[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 155 (Monday, October 15, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H11513-H11516]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ALS REGISTRY ACT
Ms. BALDWIN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2295) to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for
the establishment of an Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Registry, as
amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2295
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``ALS Registry Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (referred to in this
section as ``ALS'') is a fatal, progressive neurodegenerative
disease that affects motor nerve cells in the brain and the
spinal cord.
(2) The average life expectancy for a person with ALS is 2
to 5 years from the time of diagnosis.
(3) The cause of ALS is not well understood.
(4) There is only one drug currently approved by the Food
and Drug Administration for the treatment of ALS, which has
thus far shown only modest effects, prolonging life by just a
few months.
(5) There is no known cure for ALS.
(6) More than 5,000 individuals in the United States are
diagnosed with ALS annually and as many as 30,000 individuals
may be living with ALS in the United States today.
(7) Studies have found relationships between ALS and
environmental and genetic factors, but those relationships
are not well understood.
(8) Scientists believe that there are significant ties
between ALS and other motor neuron diseases.
(9) Several ALS disease registries and databases exist in
the United States and throughout the world, including the
SOD1 database, the National Institute of Neurological
Disorders and Stroke repository, and the Department of
Veterans Affairs ALS Registry.
(10) A single national system to collect and store
information on the prevalence and incidence of ALS in the
United States does not exist.
(11) In each of fiscal years 2006 and 2007, Congress
directed $887,000 to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention to begin a nationwide ALS registry.
(12) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry have
established three pilot projects, beginning in fiscal year
2006, to evaluate the science to guide the creation of a
national ALS registry.
(13) The establishment of a national registry will help--
(A) to identify the incidence and prevalence of ALS in the
United States;
(B) to collect data important to the study of ALS;
(C) to promote a better understanding of ALS;
(D) to collect information that is important for research
into the genetic and environmental factors that cause ALS;
(E) to strengthen the ability of a clearinghouse--
(i) to collect and disseminate research findings on
environmental, genetic, and other causes of ALS and other
motor neuron disorders that can be confused with ALS,
misdiagnosed as ALS, and in some cases progress to ALS;
(ii) to make available information to patients about
research studies for which they may be eligible; and
(iii) to maintain information about clinical specialists
and clinical trials on therapies; and
(F) to enhance efforts to find treatments and a cure for
ALS.
SEC. 3. AMENDMENT TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT.
Part P of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42
U.S.C. 280g et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``SEC. 399R. AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS REGISTRY.
``(a) Establishment.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the receipt
of the report described in subsection (b)(3), the Secretary,
acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention and in consultation with a national
voluntary health organization with experience serving the
population of individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(referred to in this section as `ALS'), shall--
``(A) develop a system to collect data on ALS and other
motor neuron disorders that can be confused with ALS,
misdiagnosed as ALS, and in some cases progress to ALS,
including information with respect to the incidence and
prevalence of the disease in the United States; and
[[Page H11514]]
``(B) establish a national registry for the collection and
storage of such data to include a population-based registry
of cases in the United States of ALS and other motor neuron
disorders that can be confused with ALS, misdiagnosed as ALS,
and in some cases progress to ALS.
``(2) Purpose.--It is the purpose of the registry
established under paragraph (1)(B) to gather available data
concerning--
``(A) ALS, including the incidence and prevalence of ALS in
the United States;
``(B) the environmental and occupational factors that may
be associated with the disease;
``(C) the age, race or ethnicity, gender, and family
history of individuals who are diagnosed with the disease;
``(D) other motor neuron disorders that can be confused
with ALS, misdiagnosed as ALS, and in some cases progress to
ALS; and
``(E) other matters as recommended by the Advisory
Committee established under subsection (b).
``(b) Advisory Committee.--
``(1) Establishment.--Not later than 90 days after the date
of the enactment of this section, the Secretary, acting
through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, shall establish a committee to be known as the
Advisory Committee on the National ALS Registry (referred to
in this section as the `Advisory Committee'). The Advisory
Committee shall be composed of at least one member, to be
appointed by the Secretary, acting through the Director of
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, representing
each of the following:
``(A) National voluntary health associations that focus
solely on ALS and have demonstrated experience in ALS
research, care, and patient services, as well as other
voluntary associations focusing on neurodegenerative diseases
that represent and advocate on behalf of patients with ALS
and patients with other motor neuron disorders that can be
confused with ALS, misdiagnosed as ALS, and in some cases
progress to ALS.
``(B) The National Institutes of Health, to include, upon
the recommendation of the Director of the National Institutes
of Health, representatives from the National Institute of
Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the National Institute
of Environmental Health Sciences.
``(C) The Department of Veterans Affairs.
``(D) The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
``(E) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
``(F) Patients with ALS or their family members.
``(G) Clinicians with expertise on ALS and related
diseases.
``(H) Epidemiologists with experience in data registries.
``(I) Geneticists or experts in genetics who have
experience with the genetics of ALS or other neurological
diseases.
``(J) Statisticians.
``(K) Ethicists.
``(L) Attorneys.
``(M) Other individuals with an interest in developing and
maintaining the National ALS Registry.
``(2) Duties.--The Advisory Committee shall review
information and make recommendations to the Secretary
concerning--
``(A) the development and maintenance of the National ALS
Registry;
``(B) the type of information to be collected and stored in
the Registry;
``(C) the manner in which such data is to be collected;
``(D) the use and availability of such data including
guidelines for such use; and
``(E) the collection of information about diseases and
disorders that primarily affect motor neurons that are
considered essential to furthering the study and cure of ALS.
``(3) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date on
which the Advisory Committee is established, the Advisory
Committee shall submit a report concerning the review
conducted under paragraph (2) that contains the
recommendations of the Advisory Committee with respect to the
results of such review.
``(c) Grants.--Notwithstanding the recommendations of the
Advisory Committee under subsection (b), the Secretary,
acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, may award grants to, and enter into
contracts and cooperative agreements with, public or private
nonprofit entities for the collection, analysis, and
reporting of data on ALS and other motor neuron disorders
that can be confused with ALS, misdiagnosed as ALS, and in
some cases progress to ALS.
``(d) Coordination With State, Local, and Federal
Registries.--
``(1) In general.--In establishing the National ALS
Registry under subsection (a), the Secretary, acting through
the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, shall--
``(A) identify, build upon, expand, and coordinate among
existing data and surveillance systems, surveys, registries,
and other Federal public health and environmental
infrastructure wherever possible, including--
``(i) the 3 ALS registry pilot projects initiated in fiscal
year 2006 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry at
the South Carolina Office of Research & Statistics; the Mayo
Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota; and Emory University in
Atlanta, Georgia;
``(ii) the Department of Veterans Affairs ALS Registry;
``(iii) the DNA and Cell Line Repository of the National
Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Human Genetics
Resource Center;
``(iv) the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
studies, including studies conducted in Illinois, Missouri,
El Paso and San Antonio, Texas, and Massachusetts;
``(v) State-based ALS registries, including the
Massachusetts ALS Registry;
``(vi) the National Vital Statistics System; and
``(vii) any other existing or relevant databases that
collect or maintain information on those motor neuron
diseases recommended by the Advisory Committee established in
subsection (b); and
``(B) provide for research access to ALS data as
recommended by the Advisory Committee established in
subsection (b) to the extent permitted by applicable statutes
and regulations and in a manner that protects personal
privacy consistent with applicable privacy statutes and
regulations.
``(2) Coordination with nih and department of veterans
affairs.--Notwithstanding the recommendations of the Advisory
Committee established in subsection (b), and consistent with
applicable privacy statutes and regulations, the Secretary
shall ensure that epidemiological and other types of
information obtained under subsection (a) is made available
to the National Institutes of Health and the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
``(e) Definition.--For the purposes of this section, the
term `national voluntary health association' means a national
non-profit organization with chapters or other affiliated
organizations in States throughout the United States.
``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section,
$25,000,000 for fiscal year 2008, and $16,000,000 for each of
the fiscal years 2009 through 2012.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Wisconsin (Ms. Baldwin) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Fossella)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Wisconsin.
General Leave
Ms. BALDWIN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days 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
gentlewoman from Wisconsin?
There was no objection.
Ms. BALDWIN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might
consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2295 the ALS Registry Act.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, more commonly known as Lou
Gehrig's disease, is a fatal, progressive neuro-
degenerative disease affecting approximately 5,600 Americans each year.
It is estimated that as many as 30,000 Americans have ALS at any given
time with an average life expectancy of 2 to 5 years from the time of
diagnosis. Today, no single national patient registry collects and
stores information on the prevalence and incidence of ALS.
The ALS Registry Act would create a nationwide registry at the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for ALS and other related
motor neuron disorders. The patient registry would collect data which
is urgently needed for ALS research, disease management, and the
development of standards of care. This will allow us to make real
progress toward better understanding ALS, and to develop measures for
prevention, treatment and cure of this dreaded disease.
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my friend and colleague,
Representative Eliot Engel, for his dedication to bringing this bill
before us today. Madam Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to
support H.R. 2295.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FOSSELLA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I would also like to thank Congressman Engel and
Congressman Terry for their efforts in the establishment of the ALS
Registry Act. As we know, we have an annual event here in Congress when
we get visits from members of the ALS organization, the association,
and their advocates, but more importantly the citizens of this country
who have been afflicted with Lou Gehrig's disease. It is gut-wrenching
to watch knowing full well what a debilitating disease it is, and it
knows no boundaries. As has been mentioned by my colleagues, perhaps
30,000 Americans, perhaps 1,000 in New York State alone, are suffering
with ALS. I know a gentleman on Staten Island who helped to have built
one of the largest banks in Staten Island, if not the largest,
retiring, thinking he was going to enjoy his golden years, and soon
after that became diagnosed with ALS. To watch the horrific progression
over the last couple of years is, as I mentioned, gut-wrenching not
[[Page H11515]]
just to his friends but, I am sure, his family.
That is why I think it is important that Congress finally step up and
act, and as a cosponsor of the legislation today, I am pleased to see
it brought to the House floor today.
I would like to thank the tireless efforts of the ALS Association and
advocates in educating and advocating for a cure, which is what we all
want. Unfortunately, we know little about ALS, a disease that is
diagnosed for 5,600 Americans each year. Without a cure and without
treatments to slow the progression of the disease, as has been
mentioned by Ms. Baldwin, the average life expectancy of a person is
only 2 to 5 years. It is a death sentence once diagnosed. The rapid
progression, lack of understanding about its cause, and debilitating
nature of the disease make it particularly hard on those afflicted with
ALS, as well as their family and friends.
We need to give scientists the tools they need to find the treatment
and cure for ALS. The registry does just that. It creates a single,
national patient registry to collect and store information on the
prevalence of incidences of ALS in the U.S. We know of several research
studies ongoing at the NIH and other private facilities, investigating
possible risk factors that may be associated with ALS. Researchers are
working to better determine what genetics and/or environmental factors
are contributing to developing ALS.
While there has been incredible and groundbreaking advances in
science that give hope to people with Lou Gehrig's disease and their
families, this legislation will provide an important new link that will
allow scientists to take emerging new discoveries ever closer to a
cure. And I pray that one day we will have that cure so no families or
individuals will be afflicted by this terrible disease.
Madam Speaker, I stand in support, urge adoption and reserve the
balance of my time.
Ms. BALDWIN. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the bill's author,
the distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel).
Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Wisconsin for
yielding to me.
Madam Speaker, I wish to thank you for bringing up the ALS Registry
Act of 2007 for a vote, H.R. 2295. This is truly a bipartisan measure,
as well it should be. I introduced this bill with my colleague, Lee
Terry of Nebraska, and we are proud to have the support of over 275
bipartisan members of Congress.
I know that the gentlewoman from Wisconsin who sat next to me on the
committee was very concerned about this bill. I am glad that the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Fossella) is here, as well, because I have
a picture here of Lou Gehrig who, of course, puts a face on this
disease. ALS is very often known as Lou Gehrig's disease, and we all
remember the Yankee Clipper, Lou Gehrig. Mr. Fossella and I, both
coming from New York, we know Lou Gehrig and his tradition very, very
well.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is a fatal, progressive
neurodegenerative disease that affects motor nerve cells in the brain
and spinal cord. It is very similar to multiple sclerosis. While the
great baseball player, Lou Gehrig, put a national face on ALS over 65
years ago, my own family was devastated by the death of my grandmother,
Dora Engel, my father's mother, who is believed to have passed away as
a result of ALS when she was about 58 years old.
Unfortunately, families across the Nation face challenges and
experience the suffering associated with ALS every single day. As was
mentioned before, 5,600 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALS each
year. It is estimated that as many as 30,000 Americans have the disease
at any given time. The average life expectancy for a person who is
diagnosed with ALS is only 2 to 5 years from the time of diagnosis.
As was mentioned, the causes of ALS are not well understood and there
is no known cure. We need to provide hope to change this tragedy today.
Surprisingly, a single national patient registry which collects and
stores information on the prevalence and incidence of ALS does not
currently exist in the United States today. The legislation I
introduced with my colleague (Mr. Terry) would create an ALS registry
at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and aid in the search
for a cure from this devastating disease. The registry would collect
key data, and information is determined by a newly created Federal
Advisory Committee on the National ALS Registry.
The ALS Registry Act will also build upon a fiscal year 2006 and
fiscal year 2007 congressional appropriation which directed the CDC to
evaluate the science to guide the creation of a National ALS Registry.
I wish to express my gratitude to the staff of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, and in particular to the ALS
Association, who worked for months with me and my staff to improve the
bill that we had introduced in the previous 109th Congress. I also want
to thank Chairman Dingell, Ranking Member Barton, House Subcommittee
Chairman Pallone and Ranking Member Deal for their support of the ALS
Registry Act. Finally, I especially want to thank John Ford and William
Garner of Chairman Dingell's staff and Katherine Martin of Ranking
Member Barton's staff for shepherding this bill through the Energy and
Commerce Committee. I want to thank Emily Gibbons of my own staff, my
legislative director, who was also my health expert and really did more
for this than anybody else I know.
The establishment of a registry will bring new hope to thousands of
patients and their families that ALS will no longer be a death
sentence. I thank my colleagues, and Madam Speaker, I urge the swift
passage of the ALS Registry Act, H.R. 2295, today.
Mr. FOSSELLA. I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. BALDWIN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman
from South Dakota, Congresswoman Herseth Sandlin.
Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2295,
the ALS Registry Act, introduced by the gentleman from New York (Mr.
Engel). I would like to thank my friend and colleague from Wisconsin
(Ms. Baldwin) for yielding me time.
No one who knows or has met someone diagnosed with ALS can fail to be
moved by the courage, not only of those experiencing the symptoms of
this disease, but of their family, who help them cope with it every
day.
During the National ALS Awareness Month in May, I met with one such
remarkable family. Daryl and Marlene Thorson of Brandon, South Dakota,
and their granddaughter, Elizabeth Steel, took the time to visit with
me. They discussed the importance of this legislation to create a
National ALS Registry, and they talked about living with ALS. Daryl has
been diagnosed with ALS, and his wife is a pillar of strength as they
go through this together. Their love was clear, as was their
determination. I was struck by their 12-year-old granddaughter,
Elizabeth, who sees how the disease has affected her grandfather and
sees her grandmother caring for him. Elizabeth wrote an essay for
school entitled, ``If I Had a Million Dollars, What Would I Buy?'' And
Elizabeth dedicated her entire essay to buying supplies for her
grandfather, funding research, and advocating to Members of Congress.
Madam Speaker, by establishing a National ALS Registry and providing
the requisite funding, we can help facilitate the efforts of so many
across the country, like Elizabeth, like the scientists searching for a
cure, who are working to conquer ALS and bring comfort to those
afflicted with it. I urge my colleagues to support this important
legislation.
Mr. FOSSELLA. Madam Speaker, I am told that my colleague has no
further speakers, so I would close. And as I mentioned, I have been
here now 10 years. I can recall a gentleman by the name of Gary
Anderson coming up after being diagnosed, a friend from Staten Island,
and passing after suffering for too long from ALS. It is a terrible
indictment, Lou Gehrig's disease, that it is, and one day, as we say,
perhaps this registry will get to a point where no longer will our
fellow citizens have to suffer. So, for people like Gary Anderson, to
this day, a gentleman I mentioned before, Harry Doherty, who is
currently suffering as we speak, I would urge the adoption of this.
[[Page H11516]]
I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. BALDWIN. Madam Speaker, in closing, I strongly support this bill.
As we have heard, this bill would collect data which is urgently needed
for ALS research and will go a long way toward moving us closer to
treatments and a cure for this devastating illness.
Again, I wish to recognize my colleague (Mr. Engel) and other
colleagues who have spoken today who put a personal face and a personal
story behind this important legislation.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. TERRY. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of The ALS
Registry Act of 2007, originally introduced in May by my colleague
Representative Eliot Engel of New York and myself. As the bill comes to
the floor, we have been joined by 275 bipartisan cosponsors in support
of this important legislation.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal, progressive,
neurodegenerative disease affecting motor nerve cells in the brain and
spinal cord. Approximately 5,600 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with
ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, each year. It is estimated
that as many as 30,000 Americans have the disease. The average life
expectancy for a person with ALS is two to five years from the time of
diagnosis. There is no known cure for ALS.
The most important provision in our bill establishes a national ALS
registry. There is currently no single national registry which collects
and stores information on the prevalence and incidence of ALS in
existence in the United States. The establishment of a national
registry will help identify the occurrence and frequency of ALS and
other motor neuron disorders and collect data which is badly needed for
ALS research, disease management and the development of standards of
care in order to significantly enhance the nation's efforts to find a
treatment and cure for ALS.
A recent article from the New England Journal of Medicine stated that
``approximately 90 percent of the persons with ALS have the sporadic
form, which may be caused by the interaction of multiple environmental
factors and previously unknown genes.'' The purpose of creating a
registry is to identify if there are any geographic, genetic or
environmental groups of people that have been diagnosed with this
terrible disease. This would then allow scientists a better opportunity
to identify any relevant factors. This registry may sound simple on the
surface, but it is actually a significant tool in determining the root
causes of ALS, which would hopefully lead to diagnostic tests and
screenings to see who is susceptible to the disease.
Although we know the debilitating effects of ALS, I am moved every
year when I am visited by patients and their families in my Washington
office. Despite the extremely challenging medical conditions faced by
these patients, they make an extraordinary effort to travel to the
Capitol and share their stories in the hope that we will soon find
effective treatments and a potential cure so that no one like them will
have to suffer in the future. The courage shown by ALS patients, as
well as their families, is inspiring to me.
All diseases bring hardships on those afflicted, but ALS is
particularly cruel in the quickness of the onset, the severity of the
symptoms and the fatal nature of the condition. The provisions in our
bill creating a nationwide registry for persons afflicted with ALS are
important steps forward in strengthening the efforts to understand,
treat and one day eradicate this terrible disease. I urge my colleagues
to support the ALS Registry Act and I am proud to have worked on this
very important effort with my friend Mr. Engel. I am also grateful that
our committee, the Energy and Commerce Committee, took up this
legislation and advanced the bill to the floor.
Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today in
support of H.R. 2295, to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide
for the establishment of an Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Registry.
ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a particularly
cruel disease and is always fatal, usually between two and five years
after diagnosis. One of the very few trends researchers have been able
to identify is that veterans are twice as likely to die from ALS as
those who have not served in the military. However, Madam Speaker, it
can strike at any time, regardless of age, race, gender or nationality.
This fight is personal for me, as my good friend Shelbie Oppenheimer,
and her husband Jeff have long been advocates for those with ALS.
Shelbie was diagnosed when she was just 28 years old and has since
spent countless hours educating friends, family, community members and
elected officials. Shelbie has been fortunate--still fighting after 10
years.
The Oppenheimers have created a wonderful organization based in my
district in Bucks County, Pennsylvania: Shelbie.org.
Along with many community partners, they work tirelessly to provide
opportunities for the children of ALS patients. Jeff and Shelbie, along
with their daughter Isabel, are a constant inspiration to me and I join
them in the fight to turn ALS from a disease to a memory.
It is for Shelbie, Jeff, Isabel and countless others that I am proud
to be a cosponsor of this bill. This legislation will create, through
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a single, nationwide
ALS registry. This Registry is essential to advancing the search for
treatments and the cure.
Since we don't know the cause or the cure of ALS, research is the
key. Enabling researchers, doctors and patients to understand the
trends and history of the disease is vital to moving forward. The
Registry will gather data on the environmental and occupational factors
that may contribute to the disease, including the age, race and
ethnicity of individuals with ALS, the patients' family histories and
other information that may be beneficial to advancing research and
care.
Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join this fight and
support the ALS Registry Act and vote yes on H.R. 2295.
Mr. SHAYS. Madam Speaker, I am an original cosponsor of H.R. 2295,
the ALS Registry Act. The legislation would direct the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention to develop a system to collect data on
ALS and establish a national registry for the collection and storage of
this data.
Creating the registry will allow us to better understand the
incidence and prevalence of the disease, the age, race and ethnicity of
people who have it, and whether there are any environmental factors
that are associated with the disease.
ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, is a progressive
neuromuscular disease characterized by a degeneration of the nerve
cells of the brain and spinal cord leading to the wasting of muscles,
paralysis and eventual death. Approximately 30,000 individuals in the
United States are afflicted with ALS, with approximately 5,000 new
cases each year.
The life expectancy of an individual with ALS is 3 to 5 years from
the time of diagnosis. While there is no known cure or cause for ALS,
aggressive treatment of the symptoms of ALS can extend the lives of
those with the disease. Promising research gives hope that one day this
deadly and debilitating disease will be cured.
Ms. BALDWIN. I yield back the remainder of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Baldwin) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2295, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Ms. BALDWIN. Madam 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.
____________________