On the recordDecember 8, 2020
I thank the gentleman for yielding. I am sure not everyone on the other side would agree with that, or on this side either. I rise today in strong support of this bill, and I want to thank Chairman Neal and Members Moulton and King for a bill that will surely bring hope and dignity to ALS patients and caregivers. The 5-month waiting period is simply unacceptable for a disease like ALS, and I am glad that Congress is finally righting this wrong. Over the past 2 years, it has been an honor for me to partner with the ALS community. For too long, ALS has flown under the radar. It has gone underfunded, underresearched, and unnoticed. But that is rapidly changing, thanks to the efforts of patient advocates fighting for their own lives and the lives of those not yet diagnosed. I would like to give a special shout-out to my friends and Chicagoans, Brian Wallach and Sandra Abrevaya, the husband and wife cofounders of I AM ALS, and to Dan Tate, Jr. They are tireless, selfless patient advocates. Without them, we simply wouldn't be here today. I want to thank you all for bringing this bill to the floor. I am proud to be an original cosponsor and welcome its bipartisan support.
