[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 7329]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I am pleased to rise today recognizing the 
100th anniversary of the American Lung Association.
  For a century, the American Lung Association has been addressing some 
of the Nation's most pressing health issues. In 1904, a dedicated and 
hard-working group of physicians, nurses, and volunteers came together 
with the goal of eradicating tuberculosis. The result was one of the 
Nation's oldest community-based, voluntary health organizations, and 
its fight against tuberculosis has produced amazing results throughout 
the 20th century.
  When the American Lung Association realized there was a new and 
dangerous problem facing the Nation--that of chronic lung disease--it 
began to shift focus away from TB and toward healthy lungs. Soon, the 
Lung Association had one of the most extensive programs for fighting 
lung disease in the Nation.
  Using a multi-faceted approach, the American Lung Association works 
in the areas of research, education, and advocacy. It has courageously 
battled tobacco companies for the past 40 years, though its position 
was not always a popular one. Furthermore, the Lung Association, 
concerned about environmental factors such as air pollution, was a 
leader in passing the 1970s Clean Air Act.
  Our Nation is a better place and our families are healthier because 
of the work of the American Lung Association. I am proud to 
congratulate the association, and I ask my colleagues to join me in 
formally acknowledging their fine work.

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