[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 4500]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 NATIONAL CEREBRAL PALSY AWARENESS DAY

  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee 
be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 484 and that the 
Senate now 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. 484) designating March 25, 2008, as 
     ``National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day.''

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed 
to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be laid 
upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 484) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 484

       Whereas cerebral palsy is any number of neurological 
     disorders that appear in infancy or early childhood and 
     permanently affect body movement and the muscle coordination 
     necessary to maintain balance and posture;
       Whereas cerebral palsy is caused by damage to 1 or more 
     specific areas of the brain, usually occurring during fetal 
     development, before, during, or shortly after birth, or 
     during infancy;
       Whereas the majority of children are born with cerebral 
     palsy, although it may not be detected until months or years 
     later;
       Whereas 75 percent of individuals with cerebral palsy also 
     have 1 or more additional developmental disabilities 
     including epilepsy, intellectual disability, autism and 
     visual impairments, or blindness;
       Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
     recently released information indicating an increase in the 
     prevalence of cerebral palsy and that the rate is now about 1 
     in 278 children;
       Whereas 800,000 Americans are affected by cerebral palsy;
       Whereas, while there is no current cure for cerebral palsy, 
     some treatment will often improve a child's capabilities and 
     scientists and researchers are hopeful that breakthroughs 
     will be forthcoming;
       Whereas researchers across the Nation are conducting 
     important research projects involving cerebral palsy; and
       Whereas the Senate is an institution that can raise 
     awareness in the general public and the medical community of 
     cerebral palsy: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates March 25, 2008, as ``National Cerebral Palsy 
     Awareness Day'';
       (2) recognizes that all people of the United States should 
     become more informed and aware of cerebral palsy; and
       (3) respectfully requests the Secretary of the Senate to 
     transmit a copy of this resolution to Reaching for the Stars: 
     A Foundation of Hope for Children with Cerebral Palsy.

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