Recognizing The National Institutes Of Health

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support for the National Institutes of Health and the vital importance of continued investment in medical research. The National Institutes of Health is one of the world's leading medical research centers and represents our best hope for improving treatments and finding cures for diseases that affect millions of Americans.

Today, more than 30 million Americans suffer from rare or incurable diseases. The research conducted by the National Institutes of Health is critical for success in the fight against these diseases. Particularly troubling among these is Alzheimer's disease, for which there are no preventative measures, palliative treatments, or cure. While we have seen reduced incidence of some common diseases--like heart disease and some cancers--deaths from Alzheimer's disease have increased over the last 30 years.

Currently, Alzheimer's disease affects more than five million Americans. Families suffer both financially and emotionally as they care for loved ones with the disease, and it places a staggering burden on our health care system at a cost of over $200 billion per year. In Pennsylvania alone, more than 270,000 seniors suffer from Alzheimer's--13 percent of all senior citizens in the state of Pennsylvania. These numbers only underscore the importance of investing in public health research, which might yield valuable treatments and cures.

Mr. Speaker, continued support for the National Institutes of Health is a critical step in meeting the health care challenges currently facing our nation. I urge my colleagues to consider the far-reaching and long-term benefits of investment in medical research through the National Institutes of Health and the positive effect it will have on our nation's health and economy.

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