[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 178 (Thursday, November 17, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S6783]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 842--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. 842

       Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention (referred to in this preamble as the ``CDC'')--
       (1) 37,300,000 individuals in the United States have 
     diabetes; and
       (2) an estimated 96,000,000 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, Black, Asian, American Indian, and Alaska 
     Native adults in the United States 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 23 percent of individuals with diabetes in 
     the United States have not yet been diagnosed with the 
     disease;

       Whereas, in the United States, more than 11.3 percent of 
     the population, including 29.2 percent of individuals who are 
     65 years of age or older, have diabetes;
       Whereas, of the approximately 19,000,000 veterans in the 
     United States, 1 in 4 are receiving care for diabetes from 
     the Department of Veterans Affairs;
       Whereas the risk of developing 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 2022, 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.

                          ____________________