Durbin Praises Passage of Combating Autism Act
DURBIN PRAISES PASSAGE OF COMBATING AUTISM ACT
Friday, August 4, 2006
[Washington, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today praised the Senate's unanimous approval of a bipartisan bill, the Combating Autism Act, which is designed to improve the quality of life for children with autism and their families. Durbin was a cosponsor of the legislation.
"One out of every 166 children born in America today will be diagnosed with some form of autism. In the past decade, Illinois has seen a staggering 353% increase in autism cases," said Durbin. "The Combating Autism Act takes a comprehensive, national approach to conquering this potentially devastating disease, and I was proud to support this bill."
Autism is a severe neurological disorder that affects language, cognition, emotional development, and the ability to relate and interact with others. Current estimates suggest that over one million Americans suffer from some form of autism. For unknown reasons, the number of children diagnosed with autism has skyrocketed in recent years, from one in 10,000 children born ten years ago to approximately one in 166 children born today. Although it is more common than Down syndrome, childhood cancer and cystic fibrosis, autism research currently receives less funding than these other childhood diseases.
Senators Rick Santorum (R-PA) and Chris Dodd (D-CT) introduced S. 843, the Combating Autism Act, in April 2005. The bill authorizes $860 million over five years to combat autism through research, screening, intervention, and education.
"As parents of a little girl with autism, my wife and I struggle every day to help her overcome the challenges of this disorder. There are too few real answers out there and not enough support," said Christopher Kennedy, Legislative Director of the Autism Society of Illinois. "This legislation will help my daughter and thousands like her to meet their full potential and give them a real chance at life. We are grateful for the efforts of Senators Durbin and Obama to move this crucial bill forward." Kennedy is also a member of the Illinois Autism Task Force, which recently recommended increased funding for research, treatment and family support services.
Durbin noted that he has heard from more than 100 Illinois families asking for his help in responding to this public health threat. In addition to his support for the bill, Senator Durbin has written letters to the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Director of the NIH in the last year asking for their commitment to make autism research a priority.
While the Senate's passage of the Combating Autism Act is a significant step in the right direction, Durbin said he has been disappointed with the Bush Administration's overall lack of commitment to biomedical research - including research which has the potential to cure autism and other conditions and diseases. Despite the Senate passage of a $1 billion increase in funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), this year is the first year since 1971 in which our nation's premier research institutions have seen their funding decrease.
http://durbin.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=261424&&