On the recordDecember 15, 2010
I rise in strong support and ask for our colleagues to pass the National Alzheimer's Project Act. This legislation is an important step forward in our battle against the crisis of Alzheimer's disease. Unfortunately, we know that the trajectory of Alzheimer's disease over the next few decades threatens unparalleled tragedy and threatens to overwhelm society's ability to cope if something is not done to change that trajectory. Alzheimer's disease is both a current and future health crisis of our Nation. About 78 million baby boomers were born between 1946 and 1964, which has been termed the single greatest demographic event in United States history. In a couple of weeks on January 1, the first of those boomers will turn 65 years of age. Today, 5.3 million people have Alzheimer's, and another American develops the disease every 70 seconds. 200,000 Americans under the age of 65 have early onset Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's costs Medicare and Medicaid alone approximately $122 billion.
