Political Quotes

“I rise today with my colleague from Nevada, Senator Cortez Masto, to introduce the Building Our Largest Dementia Infrastructure for Alzheimer's--or BOLD--Act. I am pleased that Senator Capito and Senator Kaine are also joining us as original cosponsors. Our legislation would create a public health infrastructure aimed at combating Alzheimer's disease and preserving brain health. Alzheimer's disease is one of the greatest and most under-recognized public health threats of our time. Former Surgeon General David Satcher has said that it is the most under-recognized public health threat of the 21st century. Five and a half million Americans are living with the disease, and that number will soar as our population continues to grow older and lives longer. In addition to the human suffering it causes, Alzheimer's is our Nation's most costly disease. The United States spends more than $259 billion per year, including $175 billion in Medicare and Medicaid costs. The financial impact of this dreadful disease will only continue to grow. In fact, it is estimated that by the year 2050, Alzheimer's will cost our country $1 trillion and afflict 16 million Americans. While Alzheimer's is the only one of our Nation's most deadly diseases without an effective treatment or cure, tantalizing new research suggests that there are steps we can take to promote prevention and improve treatment. The first step we should take is to recognize Alzheimer's as a public health crisis.…”