Recognizing the need to pursue research into the causes, a treatment, and an eventual cure for primary lateral sclerosis, supporting the goals and ideals of Primary Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 896, the Primary Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month Act. I would like to thank Chairman Dingell, Chairman Pallone, Ranking Member Nathan Deal, along with Mr. Terry, for helping guide this legislation through the committee.

Primary lateral sclerosis, commonly referred to as PLS, is a neurological disorder that affects the cells that control the voluntary muscles. PLS is similar to ALS, often called Lou Gehrig's disease.

Can you imagine someone who is diagnosed with PLS, but yet they are told that it is ALS and in fact it was PLS that they were diagnosed, and thinking that they only had X amount of time to live, its impact it has on the family members and others as they begin to look at that disease because not enough research has been done? That is devastating to the individuals and the family members who are diagnosed. That is why it is important that we do the research.

This illness is, of course, named after the famous Yankee baseball player who suffered and died of ALS before we knew much about it. As with many other neurological disorders, once the nerve cells that control the voluntary muscles are affected, a person's physical ability to function becomes very difficult.

Symptoms of PLS include difficulties with balance, sudden involuntary muscle spasms in the hands, feet, legs, and speech problems when the facial muscles are affected. But these symptoms are not unique to PLS alone. PLS is often very difficult to diagnose because the symptoms vary, and may progress slowly over a period of time of many years. I would rather have someone be diagnosed with the right PLS versus ALS to know that they are going to live a lot longer.

Because of this, many Americans are still unaware of the severe nature of PLS, even though the disorder was first discovered in 1850 in France. That is why we need to continue with greater and more expansive research.

My resolution serves to raise awareness across the Nation by urging all Americans to recognize February of 2009 as PLS Awareness Month. This resolution emphasizes the need of greater funding and more research to combat neuromuscular disease. With this bill, Congress is helping educate our doctors and nurses and the rest of the medical community about PLS.

However, there are many courageous and dedicated individuals who are doing this already.

One is my good friend, Hardy Brown, who is from my district and, of course, owner of the Black Voice Newspaper in California. He has dedicated his life to serve as a voice for underrepresented communities in the Inland Empire. Throughout his life, Hardy Brown has done a tremendous job in the community raising awareness of Lou Gehrig's disease. Now he is diagnosed with PLS. Hardy Brown, once a vibrant, active leader, is now in a wheelchair doing what he can despite difficulties moving, speaking, and typing.

Another individual, Tyonja Bathgate from Maryland, whose husband was diagnosed with PLS, has torn herself from her husband's bedside to advocate on behalf of this issue.

We want to thank these individuals and all others who have worked to raise the awareness of these conditions. But we must do more, and urging the establishment of a PLS Awareness Month is a step in the right direction. There is currently no cure for PLS, and hopefully one day we will find a cure. God willing, we will do that.

Treatment and symptoms vary from person to person, and the age of onset is generally between the ages of 35 to 66, and, as it was stated, over 2,000 have been diagnosed with this.

Because of the similar symptoms, researchers believe that PLS patients are often diagnosed with ALS, and I have already stated the effects it has on families when they are told that.

Most of us have heard of Lou Gehrig's disease, but this legislation today will help raise the awareness and stress the importance of a very familiar disorder. The medical community must be able to properly diagnose those individuals who suffer from PLS and other neuromuscular disease to ensure proper care and treatment.

I urge my colleagues to vote for H. Res. 896, and join me and all individuals and organizations in this effort to fight this devastating illness. And I want to thank again Mr. Pallone, Mr. Terry for helping us with this legislation and many of the others that will support this to make sure that not many other individuals suffer from this type of disease that will affect others as well.

Mr. Speaker, I too rise in support of House Resolution 896, recognizing February of 2009 as Primary Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month. I also wish to thank Mr. Baca for authoring this resolution.

While primary lateral sclerosis is not fatal, there is no cure, and the progression of symptoms varies. Some Americans affected by this disease may retain the ability to walk without assistance, but others eventually require wheelchairs, canes, or other assistive devices that limit their mobility.

Because primary lateral sclerosis is such a rare neuromuscular disease, its diagnosis is often delayed because of its resemblance to ALS, or better known as Lou Gehrig's disease. In PLS, there is no evidence of the degeneration of spinal motor neurons or muscle

wasting that occurs in ALS, and it is characterized by progressive muscle weakness in the voluntary muscles. PLS belongs to a group of disorders known as motor neuron diseases that develop when the nerve cells that control voluntary muscle movement degenerate and die. This usually occurs after the age of 50, and causes a gradual weakness in the muscles.

Symptoms for the individuals afflicted by the disease may include difficulty with balance, weakness and stiffness in the legs, and clumsiness. Other symptoms may include sudden and involuntary muscle spasms in the hands, feet, or legs, and maybe speech problems due to the involvement of the facial muscles. The disease, which scientists believe is not hereditary, progresses gradually over a number of years or even decades.

The efforts of the Spastic Paraplegia Foundation have been paramount in raising funds dedicated to finding cures and providing information about PLS. Thanks to the dedication and hard work of many individuals at the Spastic Paraplegic Foundation, in just 5 years, more than $1 million has been targeted to research on SPF conditions and thousands of people have been helped.

I would like to thank the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the National Institute of Health for conducting a broad range of research on neuromuscular disorders such as PLS. Their research has been aimed at developing techniques to diagnose, treat, prevent, and ultimately cure these devastating diseases.

In closing, I would like to thank again the author of this resolution, Mr. Joe Baca, my friend from California, for raising public awareness about PLS. I encourage all of my colleagues to vote in favor of this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

We have no further speakers, so I will just once again thank Mr. Baca for writing this resolution and bringing it, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Dingell, Mr. Barton for making sure that it, in such a speedy manner, got to the House floor.

I yield back.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 896) recognizing the need to pursue research into the causes, a treatment, and an eventual cure for primary lateral sclerosis, supporting the goals and ideals of the Hardy Brown Primary Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days 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.

I rise in strong support of H. Res. 896, a resolution expressing support for Primary Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month, and for the need to pursue research on this debilitating disease.

Primary lateral sclerosis, or PLS, is a rare neuromuscular disorder characterized by progressive muscle spasms and weakness. As many as 2,000 Americans suffer from PLS, which usually affects adults during midlife. The causes of PLS are unknown and the disease currently has no cure. However, some individuals with PLS can increase their comfort level and ability to function through therapy and treatment. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a fatal motor neuron disease within the same family of disorders.

H. Res. 896 encourages Congress to continue support for further work on PLS. It would promote further research into the causes, treatment, and eventual cure for PLS, and seek to increase awareness about the disease.

Earlier in the session of the 110th Congress, the House passed H.R. 2295, the ALS Registry Act, and this bill would help to establish a central registry for ALS and other motor neuron disorders like PLS, so that research efforts are timely and targeted.

Finally, this resolution, Mr. Speaker, recognizes those who have already made efforts to support individuals who suffer from PLS. One such individual is Hardy L. Brown, co-publisher of the Black Voice News, who has personally dedicated himself to raising funds for ALS research and has now been diagnosed with PLS himself.

I would like to thank my colleague, Representative Baca, for his hard work in bringing this resolution before us today, and I urge my colleagues to join me in support of H. Res. 896.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Baca), who is the author of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time as well, and I yield back the balance of my time and urge support for the bill.