Paycheck Fairness Act - Motion to Proceed

Floor Speech

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Madam President, nearly every minute someone in America develops Alzheimer's disease. More than 5 million Americans suffer from this disease and more than 35 million individuals worldwide. If trends continue, the number of individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease after the age of 65 is expected to double every 5 years, while the number of people 85 years and older with this disease will triple by 2050.

Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, and there is currently no cure, no diagnostic test, and no treatment for this terrible disease.

As a nation, we must remain committed to defeating one of the greatest health threats to the health and well-being of all Americans. Caring for those with Alzheimer's and other dementia is expected to cost $214 billion this year--$214 billion this year alone, with $150 billion covered by the Federal Government through Medicare and Medicaid.

A recent study outlined that the cost of care for those struggling with dementia is projected to double over the next 30 years, surpassing health care expenses for both heart disease and cancer. Without a way to prevent, cure, or effectively treat Alzheimer's, costs will only continue to climb.

Alzheimer's has become a disease to define our generation. But if we focus and prioritize our research capabilities, it need not remain an inevitable part of aging. There is reason for newfound hope. Over the last 5 years, significant strides have been made in understanding how Alzheimer's disease affects the brain and body. This new understanding has the potential to lead to new research opportunities and to better management of the disease.

In February, the Senate Appropriations health subcommittee held a hearing on the impact of Alzheimer's--both economic and personal--and the state of these current research initiatives. I am the ranking member of that subcommittee. Chairman Harkin and I held this hearing to raise awareness of the threat to America's health, the impact on the financial well-being of our country, and to highlight the groundbreaking research initiatives currently taking place.

For example, until 2009, only one genetic variant was known to increase the risk of late-onset Alzheimer's disease. However, through advances in genome studies and other technologies, the list of known gene risk factors has grown substantially. Now researchers have identified 11 genetic risk factors.

The National Institutes of Health is supporting research that has established methods and standards for testing for biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease. Changes in these biomarkers may precede the onset of the disease and could be a key to unlocking the causes and progression of the disease.

NIH has also made significant progress over the last several years and we continue to support them moving more aggressively toward developing new treatments for Alzheimer's and related dementia. Several innovative studies, ranging from research on the most basic underpinnings of the disease to early-stage clinical trial of promising agents, are now underway.

A sustained Federal commitment to research for Alzheimer's will improve health outcomes for people living with the disease both today and in the future, and it will also lower health care costs. I have been and remain committed to prioritizing the funding for Alzheimer's research.

Recently, I and other members of the Appropriations Committee worked to include a $1 billion funding increase for the National Institutes of Health in the 2014 Omnibus appropriations bill. This amount includes a $100 million increase in funding for the National Institutes of Aging within NIH, as well as the initial year of funding for the new BRAIN initiative to map the human brain. These research investments are critically important because they will increase our understanding of the underlying causes of Alzheimer's, help unlock the mysteries of the brain, help bring us closer to an effective treatment and one day a cure.

Alzheimer's is a defining challenge of our generation. We must together commit to defeat this devastating disease by supporting the critical research carried out by scientists and researchers across our Nation. The health and financial future of our Nation are at stake, and the United States cannot afford to ignore such a threat. Together, we can make a sustained commitment to Alzheimer's research that will benefit our Nation and bring hope to future generation of Americans. The challenge is ours and the moment for us to act is now.

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