[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 11896]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               RECOGNIZING THE FRATERNAL ORDER OF EAGLES

  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, one of the great joys of my job as Senator 
is working with non-profit organizations dedicated to improving the 
lives of all Americans. I would like to take a moment to salute one 
such organization, the Fraternal Order of Eagles.
  The Fraternal Order of Eagles is an international nonprofit 
organization with over 1 million members worldwide. Established in 
1898, the Fraternal Order of Eagles has truly made the lives of people 
across the world better by raising millions of dollars to combat cancer 
and heart disease, help children living with disabilities, and support 
the elderly.
  Two years ago, over 700 delegates representing the Fraternal Order of 
Eagles voted by unanimous consent to commit $25 million to the 
University of Iowa to create the world's premier diabetes research 
center. Already a world leader in medical and diabetes research, the 
University of Iowa has the unique ability to fully maximize every 
dollar being donated. But that isn't the only reason the Fraternal 
Order of Eagles selected the University of Iowa to receive these funds; 
both the Eagles and the University of Iowa have had a tradition of 
helping those in their communities and beyond for over a century.
  One of the missions of the Fraternal Order of Eagles is to lessen the 
ills of mankind, and I can't think of a more appropriate way to do that 
than to join in the fight against diabetes. In the United States, over 
23 million children and adults already suffer from the diabetes, with 
an additional 1.6 million adults being diagnosed every year. It is said 
that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and perhaps 
nowhere is that more applicable than in the case of diabetes. Unlike 
other chronic diseases which do not appear until later in life, 
diabetes does not spare the young. Almost 200,000 Americans below the 
age of 20 suffer from diabetes. It was recently predicted that one in 
three children born in 2000 will eventually suffer from diabetes if 
current rates continue. The health care cost associated with caring for 
these patients is enormous, amounting to over $170 billion in 2007. But 
the costs to patients and their loved ones who suffer from diabetes are 
even greater. Patients with diabetes are subject to an increased risk 
of blindness, kidney failure, high blood pressure, need for 
amputations, nerve damage, and premature death. The potential benefits 
of a cure for diabetes are truly outstanding, and that is why donations 
such as the one made by the Fraternal Order of Eagles are so important 
to improving the lives of all Americans.
  Martin Luther King Jr. once said, ``Life's most persistent and urgent 
question is: What are you doing for others?'' I think it is quite clear 
that the Fraternal Order of Eagles is doing a great deal. For this 
donation and for their other good works, I commend the Fraternal Order 
of Eagles.

                          ____________________