September 19, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6465 

and the United States. This resolution 

encourages the people of the United 

States to observe National Native 

American Heritage Month and Native 

American Heritage Day. 

I call upon all of my colleagues to 

stand with me in support of this resolution. 

f 

SENATE RESOLUTION 562—DESIGNATING THE WEEK BEGINNING 

ON SEPTEMBER 10, 2012 AND 

ENDING ON SEPTEMBER 14, 2012 

AS ‘‘NATIONAL HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY WEEK’’ TO 

RECOGNIZE THE VALUE OF 

HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN IMPROVING HEALTH 

QUALITY 

Ms. STABENOW (for herself and Ms. 

SNOWE) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed 

to: 

S. RES. 562 

Whereas healthcare information technology and management systems have been 

recognized as essential tools for improving 

patient care, ensuring patient safety, stopping duplicative tests and paperwork, and reducing healthcare costs; 

Whereas the Center for Information Technology Leadership has estimated that the 

implementation of national standards for 

interoperability and the exchange of health 

information would save the United States 

approximately $77,000,000,000 in expenses relating to healthcare each year; 

Whereas Congress has made a commitment 

to leveraging the benefits of healthcare information technology and management systems, including supporting the adoption of 

electronic health records that will help to reduce costs and improve quality while ensuring the privacy of patients; 

Whereas the ability to exchange health information confidently and securely between 

different providers, systems, and insurers is 

critical to transforming the healthcare delivery system of the United States to improve clinical outcomes for patients, control 

costs, and expand access to care through the 

use of technology; 

Whereas Congress has made real-time 

health information exchange a priority and 

an essential component of the Medicare and 

Medicaid Electronic Health Records Incentive Programs; 

Whereas Congress has emphasized improving the quality and safety of delivery of 

healthcare in the United States; and 

Whereas, since 2006, organizations across 

the United States have united to support National Health Information Technology Week 

to improve public awareness of the benefits 

of improved quality and cost efficiency of 

the healthcare system that the implementation of health information technology could 

achieve: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the Senate— 

(1) designates the week beginning on September 10, 2012 and ending on September 14, 

2012 as ‘‘National Health Information Technology Week’’; 

(2) recognizes the value of information 

technology and management systems in 

transforming healthcare for the people of the 

United States; and 

(3) calls on all interested parties to promote the use of information technology and 

management systems to transform the 

healthcare system of the United States. 

SENATE RESOLUTION 563—DESIGNATING DECEMBER 3, 2012, AS 

‘‘NATIONAL PHENYLKETONURIA 

AWARENESS DAY’’ 

Mr. ISAKSON (for himself and Mr. 

KERRY) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed 

to: 

S. RES. 563 

Whereas phenylketonuria is a rare, inherited metabolic disorder that is characterized 

by the inability of the body to process the 

essential amino acid phenylalanine, and 

which causes mental retardation and other 

neurological problems, such as memory loss 

and mood disorders, when treatment is not 

started within the first few weeks of life; 

Whereas newborn screening for phenylketonuria was initiated in the United States 

in 1963 and was mandated by the Newborn 

Screening Saves Life Act of 2008 (42 U.S.C. 

201 note); 

Whereas approximately 1 of every 15,000 infants in the United States is born with 

phenylketonuria; 

Whereas the 2012 Phenylketonuria Scientific Review Conference affirmed the recommendation of lifelong dietary treatment 

for phenylketonuria made by the National 

Institutes of Health Consensus Development 

Conference Statement 2000; 

Whereas adults with phenylketonuria who 

discontinue treatment are at risk for other 

serious medical issues such as depression, 

impulse control disorder, phobias, tremors, 

and pareses; 

Whereas women with phenylketonuria 

must maintain strict metabolic control before and during pregnancy to prevent fetal 

damage; 

Whereas children born from untreated 

mothers with phenylketonuria may have a 

condition known as maternal PKU syndrome, which can cause small brains, mental 

retardation, birth defects of the heart, and 

low birth weight; 

Whereas phenylketonuria is treated with 

medical food; 

Whereas, although there is no cure for 

phenylketonuria, a treatment involving 

medical food and restricting phenylalanine 

intake can prevent progressive, irreversible 

brain damage; 

Whereas maintaining a strict medical diet 

for phenylketonuria can be difficult to 

achieve, and poor metabolic control can result in a significant decline in mental and 

behavioral performance; 

Whereas access to health coverage for medical food varies across the United States, and 

the long-term costs associated with caring 

for untreated children and adults far exceed 

the cost of providing medical food treatment; 

Whereas scientists and researchers are 

hopeful that breakthroughs in phenylketonuria research will be forthcoming; 

Whereas researchers across the United 

States are conducting important research 

projects involving phenylketonuria; and 

Whereas the Senate is an institution that 

can raise awareness of phenylketonuria 

among the general public and the medical 

community: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the Senate— 

(1) designates December 3, 2012, as ‘‘National Phenylketonuria Awareness Day’’; 

(2) encourages all people in the United 

States to become more informed about 

phenylketonuria; and 

(3) respectfully requests that the Secretary 

of the Senate transmit a copy of this resolution to the National PKU Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving 

the lives of individuals with phenylketonuria. 

SENATE RESOLUTION 564—DESIGNATING THE MONTH OF OCTOBER 2012 AS ‘‘NATIONAL MEDICINE ABUSE AWARENESS 

MONTH’’ 

Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mr. 

GRASSLEY, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. UDALL of 

New Mexico, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. 

PORTMAN, Mr. COONS, Mr. ROCKEFELLER, Mr. CORNYN, Mr. MANCHIN, Mr. 

WHITEHOUSE, Mr. DURBIN, and Mr. 

CASEY) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed 

to: 

S. RES. 564 

Whereas over-the-counter and prescription 

medicines approved by the Food and Drug 

Administration have been determined to be 

safe and effective when used properly; 

Whereas the misuse or abuse of these medicines can be extremely dangerous and 

produce serious side effects; 

Whereas the Office of National Drug Control Policy reports that medicine abuse is 

the fastest-growing drug problem in the 

United States, and the Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention has classified medicine abuse as an epidemic; 

Whereas the 2011 Monitoring the Future 

survey, funded by the National Institutes of 

Health, and the 2011 National Survey on 

Drug Use and Health, sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 

Administration, both illustrate that, after 

marijuana, over-the-counter and prescription medicines account for the most frequently abused drugs among 12th graders; 

Whereas the access teenagers often have to 

prescription medicines in home medicine 

cabinets and the lack of understanding by 

teenagers of the potential harms of these 

powerful medicines make it more critical 

than ever to raise public awareness about 

the dangers of medicine abuse; 

Whereas the Drug Enforcement Administration and many State and local law enforcement agencies have established drug 

disposal programs (commonly referred to as 

‘‘take-back programs’’) to facilitate the collection and destruction of unused, unwanted, 

or expired medications, thereby helping to 

take outdated or unused medications off 

household shelves and out of the reach of 

children and teenagers; 

Whereas National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month promotes the message that overthe-counter and prescription medicines are 

to be taken only as labeled or prescribed, and 

that using such medicines to get high or in 

large doses can cause serious or life-threatening consequences; 

Whereas observance of National Medicine 

Abuse Awareness Month should be encouraged at the national, state, and local levels 

to increase awareness of the abuse of medicines; 

Whereas a nationwide prevention and education campaign has been launched by the 

national organization that represents 5,000 

anti-drug coalitions nationwide, along with 

the association representing makers of overthe-counter medicines, to provide local coalitions with tools, training, and outreach 

strategies to engage and educate parents, 

grandparents, teachers, law enforcement officials, retailers, doctors, and other 

healthcare professionals about the potential 

harms of cough medicine abuse; and 

Whereas educating the public about the 

dangers of medicine abuse, encouraging parents to talk about medicine abuse with their 

teenagers, mobilizing parents to safeguard 

their home medicine cabinets, and promoting abuse prevention are critical components of what must be a multi-pronged effort 


tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with SENATE