Political Quotes

“Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay and leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never the same. My constituents, Betti and Carlos Lidsky, are such people. Three of their four children, Isaac, Daria and Ilana, have an irreversible, incurable, degenerative eye disease known as retinitis pigmentosa which will eventually cause blindness. The Lidsky children are among the 6 million Americans who suffer from sight-debilitating diseases, and that number is poised to skyrocket as an additional 9 million Americans have presymptomatic signs of retinal degeneration. I learned of these statistics through Betti and Carlos, who work tirelessly every day to raise awareness on these issues. They raise funds for research, and they work closely with researchers. They have testified before congressional committees, and this week they will be here in Congress lobbying us to make sure that each and every one of us works toward making blinding diseases extinct. Betti, Carlos and their children, Isaac, Daria and Ilana, are the reason why we need to support research funding for the National Eye Institute. Promising clinical experiments are underway, and with our continued support, we can be sure that a cure is just around the bend.”