[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 11056-11057]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           DONATE LIFE MONTH

  (Mr. COSTA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. COSTA. Madam Speaker, as the co-chair of the Congressional Organ 
and Tissue Donation Awareness Caucus, I am pleased to rise today in 
recognition of Donate Life Month, honoring all of the men and women who 
have made the decision to give the gift of life through organ 
donations.

[[Page 11057]]

  In 2007, over 28,000 people received transplants. Still, over 100,000 
people are currently, today, on the waiting list. The numbers grow each 
day. Despite amazing advances in medical technology and the tremendous 
work of the transplant community, sadly, many of the patients will not 
live long enough to receive a transplant.
  Today, each of you have an opportunity to make a difference in the 
life of a daughter or mother, a father or a brother or a husband that 
is coping with a life-threatening illness. I encourage each of my 
colleagues to make a pledge today that has nothing to do with politics 
but everything to do with making a difference and that is to join me in 
supporting Donate Life Month by becoming an organ donor.

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