[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 147 (Wednesday, September 28, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6209-S6211]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




LYME AND TICK-BORNE DISEASE PREVENTION, EDUCATION, AND RESEARCH ACT OF 
                                  2015

  Ms. AYOTTE. Mr. President, today I wish to speak on the importance of 
passing legislation to address a serious issue that impacts New 
Hampshire, New England, and the rest of the country each year, the 
issue of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.
  This fall, as the leaves begin to turn and temperatures start to 
drop, millions of Americans will head outdoors to hike and otherwise 
experience the beauty of nature. In my home State of New Hampshire, 
hiking is one of the State's most popular recreational activities. New 
Hampshire is also among the 14 States through which the Appalachian 
Trail runs. Stretching from Georgia to Maine, the Appalachian Trail 
spans nearly 2,190 miles, and is hiked annually by 2 to 3 million 
people.
  While our attention in the Northeast usually turns to the dangers of 
ticks in the spring and summer months, adult blacklegged ticks, also 
known as deer ticks, are still active in the fall. Approximately half 
of these deer ticks carry Lyme disease, and they have played a leading 
role in our Nation's dramatic rise in tick-borne diseases. While 
approximately 30,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported annually by 
State health departments, according to the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention CDC, the actual number of cases each year is about 
300,000, making Lyme disease the most commonly reported vector-borne 
illness in the country. Underscoring that Lyme is no longer simply a 
regional problem, the CDC reports that the species of ticks that spread 
Lyme disease now live in 46 percent of the Nation's counties.
  That is why I am continuing to urge my colleagues to join me in 
supporting the bipartisan Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Prevention, 
Education, and Research Act, S. 1503. Working with Senator Blumenthal, 
I coauthored and introduced this legislation which is designed to 
better coordinate the Federal Government's response to Lyme and other 
tick-borne diseases by creating an advisory committee within the 
Department of Health and Human Services HHS. The committee established 
under our bill would be tasked with identifying best practices to 
combat tick-borne diseases and would be comprised of patients, 
advocates, researchers, medical professionals, and government 
officials. Our legislation would also require the HHS Secretary to 
coordinate efforts to strengthen disease surveillance and reporting, 
develop better diagnostic tools and tests, create a physician education 
program, establish epidemiological research objectives for Lyme and 
other tick-borne illnesses, and report to Congress on the progress of 
efforts to combat these devastating diseases.
  The significant increase in cases of Lyme and other tick-borne 
diseases over the past decade is extremely troubling, and it demands a 
strong and coordinated effort at the Federal level. This critical 
legislation has been endorsed by nearly 100 Lyme and tick-borne disease 
patient groups, along with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
  Despite the staggering statistics, the voices of those who are living 
and struggling with Lyme and other tick-borne diseases have not 
adequately been heard. Senator Blumenthal and I have put forth a 
commonsense, bipartisan legislative proposal that will bring greater 
attention to Lyme disease and give patients and their families a 
greater say in their care.

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  I ask my colleagues to cosponsor the Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease 
Prevention, Education, and Research Act, and I urge the Senate to 
follow the lead of the House by passing legislation that will help more 
effectively prevent, diagnosis, and treat Lyme disease.
  Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, as leaves begin to turn and 
temperatures begin to drop, millions of Americans will head outdoors 
this fall to hike. In Connecticut, hikers will flock to trails in the 
State's 107 parks and 32 State forests, which together account for more 
than 200,000 acres.
  While ticks are often thought of as spring and summer pests, ticks 
that carry the disease are still active in the fall. According to the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, Lyme disease is the 
most commonly reported vector-borne illness in the country, with more 
than 300,000 people becoming infected each year. The CDC also reports 
that the species of ticks that spread Lyme disease now live in 46 
percent of the Nation's counties. The spread of Lyme disease, paired 
with a lack of action at the Federal level, has led tens of thousands 
of Americans to become infected, disrupting patients' lives and placing 
major emotional and financial burden on families.
  With this in mind, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the 
bipartisan Lyme and Tick Borne Disease Prevention, Education, and 
Research Act, S. 1503. The legislation is designed to better coordinate 
the Federal Government's response to tick-borne diseases by creating an 
advisory committee within the Department of Health and Human Services, 
HHS, that would be tasked with identifying best practices to combat 
tick-borne diseases. The group would be comprised of patients, 
advocates, researchers, medical professionals, and government 
officials. The bill would also require the HHS Secretary to coordinate 
efforts to strengthen disease surveillance and reporting, develop 
better diagnostic tools and tests, create a physician-education 
program, establish epidemiological research objectives for Lyme and 
other tick-borne illnesses, and prepare regular reports to Congress on 
the progress of efforts to combat these devastating diseases.
  The rapid rise in active Lyme and other tick-borne disease cases over 
the past decade demands a strong and coordinated effort at the Federal 
level to address the public health threat to our Nation. This critical 
legislation has been endorsed by hundreds of Lyme and tick-borne 
disease patient groups, along with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, 
ATC. According to a 2014 Appalachian Trail hiker survey, 9 percent of 
respondents reported that they had been diagnosed with Lyme disease.
  Our colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives have already 
passed this critical legislation, and now it is our turn. I urge our 
Senate colleagues to join as cosponsors, and help pass this critical 
measure expeditiously. Thank you.
  Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I rise today to speak in support of 
legislation to address a serious public health concern: the spread of 
Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases in the United States.
  In my home State of New York, there were 37,977 reported cases of 
Lyme disease between 2005 and 2014, one of the most heavily affected 
populations in the country. This disease affects hundreds of thousands 
of people around the Nation and is the most commonly reported vector-
borne illness in the United States, with an estimated 300,000 people 
becoming infected each year. The species of ticks that spread Lyme 
disease now live in 46 percent of the Nation's counties.
  If caught early, Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics. 
Unfortunately, the disease can be difficult to diagnose because its 
symptoms mimic the symptoms of other serious diseases and because 
existing diagnostic tests still have many limitations. As a result, 
Lyme disease often goes undetected or misdiagnosed, making effective 
treatment of patients more difficult. Untreated Lyme disease can be 
debilitating and result in severe pain and suffering.
  To help address this epidemic, I urge my Senate colleagues to help 
pass the Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Prevention, Education, and 
Research Act, S. 1503. The House of Representatives approved this 
legislation over a year ago, and we must now come together to pass this 
bill in the Senate as soon as possible.
  The Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Prevention, Education, and Research 
Act, would coordinate Federal efforts to address Lyme and other trick-
borne diseases. It would create an advisory committee within the U.S. 
Department of Health and Human Services, HHS, made up of patients, 
advocates, researchers, health care providers, and government officials 
tasked with identifying best practices for combatting tick-borne 
diseases. It would also direct the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human 
Services to carry out activities coordinated across agencies to improve 
data collection, develop better diagnostic tests, enhance prevention 
and public awareness activities, and support clinical research into 
treatments.
  The prevalence of Lyme and other tick-borne disease cases in this 
country demands a strong and coordinated effort at the Federal level. 
The Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Prevention, Education, and Research Act 
is a critical step toward ending this epidemic.
  I strongly encourage my colleagues in the Senate to cosponsor and 
help pass this legislation to improve our Federal response to tackling 
Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. Thank you.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, today I wish to speak about the issue of 
Lyme and tick-borne diseases. Fall is a beautiful time of year, 
especially in Maine, as it is the season for hiking, hunting, and leaf-
peeping. Unfortunately, fall is also tick season and a time of 
increased risk of Lyme disease.
  Each year, 30,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported to the Centers 
of Disease Control and Prevention. The most recent CDC data noted that 
96 percent of those cases were concentrated in just 14 States in the 
Upper Midwest and Northeast. Maine has one of the highest and fastest 
growing incident rates of the disease, with cases increasing from 225 
in 2004 to 1,169 cases in 2014.
  Fall is a time of heightened risk because the immature ticks, or 
nymphs, that fed heavily during the late spring and early summer have 
now molted into adults and must feed again. Although larger and easier 
to spot than the tiny nymphs, they are numerous and active.
  Lyme disease was long thought to be a form of juvenile arthritis and 
was not identified as being spread by ticks until 1976. It is still 
considered an emerging disease and knowledge gaps remain. For example, 
diagnostic methods for tick-borne illnesses have not advanced as much 
as they should have. Consequently, the validity and accuracy of 
information regarding the incidence and geographic spread of the 
disease may be lacking. Now, another tick-borne disease called 
anaplasmosis is emerging, carried by the same blacklegged tick as Lyme 
disease and with symptoms that are similar in nature but often more 
severe.
  The rapid spread of these diseases is alarming and makes it essential 
that Federal, State, and local health agencies, public health 
organizations, and the scientific community work together to improve 
prevention and detection efforts, as well as to accelerate research to 
address this crucial public-health challenge. This is the reason why I 
have cosponsored the Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Prevention, Education, 
and Research Act introduced by Senators Blumenthal and Ayotte, which 
would help ensure that necessary resources are dedicated to fighting 
tick-borne diseases.
  Prevention and treatment are crucial because there are currently no 
vaccines for Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, anaplasmosis, 
or other tick-borne diseases. In order to mount a strong national 
prevention and treatment effort, the legislation would create a tick-
borne diseases committee that would consist of physicians, scientists, 
public health leaders, health agency officials, patients, and patient 
advocates. This national advisory body would help bring needed focus to 
improve reporting methods, better diagnostic tools, and more 
coordinated efforts from local to Federal levels.
  With individual precautions, we all can reduce our risk of Lyme 
disease and other tick-borne illnesses and continue to enjoy the 
outdoors. With a national effort, we can stop the spread of these 
devastating diseases and protect the health of all. I encourage my 
colleagues to support this legislation.

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