[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Pages 4865-4866]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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   SENATE RESOLUTION 98--DESIGNATING THE FIRST WEEK OF APRIL 2017 AS 
                  ``NATIONAL ASBESTOS AWARENESS WEEK''

  Mr. TESTER (for himself, Mr. Markey, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Daines, Mr. 
Durbin, Mrs. Feinstein, Ms. Warren, Mr. Merkley, and Mr. Leahy) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on the Judiciary:

                               S. Res. 98

       Whereas dangerous asbestos fibers are invisible and cannot 
     be smelled or tasted;
       Whereas the inhalation of airborne asbestos fibers can 
     cause significant damage;
       Whereas asbestos fibers can cause cancer (such as 
     mesothelioma), asbestosis, and other health problems;
       Whereas symptoms of asbestos-related diseases can take 
     between 10 and 50 years to present themselves;
       Whereas the projected life expectancy for an individual 
     diagnosed with mesothelioma is between 6 and 24 months;
       Whereas generally, little is known about late-stage 
     treatment of asbestos-related diseases, and there is no cure 
     for asbestos-related diseases;
       Whereas early detection of asbestos-related diseases may 
     give some patients increased treatment options and might 
     improve the prognoses of those patients;
       Whereas the United States has substantially reduced the 
     consumption of asbestos in the United States, yet the United 
     States continues to consume tons of the fibrous mineral each 
     year for use in certain products throughout the United 
     States;
       Whereas asbestos-related diseases have killed thousands of 
     people in the United States;
       Whereas while exposure to asbestos continues, safety and 
     prevention of asbestos exposure has significantly reduced the 
     incidence of asbestos-related diseases and can further reduce 
     the incidence of asbestos-related diseases;
       Whereas thousands of workers in the United States face 
     significant asbestos exposure, which has been a cause of 
     occupational cancer;
       Whereas thousands of people in the United States die from 
     asbestos-related diseases every year;
       Whereas a significant percentage of all asbestos-related 
     disease victims were exposed to asbestos on naval ships and 
     in shipyards;
       Whereas asbestos was used in the construction of a 
     significant number of office buildings and public facilities 
     built before 1975;
       Whereas people in the small community of Libby, Montana, 
     suffer from asbestos-related diseases, including 
     mesothelioma, at a significantly higher rate than people in 
     the United States as a whole; and
       Whereas the designation of a ``National Asbestos Awareness 
     Week'' will raise public awareness about the prevalence of 
     asbestos-related diseases and the dangers of asbestos 
     exposure: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the first week of April 2017 as ``National 
     Asbestos Awareness Week'';
       (2) urges the Surgeon General of the United States to warn 
     and educate people about the public health issue of asbestos 
     exposure, which may be hazardous to their health; and

[[Page 4866]]

       (3) respectfully requests that the Secretary of the Senate 
     transmit a copy of this resolution to the Office of the 
     Surgeon General.

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