[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12] [House] [Pages 16842-16844] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]RECOGNIZING SICKLE CELL DISEASE AWARENESS MONTH Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1663) supporting the goals and ideals of Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month. The Clerk read the title of the resolution. The text of the resolution is as follows: H. Res. 1663 Whereas Sickle Cell Disease is an inherited blood disorder that is a major health problem in the United States and worldwide; Whereas Sickle Cell Disease causes the rapid destruction of sickle cells, which results in multiple medical complications, including anemia, jaundice, gallstones, strokes, and restricted blood flow, damaging tissue in the liver, spleen, and kidneys, and death; Whereas Sickle Cell Disease causes episodes of considerable pain in one's arms, legs, chest, and abdomen; Whereas Sickle Cell Disease affects an estimated 70,000 to 100,000 Americans; Whereas approximately 1,000 babies are born with Sickle Cell Disease each year in the United States, with the disease occurring in approximately 1 in 500 newborn African American infants, 1 in 1,000 newborn Hispanic Americans, and is found in persons of [[Page 16843]] Greek, Italian, East Indian, Saudi Arabian, Asian, Syrian, Turkish, Cypriot, Sicilian, and Caucasian origin; Whereas more than 2,000,000 Americans have the sickle cell trait, and 1 in 12 African Americans carry the trait; Whereas there is a 1 in 4 chance that a child born to parents who both have the sickle cell trait will have the disease; Whereas the life expectancy of a person with Sickle Cell Disease is severely limited, with an average life span for an adult being 45 years; Whereas, though researchers have yet to identify a cure for this painful disease, advances in treating the associated complications have occurred; Whereas researchers are hopeful that in less than two decades, Sickle Cell Disease may join the ranks of chronic illnesses that, when properly treated, do not interfere with the activity, growth, or mental development of affected children; Whereas Congress recognizes the importance of researching, preventing, and treating Sickle Cell Disease by authorizing treatment centers to provide medical intervention, education, and other services and by permitting the Medicaid program to cover some primary and secondary preventative medical strategies for children and adults with Sickle Cell Disease; Whereas the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc. remains the preeminent advocacy organization that serves the sickle cell community by focusing its efforts on public policy, research funding, patient services, public awareness, and education related to developing effective treatments and a cure for Sickle Cell Disease; and Whereas the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc. has requested that the Congress designate September as Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month in order to educate communities across the Nation about sickle cell and the need for research funding, early detection methods, effective treatments, and prevention programs: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives-- (1) supports the goals and ideals of Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month; and (2) promotes education of teachers, school nurses, and school personnel in educational strategies such as distance learning and tutoring that will ensure children with Sickle Cell Disease can continue to access and pursue their education. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Ms. Hirono) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Hawaii. General Leave Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on House Resolution 1663 into the Record. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Hawaii? There was no objection. Ms. HIRONO. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1663, which supports the designation of the month of September as Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month. Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that affects between 70,000 and 100,000 Americans and many more around the world. While there is no cure, there have been recent advancements in the search, giving hope to millions affected by the disease. Researchers believe that with continued research and funding, sickle cell disease may become more manageable within the next two decades and no longer interfere with the activity, growth, or mental development of those affected. In addition, education and public awareness can play a critical role in fighting the disease, as early diagnosis can often help those who suffer from sickle cell disease manage its effects. I want to thank Representative Fudge for introducing this resolution. Once again, I express my support for House Resolution 1663, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution. Two million Americans have the sickle cell trait, including 1 in 12 African-Americans. Children born to parents with the sickle cell trait have a 1 in 4 chance of having the disease. Sickle cell disease is devastating to those who suffer from it. The rapid destruction of sickle cells can result in anemia, jaundice, gallstones, strokes, and possible liver, spleen and kidney damage. As a result, individuals with the disease often experience considerable pain in their arms, legs, chest, and abdomen as well as shortened life spans. Once again I express my support for House Resolution 1663 which designates the month of September as Sickle Cell Awareness Month. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of House Resolution 1663, supporting the goals and ideals of Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month. Sickle cell anemia is a serious disease in which the body makes sickle-shaped red blood cells. Sickle shaped means that the red blood cells are shaped like the letter ``C.'' Normal red blood cells are disc shaped and look like doughnuts without holes in the center. They move easily through your blood vessels. Red blood cells contain the protein hemoglobin. This iron-rich protein gives blood its red color and carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. Sickle cells contain abnormal hemoglobin that causes the cells to have a sickle shape. Sickle-shaped cells do not move easily through your blood vessels. They are stiff and sticky and tend to form clumps and get stuck in the blood vessels. The clumps of sickle cells block blood flow in the blood vessels that lead to the limbs and the organs. Blocked blood vessels can cause pain, serious infections, and organ damage. This disease affects an estimated 70,000 to 100,000 people in this country. Approximately 1,000 babies are born with sickle cell disease each year in the United States. More than 2 million Americans have the sickle cell trait, and 1 in 12 African Americans carry the trait. There is a 1 in 4 chance that a child born to parents who have the trait will have the disease. The life expectancy of a person with sickle cell disease is about 45 years of age. Researchers have yet to find a cure for this disease. However, there is hope that sickle cell disease, when properly treated like other chronic diseases, will not interfere with activity, growth, and development of affected children. Today we recognize the importance of prevention, treatment, research, and education on sickle cell disease and support the designation of September as Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and I simply want to close by saying that this is primarily a disease of African Americans. For years it has been known that they tend to have, by far, the largest number of sickle cells in their bodies; and, therefore, there is a real demand, a great need to find out what the source of this disease is and what can be done to prevent it because it has a dramatic affect on the African Americans in our Nation. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I support H. Res. 1663, a bill supporting the goals and ideals of Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month. In 1983, Congress first recognized September as the month to nationally commemorate sickle cell disease awareness. And it is in that same vein today that I ask for support of H. Res. 1663. More than 2.5 million Americans have the sickle cell trait. The sickle cell trait is found in 1 of 12 African Americans. There is a 1 in 4 chance that a child born to parents who both have the Sickle Cell Trait will develop the sickle cell disease. The average life span for an adult with the sickle cell disease is 45 years. Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder characterized by affected red blood cells that mutate into the shape of a crescent or sickle, and as such are unable to pass through small blood vessels. It is a recessive genetic condition that occurs when a child inherits two sickle cell genes- or traits- from each parent. The horrific outcomes of this condition include considerable pain in one's arms, chest, legs and abdomen, anemia, gallstone, strokes, as well as damaging tissue in the liver, spleen, kidney, and death. The sickle cell disease primarily affects African-Americans and other ethnic groups. Mr. Speaker, I would also just note that the devastation of this disease on those who are affected by it is, indeed, tremendous. I have had firsthand experience with it by virtue of having run a sickle cell community education project for the University of Illinois in Chicago and came in contact with many of the patients [[Page 16844]] and their families; saw the pain and suffering firsthand. I would urge all my colleagues to support the passage of this resolution. Ms. HIRONO. In closing, I too want to ask my colleagues to support this important resolution, as it affects so many thousands and thousands of people, particularly the African American community. With that, I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Ms. Hirono) that the House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1663. The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. ____________________