[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 7]
[House]
[Pages 9552-9553]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    CONTINUE PRAYING FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE SHOOTING IN ALEXANDRIA, 
                                VIRGINIA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
South Carolina (Mr. Duncan) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, before I start, I just 
want to ask America to continue praying for our good friend, Steve 
Scalise, who was injured last week in the horrific targeting of 
Republican members of the congressional baseball team over in 
Alexandria. I had been there moments before the shooting started.
  I want to ask America to continue praying for those in law 
enforcement that, every day, run toward the danger when we are fleeing 
the danger, to protect us, our families, and our property; two brave 
Capitol Hill police officers who helped stop an active assassin last 
week, Crystal Griner and David Bailey, wounded in the act of fulfilling 
their role; two congressional staffers, Matt Mika and Zack Barth, 
injured on that baseball field, just participating in America's 
pastime, the game of baseball, a charity game to raise money for inner 
city children.
  It is tough. It is tough on Members of Congress. It is tough on our 
families and our staffs who are all questioning their security.
  I just ask America to take a deep breath before you utter a word or 
write a Facebook post or send an email, make a phone call. Remember, 
Scripture says to take the log out of your own eye before you try to 
take the fleck out of someone else's, words that we should remember.

[[Page 9553]]




                            The Longest Day

  Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, the reason I came down to 
the well today is today is June 21. It is the summer solstice, the 
first day of summer. It is the longest day of the year, from sunup to 
sundown. And the Alzheimer's Association has picked today, the longest 
day of the year, to recognize and raise awareness toward and for 
Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month, the month of June.
  I am wearing a purple tie today, and many are wearing purple in 
support of those impacted by Alzheimer's disease; more than five 
million people currently living with Alzheimer's disease in America, 
and it is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. These numbers 
are remarkable.
  We passed recently, in the last Congress, the 21st Century Cures Act. 
It is now a law, and I pray that it will serve as a jump start on 
moving medical research and development closer to finding a cure for 
such a mysterious disease.
  You know, this is a deeply personal issue with me. April of 2015, I 
lost my father to Alzheimer's. And as my family was going through 
struggling with my father's Alzheimer's and dementia, we found out 
that, in many cases, it is the caregivers who pass before the 
Alzheimer's patient because of the toll that Alzheimer's takes on the 
caregiver, hence, the name ``the longest day.'' For many of those 
caregivers, dealing with an Alzheimer's loved one is a long day, a lot 
of repetition, a lot of forgetfulness. We see our Alzheimer's loved 
ones doing things, saying things that they never would have done or 
said in their right mind.
  Alzheimer's is something that needs to be on our minds today, the 
longest day. The Alzheimer's Association needs to be supported. 
Alzheimer's research needs to be supported by Congress, by government 
at all levels so we can find a cure for this and end Alzheimer's.
  Today, the longest day, I ask America to join me in thinking about 
those Alzheimer's patients, those families and caregivers, the 
Alzheimer's Association, and let's end Alzheimer's. We can do that. We 
can do that, America. The longest day.

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