[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 175 (Wednesday, November 16, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7629-S7630]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DESIGNATING NOVEMBER 17, 2011, AS FEED AMERICA DAY
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SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF AMERICAN DIABETES MONTH
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DESIGNATING THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 14 THROUGH 20, 2011, AS GLOBAL
ENTREPRENEURSHIP WEEK/USA
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RECOGNIZING NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH AND CELEBRATING
HERITAGES AND CULTURES OF NATIVE AMERICANS AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF NATIVE
AMERICANS TO THE UNITED STATES
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DESIGNATING JANUARY 27, 2012, AS NATIONAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE FOR
AMERICANS WHO WORKED AND LIVED DOWNWIND FROM NUCLEAR TESTING SITES
DURING THE COLD WAR
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. 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. 326, S. Res.
327, S. Res. 328, S. Res. 329, and S. Res. 330.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolutions en bloc.
Mr. AKAKA. Madam President, as chairman of the Committee on Indian
Affairs, I am sponsoring a resolution, cosponsored by Majority Leader
Reid, Vice Chairman Barrasso, and several members of the committee,
designating November as Native American Heritage Month and November 25
of this year as Native American Heritage Day.
This resolution recognizes the contributions of Native Americans. We
see the influence of the Iroquois Confederacy on the Founding Fathers
of our country as they drafted the Constitution. And today, Native
American contributions in modern agriculture, medicine, music,
language, and art are undeniable. In that tradition of service, Native
Americans have had the highest representation, per capita, in our Armed
Forces in every war since World War II.
As a veteran of World War II and as a Native Hawaiian, I celebrate
the heroic work of the Code Talkers, and the countless American
military victories that were achieved in both World Wars with the
unbreakable military code founded on indigenous languages and cultures.
As we reflect on Native American Heritage Month, it is important to
remember our history and the promises we made. It is time to account
for those promises, kept and unkept.
As a nation, we were built on the highest principles. Our Founding
Fathers embraced equality, liberty, and justice and incorporated them
into the very fabric of our Constitution. They contemplated the unique
role of indigenous peoples in our country, and acknowledge their
sovereignty in article I, section 8 of the Constitution.
The Founding Fathers set a high standard. As Americans and as Members
of this body, it is our duty to continue to legislate policies in
keeping with our founding principles. For this reason, I applaud
President Obama's recent commitment of U.S. support for the United
Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples--an
international standard that I have been championing for more than a
decade.
In the Committee on Indian Affairs, I held an oversight hearing on
domestic policy implications of the declaration. We found that while
the United States is a world leader in recognizing and protecting the
rights of indigenous peoples, there is more work to do. The rights of
self-determination and self-governance contained in the declaration are
American ideas, ones we have embraced as official Federal policy for
more than 45 years. I am committed to working with my colleagues to
enact legislation that gives real meaning to the high principles
expressed in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples.
In the United States, November--Native American Heritage Month--is a
time when we reflect and give thanks. I encourage my fellow Americans
to learn more about the Native peoples of this land and celebrate
Native American Heritage Day on the day after Thanksgiving.
As we honor the contributions of Native Americans, let us recommit
ourselves to the high principles of self-determination and self-
governance and strive for what is ``pono,'' just and right, for all,
including our first Americans.
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. 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
that any statements related to the resolutions 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. 326
Whereas Thanksgiving Day celebrates the spirit of selfless
giving and an appreciation for family and friends;
Whereas the spirit of Thanksgiving Day is a virtue upon
which the United States was founded;
Whereas, according to the Department of Agriculture,
roughly 48,000,000 people in the United States, including
16,200,000 children, continue to live in households that do
not have an adequate supply of food; and
Whereas selfless sacrifice breeds a genuine spirit of
thanksgiving, both affirming and restoring fundamental
principles in our society: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates Thursday, November 17, 2011, as ``Feed
America Day''; and
(2) encourages the people of the United States to sacrifice
2 meals on Thursday, November 17, 2011, and to donate the
money that would have been spent on that food to the
religious or charitable organization of their choice for the
purpose of feeding the hungry.
S. Res. 327
Whereas according to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (referred to in this preamble as ``CDC''), nearly
26,000,000 people of the United States have diabetes and
79,000,000 people of the United States have pre-diabetes
Whereas diabetes is a serious chronic condition that
affects people of every age, race, ethnicity, and income
level;
Whereas the CDC reports that Hispanic, African, Asian, and
Native Americans are disproportionately affected by diabetes
and suffer from diabetes at rates that are much higher than
the general population;
Whereas according to the CDC, someone is diagnosed with
diabetes every 17 seconds;
Whereas each day, approximately 5,082 people are diagnosed
with diabetes;
Whereas in 2010, the CDC estimated that approximately
1,900,000 individuals aged 20 and older were newly diagnosed
with diabetes;
Whereas a joint National Institutes of Health and CDC study
found that approximately 15,000 youth in the United States
are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes annually and approximately
3,600 youth are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes annually;
Whereas according to the CDC, between 1980 and 2007,
diabetes prevalence in the United States increased by more
than 300 percent;
Whereas the CDC reports that over 27 percent of individuals
with diabetes are undiagnosed;
Whereas the National Diabetes Fact Sheet issued by the CDC
states that more than 11 percent of adults of the United
States and 26.9 percent of people of the United States age 60
and older have diabetes;
Whereas the CDC estimates as many as 1 in 3 American adults
will have diabetes in 2050 if present trends continue;
Whereas the CDC estimates that as many as 1 in 2 Hispanic,
African, Asian, and Native American adults will have diabetes
in 2050 if present trends continue;
Whereas according to the American Diabetes Association, in
2007, the total cost of diagnosed diabetes in the United
States was $174,000,000,000, and 1 in 10 dollars spent on
health care was attributed to diabetes and its complications;
Whereas according to a Lewin Group study, in 2007, the
total cost of diabetes (including both diagnosed and
undiagnosed diabetes, pre-diabetes, and gestational diabetes)
was $218,000,000,000;
Whereas a Mathematica Policy Research study in 2007 found
that, for each fiscal year, total expenditures for Medicare
beneficiaries with diabetes comprise 32.7 percent of the
Medicare budget;
Whereas according to the CDC, diabetes was the seventh
leading cause of death in 2007 and contributed to the deaths
of over 230,000 Americans in 2007;
Whereas there is not yet a cure for diabetes;
Whereas there are proven means to reduce the incidence of,
and delay the onset of, type 2 diabetes;
Whereas with the proper management and treatment, people
with diabetes live healthy, productive lives; and
[[Page S7630]]
Whereas American Diabetes Month is celebrated in November:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) supports the goals and ideals of American Diabetes
Month, including--
(A) encouraging the people of the United States to fight
diabetes through public awareness about prevention and
treatment options; and
(B) increasing education about the disease;
(2) recognizes the importance of early detection of
diabetes, awareness of the symptoms of diabetes, and the risk
factors that often lead to the development of diabetes,
including--
(A) being over the age of 45;
(B) having a specific racial and ethnic background;
(C) being overweight;
(D) having a low level of physical activity level;
(E) having high blood pressure; and
(F) having a family history of diabetes or a history of
diabetes during pregnancy; and
(3) supports decreasing the prevalence of type 1, type 2,
and gestational diabetes in the United States through
increased research, treatment, and prevention.
S. Res. 328
Whereas research has shown that between 1980 and 2005 the
majority of jobs in the United States were created by
entrepreneurs and the young companies of those entrepreneurs;
Whereas the economy and society of the United States, as
well as the country as a whole, have greatly benefitted from
the everyday use of breakthrough innovations developed and
brought to market by entrepreneurs;
Whereas Global Entrepreneurship Week/USA is an initiative
to celebrate the innovators and job creators who launch
startups that bring ideas to life, drive economic growth, and
improve human welfare;
Whereas Global Entrepreneurship Week/USA helps existing and
aspiring entrepreneurs to acquire the knowledge, skills, and
networks needed to create vibrant enterprises that will
improve the lives and communities of the entrepreneurs;
Whereas, in 2010, more than 445,896 individuals
participated in the more than 3,200 entrepreneurial
activities held in the United States alone during Global
Entrepreneurship Week;
Whereas, in 2010, more than 1,300 partner organizations
participated in Global Entrepreneurship Week/USA, including
startup accelerators, business incubators, chambers of
commerce, institutions of higher education, high schools,
businesses, and State and local governments; and
Whereas, in 2011, thousands of organizations in the United
States will join in the celebration by planning activities
designed to inspire, connect, mentor, and engage the next
generation of entrepreneurs throughout Global
Entrepreneurship Week/USA: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates the week of November 14 through 20, 2011, as
``Global Entrepreneurship Week/USA''; and
(2) supports the goals of Global Entrepreneurship Week/USA,
including--
(A) inspiring young people everywhere to embrace
innovation, imagination, and creativity; and
(B) training the next generation of entrepreneurial
leaders.
S. Res. 329
Whereas from November 1, 2011, through November 30, 2011,
the United States celebrates National Native American
Heritage Month;
Whereas Native Americans are descendants of the original,
indigenous inhabitants of what is now the United States;
Whereas the United States Bureau of the Census estimated in
2009 that there were almost 5,000,000 individuals in the
United States of Native American descent;
Whereas Native Americans maintain vibrant cultures and
traditions and hold a deeply rooted sense of community;
Whereas Native Americans have moving stories of tragedy,
triumph, and perseverance that need to be shared with future
generations;
Whereas Native Americans speak and preserve indigenous
languages, which have contributed to the English language by
being used as names of individuals and locations throughout
the United States;
Whereas Congress has recently reaffirmed its support of
tribal self-governance and its commitment to improving the
lives of all Native Americans by enhancing health care
services, increasing law enforcement resources, and approving
settlements of litigation involving Indian tribes and the
United States;
Whereas Congress is committed to improving the housing
conditions and socioeconomic status of Native Americans;
Whereas the United States is committed to strengthening the
government-to-government relationship that it has maintained
with the various Indian tribes;
Whereas Congress has recognized the contributions of the
Iroquois Confederacy, and its influence on the Founding
Fathers in the drafting of the Constitution of the United
States with the concepts of freedom of speech, the separation
of governmental powers, and the system of checks and balances
between the branches of government;
Whereas with the enactment of the Native American Heritage
Day Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-33; 123 Stat. 1922),
Congress--
(1) reaffirmed the government-to-government relationship
between the United States and Native American governments;
and
(2) recognized the important contributions of Native
Americans to the culture of the United States;
Whereas Native Americans have made distinct and important
contributions to the United States and the rest of the world
in many fields, including the fields of agriculture,
medicine, music, language, and art, and Native Americans have
distinguished themselves as inventors, entrepreneurs,
spiritual leaders, and scholars;
Whereas Native Americans have served with honor and
distinction in the Armed Forces of the United States, and
continue to serve in the Armed Forces in greater numbers per
capita than any other group in the United States;
Whereas the United States has recognized the contribution
of the Native American code talkers in World War I and World
War II, who used indigenous languages as an unbreakable
military code, saving countless Americans; and
Whereas the people of the United States have reason to
honor the great achievements and contributions of Native
Americans and their ancestors: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) recognizes the month of November 2011 as National
Native American Heritage Month;
(2) recognizes the Friday after Thanksgiving as ``Native
American Heritage Day'' in accordance with the Native
American Heritage Day Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-33; 123
Stat. 1922); and
(3) urges the people of the United States to observe
National Native American Heritage Month and Native American
Heritage Day with appropriate programs and activities.
S. Res. 330
Whereas on January 27, 1951, the first of years of nuclear
weapons tests was conducted at a site known as the Nevada
Proving Ground, located approximately 65 miles northwest of
Las Vegas, Nevada;
Whereas the extensive testing at the Nevada Proving Ground
came just years after the first ever nuclear weapon test,
which was conducted on July 16, 1945, at what is known as the
Trinity Atomic Test Site, located approximately 35 miles
south of Socorro, New Mexico;
Whereas many Americans who, during the Cold War, worked and
lived downwind from nuclear testing sites (referred to in
this preamble as ``downwinders'') were adversely affected by
the radiation exposure generated by the above ground nuclear
weapons testing, and some of the downwinders sickened as a
result of the radiation exposure;
Whereas the downwinders paid a high price for the
development of a nuclear weapons program for the benefit of
the United States; and
Whereas the downwinders deserve to be recognized for the
sacrifice they have made for the defense of the United
States: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates January 27, 2012, as a national day of
remembrance for Americans who, during the Cold War, worked
and lived downwind from nuclear testing sites and were
adversely affected by the radiation exposure generated by the
above ground nuclear weapons testing; and
(2) encourages the people of the United States to support
and participate in appropriate ceremonies, programs, and
other activities to commemorate January 27, 2012.
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