Recognizing the importance of early diagnosis, proper treatment, and enhanced public awareness of Tourette Syndrome and supporting the goals and ideals of National Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) for yielding me this time and for bringing this concurrent resolution to the House floor today and also the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown), the ranking member, for supporting this bill.

This concurrent resolution has been explained by the gentleman from Florida (Chairman Bilirakis) very well, and I introduced this because of a friend that I have, a 17-year-old teenager in my district who suffers from Tourette's and has for most of his life. I have learned his personal story of living with Tourette's and what it is like. And like so many children and adults with Tourette's, he faced difficulties, not only in his life but in his classroom because classmates and teachers did not understand the nature of the illness. He faces daily difficulties with the medication he has to take to reduce the symptoms of Tourette's so that he can work and function. Johnny Loder is one of the thousands of Tourette sufferers who bravely seek to lead a normal life with a disease that tries to make that virtually impossible.

Despite coping with the condition, Johnny has been wonderfully successful in his own endeavors, and I wish that there was some magic cure because this kid is such a great young American, and he and so many others that suffer with this disease really do suffer.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the support of this concurrent resolution, and I include the balance of my statement in the Record.

Mr. Speaker, last May I introduced House Concurrent Resolution 430 to support the goals and ideals of a National Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month. This issue is very important to me and the other cosponsors of this resolution; we all have many friends and constituents whose lives are affected by Tourette Syndrome. It is quite clear that our country needs more medical research, education and increased public knowledge about this greatly misunderstood and frequently misdiagnosed disease.

The resolution we consider today recognizes the importance of an early and accurate diagnosis of Tourette Syndrome, appropriate treatment, and educational outreach. The resolution will enhance our collective efforts to encourage new awareness, attention and understanding.

Tourette Syndrome, or TS--is a genetic neurobiological disorder characterized by repeated involuntary movements and sounds that are known as ``tics.'' This complex disorder affects children and adults in all racial and ethnic groups. In a large percentage of cases TS is accompanied by other ``co-occurring'' disorders, the most common of which are Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and nonverbal learning disabilities.

Researchers estimate that about 200,000 Americans have what is called substantially impairing Tourette Syndrome, and even more individuals have milder symptoms of the disorder. Largely due to the nature of the disease and the lack of understanding in our society, many individuals with Tourette Syndrome endure the stigma, isolation, and the psychological impact of this chronic disorder on a daily basis.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to report that the Appropriations Committee which I chair appropriated funds to the Centers for Disease Control for a new research and educational outreach program on TS. This effort is designed to provide intensive training for the public, physicians, allied healthcare workers and teachers. It is our hope that this new effort will begin to educate the public and remove the stigma and other obstacles associated with living with this complex disorder.

Johnny Loder, a 17-year-old teenager from my Congressional District in Pinellas County, Florida, shared with me his personal story of living with Tourette Syndrome. Like so many children and adults with Tourette's, he faced difficulties in the classroom because his classmates and teachers did not understand the nature of his illness. He faces daily difficulties with the medication he takes to reduce the symptoms so that he can work and function. Johnny is one of the thousands of Tourette's sufferers who bravely seek to lead a normal life with a disease that tries to make that virtually impossible. Despite coping with the condition, Johnny has been wonderfully successful in his own endeavors. He and many others with Tourette Syndrome are leading rich, fulfilling lives despite the challenges that may be present along the way. They each provide outstanding examples of determination, perseverance and hope to their families, and to us all.

Mr. Speaker, the Tourette Syndrome Association has designated National Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month for the purposes I have described. I wholeheartedly support its goals and encourage Members to do the same. Passage of House Concurrent Resolution 430 would give all of us an opportunity to participate in the larger effort to familiarize ourselves and our citizens with the condition and the need for more research. It will help us better understand the impact that Tourette Syndrome can have on people living with the disorder, while recognizing the importance of early diagnosis and proper treatment.

Mr. Speaker, earlier this week I introduced House Concurrent Resolution 430 to support the goals and ideals of a National Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month.

This resolution recognizes the importance of an early and accurate diagnosis of Tourette Syndrome, appropriate treatment, and educational outreach. In short, it would enhance public awareness of this very misunderstood and often misdiagnosed disease.

Tourette Syndrome, or TS--is an inherited neurobiological disorder that affects children and adults in all racial and ethnic groups. The symptoms of TS are manifested as ``tics''--rapid, repeated, and involuntary movements and sounds. In a large percentage of cases TS is accompanied by other co-occurring disorders, the most common of which are Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and nonverbal learning disabilities.

It is estimated that as many as 200,000 Americans have what is called substantially impairing TS, and more have milder symptoms of the disorder. Many of these individuals endure the stigma, isolation, and the psychological impact of a chronic disorder on a daily basis. There is no cure for this condition, although some individuals benefit from medication and other clinical treatment. Scientific researchers have made some significant advances in recent years in trying to understand the causes of the condition, but many scientific challenges still remain.

Mr. Speaker, in January of this year, the Appropriations Committee I chair appropriated funds for a new research program by the Centers for Disease Control, as well as an educational outreach program. This effort is designed to provide intensive training for the public, physicians, allied healthcare workers and teachers about Tourette Syndrome. It is our hope that this program will begin to remove the stigma and other obstacles associated with living with this complex disorder. I personally have been inspired by meeting many children and adults with Tourette Syndrome who, despite coping with the condition, are wonderfully successful in their own endeavors and provide examples of determination, perseverance and hope to their families and to us all.

Mr. Speaker, the Tourette Syndrome Association, the only national nonprofit membership organization dedicated to identifying the cause, finding a cure, and controlling the effects of Tourette Syndrome, has designated May 15 through June 15 as National Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month. The goal of this effort is to educate the public about the nature and effects of TS.

Mr. Speaker, enactment of the legislation I have introduced to recognize National Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month would give all of us an opportunity to familiarize ourselves with the condition. It will help us better understand the impact that TS can have on people living with the disorder, as well as recognize the importance of early diagnosis and proper treatment.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 430) recognizing the importance of early diagnosis, proper treatment, and enhanced public awareness of Tourette Syndrome and supporting the goals and ideals of National Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 430.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 430 introduced by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young), my friend and colleague from my home State of Florida.

This resolution recognizes the importance of early diagnosis, proper treatment and enhanced public awareness of Tourette Syndrome and supports the goals and ideals of National Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month.

Tourette Syndrome, or TS, is a neurological disorder that arises during childhood or adolescence. TS is characterized by repeated and involuntary body movements, tics, and uncontrollable vocal sounds. Tics can include eye blinking, repeated throat clearing or sniffing, arm thrusting, kicking movements or jumping. Although the symptoms of TS vary from person to person and range from very mild to severe, the majority of cases fall into the mild category. Some associated conditions can include attention problems, impulsiveness and learning disabilities.

The National Institutes of Health, NIH, estimates that about 2 percent of Americans are affected by TS. However, these numbers are thought to be

conservative because individuals with varied mild symptoms may never seek medical attention. TS is also four times as likely to occur in boys as in girls.

Most people with TS lead productive lives and participate in all professions. However, lack of public awareness has increased the social stigma attached to TS. Increased public understanding and tolerance of TS symptoms are of extreme importance to people with Tourette Syndrome. With early diagnosis and treatment, as well as increased social understanding and acceptance, much of the physical and psychological harm of TS can be prevented.

I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 430 today.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young), the author of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I, too, want to compliment and thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown) and all of the committee staffers for their work on this and for their cooperation.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I would like to thank the gentleman from Florida (Chairman Young) for sponsoring this important resolution and thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) for yielding me this time this evening.

Tourette Syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary actions such as physical and vocal tics, as the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) said. It is a spectrum disorder, meaning that it manifests in a range of behaviors that occur with varying frequency and severity.

It is estimated that up to 3 percent of children in regular education classrooms and up to 7 percent of children in special ed classrooms have Tourette Syndrome. Most of these cases go undiagnosed. The media's portrayal of Tourette Syndrome has fueled significant misperceptions and misconceptions about this disorder. For example, most patients do not display the frequent involuntary use of violent language and other vocal tics that actors typically draw upon when they play adults with Tourette's. Physical tics are a far more common symptom.

While physical tics may be less dramatic than violent outbursts, they can have the same disruptive effect on the lives of Tourette patients. The gentleman from Florida's (Chairman Young's) concurrent resolution acknowledges the significant impact that Tourette Syndrome has on patients and on their families. Given Tourette's prevalence, given the importance of early detection and treatment in mitigating its symptoms and given the tragic consequences for patients when Tourette's is exploited or trivialized, it is clearly in the public interest to destigmatize Tourette Syndrome and build the necessary support to find its cure. I think this concurrent resolution takes a small step in doing that.

I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) for bringing this concurrent resolution to the floor, and I urge my colleagues to support the concurrent resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am unable to be in Washington, DC today. Two weeks ago, I injured my leg and my physician prefers that I not put it through the stress of an airplane flight from my home in Seattle, WA to Washington, DC. Were I able to attend today's session in the House of Representatives, I would have voted in support of:

S. 1301, H.R. 5364, H. Con. Res. 430, S. 2965, H.R. 4516, H.R. 3204,