Michael Burgess: “I want to thank Representative Carnahan for the recognition and echo his call to other Members of this Congress to join…”

“I want to thank Representative Carnahan for the recognition and echo his call to other Members of this Congress to join the MS Caucus. This caucus does real work. We provide information. We provide conference calls. We provide educational time with either Members or staff, and it is a worthwhile endeavor. While there is no cure for multiple sclerosis as it stands today, the treatment has evolved significantly. In my 25 years of medical practice, I saw a significant evolution. Although I was not the primary caregiver for multiple sclerosis patients in my general OB-GYN practice, I did have many patients who did suffer from that illness and, as a consequence, over the course of my professional lifetime, did see the treatment evolve from one that was essentially palliative to one that was more targeted towards the disease itself or targeted towards the damages the disease inflicts upon the central nervous system. So I do encourage both sides of the aisle to join this caucus. It is an important endeavor. We've heard today that multiple sclerosis is a chronic, often disabling disease, but today, new treatments and advances in research are starting to give new hope to people affected by the disease, but more must be done to understand the course of this illness.”