IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 347 

Expressing the sense of Congress that the Secretary of the Department 

of Health and Human Services, through the Centers for Disease Control 

and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration, should take 

action to educate the public on the importance of adequate iodine intake. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 8, 2008 

Mr. BACA submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred 

to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of Congress that the Secretary of the 

Department of Health and Human Services, through the 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the 

Food and Drug Administration, should take action to 

educate the public on the importance of adequate iodine 

intake. 

Whereas perchlorate at low levels impacts the production of 

thyroid hormones in women with iodine deficiency; 

Whereas thyroid hormone is critically important for fetal 

brain development; 

Whereas iodine deficiency is widely recognized as the leading 

and most readily preventable cause of mental impairment 

in children; 


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•HCON 347 IH 

Whereas a research study published in 2006 by the Centers 

for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 36 percent of the 1,111 women in such study were found to be 

iodine deficient; 

Whereas the researchers in such study found that in iodine 

deficient women, exposure to low levels of perchlorate 

may impact the production of thyroid hormones; 

Whereas such study raises concern that a large number of 

people in the United States, particularly women of childbearing age, may lack adequate iodine intake; 

Whereas some research has found strong links between iodine 

deficiency and attention deficit disorders; 

Whereas mild hypothyroidism during pregnancy has been associated with subtle cognitive deficits in children; 

Whereas in 2005, the National Research Council emphasized 

the importance of ensuring that all pregnant women have 

adequate iodine intake and, as a first step, recommended 

that consideration be given to adding iodine to all prenatal vitamins; 

Whereas perchlorate is a contaminant found in water and in 

many foods, including milk, and is known to inhibit thyroid function at high levels; 

Whereas perchlorate can impair thyroid function by inhibiting 

the uptake of iodine and reducing the amount of iodine 

available for hormone production; however, this impairment can be avoided or overcome with adequate iodine intake and stores of thyroid hormone; 

Whereas one way to minimize the action of perchlorate on the 

thyroid is to increase iodine intake; 


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•HCON 347 IH 

Whereas an increase in iodine intake would benefit the entire 

United States population, given that iodine intake decreased by approximately 50 percent between 1971–1974 

and 2001–2002, and conversely the proportions of people 

with mild or moderate iodine deficiency increased substantially; 

Whereas such mild or moderate iodine deficiency can be overcome by increasing the iodine content of salt, making salt 

iodination mandatory, and adding iodine to all multiple 

vitamin products; and 

Whereas an optimal method of protecting women and infants 

is to remove perchlorate from all potable water sources 

including groundwater plumes: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that the Sec3 retary of the Department of Health and Human Services, 

4 through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

5 and the Food and Drug Administration, should take ac6 tion to educate the public on the importance of adequate 

7 iodine intake to— 

8 (1) prevent mental impairment in children; 

9 (2) minimize the action of perchlorate on the 

10 thyroid; and 

11 (3) avoid the other effects of iodine deficiency. 

Æ 


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