[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 37 (Wednesday, March 5, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S1654]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    NATIONAL ASBESTOS AWARENESS WEEK

  Mr. PRYOR. I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee be 
discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 462, and the Senate 
proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 462) designating the week of April 
     2008 as ``National Asbestos Awareness Week.''

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. PRYOR. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, 
the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the 
table with no intervening action or debate, and any statements relating 
to the resolution be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 462) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 462

       Whereas dangerous asbestos fibers are invisible and cannot 
     be smelled or tasted;
       Whereas the inhalation of airborne asbestos fibers can 
     cause significant damage;
       Whereas these fibers can cause mesothelioma, asbestosis, 
     and other health problems;
       Whereas asbestos-related diseases can take 10 to 50 years 
     to present themselves;
       Whereas the expected survival time for those diagnosed with 
     mesothelioma is between 6 and 24 months;
       Whereas generally little is known about late stage 
     treatment and there is no cure for asbestos-related diseases;
       Whereas early detection of asbestos-related diseases may 
     give some patients increased treatment options and might 
     improve their prognosis;
       Whereas the United States has substantially reduced its 
     consumption of asbestos yet continues to consume almost 2,000 
     metric tons of the fibrous mineral for use in certain 
     products throughout the Nation;
       Whereas asbestos-related diseases have killed thousands of 
     people in the United States;
       Whereas asbestos exposures continue and safety and 
     prevention will reduce and has reduced significantly asbestos 
     exposure and asbestos-related diseases;
       Whereas asbestos has been a cause of occupational cancer;
       Whereas thousands of workers in the United States face 
     significant asbestos exposure;
       Whereas thousands of people in the United States die from 
     asbestos-related diseases every year;
       Whereas a significant percentage of all asbestos-related 
     disease victims were exposed to asbestos on naval ships and 
     in shipyards;
       Whereas asbestos was used in the construction of a 
     significant number of office buildings and public facilities 
     built before 1975;
       Whereas people in the small community of Libby, Montana 
     have asbestos-related diseases at a significantly higher rate 
     than the national average and suffer from mesothelioma at a 
     significantly higher rate than the national average; and
       Whereas the establishment of a ``National Asbestos 
     Awareness Week'' would raise public awareness about the 
     prevalence of asbestos-related diseases and the dangers of 
     asbestos exposure: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the first week of April 2008 as ``National 
     Asbestos Awareness Week'';
       (2) urges the Surgeon General, as a public health issue, to 
     warn and educate people that asbestos exposure may be 
     hazardous to their health; and
       (3) respectfully requests the Secretary of the Senate to 
     transmit a copy of this resolution to the Surgeon General.

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