[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 156 (Tuesday, October 16, 2007)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E2152] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] TRIBUTE TO ABBEY MEYERS ______ HON. HENRY A. WAXMAN of california in the house of representatives Tuesday, October 16, 2007 Mr. WAXMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a selfless and a truly great American. For more than 20 years Abbey Meyers has been the voice of people in this country with rare diseases. She has helped establish national policy that has improved the lives of countless patients. Before Abbey Meyers began this important work, these patients had no advocate in Washington. Today no one is more effective in advocating on their behalf. The patients for whom Abbey Meyers works have one of more than 1,000 diseases, diseases that are not known to most people. Because the populations are so small, before 1980 drug companies did virtually no research to find cures for rare diseases, even though these diseases are devastating for afflicted patients and their families. In 1983 Congress enacted the Orphan Drug Act, which provided incentives to drug companies to invest in drugs for rare diseases. Since that time the Food and Drug Administration has approved approximately 200 orphan drugs; another 1000 drugs have been designated for orphan drug research. I believe that most of this work would never have been done without Abbey Meyers and the organization that she established in 1983, the National Organization of Rare Disorders (NORD). Abbey Meyers's success is due to her enormous skills in assisting patients in navigating the political world in Washington and in mastering complex scientific issues. Abbey Meyers and NORD support more than 2,000 patient organizations. She is a frequent witness on Capitol Hill on health policy issues. And she has had a significant influence on research into pharmaceuticals for rare disease. Recently Abbey Meyers has announced that she will retire as President of NORD. It is hard to imagine resolving major public health issues without her input. While we wish Abbey a joyful retirement, we know with near certainty that she will never stop thinking about what policies will best benefit patients in this country, and we will continue to benefit from her commitment and knowledge. ____________________