Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 407. This resolution expresses support for the designation of the month of May as National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month. I would like to thank my colleague, Congressman Dave Reichert of Washington, who partnered with me on this resolution. Congressman Reichert and I cochair the Congressional Children's Health Care Caucus. Today's resolution focuses on two conditions that affect millions of Americans, asthma and allergy. Asthma is a respiratory disease that is caused when the lungs become inflamed and constricted. Asthma attacks can be so severe that they can be life-threatening. An estimated 20 million Americans currently have asthma, and it is the most chronic condition in children. Asthma accounts for nearly 2 million emergency room visits per year, and costs America about $18 billion annually. More than 12.8 million school days are lost each year due to asthma, approximately 8 days for each student with asthma. This makes it very difficult for parents who may miss work because their child is home from school after an asthma flare-up. There is no cure for asthma. Almost 4,000 people die each year from asthma-related conditions. The best course of action is to manage the disease by preventing symptoms and treating attacks when they occur.…”