[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 79 (Wednesday, May 14, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H3858-H3859]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[[Page H3858]]
NATIONAL WOMEN'S HEALTH WEEK
Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 331) supporting the goals and
ideals of National Women's Health Week, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:
H. Con. Res. 331
Whereas women of all backgrounds have the power to greatly
reduce their risk of common diseases through preventative
measures, such as engaging in regular physical activity,
eating a nutritious diet, and visiting a healthcare provider
to receive regular check-ups and preventative screenings;
Whereas significant disparities exist in the prevalence of
disease among women of different backgrounds, including women
with disabilities, African-American women, Asian/Pacific
Islander women, Latinas, and American Indian/Alaskan Native
women;
Whereas healthy habits should begin at a young age;
Whereas preventative care saves Federal dollars designated
for health care;
Whereas it is imperative to educate women and girls about
key female health issues;
Whereas it is recognized that offices of women's health
within the Department of Health and Human Services, the Food
and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, the Health Resources and Services Administration,
the National Institutes of Health, and the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality are vital in providing
critical services that support women's health research,
education, and other necessary services that benefit women of
all ages, races, and ethnicities;
Whereas the annual National Women's Health Week begins on
Mother's Day and celebrates the efforts of national and
community organizations working with partners and volunteers
to improve awareness of key women's health issues; and
Whereas in 2008, the week of May 11 through May 17 is
designated National Women's Health Week: Now, therefore, be
it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That Congress--
(1) recognizes the importance of preventing diseases that
commonly affect women;
(2) supports the goals and ideals of National Women's
Health Week;
(3) calls on the people of the United States to use
National Women's Health Week as an opportunity to learn about
the health issues women face;
(4) calls on the women of the United States to observe
National Women's Check-Up Day by receiving preventative
screenings from their health care providers; and
(5) recognizes the importance of federally funded programs
that provide research and collect data on common diseases in
women.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
California (Mrs. Capps) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Tim
Murphy) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.
General Leave
Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from California?
There was no objection.
Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Concurrent Resolution
331. National Women's Health Week is celebrated annually during the
week following Mother's Day. The purpose of this week is twofold.
First, we can use it to raise awareness about the health risks all
women face, especially the risks that are unique to women. We use it to
learn that, for example, heart disease is the number one killer of
women, and half a million women die every year in childbirth.
But the second purpose is so we can take proactive measures to
improve women's health. We can use this opportunity to remind our
sisters, our mothers, our daughters and our friends to get annual
checkups and screenings that are recommended for them at their age. And
we can use this opportunity to adopt healthier lifestyles that are
essential to preventing chronic disease.
As co-chair of the Women's Caucus, I am very proud of several bills
that have been introduced and/or passed out during this Congress to
address women's health issues.
Last year, we reauthorized the National Breast and Cervical Cancer
Early Detection Program to provide low-income women with access to
these essential screenings.
We also passed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. And
nearly every woman in the House is cosponsor of the Heart for Women
Act, H.R. 1014, as well as H. Res. 1022 regarding maternal health.
But we are also fortunate to have a few good men, actually more than
a few good men working with us, such as the ranking member on this
bill, and Maurice Hinchey who has taken the lead by introducing this
resolution for a few years now, along with Mary Bono Mack.
{time} 1930
I urge my colleagues to support the resolution in the House today,
and also to have a conversation with the women in their lives about
what steps they can take to improve their health.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TIM MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I also thank the
gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps) for her thoughts and input on
this bill, which I'm pleased to be a cosponsor today.
Appropriately, National Women's Health Week began this Monday, May
12, the day after Mother's Day, and this past Monday was National
Women's Checkup Day. To this end, we encourage all women to discuss
with their doctor the importance of regular checkups, self exams.
We also should note that the government has a Web site on this; it's
www.womenshealth.gov/whw. There they recommend several tests that women
should get on a regular basis.
Also like to mention, as we're focusing on women's health, as my
colleague, my friend from California stated, this is also of interest
and importance to men. Whether you're fathers or spouses or relatives,
it's important to also be supportive of women's health and be
supportive of exams they may need to have.
As we focus on this, I want to mention a few other conditions that
impact women and the importance of Federal research funding.
Fibromyalgia, for example, is a chronic pain illness characterized by
widespread musculoskeletal aches, pains and stiffness, soft tissue
tenderness, general fatigue and sleep disturbances.
Depression is another very important condition to highlight. Women,
during and after pregnancy, for example, are at much greater risk to
develop depression, and folks who have a chronic illness are at risk to
develop depression.
Oftentimes, we neglect these important symptoms and aspects of health
care when meeting with a physician. It is very important to review any
concerns that anyone has, that women have when they have their annual
exams, such as sleep problems, changes in appetite, mood changes,
persistent sadness and other things. These are treatable conditions and
not ones to shun in bringing up and discussing openly and honestly with
their physician.
We have other things to comment on this, but at this point I will
reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I'm very pleased to yield 3 minutes at this
time to the gentleman from New York, Maurice Hinchey.
Mr. HINCHEY. Mr. Speaker, as the initiator of this resolution, I
would first like to take a moment to thank Chairman Dingell for
supporting the resolution and for bringing, being instrumental, rather,
in bringing it to the floor today.
I would also like to thank Speaker Pelosi and Mr. Hoyer for their
determination in bringing this measure to the floor during National
Women's Health Week, despite the very crowded legislative schedule.
I would also like to thank Chairman Pallone and all of the fine
members of the Health Subcommittee and their resolve in getting this
through the committee and to the floor.
Finally, I'd like to thank my good friends, Congresswoman Lois Capps
and Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack for taking the lead with me on this
resolution for the third time in a row.
This resolution has the bipartisan sponsorship of 114 Members of this
House. Also, the National Council of Women's Organizations fully
endorsed this bill on behalf of their 230 member organizations who
represent 11 million women across our country.
National Women's Health Week begins annually on Mother's Day. This
[[Page H3859]]
year marks the 9th Annual National Women's Health Week.
National Women's Health Week is a week celebrated across America.
During this week, families, communities, businesses, government, health
organizations and other groups work together to help educate women
about steps that they could take to improve their physical and mental
health, and to prevent various disease.
This week is also used as an opportunity to educate our population
about important health issues that women face.
This resolution recognizes the importance of several things,
including preventing diseases that commonly affect women; federally
funded programs that provide research and collect data on common
diseases in women, and it also calls on women to observe National
Women's Checkup Day by receiving preventive screenings.
It is vitally important that women have knowledge about the health
risks that confront them, and that they know they can greatly reduce
those risks through preventive measures such as a healthy lifestyle and
regular medical screening.
Healthy habits should begin at a young age. It is imperative that we
take the time to educate young girls on the benefits of exercise and
eating right. If these habits start at a young age, it is more likely
that they will continue through their life.
It is important and essential we do everything we can to prevent
disease. In this spirit, I encourage women to use this week to focus on
the necessary checkups and preventive screenings from their health care
providers so that they can live long, healthy and productive lives.
I urge full support and passage of this very important measure on
behalf of the women of our country.
Mr. TIM MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I now yield as much time
as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn),
a leader and advocate on women's health issues.
Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania
(Mr. Tim Murphy) for the leadership that he brings to our Health
Subcommittee.
I also want to thank the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps) for
her attentiveness to women's health issues. She is an effective
advocate.
And to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Hinchey) for his leadership
on the issue, and for honoring us, all women, with the resolution and
bringing the resolution forward to the body as a whole.
Mr. Speaker, as has been discussed, this is House Concurrent
Resolution 331, and I do join my colleagues in encouraging all of us,
not only to support the resolution, but to be effective spokespeople
for what the resolution means; that we move forward, actively, to
encourage women to gather the information that they need, because
indeed, one of the purposes is to encourage women to seek information,
to become health conscious and as the gentleman from New York said, to
develop those healthy habits.
And it is not only adult women that we are speaking to, but it is to
young girls also as they look at diet, as they look at exercise, as
they gather information about how to best take care of themselves. And
we do encourage them to seek that information, to get regular checkups,
to become knowledgeable of the preventive screenings that will help
them to stay healthy and to enjoy a better quality of life.
One thing that we also do is encourage women to have that
relationship with their primary care physician, somebody that they can
go to to gather the information about how to become knowledgeable on
taking care of their bodies.
We've talked a little bit about some of the diseases that affect
women, fibromyalgia, depression and, of course, postpartum depression,
which concerns us all with the young women and those in the child-
bearing years.
Heart disease also and some of the screenings that are important for
that. And as the gentleman from Pennsylvania said, there is the website
where individuals can access this information.
But we do stand together to promote prevention and awareness for
disease management so that the women of this Nation are certainly
taking better care of themselves, and are knowledgeable on the diseases
that could impair their quality of life and their productivity.
Again, I join my colleagues and thank them for the leadership on
Resolution 331. And I appreciate the opportunity to stand and speak on
the importance of this, and again, encourage all Members, not only to
support it, but to actually be certain that we disseminate this
information to our constituents.
Mr. TIM MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Seeing as we have no more speakers,
we're willing to close at this point and again draw attention and thank
Mr. Hinchey for his support on this resolution. I ask all Members to be
supportive of it.
With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. CAPPS. I want to thank again the authors of this resolution, Mr.
Hinchey, who is here, and Mary Bono Mack, who is also the other
coauthor; and to thank the speakers on behalf of this resolution. And
again, to remind us all the importance of Women's Health Week, setting
aside the time to call attention to the importance of women taking care
of their own health and providing the resources so they can do this,
because it's women's health at stake, but also, often since the woman
is the primary instigator within the family, and often the community as
well, of the health of every member, that this serves a purpose that is
very important to the health of our Nation.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Murphy of Connecticut). The question is
on the motion offered by the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps)
that the House suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent
resolution, H. Con. Res. 331.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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