[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 18579]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          TRIBUTE TO HAL POTE

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 19, 2006

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take his 
opportunity to recognize and congratulate Hal Pote on the occasion of 
his 60th birthday.
  Hal, a friend of mine, diligently serves as the President of the 
Spina Bifida Foundation, SBF. As Co-Chair of the Congressional Spina 
Bifida Caucus, I have had the privilege of working along side Hal and 
truly appreciate his commitment and dedication to improving the quality 
of life for individuals living with Spina Bifida.
  Mr. Speaker, Spina Bifida--our nation's most commonly permanently 
disabling birth defect--occurs in the first month of pregnancy when the 
spinal column does not close completely. Spina Bifida occurs in 
approximately 7 out of 10,000 live births and currently there are 
70,000 men, women, adolescents, and children living with Spina Bifida 
in the United States.
  In addition to Hal's strong professional commitment to improving the 
lives of those living with Spina Bifida, Hal has a binding personal tie 
that unites his heart with his expertise. Hal's nephew, Gregory was 
born with Spina Bifida almost 20 years ago.
  Supporting his nephew through more than 20 surgeries, Hal counts it a 
privilege to share in Gregory's many wonderful moments like in 2004 
when Gregory carried the Olympic torch. Hal is dedicated to ensuring 
that Gregory and all other individuals living with Spina Bifida enjoy a 
high quality of life. Through Hal's vision and dedication to helping 
Gregory and the tens of thousands of people like him, he joined with a 
group of colleagues to form the Spina Bifida Foundation in 1999.
  In its 7 years of existence, the Foundation has achieved many amazing 
things for the Spina Bifida community. Just a few years ago, people 
born with Spina Bifida did not live past their teenage years and yet 
today, thanks to the advances in medical research and the dedication of 
public advocates like Hal Pote, many children with Spina Bifida are 
living to be adults. With more and more people with Spina Bifida living 
into adulthood, Hal and the Spina Bifida Foundation are committed to 
addressing the new challenges these adults now face.
  One of the specific projects in which Hal has been instrumental is 
urging Gruma--one of the world's largest producers of corn flour and 
tortillas--to begin research and product testing on enriching its corn 
products with folic acid, a known preventative of Spina Bifida. At the 
urging of the Foundation and with the full and strong support of the 
Spina Bifida Caucus, Gruma now has a year-end goal of enriching all its 
corn products sold within the United States.
  This is an outstanding and notable achievement. In fact, studies show 
that if all women in the United States consumed the recommended amount 
of folic acid every day before and during early pregnancy, up to 70 
percent of neural tube birth defects could be prevented. Members of the 
Hispanic/Latino Community are at a higher risk of Spina Bifida affected 
pregnancies than any other ethnic group and this important and 
commendable action by Gruma has significant implications for improving 
the health and well-being of the US Hispanic/Latino population.
  In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend Hal for his 
outstanding leadership of the Spina Bifida Foundation and his steadfast 
commitment to improving the quality of life not just for his nephew 
Gregory but for all individuals living with Spina Bifida. I wish him 
the best on the occasion of his 60th birthday and am confident that he 
will continue to enjoy many successes in all of his charitable and 
professional endeavors.

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