A resolution commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, the preeminent public policy trade association in Silicon Valley.

Mr. Speaker, in 2009, I was proud to co-sponsor with my then-House colleague the Honorable Tammy Baldwin the successfully passed H. Res. 366, which designated 2010 through 2020 as ``The Decade of Vision.'' Accompanied by the Senate's successfully passed companion legislation S. Res. 209, these resolutions recognized the challenges to the vision health of our nation's citizens as the population ages and the incidence of chronic diseases--such as diabetes--grows, causing eye disease and visual impairment.

In the spirit of those resolutions, I am pleased to recognize July as Dry Eye Awareness Month. Dry eye, a growing global problem that affects more than 30 million people in the United States alone, occurs when the eye does not produce tears properly or they are not of the correct consistency and evaporate too quickly. It can range from discomfort to a painful chronic and progressive condition that leads to blurred vision or even vision loss. Dry eye impacts our nation's healthcare policy, as it is one of the most frequent causes of patient visits to eye care providers.

Although past research supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and its National Eye Institute (NEI) on the causes of and treatments for the condition has identified age, sex, and gender as factors, it has now discovered ethnic and racial differences, and that dry eye impacts younger patients. This ``equal opportunity'' disease can have many causes, including environmental exposure; side-effects from medications; eye surgery; eye lid disorders; immune system diseases such as Sjogren's syndrome, lupus, or rheumatoid arthritis; contact lens wear; cosmetic use; aesthetic procedures; and an increasingly common cause--staring at computer or video screens for too long without blinking. Many are calling dry eye the ``Disease of the Millennials'' due to its increased incidence in that population.

Dry eye has also been a major issue for our brave soldiers who were engaged in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Veterans Administration reports that upwards of 70 percent of Traumatic Brain Injury-exposed veterans have dry eye symptoms.

During the 2017 Dry Eye Awareness Month, the Tear Film & Ocular Surface Society's Dry Eye Workshop II (TFOS DEWS II) Report will be published in The Ocular Surface Journal, updating the definition of dry eye and addressing its greater impact on vision health--the first such re-examination since 2007. Report highlights will be presented at a July 12 Congressional Briefing, accompanied by a ``Test

Your Tears'' Screening and presentation of research posters.

The vision community and its coalition partners are uniting to recognize this growing threat to vision health, and I stand in support of these awareness and educational efforts.

Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group.

Founded by David Packard in 1978, the Leadership Group has worked tirelessly to improve the economic health and quality of life in Silicon Valley. I have had the pleasure of working closely with the Silicon Valley Leadership Group--and its Chief Executive Officer Carl Guardino--on many issues important to the San Francisco Bay Area.

For instance, the Leadership Group has been an indispensable partner in efforts to restore the San Francisco Bay and its critical wetlands. Just last year, they helped secure $500 million for those restoration efforts. The Leadership Group was integral in establishing a permanent U.S. Patent and Trademark office in San Jose. That office now supports the creativity and innovation that made Silicon Valley the global leader of the digital revolution. Most recently, the Leadership Group was a driving force in developing transportation improvements in Silicon Valley--including the electrification of the Caltrain system that will cut travel times and improve air quality for countless Californians.

Mr. President, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution to recognize the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and its contributions to Silicon Valley, the state of California and our national economy.

Thank you.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 209 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.