[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 203 (Wednesday, December 2, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S7181]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 784--SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF AMERICAN 
                             DIABETES MONTH

  Mrs. SHAHEEN (for herself and Ms. Collins) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 784

       Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention (referred to in this preamble as the ``CDC'')--
       (1) 34,200,000 individuals in the United States have 
     diabetes; and
       (2) an estimated 88,000,000 individuals in the United 
     States who are 18 years of age or older have prediabetes;
       Whereas diabetes is a serious chronic condition that 
     affects individuals of every age, race, ethnicity, and income 
     level;
       Whereas the CDC reports that--
       (1) Hispanic Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, 
     and Native Americans are disproportionately affected by 
     diabetes and develop the disease at much higher rates than 
     the general population of the United States; and
       (2) an estimated 21.4 percent of individuals with diabetes 
     in the United States have not yet been diagnosed with the 
     disease;
       Whereas, in the United States, more than 10.5 percent of 
     the population, including 26.8 percent of individuals who are 
     65 years of age or older, have diabetes;
       Whereas, of the 17,400,000 veterans in the United States, 
     8,800,000 who are 65 years of age or older, and 1 in 4 
     overall, are receiving care for diabetes from the Department 
     of Veterans Affairs;
       Whereas the risk of developing diabetes at some point in 
     life is 40 percent for adults in the United States;
       Whereas, according to the American Diabetes Association, 
     the United States spent an estimated $237,000,000,000 on 
     direct medical costs for cases of diagnosed diabetes in 2017, 
     and out-of-pocket costs for insulin have grown significantly 
     in recent years for many patients;
       Whereas the American Diabetes Association reports that care 
     for people with diagnosed diabetes accounts for 1 in 4 health 
     care dollars spent in the United States;
       Whereas the cost of health care is estimated to be 2.3 
     times higher for individuals in the United States with 
     diabetes than those without diabetes;
       Whereas, as of November 2020, a cure for diabetes does not 
     exist;
       Whereas there are successful means to reduce the incidence, 
     and delay the onset, of type 2 diabetes;
       Whereas, with proper management and treatment, individuals 
     with diabetes live healthy and productive lives; and
       Whereas individuals in the United States celebrate American 
     Diabetes Month in November: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the goals and ideals of American Diabetes 
     Month, including--
       (A) encouraging individuals in the United States to fight 
     diabetes through public awareness of prevention and treatment 
     options; and
       (B) enhancing diabetes education;
       (2) recognizes the importance of awareness and early 
     detection, including awareness of symptoms and risk factors 
     such as--
       (A) being--
       (i) older than 45 years of age; or
       (ii) overweight; and
       (B) having--
       (i) a particular racial and ethnic background;
       (ii) a low level of physical activity;
       (iii) high blood pressure;
       (iv) a family history of diabetes; or
       (v) a history of diabetes during pregnancy;
       (3) supports decreasing the prevalence of type 1, type 2, 
     and gestational diabetes in the United States through 
     research, treatment, and prevention; and
       (4) recognizes the importance of addressing systemic 
     barriers to health care that--
       (A) leave many vulnerable communities at a heightened risk 
     for diabetes; and
       (B) limit access to health care resources that are needed 
     to effectively prevent the onset, and to manage the 
     condition, of diabetes.

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