[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 1316]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING RONALD REAGAN AND THE MIND ACT

  (Mr. BURGESS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, on November 5, 1994, former President 
Ronald Reagan announced that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's 
disease. ``I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of 
my life,'' he wrote in a letter.
  At that time, 4 million Americans suffered with Alzheimer's. Today, 
over 5 million now carry that diagnosis. For members of my generation, 
that number will double to 10 million.
  President Reagan's 100th birthday would have been this past Sunday. 
This week, I am introducing the MIND Act. If passed, it will establish 
the issuance of United States Alzheimer's bonds to aid in the funding 
of Alzheimer's research. Proceeds of bond sales would fund the program 
and would be available to the Director of the National Institutes of 
Health solely for Alzheimer's research. The revenues generated by the 
sale of bonds would be funds for research in addition to, not instead 
of, regular appropriated funds.
  In his letter, President Reagan said, ``I know that for America there 
will always be a bright dawn ahead.''
  I know he is correct.
  There could be no more loving gift for members of my generation and 
of future generations than to provide additional non-Federal funding to 
help people who are afflicted or who will be diagnosed with Alzheimer's 
disease.

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