[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 18315]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO DR. ROBERT J. BEALL

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM MARINO

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 17, 2015

  Mr. MARINO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service of Dr. 
Robert J. Beall for his service to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and 
the indelible mark he has made in the CF community and in the world of 
health and medicine over the past several decades.
  Dr. Beall announced on October 1, 2015 that he is stepping down as 
Chief Executive Officer of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, a role he 
has held for more than 20 years. Under Dr. Beall's leadership, the CF 
Foundation has become known for its pioneering and successful approach 
to supporting biomedical research and developing lifesaving treatments 
for those with cystic fibrosis.
  When Dr. Beall joined the Foundation in 1980, the median predicted 
age of survival for a person with the disease was 18 years of age--
today it is more than 40 years. For the first time in history, over 
half of the people living with CF are above 18 years of age, and 
therefore cystic fibrosis is no longer a pediatric disease.
  As a proud parent of a wonderful adult daughter with cystic fibrosis, 
I am personally thankful for Dr. Beall's leadership in this community. 
His tireless efforts have led this Foundation and the cystic fibrosis 
research community to remarkable successes in the development of 
innovative new therapies and dramatic improvement in the quality of 
life for those with CF.
  Through his innovation and leadership, Dr. Beall put the cystic 
fibrosis community on the road to success, and I have no doubt that his 
dedication over the past two decades has drastically accelerated our 
search for a life altering cure for CF patients.
  I am honored to serve as Co-Chair of the Congressional Cystic 
Fibrosis Caucus alongside Congressman Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, 
and I look forward to continuing the legacy of Dr. Beall through our 
work the CF community as well as fellow leaders in Congress.

                          ____________________