[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 109 (Friday, June 28, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E683]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    COMMEMORATION OF THE LONGEST DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. TIMOTHY M. KENNEDY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 28, 2024

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the recently passed 
Longest Day, marked annually by the Alzheimer's Association on the 
Summer Solstice. For the Alzheimer's Association, the Summer Solstice--
the day with the most light--is an opportunity to spread awareness of 
the darkness of Alzheimer's and other dementia-related illnesses.
  Alzheimer's impacts millions of Americans and their families. Nearly 
7 million Americans currently live with Alzheimer's. But their burden 
is not theirs alone. Each of those individuals have families and 
communities that are impacted. In fact, the Alzheimer's Association 
estimates that 11 million Americans provide unpaid support to patients 
every year, accounting for more than 18 billion hours of care.
  Alzheimer's impacts families in every state, every city, every 
neighborhood, of all races, incomes, and religions. As we commemorate 
this day that highlights the pain felt by so many Americans, the House 
must pass H.R. 619, the National Alzheimer's Project Act 
reauthorization, as well as H.R. 620, the Alzheimer's Accountability 
and Investment Act. These bipartisan bills continue our nation's 
commitment to researching, treating, and ultimately curing this disease 
that has caused so much heartbreak and pain across the country.
  I want to thank the countless advocates who have volunteered their 
time caring for loved ones, fought for new research funding, and always 
kept faith that future generations will never have to feel the grief of 
watching a loved one slowly slip away.

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