[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 118 (Thursday, August 5, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S6981]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NATIONAL FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDERS AWARENESS DAY
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RECOGNIZING 63RD ANNIVERSARY OF INDIA'S INDEPENDENCE
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COMMEMORATING 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF PUBLICATION OF ``TO KILL A
MOCKINGBIRD''
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed en bloc to the consideration of the following Senate
resolutions: S. 612, S. 613, and S. 614.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions
be agreed to, the preambles be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider
be laid upon the table en bloc.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolutions were agreed to.
The preambles were agreed to.
The resolutions, with their preambles, read as follows:
S. Res. 612
Whereas the term ``fetal alcohol spectrum disorders''
includes a broader range of conditions than the term ``fetal
alcohol syndrome'' and therefore has replaced the term
``fetal alcohol syndrome'' as the umbrella term describing
the range of effects that can occur in an individual whose
mother drank alcohol during pregnancy;
Whereas fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are the leading
cause of cognitive disability in western civilization,
including the United States, and are 100 percent preventable;
Whereas fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are a major cause
of numerous social disorders, including learning
disabilities, school failure, juvenile delinquency,
homelessness, unemployment, mental illness, and crime;
Whereas the incidence rate of fetal alcohol syndrome is
estimated at 1 out of 500 live births and the incidence rate
of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders is estimated at 1 out of
every 100 live births;
Whereas although the economic costs of fetal alcohol
spectrum disorders are difficult to estimate, the cost of
fetal alcohol syndrome alone in the United States was
$6,000,000,000 in 2007, and it is estimated that each
individual with fetal alcohol syndrome will cost taxpayers of
the United States between $860,000 and $4,000,000 during the
lifetime of each such individual;
Whereas in February 1999, a small group of parents of
children who suffer from fetal alcohol spectrum disorders
came together with the hope that in 1 magic moment the world
could be made aware of the devastating consequences of
alcohol consumption during pregnancy;
Whereas the first International Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Awareness Day was observed on September 9, 1999;
Whereas Bonnie Buxton of Toronto, Canada, the co-founder of
the first International Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Awareness Day,
asked ``What if . . . a world full of FAS/E [Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome/Effect] parents all got together on the ninth hour
of the ninth day of the ninth month of the year and asked the
world to remember that during the 9 months of pregnancy a
woman should not consume alcohol . . . would the rest of the
world listen?''; and
Whereas on the ninth day of the ninth month of each year
since 1999, communities around the world have observed
International Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Awareness Day: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates September 9, 2010, as ``National Fetal
Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day''; and
(2) calls upon the people of the United States--
(A) to observe National Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
Awareness Day with appropriate ceremonies--
(i) to promote awareness of the effects of prenatal
exposure to alcohol;
(ii) to increase compassion for individuals affected by
prenatal exposure to alcohol;
(iii) to minimize further effects of prenatal exposure to
alcohol; and
(iv) to ensure healthier communities across the United
States; and
(B) to observe a moment of reflection on the ninth hour of
September 9, 2010, to remember that during the 9 months of
pregnancy a woman should not consume alcohol.
S. Res. 613
Whereas on August 15, 1947, India gained independence from
Great Britain and became a sovereign nation;
Whereas August 15 is celebrated in India as Independence
Day;
Whereas India is the largest democracy in the world;
Whereas India has one of the largest and most dynamic
economies in the world;
Whereas, in recent years, the United States and India have
pursued a strategic partnership based on common interests and
shared commitments to freedom, democracy, pluralism, human
rights, and the rule of law;
Whereas President Barack Obama referred to the relationship
between the United States and India as ``one of the defining
partnerships of the 21st century'' at the first State dinner
hosted by President Obama, which was held in honor of Indian
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in November 2009;
Whereas the United States and India completed the inaugural
round of the United States-India Strategic Dialogue in June
2010;
Whereas the United States and India have undertaken a
cooperative effort in the area of civilian nuclear power,
which Congress approved through the enactment of the United
States-India Nuclear Cooperation Approval and
Nonproliferation Enhancement Act (Public Law 110-369; 122
Stat. 4028);
Whereas the strong relationship between the United States
and India, based on mutual trust and respect, enables close
collaboration across a broad spectrum of strategic interests,
including counterterrorism, democracy promotion, regional
economic development, human rights, and scientific research;
Whereas the United States and India have balanced, growing,
and mutually beneficial trade and investment ties that create
jobs in both countries;
Whereas, since 2001, Indians have comprised the largest
foreign student population on college campuses in the United
States, accounting for approximately 15 percent of all
foreign students in the United States;
Whereas there are more than 2,000,000 Americans of Indian
descent in the United States;
Whereas Americans of Indian descent have made lasting
contributions to the social and economic fabric of the United
States; and
Whereas Americans of Indian descent continue to enrich all
sectors of public life in the United States, including as
government, military, and law enforcement officials working
to uphold the Constitution of the United States and to
protect all people in the United States: Now, therefore, be
it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) recognizes the 63rd anniversary of India's
independence;
(2) celebrates the contributions of Americans of Indian
descent to society in the United States; and
(3) remains committed to fostering and advancing the
strategic partnership between the United States and India in
the future.
S. Res. 614
Whereas Nelle Harper Lee was born on April 28, 1926, to
Amasa Coleman Lee and Frances Finch in Monroeville, Alabama;
Whereas Nelle Harper Lee wrote the novel ``To Kill a
Mockingbird'' portraying life in the 1930s in the fictional
small southern town of Maycomb, Alabama, which was modeled on
Monroeville, Alabama, the hometown of Ms. Lee;
Whereas ``To Kill a Mockingbird'' addressed the issue of
racial inequality in the United States by revealing the
humanity of a community grappling with moral conflict;
Whereas ``To Kill a Mockingbird'' was first published in
1960 and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1961;
Whereas ``To Kill a Mockingbird'' was the basis for the
1962 Academy Award-winning film of the same name starring
Gregory Peck;
Whereas ``To Kill a Mockingbird'' is one of the great
American novels of the 20th century, having been published in
more than 40 languages and having sold more than 30,000,000
copies;
Whereas, in 2007, Nelle Harper Lee was inducted into the
American Academy of Arts and Letters;
Whereas, in 2007, President George W. Bush awarded the
Presidential Medal of Freedom to Nelle Harper Lee for her
great contributions to literature and observed, `` `To Kill a
Mockingbird' has influenced the character of our country for
the better'', and ``As a model of good writing and humane
sensibility, this book will be read and studied forever'';
and
Whereas ``To Kill a Mockingbird'' is celebrated each year
in Monroeville, Alabama through public performances featuring
local amateur actors: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) recognizes the historic milestone of the 50th
anniversary of the publication of ``To Kill a Mockingbird'';
and
(2) honors the outstanding achievement of Nelle Harper Lee
in the field of American literature in authoring ``To Kill a
Mockingbird''.
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