[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Pages 19011-19012]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       PSORIASIS AWARENESS MONTH

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary 
Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 206 and 
the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 206) designating August 2005 as 
     ``Psoriasis Awareness Month''.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be 
laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate, and that any 
statements related to this matter be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 206) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

[[Page 19012]]



                              S. Res. 206

       Whereas psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are chronic, 
     immune-mediated diseases for which there is no cure;
       Whereas more than 5,000,000 men, women, and children in the 
     United States have been diagnosed with either psoriasis or 
     psoriatic arthritis;
       Whereas psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are painful and 
     disabling diseases that have a significant and adverse impact 
     on the quality of life of an individual diagnosed with either 
     of these diseases;
       Whereas the National Institute of Mental Health funded a 
     study that found that psoriasis may cause as much physical 
     and mental disability as other major diseases, including 
     cancer, arthritis, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and 
     depression;
       Whereas psoriasis is associated with elevated rates of 
     depression and suicidal ideation;
       Whereas each year the people of the United States spend 
     more than $4,000,000,000 to treat psoriasis;
       Whereas early diagnosis and treatment of psoriatic 
     arthritis may help prevent irreversible joint damage; and
       Whereas treating psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis presents 
     a challenge for patients and physicians because no 1 
     treatment works for everyone, some treatments lose 
     effectiveness over time, many treatments are used in 
     combination with other treatments, and all treatments may 
     cause a unique set of side effects: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate designates August 2005 as 
     ``Psoriasis Awareness Month''.

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