[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 215 (Tuesday, December 14, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9164-S9165]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 479--SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF AMERICAN 
                             DIABETES MONTH

  Mrs. SHAHEEN (for herself, Ms. Collins, Mr. Brown, Ms. Cantwell, Ms. 
Klobuchar, Mr. Lankford, Ms. Smith, Mr. Warner, Mrs. Feinstein, Ms. 
Stabenow, Mr. Coons, and Mr. Manchin) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 479

       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 18,820,000 veterans in the United States, 1 
     in 4 are receiving care for diabetes from the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs;
       Whereas the risk of developing type 2 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 2021, a cure for diabetes does not 
     exist;
       Whereas there are successful means to reduce the incidence, 
     and delay the onset, of type 2 diabetes;

[[Page S9165]]

       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 increased 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 racial and ethnic background that is 
     disproportionately affected by diabetes;
       (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 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.

                          ____________________