III 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 225 

Supporting the goals of International Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic 

Fatigue Syndrome Awareness Day. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 23 (legislative day, MAY 22), 2019 

Mr. MARKEY (for himself, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, 

Mr. COONS, Mr. HOEVEN, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. KING, Ms. STABENOW, Ms. SINEMA, Mr. CASEY, Ms. HARRIS, 

and Ms. WARREN) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting the goals of International Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Awareness Day. 

Whereas the National Academy of Medicine (referred to in 

this preamble as ‘‘NAM’’), formerly known as the Institute of Medicine, has found Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/ 

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (referred to in this preamble 

as ‘‘ME/CFS’’) to be ‘‘a serious, chronic, complex, and 

systemic disease that frequently and dramatically limits 

the activities of affected patients’’; 

Whereas between 836,000 and 2,500,000 individuals of all 

ages, races, and sexes in the United States are believed 

to be afflicted with ME/CFS, with millions more afflicted 


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by ME/CFS worldwide, and the vast majority of individuals with ME/CFS are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed; 

Whereas ME/CFS is approximately 4 times more prevalent in 

women than in men; 

Whereas ME/CFS is a chronic disease with no known cure 

and leaves 1⁄4 of individuals with ME/CFS housebound or 

bedbound for extended periods of time; 

Whereas 50 to 75 percent of individuals with ME/CFS cannot work or attend school; 

Whereas medical expenses and lost productivity related to 

ME/CFS cost the economy of the United States an estimated $17,000,000,000 to $24,000,000,000 annually; 

Whereas the cause of ME/CFS is unknown, there is no diagnostic test for ME/CFS, and there is no treatment for 

ME/CFS that is approved by the Food and Drug Administration; 

Whereas NAM has noted a ‘‘paucity of research’’ on ME/ 

CFS and that ‘‘more research is essential’’; 

Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has 

called ME/CFS ‘‘America’s Hidden Health Crisis’’; 

Whereas individuals with ME/CFS struggle to find doctors to 

care for them, and ME/CFS is included in less than 1⁄3

of medical school curricula; 

Whereas, in recognition of the dearth of research on ME/CFS 

and the profound impact that the disease has on individuals with ME/CFS and their loved ones and caretakers, 

the National Institutes of Health (referred to in this preamble as the ‘‘NIH’’) is ‘‘committed to unraveling the 

underlying biologic cause(s) of ME/CFS as swiftly as possible, and promoting research that will inform the develVerDate Sep 11 2014 05:30 May 24, 2019 Jkt 034408 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR225.ATS SR225

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opment of effective strategies for treatment and prevention of this devastating condition’’; 

Whereas, in 2017, 11 Institutes at the NIH and the Office 

of the Director of the NIH contributed more than 

$7,000,000 in grants to assist in establishing Collaborative Research Centers and a Data Management Coordinating Center to improve the coordination of ME/CFS 

research and help accelerate understanding of ME/CFS; 

and 

Whereas, in 2019, May 12 is recognized as International ME/ 

CFS Awareness Day: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) supports the goals of International Myalgic 

3 Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome 

4 Awareness Day; 

5 (2) recognizes and affirms the commitment of 

6 the United States to— 

7 (A) supporting research and medical edu8 cation for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic 

9 Fatigue Syndrome; and 

10 (B) promoting awareness among health 

11 professionals and the public about Myalgic En12 cephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome; and 

13 (3) recognizes the continued importance of— 

14 (A) health care professionals and medical 

15 researchers who care for individuals with 


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1 Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue 

2 Syndrome; and 

3 (B) those who work to discover the cause 

4 of, and develop and improve diagnosis of, treat5 ments for, and a cure for, Myalgic Encephalo6 myelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. 

Æ 


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