[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 30 (Thursday, February 25, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S1060]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 376--DESIGNATING THE FIRST WEEK OF APRIL 2016 AS 
                  ``NATIONAL ASBESTOS AWARENESS WEEK''

  Mr. MARKEY (for himself, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Durbin, Ms. 
Warren, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Reid, Mr. Merkley, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Tester, 
Mr. Daines, Mr. Schumer, and Mr. Leahy) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 376

       Whereas dangerous asbestos fibers are invisible and cannot 
     be smelled or tasted;
       Whereas the inhalation of airborne asbestos fibers can 
     cause significant damage;
       Whereas asbestos fibers can cause cancer, such as 
     mesothelioma and asbestosis, and other health problems;
       Whereas symptoms of asbestos-related diseases can take 
     between 10 and 50 years to present themselves;
       Whereas the projected life expectancy for an individual 
     diagnosed with mesothelioma is between 6 and 24 months;
       Whereas generally, little is known about late-stage 
     treatment of asbestos-related diseases and there is no cure 
     for asbestos-related diseases;
       Whereas early detection of asbestos-related diseases may 
     give some patients increased treatment options and might 
     improve the prognoses of those patients;
       Whereas the United States has substantially reduced the 
     consumption of asbestos in the United States, yet the United 
     States continues to consume about 400 metric tons of the 
     fibrous mineral each year for use in certain products 
     throughout the United States;
       Whereas asbestos-related diseases have killed thousands of 
     people in the United States;
       Whereas while exposure to asbestos continues, safety and 
     prevention of asbestos exposure--
       (1) has significantly reduced the incidence of asbestos-
     related diseases; and
       (2) can further reduce the incidence of asbestos-related 
     diseases;
       Whereas thousands of workers in the United States face 
     significant asbestos exposure, which has been a cause of 
     occupational cancer;
       Whereas thousands of people in the United States die from 
     asbestos-related diseases every year;
       Whereas a significant percentage of all asbestos-related 
     disease victims were exposed to asbestos on naval ships and 
     in shipyards;
       Whereas before 1975, asbestos was used in the construction 
     of a significant number of office buildings and public 
     facilities, including schools;
       Whereas people in the small community of Libby, Montana, 
     suffer from asbestos-related diseases, including 
     mesothelioma, at a significantly higher rate than people in 
     the United States as a whole; and
       Whereas the designation of a ``National Asbestos Awareness 
     Week'' will raise public awareness about the prevalence of 
     asbestos-related diseases and the dangers of asbestos 
     exposure: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the first week of April 2016 as ``National 
     Asbestos Awareness Week'';
       (2) urges the Surgeon General of the United States to warn 
     and educate people about the public health issue of asbestos 
     exposure, which may be hazardous to their health; and
       (3) respectfully requests that the Secretary of the Senate 
     transmit a copy of this resolution to the Office of the 
     Surgeon General.

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