Supporting the goals and ideals of National Women's Health Week, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 120 ``Supporting the goals and ideals of National Women's Health.'' I would also like to extend my gratitude to my distinguished colleague from New York, Representative Maurice D. Hinchey, for introducing this important legislation. I thank my legislative director, Arthur D. Sidney.

National Women's Health Week is a weeklong health observance coordinated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office on Women's Health (OWH). National Women's Health Week empowers women to make their health a top priority. With the theme ``It's Your Time,'' the nationwide initiative encourages women to take simple steps for a longer, healthier, and happier life. During National Women's Health Week, communities, businesses, government, health organizations, and other groups work together to educate women about steps they can take to improve their physical and mental health and lower their risks of certain diseases. Important steps include: getting at least 2\1/2\ hours of moderate physical activity, 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous physical activity, or a combination of both each week; eating a nutritious diet; visiting a health care professional for regular checkups and preventive screenings; avoiding risky behaviors, like smoking and not wearing a seatbelt; and paying attention to mental health, including getting enough sleep and managing stress.

Research has established the existence of persistent racial and socioeconomic disparities in women's health in the United States. We know that coronary disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. But, nearly twice as many women in the U.S. die of heart disease and stroke every year as die from all types of cancer. Yet, multiple studies have shown that women are less likely than men to be referred for invasive cardiac procedures.

While the life expectancy of women in the United States has risen, as a group, African American women have a shorter life expectancy and experience earlier onset of such chronic conditions as diabetes and hypertension. If we look at the death rates for diseases of the heart, African American women are clearly at risk with 147 deaths per 100,000. When we look at cervical cancer, we see that the incidence rate of invasive cervical cancer is higher among Asian-American women. Yet, we cannot explain the causes of these higher rates.

Disparities are perhaps most alarming when we look at HIV/AIDS. Twenty-two percent of Americans currently living with HIV are women, and 77 percent of those are African American or Hispanic. Many people are shocked to know that AIDS is the second leading cause of death among African American women age 25 to 44.

There are nearly 40 million women in America who are members of racial and ethnic minority groups. These women suffer disproportionately from premature death, disease, and disabilities. Many also face tremendous barriers to optimal health. This is a growing challenge in our nation.

The challenge is even greater when we consider the aging population. By the year 2050, nearly 1 in 4 adult women will be 65 years old or older, and an astonishing 1 in 17 will be 85 years old or older. We must ensure that our Federal agencies are in the forefront, working to find solutions to the challenges our nation faces in caring for the health of our women.

It is important to celebrate National Women's Health Week to remind women that taking care of themselves is essential to living

longer, healthier, and happier lives. Women are often the caregivers for their spouses, children, and parents and forget to focus on their own health. But research shows that when women take care of themselves, the health of their family improves. During National Women's Health Week it is important to educate our wives, mothers, grandmothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, and girlfriends about the steps they can take to improve their health and prevent disease. After all, when women take even the simplest steps to improve their health, the results can be significant and everyone can benefit.

H. Con. Res. 120 is an important way to support the women of this nation, and I am proud to stand today in support of this important legislation. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation as well.

Madam Speaker, at the request of the Secretary of State of the State of Texas, I am officially entering House Concurrent Resolution 120, as passed by the 81st Legislature, Regular Session, 2009 of the State of Texas, into the Congressional Record.

House Concurrent Resolution

Whereas, South Texas is on the front line of the battle

against the fever tick, a pest that threatens to inflict

catastrophic losses on the beef industry should it continue

to spread beyond a permanent quarantine zone established

along the Rio Grande in 1943; and

Whereas, Historically, the fever tick ranged across the

entire southeastern United States, reaching as far north as

Maryland and Pennsylvania; the tick can carry and transmit a

parasite that causes cattle tick fever, which kills up to 90

percent of infected cattle; in 1893, the Texas Animal Health

Commission was founded to fight this scourge, and in 1907 the

United States Department of Agriculture established the

National Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program; by then, the

tick had already caused direct and indirect economic losses

estimated to equal more than $1 billion in today's dollars;

and

Whereas, The eradication program had successfully contained

the fever tick to an 852-square-mile quarantine zone by 1943;

the tick was never eliminated in Mexico, however, and

personnel from the USDA Tick Force have maintained a high

level of vigilance to fight continuous reintroduction; after

the pest was detected beyond the zone in 2007, five temporary

preventive quarantine areas were established, covering more

than one million acres in Starr, Zapata, Jim Hogg, Maverick,

Dimmit, and Webb Counties; and

Whereas, In March 2008, the Texas Department of

Agriculture requested some $13 million to fight the spread

of fever ticks; the USDA released $5.2 million, and in

January 2009 it committed another $4.9 million in

emergency funds, but sustained funding over the long term

is essential; moreover, the National Fever Tick

Eradication Strategic Plan, developed and approved by the

USDA in 2006, has never been implemented and funded, and

Dr. Bob Hillman, the state veterinarian and executive

director of the Texas Animal Health Commission, has warned

that fever ticks are a national livestock threat that

requires an all-out assault; and

Whereas, The fever tick has gained substantial ground in

this state, but the Texas Department of Agriculture, the

Texas Animal Health Commission, and the USDA Tick Force

continue working diligently with cattle owners to save a key

component of the Lone Star State's agricultural economy and

prevent the battlefront from extending to other states; if

the fever tick is not contained, the cost to the cattle

industry could easily approach $1 billion a year and lead to

rising food costs for consumers: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the 81st Legislature of the State of Texas

hereby memorialize the Congress of the United States to make

eradication of the fever tick in South Texas a priority and

continue to provide appropriate funding and resources for

this effort; and be it further

Resolved, That the Texas secretary of state forward

official copies of this resolution to the president of the

United States, to the speaker of the house of representatives

and the president of the senate of the United States

Congress, and to all members of the Texas delegation to

Congress with the request that this resolution H.C.R. No. 120

be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a

memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.

Guillen Gonzalez

Toureilles Leibowitz,

King of Zavala.

David Dewhurst,

President of the Senate.

Joe Straus,

Speaker of the House.

Robert Haney,

Chief Clerk of the House.

I certify that H.C.R. No. 120 was adopted by the Senate on

May 27, 2009, by a viva-voce vote.

Patsy Spau,

Secretary of the Senate.

APPROVED: June 19, 2009. Rick Perry, Governor.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment, first of all, to express my appreciation to Chairman Waxman for supporting this resolution and for helping to bring it to the floor today. Also, I would like to thank Mr. Hoyer for his determination in bringing this measure to the floor to honor National Women's Health Week, despite the very crowded schedule that we have.

I would also like to thank Chairman Pallone and all the fine members of the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee for their work on women's health issues and for making it possible for this resolution to reach the floor.

Finally, and most importantly, I would like to thank my good friends Congresswoman Lois Capps and Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack for taking the lead with me on this resolution for the fourth time in a row. And Marsha, I thank you very much also for your statement today and your participation in getting this legislation passed.

This resolution has the bipartisan sponsorship of 117 Members. The National Council of Women's Organizations fully endorsed this bill on behalf of its more than 200 member organizations representing more than 10 million women nationwide.

National Women's Health Week begins annually on Mother's Day. This year marks the 10th annual National Women's Health Week that we have experienced and honored.

National Women's Health Week is a week celebrated across America. During this week, families, communities, businesses, government, health organizations, and other groups work together to educate women about steps they could take to improve their physical and mental health to prevent disease and to enable them to live longer and stronger.

This week is also used as an opportunity to educate the entire population of our country about important health issues that women face.

This resolution recognizes the importance of a number of things, including preventing diseases that commonly affect women, federally funded programs that provide research and collect data on common diseases that women are subject to, and also calls on women to observe National Women's Check-up Day by receiving preventive screenings.

It is vitally important that women have knowledge about the health risks that confront them and that they know they can greatly reduce those risks through preventive measures such as a healthy lifestyle and regular medical screenings.

Healthy habits should begin at a young age; therefore, it is imperative that we take the time to educate young girls on the benefits of exercise and proper eating. If these habits start at a young age, it is more likely that they will continue throughout their lives.

It is important and essential that we do everything we can to prevent disease. In this spirit, I encourage women to get the necessary checkups and preventive screenings from their health care providers so they can live long, healthy, and productive lives.

I urge full support and passage of this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 120) supporting the goals and ideals of National Women's Health Week, 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.

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

I rise today in strong support of H. Con. Res. 120, recognizing National Women's Health Week, and I'd like to commend my colleagues, Mr. Hinchey and Mrs. Bono Mack, for introducing this legislation.

We have worked together on this recognition for several years now. This year marks the 10th anniversary of National Women's Health Week. It's an opportunity to recognize the progress made in women's health.

Much of this progress is due to the offices of women's health in multiple key Federal agencies. These offices work to promote research on women's health issues and the provision of important women's health services. In fact, the office of Women's Health at the Department of Health and Human Services just celebrated 10 years of the womenshealth.gov Web site.

What this resolution rightly notes is that women's health issues matter throughout a woman's lifespan. Promoting health education among girls and women of all ages will increase healthy behaviors and the use of important preventive screenings and services.

This resolution also notes that there are significant disparities among women of different racial and ethnic backgrounds and women with disabilities, all of which must be considered and taken into account as we address women's health.

I urge my colleagues to join in the bipartisan sponsorship of this bill and supporting National Women's Health Week.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased now to yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Hinchey) for such time as he may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I will just make the comment that it is exceedingly gratifying to notice the leadership of our colleague from New York, Mr. Hinchey, and other men who realize that Women's Health Week really affects their lives as well, because women are often the leaders within the family setting and the educators and the standard bearers often for communities as well. So we are talking about awareness of national women's health, which really is also talking about health for us all.

And I'm pleased also to note that our bipartisan caucus for women's issues

has championed this resolution and is very grateful to the authors for introducing it and for this opportunity for us to recognize the 10th annual National Women's Health Week.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

I want to first express my appreciation to Mrs. Capps, who is also a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and has been a very outspoken and consistent supporter of women's health and women's health issues, and we have worked on many of those in committee and certainly continue to raise awareness of women's health.

One such instrument that is placed before us that we can use is National Women's Health Week, and May 10-16 was that week, and this is, as Mrs. Capps stated, the 10th annual National Women's Health Week. And I think it is so fitting, Mr. Speaker, that it was kicked off this year on Mother's Day and how very appropriate that it started on Mother's Day. And I think the gentlelady from California will join me in saying it's also Grandmother's Day, those of us who do delight in those grandchildren.

The nationwide initiative empowers women across the country to make their health a top priority and ensure they take the steps to live a longer, healthier and happier life. And certainly, we are so pleased that there is that emphasis on women's health and having women make the decision to have their health and their well-being be a top priority in their life.

I would like to express my gratitude to the national and community organizations in working to promote public awareness of National Women's Health Week and provide the proper information to encourage women and girls that healthy habits should begin at a very young age.

The efforts of the national community to support regular checkups and preventive screenings will help to prevent diseases that commonly affect women.

I would also like to thank the author of the resolution, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Hinchey) for taking his efforts and energy and his time in order to place an emphasis on women's health, and to say thank you for his leadership in improving awareness of women's key health issues.

I encourage all of my colleagues to vote in favor of the resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, at this time there are no further speakers from our side of the aisle, so I will thank Mr. Hinchey for his wonderful work on this. I will thank Mrs. Capps for the bipartisan efforts that we have put into addressing the issues that affect women in leading healthy, productive lives.

I yield back the balance of my time.