[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 14258-14259]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    NATIONAL APHASIA AWARENESS MONTH

  Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to proceed to S. 
Res. 172.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 172) designating June 2009 as 
     ``National Aphasia Awareness Month'' and supporting efforts 
     to increase awareness of aphasia.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to 
reconsider be laid upon the table, there be no intervening action or 
debate, and any statements relating to this matter be printed in the 
Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 172) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 172

       Whereas aphasia is a communication impairment caused by 
     brain damage that typically results from a stroke;
       Whereas, while aphasia is most often the result of stroke 
     or brain injury, it can also occur with other neurological 
     disorders, such as a brain tumor;
       Whereas many people with aphasia also have weakness or 
     paralysis in the right leg and right arm, usually due to 
     damage to the left hemisphere of the brain, which controls 
     language and movement on the right side of the body;
       Whereas the effects of aphasia may include a loss of or 
     reduction in the ability to speak, comprehend, read, and 
     write, but the intelligence of a person with aphasia remains 
     intact;
       Whereas, according to the National Institute of 
     Neurological Disorders and Stroke (referred to in this 
     resolution as the ``NINDS''), stroke is the 3rd-leading cause 
     of death in the United States, ranking behind heart disease 
     and cancer;
       Whereas stroke is a leading cause of serious, long-term 
     disability in the United States;
       Whereas the NINDS estimates that there are about 5,000,000 
     stroke survivors in the United States;
       Whereas the NINDS estimates that people in the United 
     States suffer about 750,000 strokes per year, with 
     approximately \1/3\ of the strokes resulting in aphasia;
       Whereas, according to the NINDS, aphasia affects at least 
     1,000,000 people in the United States;
       Whereas the NINDS estimates that more than 200,000 people 
     in the United States acquire the disorder each year;

[[Page 14259]]

       Whereas the National Aphasia Association is a unique 
     organization that provides communication strategies, support, 
     and education for people with aphasia and their caregivers 
     throughout the United States; and
       Whereas, as an advocacy organization for people with 
     aphasia and their caregivers, the National Aphasia 
     Association envisions a world that recognizes the ``silent'' 
     disability of aphasia and provides opportunity and 
     fulfillment for people affected by aphasia: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates June 2009 as ``National Aphasia Awareness 
     Month'';
       (2) supports efforts to increase awareness of aphasia;
       (3) recognizes that strokes, a primary cause of aphasia, 
     are the 3rd-largest cause of death and disability in the 
     United States;
       (4) acknowledges that aphasia deserves more attention and 
     study in order to find new solutions for serving individuals 
     experiencing aphasia and their caregivers;
       (5) supports efforts to make the voices of people with 
     aphasia heard, because people with aphasia are often unable 
     to communicate with others; and
       (6) encourages all people in the United States to observe 
     National Aphasia Awareness Month with appropriate events and 
     activities.

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