A bill to rename the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development as the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Mr. Speaker, tonight I am proud to stand here to speak on behalf of S. 2484, a bill to rename the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD, after my aunt, Eunice Kennedy Shriver.

In 1962, Mrs. Shriver persuaded her brother, my uncle, President Kennedy, to establish the NICHD to ensure that all children are born healthy, and that they have an equal chance to achieve their full potential.

Since that time, NICHD has been a global leader in producing developments that improve the lives of this world's children. Specifically, research through the NICHD has helped produce results in reducing the rates of sudden infant death syndrome, reducing infant mortality and maternal HIV transmissions.

My aunt Eunice Shriver has spent her life fighting to deliver the promise of the American dream to each and every child, not only in this country, but around the world. She has never backed down from a challenge. In fact, when she heard from a mother who could not find a camp that would accept their disabled child, Eunice started a camp of her own in her own backyard, a camp for other parents who, like her, were trying to deal with a family member who was mentally retarded. My Aunt Rosemary had mental retardation, and my Aunt Eunice was inspired because of her experience with my Aunt Rosemary to start the Special Olympics. And I don't think there is anything that has probably had a more profound effect on millions of people's lives in this world than the impact that Special Olympics has had, not only on the millions of families whose lives that it has touched with those with intellectual disabilities, but also for the millions and millions of volunteers who have come in contact with Special Olympics and who found their lives moved and transformed because of their experience with Special Olympics.

The Special Olympics organization has given athletes and their families the courage to participate in competition while always remembering that success is not measured by how often you win but by how brave you are in the attempt.

Beyond providing athletes and their families with new and unique opportunities in competitive sports, the Special Olympics also established the Healthy Athletes Initiative, which increases health care to athletes at events all around the world. During 2006, 600 screening events took place, and 135,000 athletes received a screening. These screenings provided not only critical care to athletes; they also provided appropriate treatment, and also an opportunity for those athletes to get the rewards of getting the best in treatment that are too often taken for granted by the rest of us.

In addition to that, the data from these screenings are collected and used

to promote health policies that inform those of us here in Congress on how we can better develop programs here in Congress for those individuals with intellectual disabilities.

The incalculable benefits resulting from this program are just a small example of how my Aunt Eunice has altered the future of millions of children in our own country and around the world.

I just want to say once more, in a personal sense, that she has done so much to destigmatize the stigma of those with mental retardation. And, as someone who is fighting for parity for mental health coverage, she has also worked so hard to destigmatize mental illness, something that often accompanies those families who are depressed when they find that one of their family members has been struck with mental retardation. She has been someone who has fought for the human spirit and the dignity of the human person in every sense of the word. And, due to her tireless advocacy, our country has been better off for all of her devotion and work.

So, it is with my great honor and pleasure that today I was able to join my colleagues in seeing that the National Institutes of Health saw the naming of the National Institutes for Childhood and Development named after Eunice Kennedy Shriver for all of the great work that she has done on behalf of every child born in this country and around the world. Congratulations, Aunt Eunice. It is so well deserved.

Mr. President, I thank Mr. Hatch for introducing this legislation, which I have joined as an original cosponsor. Ms. Shriver's contribution stands alone, both in terms of what she has done in terms of individuals with intellectual disabilities and their meaningful contribution in society as well as in advancing basic research at the National Institutes of Health. The National Institute of Child Health and Development was launched in the beginning of the Kennedy Administration and Ms. Shriver and her husband Sargent advocated for the institute when many knowledgeable scientists were willing to write off these individuals and advocated that the money spent at the NICHD would be better spent studying adult diseases. Ms. Shriver advocated for this research and I think it is fair to say without her advocacy the Institute would not be what it is today.

I agree. We do not intend this to change or signal any other change at NIH.

Mr. President, I rise today in support of the legislation before us, S. 2484. This bill renames the National Institute of Child Health and Development at the NIH as the ``Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development''.

This renaming bill was added during the HELP Committee markup to S. 1011, given that S. 1011 renamed two other Institutes at the National Institutes of Health. Senator Hatch, Senator Mikulski, and I sponsored this amendment, and it was unanimously accepted by the HELP Committee. Then, S. 1011 was unanimously voted out of Committee. We would like to have moved the entire bill, but unfortunately, we are not able to do that today due to some objections. Therefore, we are trying to get done what we can get done at the end of this session and simply moving the amendment that does not raise concerns with other members of this body.

I understand that it is unusual to rename an institute at NIH after an individual, but this is an unusual case. Ms. Shriver has long been associated with the National Institute of Child Health and Development, NICHD, and was an early champion of it.

NICHD was established in the 1960s by President Kennedy when he ushered in a ``New Frontier'' focusing on science and its potential for improving everyone's life. During the 1960s, we also learned of the biological causes of intellectual disabilities. At the same time, Ms. Shriver was an advocate for people with intellectual disabilities. With the help of her husband, Sargent, Ms. Shriver took on the challenge of improving the lives of people with intellectual disabilities and pursued that goal as a senior adviser to the President.

I suspect other Members will note her work with the Special

Olympics. That is only a small portion of what she has done

for individuals with intellectual disabilities. At the time

of NICHD's creation, many leaders in the scientific community

felt that money spent to research topics related to human

development and intellectual disability would be better spent

elsewhere. Ms. Shriver played a seminal role helping the

scientific community, policymakers, and the general public

recognize the importance of such research. She recognized

that it was not just important for those with intellectual

disabilities, but the research was a bridge to understanding

broader, more general aspects of human development.

Therefore, it would not be an overstatement to say that,

without Ms. Shriver's contribution, this institute would not

exist.

Therefore, Mr. President, I rise today and ask for the support of my colleagues in recognizing the contributions of Ms. Shriver through quick enactment of this legislation, S. 2484.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 2484) to rename the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development as the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the Senate bill now under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today to express my strong support for S. 2484, a bill to rename the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development as the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. I am proud to lend my support to a bill aimed at honoring such a compassionate and wonderful human being.

Often we miss out on the opportunity to honor people while they are with us. Today, I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will join with me in seizing the moment and commemorating Eunice Kennedy Shriver, a tireless advocate for children. While Eunice Kennedy Shriver is perhaps best known for her efforts on behalf of those affected by mental retardation and for the creation of the Special Olympics, she has also been a leader on many other fronts. In particular, it is wholly appropriate that we name the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development after Eunice Kennedy Shriver, as she was instrumental in establishing the institute just over 45 years ago during the administration of her brother, John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

In the nearly half a century since its founding, the institute has helped make great strides in the advancement of child health and human development, including dramatically reducing sudden infant death syndrome and infant mortality.

One of the goals of the institute is to ensure that children have the opportunity to reach their full potential and live healthy and productive lives. Her commitment and dedication to helping children meet these goals has been unwavering.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, it is important that we, before it is too late, that we honor this great American, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, today by renaming the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development after her. I support this good bill and urge all of my colleagues to do the same.

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

I want to thank the distinguished gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Terry). You are absolutely correct. This legislation is only meant to change the name of the single institute within NIH and to have no other effect, no other effect on the NIH or its organization. We do not intend to change or even signal any other change at the NIH.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Today I rise in support of Senate 2484, an act to rename the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development as the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Ms. Shriver, along with her husband Sargent, was and is a champion for young people who suffer and strive under the extra load of developmental disabilities. Prior to the creation of the NICHD more than 40 years ago, many scientists were of the mind that money would be better off spent studying adult diseases, effectively shortchanging the younger populations with these conditions.

NICHD was established in 1962 under the Kennedy administration and many credit Ms. Shriver's tenacity. Ms. Shriver never stopped being a spokesperson and advocate, and the institute she helped found has never stopped benefiting from her determination and her spirit.

I would like to confer with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to determine if it is their understanding as well that nothing in this bill will change any of the authorities that the NIH Reform Act of 2006 provided the NIH and the director of the NIH. Specifically, nothing in this act will change any authorities of the Scientific Management Review Board or any other provisions provided in section 401 of that act. Is that your understanding as well?

I yield to the gentleman from North Carolina.

Well, I thank the gentleman from North Carolina for that.

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

Mr. President, I am hopeful we will approve tonight a bill I have authored with Senators Mikulski, Enzi and Harkin, The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development Act. This act will change the name of the National Institute of Child Health and Development to the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development.

Our bill honors a truly great American who has played a unique role in advancing children's health, and particularly in shaping how we treat individuals with intellectual disabilities. Few Americans have ever played such a profound role as Ms. Shriver has played in her life and it is entirely fitting that we rename NICHD on her behalf.

Yes, this legislation is only meant to change the name of the single institute within NIH and to have no other effect on the NIH or its organization.