[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 143 (Friday, September 23, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5934-S5936]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RESOLUTIONS SUBMITTED TODAY
Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. 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. 276,
S. Res. 277, S. Res. 278, S. Res. 279, S. Res. 280, and S. Res. 281,
which were submitted earlier today.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolutions en bloc.
Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions
be agreed to, the preambles be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be
laid on the table en bloc, with no intervening action or debate, and
any statements be printed in the Record.
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. 276
Expressing support for the goals and ideals of National Infant
Mortality Awareness Month 2011
Whereas ``infant mortality'' refers to the death of a baby
before his or her first birthday;
Whereas the United States ranks 41st among industrialized
countries in the rate of infant mortality;
Whereas high rates of infant mortality are especially
prevalent in communities with large minority populations,
high rates of unemployment and poverty, and limited access to
safe housing and medical providers;
Whereas premature birth is a leading cause of infant
mortality;
Whereas according to the Institute of Medicine of the
National Academies, premature birth costs the United States
more than $26,000,000,000 annually;
Whereas infant mortality can be substantially reduced
through community-based services such as outreach, home
visitation, case management, health education, and
interconceptional care;
Whereas support for community-based programs to reduce
infant mortality can result in lower future spending on
medical interventions, special education, and other social
services that may be needed for infants and children who are
born with a low birth weight;
Whereas the Department of Health and Human Services,
through the Office of Minority Health, has implemented the
``A Healthy Baby Begins With You'' campaign;
Whereas the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the Health
Resources and Services Administration has provided national
leadership on the issue of infant mortality;
Whereas public awareness and education campaigns on infant
mortality are held during the month of September each year;
and
Whereas September 2011 has been designated as ``National
Infant Mortality Awareness Month'': Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) supports the goals and ideals of National Infant
Mortality Awareness Month 2011;
(2) supports efforts to educate people in the United States
about infant mortality and the factors that contribute to
infant mortality;
(3) supports efforts to reduce infant deaths, low birth
weight, pre-term births, and disparities in perinatal
outcomes;
(4) recognizes the critical importance of including efforts
to reduce infant mortality and the factors that contribute to
infant mortality as part of prevention and wellness
strategies; and
(5) calls upon the people of the United States to observe
National Infant Mortality Awareness Month with appropriate
programs and activities.
S. Res. 277
Recognizing the month of October 2011 as ``National Principals Month''
Whereas the National Association of Secondary School
Principals and the National Association of Elementary School
Principals have declared the month of October 2011 as
``National Principals Month'';
Whereas principals are educational visionaries,
instructional and assessment leaders, disciplinarians,
community builders, budget analysts, facilities managers, and
administrators of legal and contractual obligations;
Whereas principals work collaboratively with teachers and
parents to develop and implement a clear mission, high
curriculum standards, and performance goals;
Whereas principals create school environments that
facilitate great teaching and learning and continuous school
improvement;
Whereas the vision, actions, and dedication of principals
provide the mobilizing force behind any school reform effort;
and
Whereas the celebration of ``National Principals Month''
would honor elementary school, middle school, and high school
principals, and recognize the importance of principals in
ensuring that every child has access to a high-quality
education: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) recognizes the month of October 2011 as ``National
Principals Month''; and
(2) honors the contribution of principals in the elementary
schools, middle schools, and high schools of our Nation by
supporting the goals and ideals of ``National Principals
Month''.
S. Res. 278
Designating September 2011 as ``National Prostate Cancer Awareness
Month''
Whereas countless families in the United States live with
prostate cancer;
Whereas 1 in 6 males in the United States will be diagnosed
with prostate cancer in his lifetime;
Whereas prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-
skin cancer and the second most common cause of cancer-
related deaths among males in the United States;
Whereas in 2011, the American Cancer Society estimates that
240,890 males in the United States will be diagnosed with
prostate cancer, and 33,720 males will die from the disease;
Whereas 30 percent of newly diagnosed prostate cancer cases
occur in males under the age of 65;
Whereas approximately every 14 seconds, a male in the
United States turns 50 years old and increases his odds of
developing cancer, including prostate cancer;
Whereas African-American males suffer from a prostate
cancer incidence rate that is up to 65 percent higher than
White males and have double the prostate cancer mortality
rate of White males;
Whereas obesity is a significant predictor of the severity
of prostate cancer;
Whereas the probability that obesity will lead to death and
high cholesterol levels is strongly associated with advanced
prostate cancer;
Whereas males in the United States with 1 family member
diagnosed with prostate cancer have a 1 in 3 chance of being
diagnosed with the disease, males with 2 family members
diagnosed have an 83 percent chance, and males with 3 family
members diagnosed have a 97 percent chance;
Whereas screening by a digital rectal examination and a
prostate-specific antigen blood test can detect the disease
at the early stages, increasing the chances of survival for
more than 5 years to nearly 100 percent;
Whereas only 33 percent of males survive more than 5 years
if diagnosed during the late stages of the disease;
Whereas there are no noticeable symptoms of prostate cancer
while it is still in the early stages, making screening
critical;
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Whereas ongoing research promises further improvements in
prostate cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment;
and
Whereas educating people in the United States, including
health care providers, about prostate cancer and early
detection strategies is crucial to saving the lives of males
and preserving and protecting families: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates September 2011 as ``National Prostate Cancer
Awareness Month'';
(2) declares that steps should be taken--
(A) to raise awareness about the importance of screening
methods for, and treatment of, prostate cancer;
(B) to increase research funding that is commensurate with
the burden of prostate cancer so that--
(i) screening and treatment for prostate cancer may be
improved;
(ii) the causes of prostate cancer may be discovered; and
(iii) a cure for prostate cancer may be developed; and
(C) to continue to consider ways for improving access to,
and the quality of, health care services for detecting and
treating prostate cancer; and
(3) calls on the people of the United States, interested
groups, and affected persons--
(A) to promote awareness of prostate cancer;
(B) to take an active role in the fight to end the
devastating effects of prostate cancer on individuals,
families, and the economy; and
(C) to observe National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
S. Res. 279
Expressing support for the designation of September 24, 2011, as
``Worldwide Day of Play''
Whereas according to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, since 1980, obesity prevalence among children has
almost tripled and approximately 12,500,000, or 17 percent,
of children and adolescents in the United States are obese;
Whereas according to the American Academy of Pediatrics
study entitled ``The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy
Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child
Bonds''--
(1) play is essential to development because play
contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional
well-being of children and youth;
(2) play offers an ideal opportunity for parents to engage
fully with children; and
(3) despite the benefits derived from play for both
children and parents, time for free play has been
significantly reduced for some children and youth in the
United States;
Whereas Worldwide Day of Play is the centerpiece of The Big
Help, the long-term commitment of Nickelodeon to empower
children and families by providing the tools and information
children and families need to take action on the issues
children and families care about;
Whereas in each of the 50 States and in 13 countries,
including at United States military bases around the globe,
children and families celebrate Worldwide Day of Play;
Whereas on September 24, 2011, Nickelodeon will host the
8th annual Worldwide Day of Play;
Whereas in 2011, in collaboration with the Let's Move!
campaign started by First Lady Michelle Obama and the
President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, the
Nickelodeon Worldwide Day of Play will be held on the Ellipse
in Washington, District of Columbia;
Whereas September 24, 2011, would be an appropriate date to
designate as Worldwide Day of Play: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate supports the designation of
September 24, 2011, as ``Worldwide Day of Play''.
S. Res. 280
Designating the week beginning September 19, 2011, as ``National
Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week'' and recognizing the achievements
of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
Whereas Hispanic-serving institutions play an important
role in educating many underprivileged students and helping
those students attain their full potential through higher
education;
Whereas Hispanic-serving institutions are degree-granting
institutions that have a full-time equivalent undergraduate
enrollment of at least 25 percent Hispanic students;
Whereas in 2010, there were 307 Hispanic-serving
institutions in the United States, enrolling 1,348,436
Hispanic students in nonprofit postsecondary schools;
Whereas Hispanic-serving institutions are actively involved
in stabilizing and improving the communities in which the
Hispanic-serving institutions are located;
Whereas 54 percent of Hispanic students in the United
States attend nonprofit, postsecondary Hispanic-serving
institutions;
Whereas celebrating the vast contributions of Hispanic-
serving institutions to the United States strengthens the
culture of the United States;
Whereas the achievements and goals of Hispanic-serving
institutions are deserving of national recognition;
Whereas 2011 marks the 25th anniversary of the
establishment of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and
Universities, an organization that works to improve the
capacity of Hispanic-serving institutions in helping students
across the United States succeed;
Whereas the Hispanic Association of Colleges and
Universities fulfills its mission by promoting the
development of member colleges and universities, improving
access to, and the quality of, postsecondary educational
opportunities for Hispanic students, and meeting the needs of
business, industry, and government through the development
and sharing of resources, information, and expertise; and
Whereas the week beginning September 19, 2011, would be an
appropriate week for national recognition of Hispanic-serving
institutions: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) recognizes the achievements and goals of Hispanic-
serving institutions across the United States;
(2) recognizes the achievements of the Hispanic Association
of Colleges and Universities throughout the 25 years since
the establishment of the organization;
(3) designates the week beginning September 19, 2011, as
``National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week''; and
(4) calls on the people of the United States and interested
groups to observe the week with appropriate ceremonies,
activities, and programs to demonstrate support for Hispanic-
serving institutions.
S. Res. 281
Designating September 24, 2011, as ``National Estuaries Day''
Whereas the estuary regions of the United States comprise a
significant share of the national economy, with 43 percent of
the population, 40 percent of the employment, and 49 percent
of the economic output of the United States located in the
estuary regions of the United States;
Whereas coasts and estuaries contribute more than
$800,000,000,000 annually in trade and commerce to the United
States economy;
Whereas more than 43 percent of all adults in the United
States visit a sea coast or estuary at least once a year to
participate in some form of recreation, generating
$8,000,000,000 to $12,000,000,000 in revenue annually;
Whereas more than 28,000,000 jobs in the United States are
supported by commercial and recreational fishing, boating,
tourism, and other coastal industries that rely on healthy
estuaries;
Whereas estuaries provide vital habitat for countless
species of fish and wildlife, including many that are listed
as threatened or endangered;
Whereas estuaries provide critical ecosystem services that
protect human health and public safety, including water
filtration, flood control, shoreline stabilization and
erosion prevention, and the protection of coastal communities
during extreme weather events;
Whereas the United States has lost more than 110,000,000
acres, or 50 percent, of the wetland of the United States
since the first European settlers arrived;
Whereas bays once filled with fish and oysters have become
dead zones filled with excess nutrients, chemical wastes,
harmful algae, and marine debris;
Whereas changes in sea level can impact estuarine water
quality and estuarine habitat;
Whereas the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C.
1451 et seq.) declares that it is the national policy to
preserve, protect, develop, and if possible, to restore or
enhance, the resources of the coastal zone of the United
States, including estuaries, for current and future
generations;
Whereas 24 coastal and Great Lake States and territories of
the United States contain a National Estuary Program or a
National Estuarine Research Reserve System;
Whereas scientific study leads to better understanding of
the benefits of estuaries to human and ecological
communities;
Whereas Federal, State, local, and tribal governments,
national and community organizations, and individuals work
together to effectively manage the estuaries of the United
States;
Whereas estuary restoration efforts restore natural
infrastructure in local communities in a cost effective
manner, helping to create jobs and reestablish the natural
functions of estuaries that yield countless benefits; and
Whereas September 24, 2011, has been designated as
``National Estuaries Day'' to increase awareness among all
people of the United States, including Federal, State and
local government officials, about the importance of healthy
estuaries and the need to protect and restore estuaries: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates September 24, 2011, as ``National Estuaries
Day'';
(2) supports the goals and ideals of National Estuaries
Day;
(3) acknowledges the importance of estuaries to sustaining
employment and the economic well-being and prosperity of the
United States;
(4) recognizes that persistent threats undermine the health
of the estuaries of the United States;
(5) applauds the work of national and community
organizations and public partners that promote public
awareness, understanding, protection, and restoration of
estuaries;
(6) reaffirms the support of the Senate for estuaries,
including the scientific study, preservation, protection, and
restoration of estuaries; and
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(7) expresses the intent of the Senate to continue working
to understand, protect, and restore the estuaries of the
United States.
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