[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 21]
[House]
[Page 28248]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          SUPPORTING THE OBSERVANCE OF NATIONAL DIABETES MONTH

  Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on Energy and Commerce be discharged from further consideration of 
House Resolution 914 and ask for its immediate consideration in the 
House.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from California?
  There was no objection.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 914

       Whereas there are nearly 24,000,000 people in the United 
     States with diabetes and 57,000,000 with pre-diabetes;
       Whereas diabetes contributed to the deaths of over 300,000 
     people in the United States in 2007, making diabetes the 
     seventh leading cause of death;
       Whereas every minute, 3 people are diagnosed with diabetes;
       Whereas each day approximately 4,384 people are diagnosed 
     with diabetes and approximately 1,600,000 new cases of 
     diabetes were diagnosed in people 20 years or older in 2007;
       Whereas between 1990 and 2001, diabetes prevalence in the 
     United States increased by more than 60 percent;
       Whereas over 24 percent of diabetes is undiagnosed, down 
     from 30 percent in 2005 and 50 percent 10 years ago;
       Whereas over 10 percent of adults and nearly a quarter 
     (23.1 percent) of people in the United States age 60 and 
     older have diabetes;
       Whereas diabetes is a serious chronic condition that 
     affects people of every age, race, income level, and 
     ethnicity;
       Whereas Hispanic, African, Asian, Pacific Islanders, and 
     Native Americans are disproportionately affected by diabetes 
     and suffer at rates much higher than the general population;
       Whereas 15,000 youth in the United States are diagnosed 
     with type 1 diabetes annually and about 3,700 youth are 
     diagnosed with type 2 diabetes annually;
       Whereas 1 in 3 people in the United States born in the year 
     2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime, this statistic 
     grows to nearly 1 in 2 for minority populations;
       Whereas diabetes costs the United States an estimated 
     $174,000,000,000 in 2007 and $1 in every $10 spent on health 
     care is attributed to diabetes and its complications;
       Whereas approximately $1 out of every $4 Medicare dollars 
     is spent on the care of people with diabetes;
       Whereas every day 230 people with diabetes undergo an 
     amputation, 120 people enter end-stage kidney disease 
     programs, and 55 people go blind from diabetes;
       Whereas there is not yet a cure for diabetes;
       Whereas there are proven means to reduce the incidence of 
     and delay the onset of type 2 diabetes;
       Whereas people with diabetes live healthy, productive lives 
     with the proper management and treatment; and
       Whereas National Diabetes Month is celebrated in November: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) supports the goals and ideals of National Diabetes 
     Month, including encouraging people in the United States to 
     fight diabetes through raising public awareness about 
     stopping diabetes and increasing education about the disease;
       (2) recognizes the importance of early detection, awareness 
     of the symptoms of diabetes, and the risk factors for type II 
     diabetes, which include being over the age of 45, coming from 
     certain ethnic backgrounds, being overweight, having a low 
     physical activity level, high blood pressure, and a family 
     history of diabetes or a history of diabetes during 
     pregnancy; and
       (3) supports decreasing the prevalence of diabetes, 
     developing better treatments, and working toward an eventual 
     cure for type I and type II diabetes through increased 
     research, treatment and prevention.

  Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. 
Res. 914, recognizing November as National Diabetes Awareness Month. I 
would also like to thank Congresswoman DeGette for sponsoring this 
resolution.
  Because someone in my family has diabetes, I know how awful it is. 
Diabetes affects nearly 24 million adults and children nationwide. Even 
more frightening is the fact that an additional 57 million more are at 
risk for Type II diabetes. According to the New Hampshire Department of 
Health and Human Services, diabetes is currently the 7th leading cause 
of death in New Hampshire. Approximately 7.2 percent of the population 
between 18-64 years of age have been diagnosed with diabetes.
  We need to increase awareness about this epidemic. Not only is it a 
health issue, but it is a financial issue. Diabetes treatment costs 
total $174 billion a year in this country. If we place emphasis on 
prevention, we can drastically reduce these costs.
  We must be more aggressive in preventing, diagnosing, and treating 
this disease. We also must continue striving for a cure.
  Raising awareness and increasing funding to tackle the root of the 
problem is essential. As a proud cosponsor of this resolution, I urge 
my colleagues to join me in supporting the fight against diabetes.
  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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