[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 3282]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      RECOGNIZING RARE DISEASE DAY

  (Mr. PAULSEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, this week, on February 28, we recognize 
Rare Disease Day, which gives us a chance to raise awareness of the 
rare diseases affecting our communities.
  In the United States, there are 7,000 rare diseases affecting nearly 
30 million Americans. One disease I would like to raise awareness about 
today is pulmonary fibrosis, which affects individuals' lungs and their 
ability to breathe.
  Pulmonary fibrosis kills 40,000 Americans each and every year, the 
same number of annual deaths as from breast cancer. There is still no 
known cure, no known cause, and no FDA-approved treatment.
  Earlier this year, Mr. Speaker, Senator Coons and I led a bipartisan 
letter, with 41 other Members of Congress, asking the National 
Institutes of Health to review their funding levels for rare diseases 
like pulmonary fibrosis. This letter shows that Members on both sides 
of the aisle want to see more progress in fighting back against these 
rare diseases.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues and constituents to remember 
our fellow Americans suffering from rare diseases, including pulmonary 
fibrosis.

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