[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 165 (Tuesday, November 19, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8198-S8199]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SENATE RESOLUTION 301--RECOGNIZING AND SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND 
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL ALZHEIMER'S PROJECT ACT AND THE NATIONAL 
                  PLAN TO ADDRESS ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

  Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Ms. Collins, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Johnson of 
South Dakota, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Moran, and Mr. Markey) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions:

                              S. Res. 301

       Whereas more than 5,000,000 individuals in the United 
     States live with Alzheimer's disease, and, based on current 
     projections, as many as 16,000,000 individuals in the United 
     States will have Alzheimer's disease by 2050;
       Whereas 1 in every 9 individuals in the United States over 
     the age of 65 lives with Alzheimer's disease;
       Whereas another individual in the United States develops 
     Alzheimer's disease every 68 seconds, and, by 2050, another 
     individual in the United States will develop the disease 
     every 33 seconds;
       Whereas, in 2013, an estimated 450,000 people in the United 
     States will die from Alzheimer's disease, making it the 
     sixth-leading cause of death in the United States;
       Whereas, between 2000 and 2010, deaths attributed to 
     Alzheimer's disease increased by 68 percent;
       Whereas Alzheimer's disease is devastating physically, 
     emotionally, and financially;
       Whereas Alzheimer's disease creates an enormous financial 
     strain on the health care system, families, and Federal and 
     State budgets;
       Whereas, according to an independent study supported by the 
     National Institutes of Health, Alzheimer's disease is already 
     the costliest disease in the United States and is expected to 
     become even more costly in the future;
       Whereas, in 2013, the total direct cost of caring for 
     individuals in the United States with Alzheimer's disease is 
     estimated to be $203,000,000,000, including $107,000,000,000 
     in costs to Medicare and $35,000,000,000 to Medicaid;
       Whereas, if nothing is done to change the trajectory of the 
     disease, the total direct cost of caring for individuals in 
     the United States with Alzheimer's disease is expected to 
     rise to $1,200,000,000,000 by 2050;
       Whereas the average cost to Medicare for beneficiaries with 
     Alzheimer's disease is 3 times higher than for those without 
     the condition;
       Whereas a Federal commitment to fighting Alzheimer's 
     disease can lower costs and improve health outcomes for 
     people living with the disease today and in the future;
       Whereas, by making Alzheimer's disease a national priority, 
     we can replicate the successes that have been achieved in 
     fighting other diseases;
       Whereas leadership from the Federal Government has helped 
     lower the number of deaths from other major diseases and 
     health problems such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, heart disease, and 
     stroke;
       Whereas, in 2010, Congress unanimously passed the National 
     Alzheimer's Project Act;
       Whereas the National Alzheimer's Project Act requires the 
     Secretary of Health and Human Services to create and annually 
     update a National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease;
       Whereas the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease 
     establishes goals and action steps to combat the disease in 
     the areas of research, care, support, and public awareness; 
     and
       Whereas the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease 
     has resulted in some notable accomplishments, including the 
     creation of a blueprint for Alzheimer's research by the 
     National Institutes of Health: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes that additional focus, research, and 
     resources are needed to overcome Alzheimer's disease;
       (2) acknowledges the impact that Alzheimer's disease has on 
     individuals with the disease, their caregivers and loved 
     ones, and the United States as a whole; and
       (3) supports the goals and implementation of the National 
     Alzheimer's Project Act and the National Plan to Address 
     Alzheimer's Disease.

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, we all know someone who has been affected 
by Alzheimer's disease or someone else who has.
  Everyone has occasional memory lapses, and it's normal to forget 
names of an acquaintance or forget where you put your keys.
  But Alzheimer's is so much more than just memory loss.
  It is a debilitating disease that only gets worse as it progresses.
  People living with the disease often forget conversations, 
appointments, and eventually forget the names of close friends and may 
no longer recognize their spouse or their children.
  They struggle to recall the words to identify objects, and eventually 
lose the ability to read and write.
  Alzheimer's makes everyday activities like keeping track of bills and 
cooking a meal extremely challenging and frustrating.
  Although the disease develops differently for every individual, it 
eventually leads to loss of memory, thinking and reasoning skills.
  This year, approximately 450,000 people in the United States will die 
from Alzheimer's disease.
  Currently, more than 5 million Americans are living with the disease, 
including 210,000 people in Illinois.
  But with a new person being diagnosed with Alzheimer's every 68 
seconds, the number of people with Alzheimer's will rise to 16 million 
by 2050.
  If nothing is done to change the trajectory of the disease, more 
people and families will suffer and federal spending linked to the 
disease will soar.
  In 2013, the cost of caring for those with Alzheimer's disease will 
total an estimated $203 billion for Medicaid and Medicare.
  If we stay on this path, the total cost of caring for individuals 
with Alzheimer's disease is expected to rise to 1.2 trillion by 2050--
an increase of more than 500 percent.
  But this is a problem that we can solve.
  In 2010, Congress recognized the need for additional resources and 
research to overcome Alzheimer's disease and unanimously passed the 
National Alzheimer's Project Act.
  The National Alzheimer's Project Act created a national strategic 
plan, which establishes goals and action steps to combat the disease in 
the areas of research, care, support, and public awareness.
  The plan has already resulted in some notable achievements.
  In 2012, the National Institutes of Health dedicated an additional 
$50 million for Alzheimer's research.
  The Health Resources and Services Administration invested $2 million 
to improve the quality of care for people with Alzheimer's.
  But more needs to be done and the success of the National Alzheimer's 
Plan requires continued federal investments for biomedical research and 
resources for people with Alzheimer's.
  President Obama's fiscal year 2014 budget proposed $100 million in 
new NIH funding for Alzheimer's research.
  The Senate Labor, Health, and Human Services appropriations bill 
which passed the Appropriations Committee adds $84 million to the NIH's 
National Institute of Aging for Alzheimer's research.
  The bill also provides $40 million for the new Brain Initiative, 
which will help us better understand the brain and Alzheimer's.
  These federal investments to fight Alzheimer's disease can lower 
costs and improve health outcomes for people living with the disease.
  People like Janet Dever.
  Janet Dever, 73 years old, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease 
five years ago.
  She does her best to not dwell on the negatives or sink into 
depression.
  But she says that the hardest part of the disease is watching her 
family and friends suffer along with her.
  The part of the disease that upsets her the most is that many people 
don't know how to interact with her anymore, so they have stayed away.
  But Janet and her husband Bill aren't giving up. And we shouldn't 
give up either.
  To reinforce the initial steps toward greater investment in finding 
answers,

[[Page S8199]]

I am submitting this resolution, along with Senators Collins, Mikulski, 
Tim Johnson, Menendez, Wicker, Moran, and Markey, supporting the goals 
and implementation of the National Alzheimer's Project Act and the 
National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease.
  But to achieve these goals, the Plan needs federal funding to be 
fully implemented.
  I urge my colleagues to support this Resolution and reinforce our 
national commitment to turning around the seeming inevitability of this 
terrible brain disease.
  I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure investments 
are made in Alzheimer's research and to make the goal of preventing and 
effectively treating Alzheimer's disease by 2050 a reality.

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