[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 194 (Monday, November 27, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5600-S5601]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 474--DESIGNATING NOVEMBER 2023 AS AMERICAN DIABETES 
                                 MONTH

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

                              S. Res. 474

       Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention (referred to in this preamble as the ``CDC'')--
       (1) an estimated 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, an estimated 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 16,200,000 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--
       (1) in 2022, the estimated direct and indirect medical 
     costs in the United States for cases of diagnosed diabetes 
     was $412,900,000,000; and
       (2) as insulin prices rise, 1 in 4 individuals using 
     insulin report reducing use due to insulin cost;
       Whereas the American Diabetes Association reports that, in 
     2017, care for individuals with diagnosed diabetes accounted 
     for 1 in 4 health care dollars in the United States;
       Whereas the cost of health care is estimated to be 2.6 
     times higher for individuals in the United States with 
     diabetes than those without diabetes;
       Whereas, as of November 2023, 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 designates November 2023 as 
     American Diabetes Month, supporting the goals and ideals of 
     American Diabetes Month, including--
       (1) encouraging individuals in the United States to fight 
     diabetes through public awareness of prevention and treatment 
     options; and
       (2) enhancing diabetes education;
       (3) recognizing 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

[[Page S5601]]

       (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;
       (4) supporting a decrease in the prevalence of type 1, type 
     2, and gestational diabetes in the United States through 
     research, treatment, and prevention; and
       (5) recognizing the importance of addressing 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.

                          ____________________