[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 146 (Wednesday, December 3, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1720-E1721]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              ALZHEIMER'S

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MAXINE WATERS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 3, 2014

  Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from California, 
Congressman John Garamendi, for the time, and I congratulate him for 
organizing this evening's Special Order Hour on Alzheimer's Disease.
  As the Co-Chair of the Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's 
Disease, I know how devastating this disease can be on patients, 
families, and caregivers. The Task Force works on a bipartisan basis to 
increase awareness of Alzheimer's, strengthen the federal commitment to 
improving the lives of those affected by the disease, and assist the 
caregivers who provide their needed support.
  Alzheimer's disease in the U.S. is at crisis proportions. As our 
population ages, the number of persons affected by this brain disorder 
are expected to triple by 2050. The costs associated with Alzheimer's 
disease and other forms of dementia are also growing at an 
unsustainable rate. A recent RAND study of adults ages 70 and older 
found that the total economic cost of dementia in 2010 was estimated to 
be $109 billion for direct care alone. That is higher than the cost of 
both heart disease and cancer. Furthermore, the economic cost of 
dementia rises to $159 billion to $215 billion when the cost of 
informal care is included.
  In the U.S., someone develops Alzheimer's every 67 seconds. According 
to recent data, women have a 1 in 6 estimated lifetime risk of 
developing the disease at age 65, while the risk for men is nearly 1 in 
11. The Alzheimer's Association estimates as many as 16 million 
Americans over age 65 could suffer from Alzheimer's by 2050. It is now 
the fifth leading cause of death in my home state of California.
  Alzheimer's has a devastating impact upon families. Right now nearly 
15 million people, mostly family members, provide unpaid care for 
individuals with Alzheimer's or dementia, a market value of more than 
$220.2 billion. In California alone, about 1.5 million unpaid 
caregivers grapple with the tremendous challenges of Alzheimer's 
disease or dementia every day. Caregivers include spouses, children, 
and even grandchildren. As compared to caregivers for other diseases, 
Alzheimer's caregivers disproportionately report being forced to miss 
work, reduce work hours, quit their jobs, or change jobs due to 
caregiving demands. They are more likely to experience financial 
hardship, report health difficulties, experience emotional stress and 
suffer from sleep disturbance.
  The bipartisan supported National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease 
calls for a cure or an effective treatment for Alzheimer's by 2025. In 
an effort to meet this goal, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on 
Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education approved a budget for 
fiscal year 2015 that calls for an additional $100 million in funding 
for the National Institute on Aging (NIA) to expand Alzheimer's disease 
research. NIA, along with other institutes at the National Institutes 
of Health (NIH), are supporting a number of promising Alzheimer's 
disease research projects, including cutting-edge ``prevention'' trials 
that are studying whether or not the disease can be prevented or slowed 
substantially by administering treatments earlier in the disease 
process.
  I am urging the leaders of the House Appropriations Committee to 
include at least the additional $100 million for the NIA in the final 
budget package for FY 2015. This modest increase in Alzheimer's 
research funding will provide vital resources to support meritorious 
Alzheimer's disease research projects. This action will also 
demonstrate further resolve in support of our national priority of 
eradicating this insidious brain disorder.
  The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education also included language directing NIH to submit 
a professional judgment budget for Alzheimer's disease research. As a 
cosponsor of the Alzheimer's Accountability Act (H.R. 4351), I believe 
that unfiltered information specifying the resources necessary to meet 
the goals and objectives laid out in the National Plan would provide 
Congress with a valuable tool for setting research and service 
priorities.
  I also plan to urge the President to include robust funding for 
Alzheimer's research and caregiver support services in his fiscal year 
2016 budget, which the President will be submitting to Congress early 
next year. Increased funding for Alzheimer's programs will allow us to 
meet these challenges head on and enhance our chances of meeting the 
goals articulated in the National Plan.
  As we continue to search for a cure, our nation is at a critical 
crossroads that requires decisive action to assure the safety and 
welfare of the millions of Americans with Alzheimer's disease and 
dementia. Together, let us commit to take every possible action to 
improve treatments for Alzheimer's patients, support caregivers, and 
invest in research to find a cure for this disease.
  Once again, I thank my colleague from California for organizing 
tonight's Special Order.

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