[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 39 (Monday, March 9, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S1334]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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           RECOGNIZING THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF AUTISM SPEAKS

 Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I wish to acknowledge Autism 
Speaks as they celebrate 10 years as a leading organization dedicated 
to serving people with autism and their families. Founded by Bob and 
Suzanne Wright--concerned grandparents of a child with autism--on 
February 25, 2005, Autism Speaks has grown to become not just a 
national leader in the conversation about autism, but a world leader.
  Ten years ago, Congress had yet to pass the landmark law now known 
after two reauthorizations as the Autism CARES Act. The estimated rate 
of autism in the United States--according to data from the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention--at that time was about 1 in 150. Today, 
the CDC estimates that the rate of autism is about 1 in 68. These same 
figures show that my home State of New Jersey has the highest rate of 
autism incidence in the Nation, at 1 in 45. It is because of the 
countless stories of people from my home State--from the parents 
seeking help for their children, to the teachers and counselors who 
help people on the autism spectrum to grow and develop, to the 
researchers seeking to understand the causes of autism--that I am so 
passionately committed to confronting the challenge of autism, and 
Autism Speaks has been a leading voice on this issue for a decade.
  Over the past 10 years, Autism Speaks has committed more than $525 
million towards autism research, awareness, services, and advocacy. 
Most of these funds have gone to support science and medical research, 
including a new partnership with Google through the MSSNG program, 
which will sequence and store the world's largest database of genomic 
information on autism. Autism Speaks has raised awareness of autism 
worldwide, and has partnerships with organizations in 60 countries 
across the globe. Autism Speaks provides funds for services for people 
with autism through a number of grant programs and scholarships. It is 
also no secret that Autism Speaks has served as a leading advocate in 
seeking Federal legislation to address the challenges of autism.
  I am proud to have championed the passage of the Autism Coordination, 
Accountability, Research, Education and Support Act, also known as the 
Autism CARES Act, which passed this body by unanimous consent on July 
31, 2014. President Obama signed the Autism CARES Act into law on 
August 8, 2014. This law ensures that we continue the critical programs 
established in 2006 that provide for autism research as well as support 
services to individuals on the autism spectrum and their families. The 
Autism CARES Act also makes a number of updates and improvements on the 
original law, starting with better organization and coordination of 
Federal autism programs, including new mechanisms to ensure that goals 
are being met and that Federal dollars are being spent efficiently. It 
also requires that a report be written that focuses on the needs of 
young adults on the autistic spectrum or with another developmental 
disability and the challenges they face when they transition from 
school-based services to those they need during adulthood, which is a 
critical need that often goes unspoken. Autism Speaks' advocacy on 
behalf of those with autism and their families was vital to securing 
overwhelming bipartisan support for this law and ensuring that it 
passed through Congress and into law.
  As they mark their 10th anniversary, I congratulate Autism Speaks for 
the decade of great work that they do and express my gratitude and 
support as they serve as a leading voice in our national discussion on 
autism for decades to come.

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