[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 132 (Tuesday, September 28, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H7190-H7191]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             SCLERODERMA RESEARCH AND AWARENESS ACT OF 2010

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2408) to expand the research and awareness activities of the 
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases 
and the

[[Page H7191]]

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with respect to scleroderma, 
and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2408

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Scleroderma Research and 
     Awareness Act of 2010''.

     SEC. 2. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ARTHRITIS AND MUSCULOSKELETAL 
                   AND SKIN DISEASES; SCLERODERMA RESEARCH 
                   EXPANSION.

       Part B of title IV of the Public Health Service Act (42 
     U.S.C. 284 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:

     ``SEC. 409K. SCLERODERMA RESEARCH.

       ``The Director of NIH may expand, intensify, and coordinate 
     the activities of the National Institutes of Health with 
     respect to scleroderma, with particular emphasis on the 
     following:
       ``(1) Research focused on the etiology of scleroderma and 
     the development of new treatment options.
       ``(2) Clinical research to evaluate new treatments options.
       ``(3) Basic research on the relationship between 
     scleroderma and secondary conditions such as pulmonary 
     hypertension, gastroparesis, Raynaud's phenomenon, Sjogren's 
     Syndrome, and other diseases as determined by the 
     Director.''.

     SEC. 3. PROMOTING PUBLIC AWARENESS OF SCLERODERMA.

       Part P of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 
     U.S.C. 280g et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:

     ``SEC. 399V-5. PROMOTING PUBLIC AWARENESS OF SCLERODERMA.

       ``The Secretary may carry out an educational campaign to 
     increase public awareness of scleroderma. Print, video, and 
     Web-based materials distributed through this campaign may 
     include--
       ``(1) basic information on scleroderma and its symptoms; 
     and
       ``(2) information on--
       ``(A) the incidence and prevalence of scleroderma;
       ``(B) diseases and conditions affiliated with scleroderma; 
     or
       ``(C) the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of 
     scleroderma.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Pallone) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.


                             General Leave

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material in the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 
2408, the Scleroderma Research and Awareness Act. H.R. 2408 would 
encourage NIH to conduct more research into scleroderma and encourage 
HHS to conduct a public awareness campaign about scleroderma. I urge my 
colleagues to support this legislation.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  H.R. 2408, the Scleroderma Research and Awareness Act, would expand 
research and education for scleroderma. There are an estimated 300,000 
people in the United States who have this disease. The exact cause or 
causes of scleroderma are still unknown, but scientists and medical 
investigators in a wide variety of fields are working to make those 
determinations.
  Scleroderma, or systemic sclerosis, is a chronic connective tissue 
disease generally classified as one of the autoimmune rheumatic 
diseases. This bill will provide the Department of Health and Human 
Services flexibility to help us in the fight against scleroderma in the 
following ways: First, the bill would allow but not require the 
director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and 
Skin Diseases of the National Institutes of Health to expand, 
intensify, and coordinate the activities of the institute with respect 
to scleroderma. Second, the amended bill would allow but not require 
the Health and Human Services Secretary, acting through the Centers for 
Disease Control, to carry out an educational campaign to increase 
public awareness of scleroderma.
  This bill underwent some very important modifications at the 
committee level. I think it is a better bill for that bipartisan 
effort. I do urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2408, the 
Scleroderma Research and Awareness Act.
  Scleroderma is a chronic connective tissue disease in which hardening 
of the skin is one of the most visible manifestations of the disease.
  An estimated 300,000 people in the United States have scleroderma and 
female patients outnumber male patients an astonishing four to one.
  The exact cause or causes of scleroderma are still unknown and there 
is no cure, which make greater research into this disease all the more 
necessary.
  H.R. 2408 would encourage NIH to conduct more research into 
Scleroderma and encourage the Secretary of Health & Human Services to 
conduct a public awareness campaign about the disease.
  Passage of this bill out of Committee and in the House of 
Representatives would not be possible without the grassroots advocacy 
of patients and families of patients with Scleroderma so I would like 
to thank them personally for helping us reach today.
  Finally, I would like to thank the lead Republican co-sponsor of this 
legislation, Vern Ehlers of Michigan for his continued support of H.R. 
2408.
  I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill.
  Mr. BURGESS. I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the bill, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2408, as amended.
  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. BURGESS. Mr. 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.

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