Political Quotes

“I am very pleased to be here on the Senate floor with my friend and colleague from Minnesota Senator Klobuchar as we submit an important resolution. This month is National Alzheimer's Awareness Month. Alzheimer's is a terrible disease that exacts a tremendous personal and economic toll on both the individual and the family. As have many families, mine has experienced the pain of Alzheimer's. I know there is no more helpless feeling than to watch the progression of this devastating disease. It is equally painful to witness the emotional and physical damage inflicted on family caregivers exhausted by an endless series of 36- hour days. Moreover, Alzheimer's disease is the only cause of death among the top 10 in our Nation without a way to prevent it, to cure it, or even to slow its progression. More than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease--more than double the number in 1980. Based on current projections, as many as 16 million Americans over the age of 65 will have Alzheimer's by the year 2050. In addition to the tremendous human suffering it causes, Alzheimer's costs the United States more than $200 billion a year, including $142 billion in costs to the Medicare and Medicaid Programs. This price tag will increase exponentially as the baby boom generation ages. If we fail to change the current trajectory of Alzheimer's disease, our country will not only face a mounting public health crisis but an economic one as well.…”