[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Pages 8483-8484]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO THOMAS GALYON

  Mr. COTTON. Madam President, today I recognize Thomas Galyon of 
Rogers, AR, as this week's Arkansan of the Week for his advocacy work 
with the Arkansas chapter of the national ALS Association.
  Tom was diagnosed with ALS in 2014 and has been a tireless advocate 
ever since. Tom isn't one to let ALS hold him back. In fact, after 
spending 33 successful years in the tourism industry, Tom decided 
retirement wasn't for him and went back to work as the property manager 
for the Center for Nonprofits at St. Mary's in northwest Arkansas. As 
luck would have it, the ALS Association is headquartered in the very 
building Tom manages, making his commitment to their organization that 
much stronger.
  Recently I had the opportunity to meet with Tom when he came to 
Washington to advocate on behalf of the ALS Association. We had a long 
discussion, where I learned about Tom's story and the struggle of 
nearly 20,000 other Americans who are currently living with ALS. During 
our meeting, Tom asked me to address the problem that persons with ALS 
face when seeking disability insurance.
  I was proud to work with my colleague Senator Whitehouse to become 
the lead Republican sponsor of the ALS Disability Insurance Access Act, 
a bill that would waive the 5-month waiting period to receive 
disability insurance program benefits for those living with ALS. While 
the waiting period may be prudent in many cases, for ALS it consumes a 
lot of the remaining life expectancy once you get a diagnosis of ALS.
  We now have nine sponsors. As we gain more support, I am hopeful this 
bill will move forward and eventually become law.
  In a testimony about his journey with ALS, Tom writes: ``Until there 
is a treatment or a cure for ALS I will continue to be an avid advocate 
for change in government policies and procedures that affect all ALS 
patients in a negative way.''
  I encourage all Arkansans to take a lesson from Tom's words: Advocacy 
works. If there is a bill or regulatory matter that impacts your life, 
I want to hear about it. To become an advocate, contact my office and 
tell me your story. It is part of my job to represent you in the 
Senate.
  Tom's journey is a remarkable one. He has not let the unexpected 
discourage him. In fact, he has used his diagnosis to teach others 
about ALS and bring us closer to a cure. As Tom himself always says, 
``Blue skies always.'' I think that is a mantra everyone in the Senate 
and Arkansas could adopt, too. It is my honor to recognize Thomas 
Galyon as this week's Arkansan of the Week.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Ms. COLLINS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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