Funding for Alzheimer's Research

Floor Speech

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to appropriate an additional $200 million to the National Institutes of Health for research on Alzheimer's disease.

More than five million Americans currently have Alzheimer's disease. Today, someone develops Alzheimer's every 67 seconds and by 2050, it will be every 33 seconds.

Alzheimer's is the most expensive disease in America. Unless action is taken, the cost of Alzheimer's will total $1.2 trillion in 2050, and Medicare and Medicaid spending on Alzheimer's will increase 500 percent.

My mother-in-law battled this disease, so I appreciate how devastating it can be to patients and their loved ones.

The bipartisan National Alzheimer's Project Act (NAPA) was passed by Congress unanimously.

NAPA called for the creation of a National Alzheimer's Plan, which has resulted in some notable accomplishments. However, scientists and researchers must have the necessary funds to carry out the blueprint set forth in the Plan.
Congress provided an additional $100 million in Alzheimer's research for fiscal year 2014, yet we continue to underinvest.

To address a disease of this magnitude, we must further our commitment by increasing funding for Alzheimer's research by $200 million in fiscal year 2015.

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