Supporting the goals and ideals of National Myositis Awareness Day.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Maryland, and I thank Chairman Davis for his cooperation on this very important bill. I also want to thank Ranking Member Waxman for considering this resolution, and also Representative Foxx for her leadership.

Mr. Speaker, this resolution supports the goals and ideals of a National Myositis Awareness Day. I was first introduced to the myositis community through my work to improve Medicare access to intravenous immune globulin, or IVIG. The myositis community is one of many patient groups that rely on IVIG. However, since there are several forms of myositis that affect different people in different ways, the disease is often misunderstood and cannot be treated with a single remedy. This is one of many reasons that it is important that we pass this resolution.

As the chairman said, each year an estimated 30,000 to 50,000 Americans

are affected by myositis, a general term used to describe swelling of the muscles. Myositis patients suffer from their immune systems attacking their body's own normal tissue, resulting in inflammation or swelling. The disease can cause muscle weakness, and patients often live in chronic pain and have long-term health problems that can lead to permanent disabilities.

Myositis affects individuals of all ages and can come in many different forms. Many patients with treatable forms of myositis often have severe long-term disabilities because of failure to diagnose and treat the disease. In addition, the effects of inflammatory myopathies are much more severe than just inflammation. They are thought to be autoimmune diseases such as that the body's immune system, which normally fights infections and viruses, does not stop fighting once the infection or virus is gone.

Mr. Speaker, because myositis varies so much from patient to patient, no single existing treatment works for everyone. Myositis can be treated with steroids, various medicines and intravenous immune globulin.

The Myositis Association is the national patient advocacy organization serving the myositis community and has designated September 21 as Myositis Awareness Day. Myositis advocates traveled to Capitol Hill last Thursday in an effort to educate the public and Congress on the need for more research funding, accurate diagnosis, and effective treatments for this disease. This resolution thanks them for their work and dedicates the United States Congress to continuing the research for treatments.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 974) supporting the goals and ideals of National Myositis Awareness Day.

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 the resolution under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 974, introduced by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Israel), would support the goals and ideals of National Myositis Awareness Day.

Myositis is a general term used to describe swelling of the muscles. It is listed as a rare disease by the National Institutes of Health's Office of Rare Diseases. Many people, however, are affected by the condition each year. It is estimated there are between 30,000 and 50,000 cases in the United States alone.

This resolution will help to raise awareness to medical professionals, elected officials, policymakers, and communities about myositis.

Mr. Speaker, I urge our colleagues to adopt this.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. But I want to commend the gentleman from New York for bringing this resolution to our attention. When we saw it, we moved it very, very quickly. This is important, and we appreciate his leadership, and also my friend from Maryland.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time and urge my colleagues to support the resolution.

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

I want to congratulate our colleague, Mr. Israel, from New York for introducing this important resolution and drawing attention to this very, very important issue.

With that, I yield him such time as he may consume.

Mr. Speaker, let me just again commend Mr. Israel of New York for his leadership on this issue and bringing attention to the disease myositis.

Again, as he said, it is important as we raise national awareness about these diseases that we also provide the resources necessary to the NIH and other researchers who are doing important work to find cures and treatments for these diseases. It is absolutely essential that we invest as a Nation in that very important effort and provide them with the resources they need.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.