[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 63 (Thursday, April 11, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2440-S2441]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 161--SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF WORLD MALARIA 
                                  DAY

  Mr. WICKER (for himself and Mr. Coons) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 161

       Whereas April 25 of each year is recognized internationally 
     as World Malaria Day;
       Whereas malaria is a leading cause of death and disease in 
     many developing countries, despite being preventable and 
     treatable;
       Whereas fighting malaria is in the national interest of the 
     United States because--
       (1) reducing the risk of malaria protects members of the 
     Armed Forces and other people of the United States serving 
     overseas in malaria-endemic regions; and
       (2) reducing malaria deaths helps to lower risks of 
     instability in less developed countries;
       Whereas United States support for efforts to fight 
     malaria--
       (1) is in the diplomatic, economic, and humanitarian 
     interests of the United States;
       (2) generates goodwill toward the United States; and
       (3) highlights the values of the people of the United 
     States through the work of governmental, nongovernmental, and 
     faith-based organizations of the United States;
       Whereas, in 2017, 87 countries and areas had ongoing 
     malaria transmissions;
       Whereas nearly \1/2\ of the population of the world is at 
     risk for malaria, with the World Health Organization African 
     region carrying a disproportionately high burden, with 92 
     percent of malaria cases and 93 percent of malaria deaths in 
     the world;
       Whereas young children and pregnant women are particularly 
     vulnerable to, and disproportionately affected by, malaria;
       Whereas children under the age of 5 account for an 
     estimated 61 percent of malaria deaths each year;
       Whereas the World Malaria Report 2018 published by the 
     World Health Organization states that, in 2017, approximately 
     435,000 people died from malaria, which is a decrease of 
     approximately 50 percent, as compared to 2000;
       Whereas the United States Government has played a leading 
     role in the recent progress made toward reducing the global 
     burden of malaria, particularly through the President's 
     Malaria Initiative and the contribution of the United States 
     to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; 
     and
       Whereas the United States Government is pursuing a 
     comprehensive approach to ending malaria deaths through the 
     President's Malaria Initiative, which is led by the United 
     States Agency for International Development and implemented 
     with assistance from the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention, the Department of State, the Department of Health 
     and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health, the 
     Department of Defense, and private sector entities: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the goals and ideals of World Malaria Day;
       (2) recognizes the importance of reducing malaria 
     prevalence and deaths to improve overall child and maternal 
     health, especially in sub-Saharan Africa;
       (3) commends the recent progress made toward reducing 
     global malaria morbidity, mortality, and prevalence, 
     particularly through the efforts of the President's Malaria 
     Initiative and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis 
     and Malaria;
       (4) welcomes ongoing public-private partnerships to 
     research and develop more effective and affordable tools for 
     malaria surveillance, diagnostics, treatment, and prevention;
       (5) recognizes the goals, priorities, and authorities to 
     combat malaria set forth in the United States Leadership 
     Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003 
     (Public Law 108-25; 117 Stat. 711) and the Tom Lantos and 
     Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/
     AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008 
     (Public Law 110-293; 122 Stat. 2918);
       (6) supports continued leadership by the United States in 
     bilateral, multilateral, and private sector efforts to combat 
     malaria and to work with endemic countries in developing and 
     effectively executing their own national responses to 
     malaria; and
       (7) encourages other members of the international community 
     to sustain and increase their support for, and financial 
     contributions to, efforts to combat malaria worldwide.

  Mr. JONES. Mr. President, today I wish to offer a resolution 
recognizing the critical contributions the laboratories of the 
Department of Defense make to the national security of this country. 
The 63 Laboratories, Warfare Centers, and Engineering Centers of the 
Department of Defense spread across 22 states and the District of 
Columbia are important components of the U.S. warfighting establishment 
and are instrumental in maintaining the technological edge of our 
military forces. My resolution would highlight the contributions of 
these laboratories by designating April 25, 2019, as ``Department of 
Defense Laboratory Day 2019'' in order to celebrate the work and 
accomplishments of the men and women in those defense labs. Many of the 
technological advantages upon which our military rests are rooted in 
the diligent, dedicated work and innovative mindset of the scientists 
and engineers in our defense labs. Their work drives not only the near-
term, tactical innovations needed to support our soldiers, sailors, 
airmen and marines in the wars of the past century, but they are 
critical foundations of research that will fuel the processes and 
technologies needed for the next century and beyond. In addition to the 
cutting-edge research and development of new technologies, our defense 
laboratories are a resource to the national economy and innovation 
ecosystem of the nation--providing the people, facilities, experience, 
operational problems, and capabilities for technology transfer that 
support the warfighter, industry,

[[Page S2441]]

academia, other parts of federal government, and even many of our 
allies and partners throughout the world. The nearly 76,000 scientists 
and engineers employed by the Department of Defense labs are exemplars 
of public service, and the outstanding dedication, qualifications, 
service, and accomplishments of these scientists, engineers, 
technicians, and support staff of the defense laboratories should make 
all Americans proud.
  In recognizing the men and women of the defense labs, I am especially 
proud of the contributions Alabama makes. As the home to multiple Army 
laboratories--including the Aviation and Missile Center, Space and 
Missile Defense Technical Center, and the Army Aeromedical Research 
Laboratory--Alabama punches far above its weight in terms of 
contributions of people, facilities and resources to the defense 
laboratory network. This results in one of the highest per capita 
concentrations of scientists and engineers in the country, with an 
extraordinary economic impact on the State. Not only do these labs 
provide thousands of jobs in Alabama, they bring in billions of dollars 
in investments and return those dollars back into the communities in 
which they reside.
  The network of Department of Defense laboratories is not just an 
asset for the Department, but is a national asset as well. With over a 
hundred DoD-funded Nobel prizes, and thousands of patents and 
publications, defense laboratories are technological and economic 
engines on par with any industry or university laboratory. I applaud 
the work of the defense labs, and all of the scientists and engineers 
that make them successful, especially those in Alabama. I urge my 
colleagues to support the contributions of the labs by supporting the 
proclamation of April 25th as the 2019 Laboratory Day.

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