[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 22 (Monday, February 22, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H617-H618]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             AMERICAN HEART MONTH AND NATIONAL WEAR RED DAY

  Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 1039) supporting the goals and ideals of 
American Heart Month and National Wear Red Day.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1039

       Whereas heart disease affects adult men and women of every 
     age and race in the United States;
       Whereas heart disease continues to be the leading cause of 
     death in the United States;
       Whereas an estimated 81,000,000 adult Americans, more than 
     one in every 3, have one or more types of heart disease, 
     including high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, 
     congestive heart failure, stroke, and congenital heart 
     defects;
       Whereas extensive clinical and statistical studies have 
     identified major and contributing factors that increase the 
     risk of heart disease;
       Whereas these studies have identified the following as 
     major risk factors that cannot be changed: Age (the risk of 
     developing heart disease gradually increases as people age; 
     advanced age significantly increases the risk), gender (men 
     have greater risk of developing heart disease than women), 
     and heredity (children of parents with heart disease are more 
     likely to develop it themselves; African-Americans have more 
     severe high blood pressure than Caucasians and therefore are 
     at higher risk; the risk is also higher among Latina 
     Americans, some Asian Americans, and Native Americans and 
     other indigenous populations);
       Whereas these studies have identified the following as 
     major risk factors that Americans can modify, treat, or 
     control by changing their lifestyle or seeking appropriate 
     medical treatment: High blood pressure, high blood 
     cholesterol, smoking tobacco products and exposure to tobacco 
     smoke, physical inactivity, obesity, and diabetes mellitus;
       Whereas these studies have identified the following as 
     contributing risk factors that Americans can also take action 
     to modify, treat or control by changing their lifestyle or 
     seeking appropriate medical treatment: Individual response to 
     stress, excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, use of 
     certain illegal drugs, and hormone replacement therapy;
       Whereas more than 106,000,000 adult Americans have high 
     blood pressure;
       Whereas more than 37,000,000 Americans have cholesterol 
     levels of 240 mg/dL or higher, the level at which it becomes 
     a major risk factor;
       Whereas an estimated 46,000,000 Americans put themselves at 
     risk for heart disease every day by smoking cigarettes;
       Whereas data released by the Centers for Disease Control 
     and Prevention shows that more than 65 percent of American 
     adults do not get enough physical activity, and more than 39 
     percent are not physically active at all;
       Whereas 66 percent of adult Americans are overweight or 
     obese;
       Whereas 24 million adult Americans have diabetes and 65 
     percent of those so afflicted will die of some form of heart 
     disease;
       Whereas the American Heart Association projects that in 
     2010 1,200,000 Americans will have a first or recurrent heart 
     attack and 452,000 of these people will die as a result;
       Whereas in 2010 approximately 800,000 Americans will suffer 
     a new or recurrent stroke and 160,000 of these people will 
     die as a result;
       Whereas advances in medical research have significantly 
     improved our capacity to fight heart disease by providing 
     greater knowledge about its causes, innovative diagnostic 
     tools to detect the disease, and new and improved treatments 
     that help people survive and recover from this disease;
       Whereas Congress by Joint Resolution approved on December 
     30, 1963 (77 Stat. 843; 36 U.S.C. 101), has requested that 
     the President issue an annual proclamation designating 
     February as ``American Heart Month'';
       Whereas the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of 
     the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart 
     Association, and many other organizations celebrate 
     ``National Wear Red Day'' during February by ``going red'' to 
     increase awareness about heart disease as the leading killer 
     of women; and
       Whereas every year since 1964 the President has issued a 
     proclamation designating the month February as ``American 
     Heart Month'': Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives supports the 
     goals and ideals of American Heart Month and National Wear 
     Red Day.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch) and the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. 
Foxx) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and to add any extraneous material.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Massachusetts?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on Oversight and Government 
Reform, I present House Resolution 1039 for consideration. This 
legislation expresses our support for the goals and ideals of American 
Heart Month and National Wear Red Day.
  Introduced by my colleague Representative Christopher Lee of New York 
on January 26, 2010, House Resolution 1039 enjoys the support of over 
50 Members of Congress. In addition, today's floor consideration allows 
Members of this body an added opportunity

[[Page H618]]

to express their support for this thoughtful commemorative resolution.
  Madam Speaker, House Resolution 1039 expresses our support for the 
goals of American Heart Month, which is annually commemorated during 
the month of February as a way of highlighting the devastating impact 
of cardiovascular disease on our Nation. As noted by the American Heart 
Association, heart disease, including stroke, continues to serve as the 
number one cause of death in the United States. In addition, an 
estimated 81.1 million adult Americans currently suffer from one or 
more types of heart disease. Accordingly, since 1963, Congress and the 
American Heart Association have partnered to draw attention to the 
cause and effects of heart disease, an effort that is reflected in the 
resolution authored by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Lee).
  In addition, House Resolution 1039 also expresses our support for the 
goals and ideals of National Wear Red Day, which this year was held on 
Friday, February 5. Notably, National Wear Red Day is designed to 
support the fight against heart disease in women by encouraging all 
Americans to wear red at their workplaces, places of worship, out in 
their communities, and at home. Through the simple act of wearing red, 
all Americans can ensure that National Wear Red Day continues to serve 
as a powerful tool by which to raise our national awareness of heart 
disease and stroke, especially among women.
  Madam Speaker, American Heart Month and National Wear Red Day are 
both valuable efforts in the fight against heart disease. For this 
reason, I urge my colleagues to join Mr. Lee, myself, and others in 
supporting House Resolution 1039.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution urging the 
support of American Heart Month and National Wear Red Day.
  American Heart Month was initiated in 1963 by Congress in an effort 
to bring about awareness and urge Americans to join the battle against 
today's number one killer, heart disease.
  Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death in the 
United States. It is a tragic disease that affects men, women, and 
children of every age and race throughout the country. Approximately 
one in three adult Americans have one or more types of heart disease, 
including high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, congestive heart 
failure, stroke, and congenital heart disease, as well as those at risk 
for heart disease as a result of smoking.
  An astounding 66 percent of adult Americans are overweight, 46 
million people are at risk for heart disease because they smoke, and 37 
million people have high cholesterol levels that could become a major 
risk factor. The American Heart Association projects that this year 
almost a half million people will die as a result of a heart attack.
  These are staggering numbers, and all of these lifestyles, among many 
others, have a direct impact on heart disease. Therefore, it's 
imperative we sound the alarm and remain vigilant and supportive of 
heart disease awareness programs. By exercising regularly, avoiding 
tobacco, limiting consumption of alcohol, following a nutritious diet, 
and monitoring high cholesterol and high blood pressure, we all can 
work to increase the chances of healthy lifestyle changes.
  National Wear Red Day, a day when people throughout the country are 
encouraged to wear a red article of clothing as an outward sign that 
heart disease ``doesn't care what you wear,'' is one way to visually 
express our concern and show support for women's heart disease 
awareness. Although one-half of all heart disease deaths are in women, 
studies have shown that women's symptoms are less recognized. There are 
currently a number of initiatives that are underway to raise awareness 
of the dangers of cardiovascular disease in women; however, the 
challenging work of promoting awareness continues as cardiovascular 
disease increases in the country.
  I am proud to do my part through support of this resolution while 
encouraging all citizens to take advantage of regular screenings and 
consult their doctors about reducing their risk for heart disease. It's 
also important that we support the organizations that celebrate 
National Wear Red Day and American Heart Month in February in an effort 
to educate the public, promote awareness, and fund research of this 
serious disease.

  Madam Speaker, I urge all Members to support the passage of H. Res. 
1039, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from North 
Carolina for her eloquent words and for her support.
  I simply ask all Members to support Mr. Lee of New York in this 
resolution, House Resolution 1039.
  Mr. LEE of New York. Madam Speaker, as we all know, the United States 
has marked American Heart Month every February for the last 46 years. I 
want to thank Chairman Towns and Ranking Member Issa for their 
cooperation in getting this resolution to the floor quickly. I also 
want to thank our nearly 60 cosponsors from both sides of the aisle.
  Heart disease and stroke affect more people in Western New York than 
anywhere else in the country. Here are some other facts: The rate of 
stroke death in WNY is 23 percent higher than the national rate and 79 
percent higher than the aggregate New York State rate. Heart disease 
kills 10 times as many women in WNY as breast cancer and six times as 
many women as lung cancer.
  Of course, heart disease remains the number one cause of death for 
both women and men in the United States. And the one fact that troubles 
me greatly is: Only 58 percent of WNY residents report visiting their 
doctors routinely to have their blood pressure and cholesterol checked. 
That number is simply too low.
  The one thing we can all do to raise public awareness of heart 
disease and stroke without spending a dime is talk to family and 
friends about the warning signs for these silent killers and what 
preventive steps they can take to protect themselves.
  The simple act of going to the doctor--or even visiting the American 
Heart Association's Web site--may be all it takes to save a life.
  I hope that in addition to the passage of this resolution, my 
colleagues will join me in talking to constituents and raising 
awareness of these deadly diseases.
  Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1039.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

                          ____________________