[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 186 (Thursday, December 6, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S15000]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              NATIONAL CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION WEEK

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the HELP 
Committee be discharged charged from further consideration of S. Con. 
Res. 54 and that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the concurrent resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 54) supporting the 
     designation of a week as ``National Cardiopulmonary 
     Resuscitation and Automated External Defibrillator Awareness 
     Week.''

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
concurrent resolution.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to 
reconsider be laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 54) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The concurrent resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                            S. Con. Res. 54

       Whereas heart disease remains the leading cause of death in 
     the United States;
       Whereas heart disease affects men, women, and children of 
     every age and race in the United States, regardless of where 
     they live;
       Whereas approximately 325,000 coronary heart disease deaths 
     annually occur out of hospital or in an emergency room;
       Whereas approximately 95 percent of sudden cardiac arrest 
     victims die before arriving at the hospital;
       Whereas sudden cardiac arrest results from an abnormal 
     heart rhythm in most adults;
       Whereas in 27.4 percent of cases of sudden cardiac arrest, 
     the victim is located in a place other than a hospital and 
     receives cardiopulmonary resuscitation by a bystander;
       Whereas prompt delivery of cardiopulmonary resuscitation 
     more than doubles the chance of survival from sudden cardiac 
     arrest by helping to maintain vital blood flow to the heart 
     and brain, increasing the amount of time that an electric 
     shock from a defibrillator can be effective;
       Whereas an automated external defibrillator, even when used 
     by a bystander, is safe, easy to operate, and highly 
     effective in restoring a normal heart rhythm, significantly 
     increasing the chance of survival for many victims if used 
     immediately after the onset of sudden cardiac arrest;
       Whereas death or severe brain injury is likely to occur 
     unless resuscitation measures are started no later than 10 
     minutes after the onset of sudden cardiac arrest;
       Whereas the interval between the 911 call and the arrival 
     of EMS personnel is typically longer than 5 minutes, and 
     achieving high survival rates therefore depends on a public 
     trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated 
     external defibrillator use; and
       Whereas the American Heart Association, the American Red 
     Cross, and the National Safety Council are preparing related 
     public awareness and training campaigns on cardiopulmonary 
     resuscitation and automated external defibrillation to be 
     held during the first week of June each year: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That the Congress--
       (1) supports the goals and ideals of a National 
     Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Automated External 
     Defibrillator Awareness Week to establish well-organized 
     programs to increase public training in cardiopulmonary 
     resuscitation and automated external defibrillator use and to 
     increase public access to automated external defibrillators; 
     and
       (2) calls upon the people of the United States and 
     interested organizations to observe such a week with 
     appropriate ceremonies and activities.

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