Dr. Emmanuel Bilirakis and Honorable Jennifer Wexton National Plan to End Parkinson's Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. FULCHER. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Florida for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I stand before you today to express my support for the National Plan to End Parkinson's Act, which addresses one of the most pressing health challenges of our time, Parkinson's disease. It is a debilitating brain disorder that disrupts the lives and families across our Nation, including those in my immediate family, as well.

H.R. 2365 puts forth a much-needed proactive approach, mandating Health and Human Services to formulate and regularly update a national plan coordinating efforts to not only prevent and slow the progression of Parkinson's but to ultimately find a cure.

This bill will help lift up hope for loved ones and caregivers impacted by the disease by enhancing the diagnosis, treatment, and care provided to those affected by Parkinson's.

As previously mentioned, this includes supporting research for a new biomarker researchers recently discovered that can provide intelligence on the presence of an abnormal protein in the brain and body that is a known indicator of Parkinson's disease.

If researchers can find these types of biomarkers in the brain and body, then doctors can better detect who has the disease or may be at a high risk of developing it, and that can lead to an earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment.

Many people across the Nation have had to deal with the emotional and financial challenges that come with taking care of a loved one stricken with this cruel disease.

This legislation comes at an imperative time. According to the Parkinson's Foundation, nearly 90,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease every year. That is nearly a 50 percent increase over previous years. Today, nearly 1 million people in the U.S. are living with the dreaded disease, and that is projected to grow to 1.2 million by the end of this decade.

The cost to families is devastating when it comes to medications, surgeries, and other treatments. There are nearly $52 billion per year in costs and lost income in the U.S.

Mr. Speaker, this is a cruel disease. My grandfather, Finley; my father, Gale; and my brother, Scott, have fallen prey to this disease, but there is hope.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join forces in passing this bill. Together, we can pave the way for a future where Parkinson's disease is not a sentence but a condition we have conquered through our shared dedication to the health and well-being of the American people.

This bill would not be possible without Representative Wexton. So I will close by saying to my friend and colleague: There is hope. This disease may touch my friend physically, but it can never touch her soul. May God bless my friend.

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