[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 127 (Wednesday, September 19, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6469-S6472]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MEASURES SUBMITTED TODAY
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the consideration of the following resolutions, en bloc,
which were submitted earlier today: S. Res. 562, S. Res. 563, S. Res.
564, S. Res. 565, S. Res. 566, S. Res. 567, S. Res. 568, S. Res. 569,
and S. Res. 570.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolutions en bloc.
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 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. 562
Whereas healthcare information technology and management
systems have been recognized as essential tools for improving
patient care, ensuring patient safety, stopping duplicative
tests and paperwork, and reducing healthcare costs;
Whereas the Center for Information Technology Leadership
has estimated that the implementation of national standards
for interoperability and the exchange of health
[[Page S6470]]
information would save the United States approximately
$77,000,000,000 in expenses relating to healthcare each year;
Whereas Congress has made a commitment to leveraging the
benefits of healthcare information technology and management
systems, including supporting the adoption of electronic
health records that will help to reduce costs and improve
quality while ensuring the privacy of patients;
Whereas the ability to exchange health information
confidently and securely between different providers,
systems, and insurers is critical to transforming the
healthcare delivery system of the United States to improve
clinical outcomes for patients, control costs, and expand
access to care through the use of technology;
Whereas Congress has made real-time health information
exchange a priority and an essential component of the
Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Records Incentive
Programs;
Whereas Congress has emphasized improving the quality and
safety of delivery of healthcare in the United States; and
Whereas, since 2006, organizations across the United States
have united to support National Health Information Technology
Week to improve public awareness of the benefits of improved
quality and cost efficiency of the healthcare system that the
implementation of health information technology could
achieve: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates the week beginning on September 10, 2012 and
ending on September 14, 2012 as ``National Health Information
Technology Week'';
(2) recognizes the value of information technology and
management systems in transforming healthcare for the people
of the United States; and
(3) calls on all interested parties to promote the use of
information technology and management systems to transform
the healthcare system of the United States.
____
S. Res. 563
Whereas phenylketonuria is a rare, inherited metabolic
disorder that is characterized by the inability of the body
to process the essential amino acid phenylalanine, and which
causes mental retardation and other neurological problems,
such as memory loss and mood disorders, when treatment is not
started within the first few weeks of life;
Whereas newborn screening for phenylketonuria was initiated
in the United States in 1963 and was mandated by the Newborn
Screening Saves Life Act of 2008 (42 U.S.C. 201 note);
Whereas approximately 1 of every 15,000 infants in the
United States is born with phenylketonuria;
Whereas the 2012 Phenylketonuria Scientific Review
Conference affirmed the recommendation of lifelong dietary
treatment for phenylketonuria made by the National Institutes
of Health Consensus Development Conference Statement 2000;
Whereas adults with phenylketonuria who discontinue
treatment are at risk for other serious medical issues such
as depression, impulse control disorder, phobias, tremors,
and pareses;
Whereas women with phenylketonuria must maintain strict
metabolic control before and during pregnancy to prevent
fetal damage;
Whereas children born from untreated mothers with
phenylketonuria may have a condition known as maternal PKU
syndrome, which can cause small brains, mental retardation,
birth defects of the heart, and low birth weight;
Whereas phenylketonuria is treated with medical food;
Whereas, although there is no cure for phenylketonuria, a
treatment involving medical food and restricting
phenylalanine intake can prevent progressive, irreversible
brain damage;
Whereas maintaining a strict medical diet for
phenylketonuria can be difficult to achieve, and poor
metabolic control can result in a significant decline in
mental and behavioral performance;
Whereas access to health coverage for medical food varies
across the United States, and the long-term costs associated
with caring for untreated children and adults far exceed the
cost of providing medical food treatment;
Whereas scientists and researchers are hopeful that
breakthroughs in phenylketonuria research will be
forthcoming;
Whereas researchers across the United States are conducting
important research projects involving phenylketonuria; and
Whereas the Senate is an institution that can raise
awareness of phenylketonuria among the general public and the
medical community: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates December 3, 2012, as ``National
Phenylketonuria Awareness Day'';
(2) encourages all people in the United States to become
more informed about phenylketonuria; and
(3) respectfully requests that the Secretary of the Senate
transmit a copy of this resolution to the National PKU
Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving
the lives of individuals with phenylketonuria.
____
S. Res. 564
Whereas over-the-counter and prescription medicines
approved by the Food and Drug Administration have been
determined to be safe and effective when used properly;
Whereas the misuse or abuse of these medicines can be
extremely dangerous and produce serious side effects;
Whereas the Office of National Drug Control Policy reports
that medicine abuse is the fastest-growing drug problem in
the United States, and the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention has classified medicine abuse as an epidemic;
Whereas the 2011 Monitoring the Future survey, funded by
the National Institutes of Health, and the 2011 National
Survey on Drug Use and Health, sponsored by the Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, both
illustrate that, after marijuana, over-the-counter and
prescription medicines account for the most frequently abused
drugs among 12th graders;
Whereas the access teenagers often have to prescription
medicines in home medicine cabinets and the lack of
understanding by teenagers of the potential harms of these
powerful medicines make it more critical than ever to raise
public awareness about the dangers of medicine abuse;
Whereas the Drug Enforcement Administration and many State
and local law enforcement agencies have established drug
disposal programs (commonly referred to as ``take-back
programs'') to facilitate the collection and destruction of
unused, unwanted, or expired medications, thereby helping to
take outdated or unused medications off household shelves and
out of the reach of children and teenagers;
Whereas National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month promotes
the message that over-the-counter and prescription medicines
are to be taken only as labeled or prescribed, and that using
such medicines to get high or in large doses can cause
serious or life-threatening consequences;
Whereas observance of National Medicine Abuse Awareness
Month should be encouraged at the national, state, and local
levels to increase awareness of the abuse of medicines;
Whereas a nationwide prevention and education campaign has
been launched by the national organization that represents
5,000 anti-drug coalitions nationwide, along with the
association representing makers of over-the-counter
medicines, to provide local coalitions with tools, training,
and outreach strategies to engage and educate parents,
grandparents, teachers, law enforcement officials, retailers,
doctors, and other healthcare professionals about the
potential harms of cough medicine abuse; and
Whereas educating the public about the dangers of medicine
abuse, encouraging parents to talk about medicine abuse with
their teenagers, mobilizing parents to safeguard their home
medicine cabinets, and promoting abuse prevention are
critical components of what must be a multi-pronged effort to
curb over-the-counter and prescription medicine abuse: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates the month of October 2012 as ``National
Medicine Abuse Awareness Month''; and
(2) urges communities to carry out appropriate programs and
activities to educate parents and youth of the potential
dangers associated with medicine abuse.
____
S. Res. 565
Whereas people in the 21st century
are writing more than ever before for personal, professional,
and civic purposes;
Whereas the social nature of writing invites people of
every age, profession, and walk of life to create meaning
through composing;
Whereas more and more people in every occupation deem
writing as essential and influential in their work;
Whereas writers continue to learn how to write for
different purposes, audiences, and occasions throughout their
lifetimes;
Whereas developing digital technologies expand the
possibilities for composing in multiple media at a faster
pace than ever before;
Whereas young people are leading the way in developing new
forms of composing by using different forms of digital media;
Whereas effective communication contributes to building a
global economy and a global community;
Whereas the National Council of Teachers of English, in
conjunction with its many national and local partners, honors
and celebrates the importance of writing through the National
Day on Writing;
Whereas the National Day on Writing celebrates the
foundational place of writing in the personal, professional,
and civic lives of the people of the United States;
Whereas the National Day on Writing provides an opportunity
for individuals across the United States to share and exhibit
their written works through the National Gallery of Writing;
Whereas the National Day on Writing highlights the
importance of writing instruction and practice at every
educational level and in every subject area;
Whereas the National Day on Writing emphasizes the lifelong
process of learning to write and compose for different
audiences, purposes, and occasions;
Whereas the National Day on Writing honors the use of the
full range of media for composing, from traditional tools
like print, audio, and video, to Web 2.0 tools like blogs,
wikis, and podcasts; and
Whereas the National Day on Writing encourages all people
of the United States to write, as well as to enjoy and learn
from the writing of others: Now, therefore, be it
[[Page S6471]]
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) supports the designation of October 20, 2012, as the
``National Day on Writing'';
(2) strongly affirms the purposes of the National Day on
Writing;
(3) encourages participation in the National Galley of
Writing, which serves as an exemplary living archive of the
centrality of writing in the lives of the people of the
United States; and
(4) encourages educational institutions, businesses,
community and civic associations, and other organizations to
promote awareness of the National Day on Writing and
celebrate the writing of the members those organizations
through individual submissions to the National Gallery of
Writing.
____
S. Res. 566
Whereas the estuary regions of the United States comprise a
significant share of the national economy, with 53 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 projections indicate that 75 percent of the total
population of the United States will live and work in coastal
counties by 2025;
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 the Federal Government, 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 29, 2012, 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 29, 2012, 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
(7) expresses the intent of the Senate to continue working
to understand, protect, and restore the estuaries of the
United States.
____
S. Res. 567
Whereas George Hickman was renowned as a Tuskegee Airman, a
treasured leader in the Seattle community, and the lucky
charm of Seattle sports until his passing on August 19, 2012,
at the age of 88;
Whereas George Hickman leaves behind a loving wife of 57
years, Doris, 4 children, Regina, Sherie, Vincent, and
Shauneil, 3 grandchildren, and 1 great-grandchild;
Whereas George Hickman served as a Tuskegee Airman and was
one of the first African-American fighter pilots trained for
World War II;
Whereas George Hickman served in the United States Army Air
Corps from 1943 to 1945;
Whereas the honorable service of George Hickman and the
other Tuskegee Airmen directly led to the desegregation of
the Armed Forces of the United States;
Whereas George Hickman received the Congressional Gold
Medal in 2007 with his fellow Tuskegee Airmen;
Whereas George Hickman was a special guest along with
nearly 200 other Tuskegee Airmen at the 2009 inauguration of
President Barack Obama;
Whereas George Hickman worked as a B-52 engineer for Boeing
from 1955 until his retirement in 1984;
Whereas George Hickman was a beloved usher at University of
Washington athletic events for more than 40 years; and
Whereas George Hickman also was a fan favorite as an usher
at Seattle Seahawks games for nearly a decade: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) commends the long and loving life of George Hickman,
his service to the United States as a Tuskegee Airman, and
his role as an aviation pioneer;
(2) recognizes the service George Hickman performed for his
country and his significance as a role model for African-
American military pilots;
(3) recognizes the contributions of the greatest generation
who fought for the freedoms of the people of the United
States; and
(4) respectfully requests that the Secretary of the Senate
transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution for appropriate
display to Doris Hickman, the University of Washington
Athletic Department, and the Seattle Seahawks organization.
____
S. Res. 568
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 there are more than 300 Hispanic-serving
institutions in operation in the United States;
Whereas Hispanic-serving institutions serve more than half
(54 percent) of all Hispanic students, enrolling more than
1,300,000 students in 2010;
Whereas Hispanic-serving institutions are actively involved
in stabilizing and improving the communities in which the
Hispanic-serving institutions are located;
Whereas celebrating the vast contributions of Hispanic-
serving institutions to the United States strengthens the
culture of the United States; and
Whereas the achievements and goals of Hispanic-serving
institutions are deserving of national recognition: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) recognizes the achievements and goals of Hispanic-
serving institutions across the United States;
(2) designates the week beginning September 16, 2012, as
``National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week''; and
(3) 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. 569
Whereas the well-being of the United States requires that
the young people of the United States become an involved,
caring citizenry of good character;
Whereas the character education of children has become more
urgent, as violence by and against youth increasingly
threatens the physical and psychological well-being of the
people of the United States;
Whereas, more than ever, children need strong and
constructive guidance from their families and their
communities, including schools, youth organizations,
religious institutions, and civic groups;
Whereas the character of a nation is only as strong as the
character of its individual citizens;
Whereas the public good is advanced when young people are
taught the importance of good character and the positive
effects that good character can have in personal
relationships, in school, and in the workplace;
Whereas scholars and educators agree that people do not
automatically develop good character and that, therefore,
conscientious efforts must be made by institutions and
individuals that influence youth to help young people develop
the essential traits and characteristics that comprise good
character;
Whereas, although character development is, first and
foremost, an obligation of families, the efforts of faith
communities, schools, and youth, civic, and human service
organizations also play an important role in fostering and
promoting good character;
Whereas Congress encourages students, teachers, parents,
youth, and community leaders to recognize the importance of
character education in preparing young people to
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play a role in determining the future of the United States;
Whereas effective character education is based on core
ethical values, which form the foundation of a democratic
society;
Whereas examples of character are trustworthiness, respect,
responsibility, fairness, caring, citizenship, and honesty;
Whereas elements of character transcend cultural,
religious, and socioeconomic differences;
Whereas the character and conduct of our youth reflect the
character and conduct of society, and, therefore, every adult
has the responsibility to teach and model ethical values and
every social institution has the responsibility to promote
the development of good character;
Whereas Congress encourages individuals and organizations,
especially those that have an interest in the education and
training of the young people of the United States, to adopt
the elements of character as intrinsic to the well-being of
individuals, communities, and society;
Whereas many schools in the United States recognize the
need, and have taken steps, to integrate the values of their
communities into their teaching activities; and
Whereas the establishment of ``National Character Counts
Week'', during which individuals, families, schools, youth
organizations, religious institutions, civic groups, and
other organizations focus on character education, is of great
benefit to the United States: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates the week beginning October 21, 2012, as
``National Character Counts Week''; and
(2) calls upon the people of the United States and
interested groups--
(A) to embrace the elements of character identified by
local schools and communities, such as trustworthiness,
respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship;
and
(B) to observe the week with appropriate ceremonies,
programs, and activities.
____
S. Res. 570
Whereas all 50 States and 7 other countries provide
services through the Parents as Teachers evidence-based home
visiting model for nearly 260,000 children annually, which
offers a multifaceted approach to building strong families
and promoting a positive parent-child interaction so children
are healthy, safe, and ready to learn;
Whereas Parents as Teachers provides evidence- and
research-based training that assists parent educators in
developing proficiencies in--
(1) family support and parenting education;
(2) child and family development;
(3) human diversity within family systems;
(4) health, safety, and nutrition; and
(5) relationships between families and communities;
Whereas the Parents as Teachers evidence-based home
visiting model is an essential component to prepare children
to be school ready and narrows the achievement gap between
children in poverty and nonpoverty households; and
Whereas there are more than 3,000 organizations offering
Parents as Teachers services across the United States and
around the world, which give parents of young children the
support and information necessary so all children will learn,
grow, and develop to realize their full potential: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates the November 8, 2012, as ``National Parents
as Teachers Day'';
(2) recognizes the importance of parent education and the
role the education plays in the development of a child; and
(3) commends Parents as Teachers for its work with families
across the United States.
____________________