National Clinical Care Commission Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the sponsors of the bill, Congressman Olson and Congressman Loebsack, for introducing this legislation. I am very proud to be one of the many cosponsors of the bill.

H.R. 1192 would help to improve Federal efforts to treat and prevent metabolic disorders, autoimmune diseases, and diseases resulting from insulin deficiency or insulin resistance.

The most common metabolic disorder in the United States, of course, is diabetes, which affects more than 29 million Americans. Another 86 million Americans have prediabetes, a condition associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Unfortunately, all too often, diabetes leads, as my colleague said, to avoidable complications such as blindness, limb amputation, and kidney failure, and it costs our healthcare system an avoidable billions of dollars each year. That is why it is important to improve Federal efforts to prevent avoidable cases of these conditions and to ensure that Americans have the treatment and management services necessary to successfully manage them.

I am pleased that we were able to work together to pass this legislation. I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 1192.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, the truth is, in this country, if we were able to actually get some control of diabetes--which, as the author of this bill said, affects over 100 million Americans-- prediabetes or diabetes, we would be able to really get control of all healthcare costs. It is one of the biggest drivers of healthcare costs in our country.

So while this is a commission--and let's hope that the commission does its good work--we have to stay focused, as he said, on the issue of diabetes.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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