IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1237 

Supporting the goals and ideals of American Diabetes Month. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 24, 2020 

Ms. DEGETTE (for herself, Mr. REED, Mr. RUIZ, Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania, 

Ms. DELBENE, and Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting the goals and ideals of American Diabetes Month. 

Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (referred to in this preamble as the 

‘‘CDC’’)— 

(1) 34,200,000 individuals in the United States have 

diabetes; and 

(2) an estimated 88,000,000 individuals in the 

United States who are 18 years of age or older have 

prediabetes; 

Whereas diabetes is a serious chronic condition that affects 

individuals of every age, race, ethnicity, and income level; 

Whereas the CDC reports that— 

(1) Hispanic Americans, African Americans, Asian 

Americans, and Native Americans are disproportionately 


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•HRES 1237 IH 

affected by diabetes and develop the disease at much 

higher rates than the general population of the United 

States; and 

(2) an estimated 21.4 percent of individuals with diabetes in the United States have not yet been diagnosed 

with the disease; 

Whereas, in the United States, more than 10.5 percent of the 

population, including 26.8 percent of individuals who are 

65 years of age or older, have diabetes; 

Whereas, of the 17,400,000 veterans in the United States, 

8,800,000 who are 65 years of age or older, and 1 in 4 

overall, are receiving care for diabetes from the Department of Veterans Affairs; 

Whereas the risk of developing diabetes at some point in life 

is 40 percent for adults in the United States; 

Whereas, according to the American Diabetes Association, 

the United States spent an estimated $237,000,000,000 

on direct medical costs for cases of diagnosed diabetes in 

2017, and out-of-pocket costs for insulin have grown significantly in recent years for many patients; 

Whereas the American Diabetes Association reports that care 

for people with diagnosed diabetes accounts for 1 in 4 

health care dollars spent in the United States; 

Whereas the cost of health care is estimated to be 2.3 times 

higher for individuals in the United States with diabetes 

than those without diabetes; 

Whereas, as of November 2020, a cure for diabetes does not 

exist; 

Whereas there are successful means to reduce the incidence, 

and delay the onset, of type 2 diabetes; 


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Whereas, with proper management and treatment, individuals 

with diabetes live healthy and productive lives; and 

Whereas individuals in the United States celebrate American 

Diabetes Month in November: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the goals and ideals of American 

3 Diabetes Month, including— 

4 (A) encouraging individuals in the United 

5 States to fight diabetes through public aware6 ness of prevention and treatment options; and 

7 (B) enhancing diabetes education; 

8 (2) recognizes the importance of awareness and 

9 early detection, including awareness of symptoms 

10 and risk factors such as— 

11 (A) being— 

12 (i) older than 45 years of age; or 

13 (ii) overweight; and 

14 (B) having— 

15 (i) a particular racial and ethnic back16 ground; 

17 (ii) a low level of physical activity; 

18 (iii) high blood pressure; 

19 (iv) a family history of diabetes; or 

20 (v) a history of diabetes during preg21 nancy; 


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1 (3) supports decreasing the prevalence of type 

2 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes in the United 

3 States through research, treatment, and prevention; 

4 and 

5 (4) recognizes the importance of addressing sys6 temic barriers to health care that— 

7 (A) leave many vulnerable communities at 

8 a heightened risk for diabetes; and 

9 (B) limit access to health care resources 

10 that are needed to effectively prevent the onset, 

11 and to manage the condition, of diabetes. 

Æ 


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