[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 151 (Thursday, November 18, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8107-S8108]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      RESOLUTIONS SUBMITTED TODAY

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration en bloc of the following 
resolutions, which were submitted earlier today: S. Res. 683, S. Res. 
684, and S. Res. 685.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolutions by 
title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 683) recognizing the recent 
     accomplishments of the people and Government of Moldova, and 
     expressing support for free and transparent parliamentary 
     elections on November 28, 2010.
       A resolution (S. Res. 684) recognizing the 35th anniversary 
     of the enactment of the Education for All Handicapped 
     Children Act of 1975.
       A resolution (S. Res. 685) commemorating the 100th 
     anniversary of the discovery of sickle cell disease by Dr. 
     James B. Herrick.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolutions.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions 
be agreed to, the preambles be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be 
laid upon the table en bloc, with no intervening action or debate, and 
any statements relating to the resolutions be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolutions (S. Res. 683, 684, and 685) were agreed to.
  The preambles were agreed to.
  The resolutions, with their preambles, read as follows:

                              S. Res. 683

       Whereas, since independence 19 years ago, the people of 
     Moldova have made extraordinary progress in transitioning 
     from authoritarian government and a closed market to a 
     democratic government and market economy;
       Whereas, for 19 years, the constitution of Moldova has 
     guaranteed its citizens freedom to emigrate confirmed by 
     years of successive Presidential waivers concerning the 
     Jackson-Vanik amendment;
       Whereas, on January 12, 2010, the Government of Moldova 
     initiated negotiations with the European Union on an 
     Association Agreement between the European Union and the 
     Republic of Moldova, an important step towards European Union 
     accession;
       Whereas, in order to comply with the criteria of the 
     Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), the Government of 
     Moldova implemented far-reaching legal reforms to curb 
     corruption, introduce budgetary transparency, and strengthen 
     the capacity of civil society and the media, resulting in the 
     successful conclusion of negotiations and the signing of an 
     MCC Compact on January 22, 2010;
       Whereas the Government of Moldova initiated a visa dialogue 
     between the Republic of Moldova and the European Union aiming 
     at visa liberalization on June 15, 2010;
       Whereas, on August 26, 2010, Secretary of State Hillary 
     Clinton praised progress in Moldova in ``advancing 
     transparent governance, human rights, and economic reform'';
       Whereas, on October 20, 2010, Reporters Without Borders 
     reported an improvement in the freedom of press in Moldova, 
     with Moldova rising from the 114th position in 2009 to the 
     75th position in 2010;
       Whereas, in November 2010, the Government of Moldova 
     concluded a treaty with Romania important to the assertion of 
     its sovereignty and its future development;
       Whereas Assistant Secretary of State for European and 
     Eurasian Affairs Philip H. Gordon noted in testimony before 
     the Subcommittee on Europe of the Committee on Foreign 
     Affairs of the House of Representatives on June 16, 2009, 
     ``We will continue to work for a negotiated settlement of the 
     separatist conflict in the Transnistria region that provides 
     for a whole and democratic Moldova and the withdrawal of 
     Russian forces.''; and
       Whereas the Republic of Moldova has made commitments to the 
     Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to 
     conduct elections according to international standards: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the development of an enduring democratic 
     political system and free market economy in Moldova and a 
     parliamentary election process on November 28, 2010, that 
     comports with international standards of fairness and 
     transparency;
       (2) recognizes that the commitment of the Government of 
     Moldova to economic and political reforms since 2009 has 
     resulted in tangible progress towards integration into 
     European institutions;
       (3) acknowledges that continued reform and commitment to a 
     free and fair election process will remain necessary for 
     Moldova's full integration into the Western community of 
     nations;
       (4) notes that continued reforms in Moldova could provide 
     for an additional basis for the repeal of the Jackson-Vanik 
     trade restrictions;

[[Page S8108]]

       (5) encourages ongoing negotiations between the European 
     Union and the Republic of Moldova concerning visa 
     liberalization and an Association Agreement;
       (6) urges fulfillment by the Government of Moldova of 
     commitments it has made to the OSCE with respect to the free 
     and fair conduct of its upcoming parliamentary elections; and
       (7) expresses the belief that the free and fair conduct of 
     parliamentary elections in Moldova will contribute to a 
     strong and stable government that is responsive to the vital 
     needs of its people.

                              S. Res. 684

       Whereas the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 
     1975 (Public Law 94-142) was signed into law 35 years ago on 
     November 29;
       Whereas the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 
     1975 established the Federal policy of ensuring that all 
     children, regardless of the nature or severity of their 
     disability, have available to them a free appropriate public 
     education in the least restrictive environment;
       Whereas the Education of the Handicapped Act (Public Law 
     91-230), as amended by the Education for All Handicapped 
     Children Act of 1975, was further amended by the Education of 
     the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1986 (Public Law 99-457) to 
     create a preschool grant program for children with 
     disabilities 3 to 5 years of age and an early intervention 
     program for infants and toddlers with disabilities from birth 
     through age 2;
       Whereas the Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 
     1990 (Public Law 101-476) renamed the Education of the 
     Handicapped Act as the Individuals with Disabilities 
     Education Act (IDEA) (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.);
       Whereas IDEA was amended by the Individuals with 
     Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 (Public Law 
     105-17) to ensure that children with disabilities have equal 
     access to, and make progress in, the general education 
     curriculum and are included in all general State and 
     district-wide assessment programs;
       Whereas IDEA was amended by the Individuals with 
     Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (Public Law 
     108-446) to ensure that all children with disabilities have 
     available to them a free appropriate public education that 
     emphasizes special education and related services designed to 
     meet their individual needs and prepare them for further 
     education, employment, and independent living;
       Whereas IDEA currently serves an estimated 342,000 infants 
     and toddlers, 709,000 preschoolers, and 5,890,000 children 6 
     to 21 years of age;
       Whereas IDEA has opened neighborhood schools to students 
     with disabilities and increased the number of children living 
     in their communities instead of institutions;
       Whereas the academic achievement of students with 
     disabilities has significantly increased since the enactment 
     of IDEA;
       Whereas the number of children with disabilities who 
     complete high school with a standard diploma has grown 
     significantly since the enactment of IDEA;
       Whereas the number of children with disabilities who enroll 
     in institutions of higher education has more than tripled 
     since the enactment of IDEA;
       Whereas IDEA requires partnership among parents of children 
     with disabilities and education professionals in the design 
     and implementation of the educational services provided to 
     children with disabilities;
       Whereas the achievement of students with disabilities is 
     integrally linked with the successful alignment of special 
     and general education systems;
       Whereas IDEA has increased the quality of research in 
     effective teaching practices for students with disabilities; 
     and
       Whereas IDEA continues to serve as the framework to marshal 
     the resources of this Nation to implement the promise of full 
     participation in society of children with disabilities: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the 35th anniversary of the enactment of the 
     Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (Public 
     Law 94-142);
       (2) acknowledges the many and varied contributions of 
     children with disabilities and their parents, teachers, 
     related services personnel, and administrators; and
       (3) reaffirms its support for the Individuals with 
     Disabilities Education Act so that all children with 
     disabilities have access to a free appropriate public 
     education in the least restrictive environment and the 
     opportunity to benefit from the general education curriculum 
     and be prepared for further education, employment, and 
     independent living.

                              S. Res. 685

       Whereas sickle cell disease is an inherited disorder that 
     affects red blood cells leading to significant morbidity and 
     mortality in nearly 80,000 people in the United States;
       Whereas sickle cell disease causes blockage of small blood 
     vessels which can lead to tissue damage resulting in severe 
     pain, infection, or stroke;
       Whereas scientific breakthroughs over the past century have 
     improved the lives of millions of people suffering from 
     sickle cell disease;
       Whereas scientific advances in treatment for sickle cell 
     disease began with Dr. James B. Herrick, an attending 
     physician at Presbyterian Hospital and professor of medicine 
     at Rush Medical College in Chicago, Illinois, who discovered 
     sickle cell disease and published the first recorded case in 
     Western medical literature in November of 1910 in the journal 
     Annals of Internal Medicine;
       Whereas the hemoglobin mutation responsible for sickle cell 
     disease was discovered by Linus Pauling in 1950;
       Whereas penicillin was proven to be effective as a 
     preventative strategy against pneumococcal infection in 1986, 
     sparing patients with sickle cell disease from contracting 
     this particularly dangerous infection;
       Whereas in 1995, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood 
     Institute reported the first effective drug treatment for 
     adults with severe sickle cell disease;
       Whereas the anticancer drug hydroxyurea was found to reduce 
     the frequency of painful crises of sickle cell disease and 
     patients taking the drug needed fewer blood transfusions;
       Whereas in 1996, bone marrow transplantation was discovered 
     to improve the course of sickle cell disease for select 
     patients;
       Whereas in 1997, blood transfusions were found to help 
     prevent stroke in patients with sickle cell disease;
       Whereas the introduction of pneumococcal vaccine in 2000 
     revolutionized the prevention of lethal infections in 
     children and adults with sickle cell disease;
       Whereas the first mouse model demonstrating the usefulness 
     of genetic therapy for sickle cell disease was developed in 
     2001;
       Whereas in 2007, scientists from the University of Alabama 
     at Birmingham and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 
     developed an animal model for curing sickle cell disease;
       Whereas improvements in treatments have substantially 
     improved quality of life for patients with sickle cell 
     disease and led to an increase in overall life expectancy 
     from 14 years in 1973 to the mid to late 40s in 2010; and
       Whereas the National Institutes of Health sponsored a 
     symposium on November 16 and 17, 2010, to commemorate the 
     100th anniversary of Dr. James Herrick's initial description 
     of sickle cell disease: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the contributions of the biomedical research 
     community to the improvement in diagnosis and treatment of 
     sickle cell disease; and
       (2) commemorates the 100th anniversary of the discovery of 
     sickle cell disease in November 1910.

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