[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 118 (Friday, August 3, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1424]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             MARCH OF DIMES COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT OF 2011

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. NITA M. LOWEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, August 1, 2012

  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the March of 
Dimes Commemorative Coin Act.
  I am proud to be an original cosponsor and to work with my colleague 
from Illinois, Mr. Dold, to issue a commemorative coin honoring the 
75th anniversary of the March of Dimes, based in my district in White 
Plains. Funds from the sale of the coins would be used to support the 
March of Dimes' vital work to ensure healthy pregnancies.
  The March of Dimes has a long and proud history. President Franklin 
Roosevelt took the four billion dimes sent to him by Americans in the 
Great Depression and created the National Foundation for Infantile 
Paralysis. Later renamed the March of Dimes, the foundation was 
dedicated to supporting the care of thousands of Americans with polio, 
as well as supporting research into the prevention and treatment of the 
crippling disease.
  The March of Dimes fulfilled President Roosevelt's dream of a polio-
free nation by funding the development of polio vaccines, which led to 
its eradication in the United States and much of the world.
  In the decades that followed, the organization helped stamp out 
rubella, pushed for Neonatal Intensive Care Units, promoted folic acid 
to prevent neural tube defects, and brought newborn screening to every 
American baby.
  Today, the March of Dimes focuses on reducing prematurity. Every 
year, nearly half a million babies in the U.S. are born premature, the 
leading cause of newborn death. In my home state of New York, almost 
600 infants are born preterm every week--representing 12.2% of all live 
births in the state.
  The March of Dimes New York State Chapter has one goal--to help 
babies start life in the healthiest way possible by helping moms-to-be 
learn to care for themselves before, during and after their pregnancy. 
The New York Chapter also partners with local medical groups and 
organizations to establish guidelines for how to care for pregnant 
women and premature infants.
  Over four million babies will be born across the United States this 
year, and each and every one will benefit from the March of Dimes 
historic legacy of scientific breakthroughs--from the polio vaccine to 
newborn screening. The March of Dimes Commemorative Coin will help us 
reach the day when we celebrate a new scientific breakthrough: 
preventing premature birth.
  Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank the gentleman from Illinois, and I 
urge your support.

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