Scleroderma Research and Awareness Act of 2010

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

H.R. 2408, the Scleroderma Research and Awareness Act, would expand research and education for scleroderma. There are an estimated 300,000 people in the United States who have this disease. The exact cause or causes of scleroderma are still unknown, but scientists and medical investigators in a wide variety of fields are working to make those determinations.

Scleroderma, or systemic sclerosis, is a chronic connective tissue disease generally classified as one of the autoimmune rheumatic diseases. This bill will provide the Department of Health and Human Services flexibility to help us in the fight against scleroderma in the following ways: First, the bill would allow but not require the director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases of the National Institutes of Health to expand, intensify, and coordinate the activities of the institute with respect to scleroderma. Second, the amended bill would allow but not require the Health and Human Services Secretary, acting through the Centers for Disease Control, to carry out an educational campaign to increase public awareness of scleroderma.

This bill underwent some very important modifications at the committee level. I think it is a better bill for that bipartisan effort. I do urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2408, the Scleroderma Research and Awareness Act.

Scleroderma is a chronic connective tissue disease in which hardening of the skin is one of the most visible manifestations of the disease.

An estimated 300,000 people in the United States have scleroderma and female patients outnumber male patients an astonishing four to one.

The exact cause or causes of scleroderma are still unknown and there is no cure, which make greater research into this disease all the more necessary.

H.R. 2408 would encourage NIH to conduct more research into Scleroderma and encourage the Secretary of Health & Human Services to conduct a public awareness campaign about the disease.

Passage of this bill out of Committee and in the House of Representatives would not be possible without the grassroots advocacy of patients and families of patients with Scleroderma so I would like to thank them personally for helping us reach today.

Finally, I would like to thank the lead Republican co-sponsor of this legislation, Vern Ehlers of Michigan for his continued support of H.R. 2408.

I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2408) to expand the research and awareness activities of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with respect to scleroderma, 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 remarks and include extraneous material in the Record.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2408, the Scleroderma Research and Awareness Act. H.R. 2408 would encourage NIH to conduct more research into scleroderma and encourage HHS to conduct a public awareness campaign about scleroderma. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.