[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 94 (Tuesday, May 19, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2507-S2508]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 588--DESIGNATING MAY 2020 AS ``ALS AWARENESS MONTH''

  Mr. BRAUN (for himself, Mr. Coons, Mr. Cotton, Mr. Bennet, Ms. 
McSally, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Jones, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. 
Blumenthal, Mr. Peters, Ms. Sinema, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Wyden, Ms. 
Smith, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Johnson, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. 
Scott of South Carolina, Mr. Schumer, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Cramer, Ms. 
Harris, Mr. Lankford, Mr. Markey, Ms. Cantwell, and Ms. Klobuchar) 
submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 588

       Whereas amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (referred to in this 
     preamble as ``ALS'') is a progressive neurodegenerative 
     disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal 
     cord;
       Whereas the life expectancy for an individual with ALS is 
     between 2 and 5 years after the date on which the individual 
     receives an ALS diagnosis;
       Whereas ALS occurs throughout the world with no racial, 
     ethnic, gender, or socioeconomic boundaries;
       Whereas the 2 different types of ALS are sporadic ALS and 
     familial ALS;
       Whereas sporadic ALS--
       (1) is the most common form of motor neuron disease in the 
     United States;
       (2) accounts for between 90 and 95 percent of all cases of 
     ALS in the United States; and
       (3) may affect any individual in any location;
       Whereas familial ALS (commonly known as ``FALS'')--
       (1) is inherited; and
       (2) accounts for between 5 and 10 percent of all cases of 
     ALS in the United States;
       Whereas there is a 50 percent chance that each offspring of 
     an individual with familial ALS will inherit the gene 
     mutation for familial ALS and develop the disease;
       Whereas, on average, the period between the date on which 
     an individual first experiences symptoms of ALS and the date 
     on which the individual is diagnosed with ALS is about 1 
     year;
       Whereas the onset of ALS often involves muscle weakness or 
     stiffness, and the progression of ALS results in the further 
     weakening, wasting, and paralysis of--
       (1) the muscles of the limbs and trunk; and
       (2) the muscles that control vital functions, such as 
     speech, swallowing, and breathing;
       Whereas ALS can strike individuals of any age but 
     predominantly strikes adults;
       Whereas it is estimated that tens of thousands of 
     individuals in the United States have ALS at any given time;
       Whereas, based on studies of the population of the United 
     States, slightly more than 5,600 individuals in the United 
     States are diagnosed with ALS each year, and 15 individuals 
     in the United States are diagnosed with ALS each day;
       Whereas, between 2015 and 2040, the number of ALS cases 
     around the world is expected to increase nearly 70 percent;
       Whereas the majority of individuals with ALS die of 
     respiratory failure;
       Whereas military veterans are approximately twice as likely 
     to be diagnosed with ALS than the general public in the 
     United States;
       Whereas, as of the date of introduction of this resolution, 
     there is no cure for ALS;
       Whereas the spouses, children, and family members of 
     individuals living with ALS provide support to those 
     individuals with love, day-to-day care, and more; and
       Whereas an individual with ALS, and the caregivers of such 
     an individual, can be required to bear significant costs for 
     medical care, equipment, and home health care services for 
     the individual as the disease progresses: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates May 2020 as ``ALS Awareness Month'';
       (2) affirms the dedication of the Senate to working toward 
     securing cures and better treatments for amyotrophic lateral 
     sclerosis (referred to in this resolution as ``ALS'') as soon 
     as possible;

[[Page S2508]]

       (3) recognizes the challenges that individuals with 
     medically determined ALS face on a daily basis; and
       (4) commends the dedication of the family members, friends, 
     organizations, volunteers, researchers, and caregivers across 
     the United States that are working to improve the quality and 
     length of life of ALS patients.

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