[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 140 (Monday, November 17, 2014)]
[House]
[Page H7999]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      FUNDING ALZHEIMER'S RESEARCH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Vela) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. VELA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge the inclusion of 
additional funding for Alzheimer's research in the National Institutes 
of Health's budget. This disease affects over 5 million Americans, and 
every 67 seconds, someone develops Alzheimer's.
  The impact on these patients and their families is immense, and 
Congress must act now to ensure needed funding is available to 
researchers willing to understand, treat, and cure Alzheimer's.
  As the Appropriations Committee drafts spending legislation for the 
current fiscal year, it is critical that the NIH budget include an 
initial $200 million for Alzheimer's research. The requirement for this 
funding was validated by the National Alzheimer's Plan, a comprehensive 
congressionally-directed initiative which serves as a blueprint to 
ensure that taxpayer dollars are carefully invested in medical 
research.
  One in three seniors who die each year have been diagnosed with 
Alzheimer's or dementia, and the Centers for Disease Control notes that 
it is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.
  In addition to the terrible toll on individuals, the costs of 
treating Alzheimer's will cost over $214 billion this year. With so 
much at stake, an investment of $200 million in 2015 is clearly 
justified, and we must also continue to provide funding for Alzheimer's 
research in future years.
  On behalf of south Texas families affected by Alzheimer's, I urge my 
colleagues in Congress to support increased funding for Alzheimer's 
research.

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