[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 191 (Thursday, December 13, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S15570-S15571]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[[Page S15570]]
EUNICE KENNEDY SHRIVER NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH AND HUMAN
DEVELOPMENT
Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 2484, introduced earlier
today.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 2484) to rename the National Institute of Child
Health and Human Development as the Eunice Kennedy Shriver
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
name change
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I am hopeful we will approve tonight a bill
I have authored with Senators Mikulski, Enzi and Harkin, The Eunice
Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development Act.
This act will change the name of the National Institute of Child Health
and Development to the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of
Child Health and Development.
Our bill honors a truly great American who has played a unique role
in advancing children's health, and particularly in shaping how we
treat individuals with intellectual disabilities. Few Americans have
ever played such a profound role as Ms. Shriver has played in her life
and it is entirely fitting that we rename NICHD on her behalf.
Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I thank Mr. Hatch for introducing this
legislation, which I have joined as an original cosponsor. Ms.
Shriver's contribution stands alone, both in terms of what she has done
in terms of individuals with intellectual disabilities and their
meaningful contribution in society as well as in advancing basic
research at the National Institutes of Health. The National Institute
of Child Health and Development was launched in the beginning of the
Kennedy Administration and Ms. Shriver and her husband Sargent
advocated for the institute when many knowledgeable scientists were
willing to write off these individuals and advocated that the money
spent at the NICHD would be better spent studying adult diseases. Ms.
Shriver advocated for this research and I think it is fair to say
without her advocacy the Institute would not be what it is today.
Mr. KENNEDY. I thank my colleagues for their support of this
legislation. I also thank Senators Mikulski and Harkin, who were other
original cosponsors of this legislation. I will speak at a later time
on the extraordinary difference that my sister, Eunice, has made in the
lives of millions of Americans, but for now, I wish to comment on an
aspect of the legislation before us. As we enact this legislation, I
did want to make clear, that it is my understanding that nothing in
this bill changes any authorities that we provided NIH and its director
in the NIH Reform Act that we passed last Congress. Specifically, this
does not change any of the authorities of the Scientific Management
Review Board or any other provisions provided in section 401 of that
act.
Is that the intent and understanding of my colleagues as well?
Mr. HATCH. Yes, this legislation is only meant to change the name of
the single institute within NIH and to have no other effect on the NIH
or its organization.
Mr. ENZI. I agree. We do not intend this to change or signal any
other change at NIH.
Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I rise today in support of the legislation
before us, S. 2484. This bill renames the National Institute of Child
Health and Development at the NIH as the ``Eunice Kennedy Shriver
National Institute of Child Health and Development''.
This renaming bill was added during the HELP Committee markup to S.
1011, given that S. 1011 renamed two other Institutes at the National
Institutes of Health. Senator Hatch, Senator Mikulski, and I sponsored
this amendment, and it was unanimously accepted by the HELP Committee.
Then, S. 1011 was unanimously voted out of Committee. We would like to
have moved the entire bill, but unfortunately, we are not able to do
that today due to some objections. Therefore, we are trying to get done
what we can get done at the end of this session and simply moving the
amendment that does not raise concerns with other members of this body.
I understand that it is unusual to rename an institute at NIH after
an individual, but this is an unusual case. Ms. Shriver has long been
associated with the National Institute of Child Health and Development,
NICHD, and was an early champion of it.
NICHD was established in the 1960s by President Kennedy when he
ushered in a ``New Frontier'' focusing on science and its potential for
improving everyone's life. During the 1960s, we also learned of the
biological causes of intellectual disabilities. At the same time, Ms.
Shriver was an advocate for people with intellectual disabilities. With
the help of her husband, Sargent, Ms. Shriver took on the challenge of
improving the lives of people with intellectual disabilities and
pursued that goal as a senior adviser to the President.
I suspect other Members will note her work with the Special
Olympics. That is only a small portion of what she has done
for individuals with intellectual disabilities. At the time
of NICHD's creation, many leaders in the scientific community
felt that money spent to research topics related to human
development and intellectual disability would be better spent
elsewhere. Ms. Shriver played a seminal role helping the
scientific community, policymakers, and the general public
recognize the importance of such research. She recognized
that it was not just important for those with intellectual
disabilities, but the research was a bridge to understanding
broader, more general aspects of human development.
Therefore, it would not be an overstatement to say that,
without Ms. Shriver's contribution, this institute would not
exist.
Therefore, Mr. President, I rise today and ask for the support of my
colleagues in recognizing the contributions of Ms. Shriver through
quick enactment of this legislation, S. 2484.
Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be
read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the
table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the
Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The bill (S. 2484) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading,
was read the third time, and passed, as follows:
S. 2484
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. EUNICE KENNEDY SHRIVER NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD
HEALTH AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT.
(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Since it was established by Congress in 1962 at the
request of President John F. Kennedy, the National Institute
of Child Health and Human Development has achieved an
outstanding record of achievement in catalyzing a
concentrated attack on the unsolved health problems of
children and of mother-infant relationships by fulfilling its
mission to--
(A) ensure that every individual is born healthy and
wanted, that women suffer no harmful effects from
reproductive processes, and that all children have the chance
to achieve their full potential for healthy and productive
lives, free from disease or disability; and
(B) ensure the health, productivity, independence, and
well-being of all individuals through optimal rehabilitation.
(2) The National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development has made unparalleled contributions to the
advancement of child health and human development, including
significant efforts to--
(A) reduce dramatically the rates of Sudden Infant Death
Syndrome, infant mortality, and maternal HIV transmission;
(B) develop the Haemophilus Influenza B (Hib) vaccine,
credited with nearly eliminating the incidence of mental
retardation; and
(C) conduct intramural research, support extramural
research, and train thousands of child health and human
development researchers who have contributed greatly to
dramatic gains in child health throughout the world.
(3) The vision, drive, and tenacity of one woman, Eunice
Kennedy Shriver, was instrumental in proposing, passing, and
enacting legislation to establish the National Institute of
Child Health and Human Development (Public Law 87-838) on
October 17, 1962.
(4) It is befitting and appropriate to recognize the
substantial achievements of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, a
tireless advocate for children with special needs, whose
foresight in creating the National Institute of Child Health
and Human Development gave life to the words of President
Kennedy, who wished to ``encourage imaginative research into
the complex processes of human development from conception to
old age.''.
(b) Amendments to the Public Health Service Act.--The
Public Health Service Act is amended--
[[Page S15571]]
(1) in section 401(b)(7) (42 U.S.C. 281(b)(7)), by striking
``National Institute of Child Health and Human Development''
and inserting ``Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of
Child Health and Human Development'';
(2) in section 404B (42 U.S.C. 283d), by striking
``National Institute for Child Health and Human Development''
and inserting ``Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of
Child Health and Human Development'';
(3) in section 404E(a) (42 U.S.C. 283g(a)), by striking
``National Institute of Child Health and Human Development''
and inserting ``Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of
Child Health and Human Development'';
(4) in section 409D(c)(1) (42 U.S.C. 284h(c)(1)), by
striking ``National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development'' and inserting ``Eunice Kennedy Shriver National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development'';
(5) in section 424(c)(3)(B)(vi) (42 U.S.C. 285b-
7(c)(3)(B)(vi)), by striking ``National Institute of Child
Health and Human Development'' and inserting ``Eunice Kennedy
Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development'';
(6) in section 430(b)(2)(B) (42 U.S.C. 285c-4(b)(2)(B)), by
striking ``National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development'' and inserting ``Eunice Kennedy Shriver National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development'';
(7) in the heading of subpart 7 of part C of title IV (42
U.S.C. 285g et seq.), by striking the term ``National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development'' each place
such term appears and inserting ``Eunice Kennedy Shriver
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development'';
(8) in section 487B(a) (42 U.S.C. 288-2(a)), by striking
``National Institute on Child Health and Human Development''
and inserting ``Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of
Child Health and Human Development'';
(9) in section 519C(g)(2) (42 U.S.C. 290bb-25c(g)(2)), by
striking ``National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development'' and inserting ``Eunice Kennedy Shriver National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development''; and
(10) in section 1122 (42 U.S.C. 300c-12), by striking
``National Institute of Child Health and Human Development''
and inserting ``Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of
Child Health and Human Development''.
(c) Amendments to Other Acts.--
(1) Comprehensive smoking education act.--Section
3(b)(1)(A) of the Comprehensive Smoking Education Act (15
U.S.C. 1341(b)(1)(A)) is amended by striking ``National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development'' and
inserting ``Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of
Child Health and Human Development''.
(2) Adult education and family literacy act.--Sections 242
and 243 of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (20
U.S.C. 9252 and 9253) are amended by striking the term
``National Institute of Child Health and Human Development''
each place such term appears and inserting ``Eunice Kennedy
Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development''.
(3) Elementary and secondary education act of 1965.--The
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
6301 et seq.) is amended by striking the terms ``National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development'' and
``National Institute for Child Health and Human Development''
each place either term appears and inserting ``Eunice Kennedy
Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development''.
(d) Reference.--Any reference in any law, regulation,
order, document, paper, or other record of the United States
to the ``National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development'' shall be deemed to be a reference to the
``Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health
and Human Development''.
____________________