To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for research on acquired bone marrow failure diseases, minority-focused programs on such diseases, and the development of best practices for diagnosis of and care for individuals with such diseases.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the Jacob Michael Davis Foundation located in Macomb County, Michigan. This non-profit organization was created in the loving memory of 7-year old Jacob Michael Davis, who sadly passed away in 2005 after a hard fought battle with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

The organization will be hosting its 4th Annual Banquet and Fundraiser on November 14th in Shelby Township, so I want to highlight the great work the foundation has performed over the few short years since its inception.

The foundation has carried forward Jacob's legacy--his giving spirit and his unique ability to comfort other young patients while he himself was seeking medical treatment. The foundation has also picked up his torch of hope as it continues to spread his light of compassion and pass his courage on to other families who unfortunately have had to cope with childhood cancer. Although based in the State of Michigan, the Jacob Michael Davis Foundation has extended its helping hand across this great nation, from coast to coast and places in between.

The effects of any childhood illness can be devastating on a family. The emotional and financial distress can leave a mother and father feeling like they have no options, and sometimes even worse with a negative outlook on the future. With so many variables to deal with, families can easily become overwhelmed and lose focus of the primary objective--the care, treatment and recovery of the child.

But these fears and unknowns are exactly the reason why the Jacob Michael Davis Foundation was created. The foundation is a source of comfort to assist families with those unexpected financial burdens not necessarily covered by insurance. For example--travel and temporary housing expenses, medical equipment, mental health programs, academic and school tutoring support, post-treatment survivorship programs and bereavement counseling. These are just a few of the economic barriers that the foundation seeks to remove.

The Foundation's goal is to help families keep their energies focused on the recovery and the healing of the child. Amazingly, the staff, volunteers and board members of the Jacob Michael Davis Foundation do not accept any form of monetary compensation, ensuring that every possible cent is spent to assist those families in need. This certainly speaks volumes about the people who believe in the foundation's mission and the remarkable work they have achieved, continue to achieve and hope to achieve in the future. It certainly is my honor to commend all the volunteers for their charitable and dedicated work.

Furthermore, I am pleased to announce that last month I added my name as a cosponsor to H.R. 1230 which was introduced by my colleague, Representative Doris Matsui, from California. This legislation seeks to establish a National Acquired Bone Marrow Failure Disease Registry and authorize research on bone marrow diseases. I encourage other Members to support this bill and join in the fight to defeat this disease.

In conclusion, I offer my support to the Jacob Michael Davis Foundation on this special occasion. I wish everyone in attendance all the best and hope you have a very successful evening. You are helping to sustain a wonderful cause. I know that in memory of Jacob you will never lose faith in your mission and your passion will be forever alive.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1230, the Acquired Bone Marrow Failure Disease Research and Treatment Act.

Every year, it is estimated that between 20,000 and 30,000 Americans are diagnosed with some form of acquired bone marrow failure disease.

This classification of diseases, which include myelodysplastic syndromes (commonly known as MDS), aplastic anemia, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (known as PNH), and others, take a debilitating and deadly toll on those diagnosed, forcing patients and families to deal with significant health, social, and economic hardships.

In some cases, MDS can even progress over time to become leukemia, which affects hundreds of thousands of Americans in its own right.

And while individuals stricken with these conditions can take some action to prolong their lives, this diagnosis offers little hope that affected patients will ever fully recover.

In light of this, I introduced the Acquired Bone Marrow Failure Disease Research and Treatment Act to enhance and intensify current and future efforts in the fight against bone marrow failure diseases.

This legislation would support increased research on these still relatively unstudied diseases, including what genetic and environmental factors may be associated with the condition and best practices for the diagnosis and treatment of these diseases.

In addition, the bill would authorize coordinated outreach and informational programs targeted to minority populations affected by these diseases, including information on treatment options and clinical trials research.

These provisions are critical to the individuals affected by bone marrow failure diseases and their families, as it would bring both tangible progress to fighting these diseases, and provide hope to those who have suffered their effects.

This bill has bipartisan support, 62 cosponsors, and has incorporated suggestions from both sides of the aisle.

Mr. Speaker, I commend our Leadership and thank Chairman Waxman and Chairman Pallone and their staff for bringing H.R. 1230 to the floor, and for their commitment to protecting the health of all Americans.

I urge my colleagues to support passage of this important legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1230) to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the establishment of a National Acquired Bone Marrow Failure Disease Registry, to authorize research on acquired bone marrow failure diseases, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their marks and include extraneous material in the Record.

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

H.R. 1230, sponsored by the gentlewoman from California, Representative Matsui, promotes research by HHS on acquired bone marrow failure disease, including the study of trends and the characteristics of individuals who are diagnosed with the disease, including age, race and ethnicity, sex and family history.

Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding that our former colleague, Representative Bob Matsui, actually passed away from this, and that is why it is particularly important, not only to Congresswoman Matsui, but to all of us.

So I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

and urge that the House pass this legislation.

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

H.R. 1230, the Bone Marrow Failure Disease Research and Treatment Act, would allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct research and outreach on acquired bone marrow failure diseases.

This bill would allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct additional research on acquired bone marrow diseases to aid in figuring out the causes of the disease and study how to better diagnose and care for individuals suffering from bone marrow diseases. The bill would also allow the Secretary to establish outreach programs that would help minority populations, who appear to be disproportionately affected by such acquired bone marrow diseases, in finding clinical trials and other treatment options.

I am a cosponsor of the bill. I urge my colleagues to support it.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.