[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 16]
[Senate]
[Pages 22069-22070]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS

  The following petitions and memorials were laid before the Senate and 
were referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated:

       POM-193. A resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     Rockland County, New York, urging Congress to schedule a 
     public hearing in Rockland County with the Federal Aviation 
     Administration and to not close the public comment period on 
     the proposed airspace redesign; to the Committee on Commerce, 
     Science, and Transportation.
       POM-194. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Senate of 
     the State of Louisiana urging Congress to provide funding for 
     the Louisiana University of Medical Sciences, Inc., College 
     of Primary Care Medicine; to the Committee on Health, 
     Education, Labor, and Pensions.

                  Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 137

       Whereas, Louisiana suffers with one of the worst health 
     environments in the country, including a high infant 
     mortality rate, a high rate of low birth weight babies, and 
     an incidence of stroke that is 1.3 times that of the rest of 
     the country, outside of the ``stroke belt''; and
       Whereas, despite the best efforts of medical education 
     institutions in Louisiana, the deficit of primary care 
     physicians continues; and
       Whereas, less than one-half of the 1998 graduates of 
     medical education institutions in Louisiana selected a 
     primary care specialty; and
       Whereas, Louisiana University of Medical Sciences, Inc., 
     College of Primary Care Medicine, is a non-profit 
     organization designed to address the shortage of primary care 
     physicians in small towns, rural areas, and underserved 
     areas; and
       Whereas, the faculty and staff of the College of Primary 
     Care Medicine are committed to a teaching program that 
     addresses the shortage of primary care physicians both in 
     Louisiana and nationwide; and
       Whereas, throughout the educational experience at the 
     College of Primary Care Medicine of the Louisiana University 
     of Medical Services, Inc., the student will be exposed to a 
     wide variety of primary health care settings; and
       Whereas, through the program at the College of Primary Care 
     Medicine of the Louisiana University of Medical Services, 
     Inc., the traditional basic medical sciences will be 
     thoroughly presented, and students will be given all the 
     tools necessary to be successful on the United States Medical 
     Licensing Examination. Therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana hereby 
     memorializes the Congress of the United States to provide 
     funding for the Louisiana University of Medical Services, 
     Inc., College of Primary Care Medicine. Be it further
       Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to 
     the President of the United States, the secretary of the 
     United States Senate, the clerk of the United States House of 
     Representatives, and each member of the Louisiana delegation 
     to the Congress of the United States.
                                  ____

       POM-195. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Illinois urging Congress to 
     act on legislation that would ensure the safety and well-
     being of the returning veterans who face mental illness 
     caused by their fulfillment of their duties; to the Committee 
     on Veterans' Affairs.
       Whereas, a significant growth in Post-Traumatic Stress 
     Disorder (PTSD) has been identified over the past few years 
     with the

[[Page 22070]]

     escalation of combat veterans returning home from the Iraq 
     and Afghanistan conflicts; nation-wide calls for more 
     assistance for those returning with mental issues as a result 
     of combat have been growing, and this resolution is in 
     response to those calls; and
       Whereas, as of January 2007, more than 1.6 million U. S. 
     Servicemen and women had served in Afghanistan and Iraq; and
       Whereas, in October 2005, the U.S. Department of Veterans 
     Affairs reported that more than 430,000 U.S. soldiers have 
     been discharged from the military following service in 
     Afghanistan and Iraq; more than 119,000 have sought help for 
     medical or mental health issues from the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs to date; and
       Whereas, in January 2006, the Journal of the American 
     Medical Association reported that 35% of Iraq Veterans have 
     already sought help for mental health concerns; a 2003 New 
     England Journal of Medicine Study found that more than 60% of 
     Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom veterans 
     showing symptoms of PTSD were unlikely to seek help due to 
     fears of stigmatization or loss of career advancement 
     opportunities; and
       Whereas, in 2005, the Department of Veterans Affairs 
     reported that 18% of Afghanistan Veterans and 20% of Iraq 
     Veterans in their care were suffering from some type of 
     service-connected psychological disorder; and
       Whereas, the Department of Veterans Affairs has seen a 
     tenfold increase in PTSD cases in 2006; according to the VA, 
     more than 37,000 Vets of Iraq and Afghanistan are suffering 
     from mental health disorders, and more than 16,000 have 
     already been diagnosed with PTSD; and
       Whereas, according to the Army, since March 2003, at least 
     45 U.S. soldiers and 9 Marines have committed suicide in 
     Iraq; at least 20 soldiers and 23 Marines have committed 
     suicide since returning home, though exact numbers are not 
     available; and
       Whereas, the United States Congress is currently 
     considering H.R. 612, H.R. 1538, S. 713, and H.R. 1268, which 
     address the tragic Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder situation 
     among our returning veterans; therefore, be it
       Resolved, by the House of Representatives of the Ninety-
     fifth General Assembly of the State of Illinois, That our 
     returning veterans deserve the very best in healthcare, 
     including mental care, and that both the Federal Government 
     and State Governments must work together to provide this 
     healthcare; and be it further
       Resolved, That the State of Illinois wishes to be a model 
     State for the medical care that we offer to our returning 
     soldiers in joint partnership with the Federal Government; 
     and be it further
       Resolved, That we urge Congress to act on H.R. 612, H.R. 
     1538, S. 713, and H.R. 1268 for the safety and well-being of 
     our returning veterans who face mental illness caused by 
     their fulfillment of their duties; and be it further
       Resolved, That suitable copies of this resolution be sent 
     to the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader of the U.S. 
     Senate, the Speaker and the Minority Leader of the U.S. House 
     of Representatives, the Illinois Congressional Delegation, 
     and the Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans' 
     Affairs.

                          ____________________