[Congressional Bills 110th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H. Res. 1333 Introduced in House (IH)] 110th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 1333 Supporting the goals and ideals of Tay-Sachs Awareness Month. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 10, 2008 Mr. Arcuri (for himself, Mr. Welch of Vermont, Mr. McGovern, Ms. Matsui, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Ms. Castor, Ms. Sutton, Mr. Ellsworth, Mr. Carney, Mr. Marshall, Mr. Berry, Mr. Donnelly, Ms. Bean, Mr. Chandler, Mr. Matheson, Mr. Boren, Mr. Sires, Mr. Barrett of South Carolina, Mr. Israel, Mr. Bishop of New York, Mr. Space, Mr. Ross, Mr. Altmire, Mr. Shuster, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Weiner, Ms. Shea-Porter, Mr. Braley of Iowa, Mr. Murphy of Connecticut, Mr. Sarbanes, Mr. Ackerman, Mr. McNulty, Mr. Klein of Florida, Mr. Hodes, Mr. Rothman, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Ryan of Ohio, Mr. Patrick J. Murphy of Pennsylvania, Mr. Hare, Ms. DeGette, and Mrs. Lowey) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce _______________________________________________________________________ RESOLUTION Supporting the goals and ideals of Tay-Sachs Awareness Month. Whereas Tay-Sachs disease is a rare, genetic disorder that causes destruction of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord due to the poor functioning of an enzyme called beta-hexosaminidase A; Whereas there is no proven treatment or cure for Tay-Sachs disease, which is always fatal in children; Whereas the disorder was named after Warren Tay, an ophthalmologist from the United Kingdom, and Bernard Sachs, a neurologist from the United States, both of whom contributed to the discovery of the disease in 1881 and 1887, respectively; Whereas Tay-Sachs disease often affects families with no prior history of the disease; Whereas approximately 1 in 27 Ashkenazi Jews, 1 in 30 Louisianan Cajuns, 1 in 30 French Canadians, 1 in 50 Irish Americans, and 1 in every 250 people are carriers of Tay-Sachs disease; Whereas approximately 1,200,000 Americans are carriers of Tay-Sachs disease; Whereas these unaffected carriers of the disease possess the recessive gene that can trigger the disease in future generations; Whereas if both parents of a child are carriers of Tay-Sachs disease, there is a 1 in 4 chance that the child will develop Tay-Sachs disease; Whereas a simple and inexpensive blood test can determine if an individual is a carrier of Tay-Sachs disease, and all people in the United States, especially those citizens who are members of high-risk populations, should be screened; and Whereas heightened awareness and increased research are the best ways to eradicate this horrific disease: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives supports the goals and ideals of Tay-Sachs Awareness Month and encourages and supports education and research efforts with respect to Tay-Sachs disease. <all>