[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 171 (Tuesday, November 6, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2332]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 STOP TUBERCULOSIS (TB) NOW ACT OF 2007

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. GENE GREEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, November 5, 2007

  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of 
this legislation. There is a great need, at home and abroad, for 
increased resources against the fight of Tuberculosis. Worldwide, 
nearly 2 million people died from TB in 2006. Adding to the problem, 
the TB germ is changing and new, drug-resistant strains have been found 
in 28 countries on 6 continents, including the U.S. The Stop 
Tuberculosis Now Act of 2007 requires the President to make TB 
prevention, treatment and elimination a priority. This act authorizes 
the President to increase aid to the World Health Organization through 
USAID specifically for TB strategies against these drug-resistant 
strains and to support affected countries, also increasing 
appropriations for CDCP and TB programs.
  This legislation addresses the need abroad, but we also still need 
more interest here in the states. That is why I introduced The 
Comprehensive TB Elimination Act (H.R. 1532) earlier this year to 
confront that exact problem. In 2005, more than 14,000 people had TB in 
the U.S., including over 1500 cases in Texas. There also is an 
estimated 10 to 15 million people in the U.S. with latent TB, 
approximately 10 percent of which will go on to develop active TB. In 
the face of this problem, the standard method for diagnosis is more 
than 100 years and isn't adequately effective in testing children or 
those also infected with HIV/AIDS. The newest class of anti-TB drugs is 
40 years old. The current drug- resistant strains that we know of are 
nearly untreatable with the drugs available today.
  These facts highlight the obvious need for TB research and 
development of active attempts not only to control the problem, but 
decrease the threat and hopefully eradicate it completely. The 
Comprehensive Tuberculosis Elimination Act (H.R. 1532) will do that at 
home and The Stop Tuberculosis Now Act of 2007 (H.R. 1567) will do that 
abroad. I urge my colleagues' to join me in supporting this 
legislation.

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