Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2005, the Combating Autism Reauthorization Act. As a founding Member of the Congressional Children's Caucus, I am greatly concerned with the impact that autism has on children and their families. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that Autism Spectrum Disorders impact an average of 1 in 110 American children, and 1 in 70 boys. We can all benefit from learning about this disease; autism occurs in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. Continuing research on treating this disease is essential for children's health. Thousands of children with autism disorders have already shown significant improvement and increased independence resulting from early detection and new treatments. Currently, there are between 1 and 1.5 million Americans living with a form of autism. If current diagnostic rates remain the same or increase, more children will be diagnosed with autism this year than AIDS, diabetes and cancer combined. Autism is the fastest growing serious developmental disability in the country. In my home state of Texas, where I represent the 18th Congressional District, there are 1 out of every 163 public students who are eight years old has a form of autism. As many parents can attest, autism is an extremely costly disability; the average annual medical expenditures for individuals with autism are between 4 and 6 times greater than those without autism.…”