SENATOR JOHN McCAIN's Statement
Morris K. Udall Parkinson's Research and Education Act of 1997
April 9, 1997

Mr. President, today, I proudly reintroduce the Morris K. Udall Parkinson's
Research and Education Act of 1997.  This legislation addresses the
importance of Parkinson's research by authorizing $1 million for direct
federal Parkinson's research.

Approximately 1 million people in this country are afflicted with Parkinson's
disease.  Parkinson's disease is a debilitating, degenerative disease which
is caused when nerve centers in an individual's brain lose their ability to
regulate body movements.  People afflicted by this disease experience
tremors, loss of balance and repeated falls, loss of memory, confusion, and
depression.  Ultimately, this disease results in total incapacity for an
individual including the inability to speak.  This disease knows no
boundaries, does not discriminate and strikes without warning.

This important piece of legislation honors Mo Udall, a dear friend of mine
who served as a dedicated Congressman from Arizona for 30 years.  Mo is
remembered most for his warmth, compassion, integrity and his wit.  He was a
champion of civil rights, political reform and a protector of the
environment.  In 1980, Congressman Mo Udall was diagnosed with Parkinson's
disease and he began his valiant battle against this disastrous disease.  Mo
was forced to resign from Congress in 1991, his exemplary career prematurely
ended by Parkinson's.

I was fortunate enough to have not only worked with Mo Udall as a
Representative from Arizona, but to have Mo as a mentor and a close, personal
friend.  Mo's stewardship and integrity would not allow him to become
involved in partisan politics.  When I a wing and provided me with guidance,
leadership, humor and , most importantly, friendship.  I can never begin to
adequately thank Mo for all that he provided me and his profound impact on my
early years as a member of Congress.  In some way, I hope that my efforts on
his behalf and the million of others with Parkinson's can be a token of
appreciation for all that Mo has given me and our country.

Personally, I have witnessed the devastating effects and personal tolls which
Parkinson's disease has on its victims, as I have watched Mo, his family and
friends wage a daily battle against this painful disease.  Every day, Mo and
millions like him throughout the country face a disease which is physically
crippling and financially devastating.  I can truly empathize with the fear
and frustration that Mo and others like him must be feeling as they become
prisoners within their own bodies, clinging to the hope that a scientific
breakthrough may soon be discovered and they will be liberated from their
personal prison.

The Morris K. Udall Parkinson's Research and Education Act provides the hope
Mo and millions like him are looking for.  This bill will help us make
significant scientific progress by increasing the federal governments
financial investment in Parkinson's research for fiscal year 1998 by
authorizing $1 million.

An important component of this legislation will be the establishment of up to
ten Morris K. Udall Centers for Research on Parkinson's Disease throughout
the nation.  These centers will be responsible for conducting basic and
clinical research in addition to delivering care to Parkinson's patients.
 Uniting these three areas will assure that research developments will be
coordinated and the care delivered to patients will be effective, high
quality services based upon the most recent research developments.  The
Morris K. Udall Centers will be structural in a manner which allows them to
become a source for developing  teaching programs for health care
professionals and disseminating information for public use.

In addition, this bill will create a national Parkinson's Disease Information
Clearinghouse to gather and store pertinent data on Parkinson's patients and
their families.  This collected data will facilitate and enhance knowledge
and understanding of Parkinson's disease.

This bill establishes a Morris K. Udall Excellence Award to recognize
publicly the investigators with a proven record of excellence and innovation
in Parkinson's research and whose work has demonstrated significant potential
for the diagnosis or treatment of the disease.

I am heartened by the tremendous progress scientists are making in
Parkinson's research.  There is significant scientific evidence indicating
that there is very strong potential for major breakthroughs in the cause and
treatment of Parkinson's in this decade.  According to a wide array of
experts, we are on the verge of substantial, ground-breaking scientific
discoveries regarding the cause and potential cure of Parkinson's disease.
 We need to seize this rare opportunity to discover the cause, treatment and
a potential cure for one of the nation's most disabling diseases.  It is
imperative that we give our scientific researchers the necessary funding and
support to combat this and other neurological diseases, and to improve the
lives of many Americans.

This is why we must enact the Morris K. Udall Parkinson's Research and
Education Act of 1997.  We can't allow this opportunity to make significant
progress in the area of Parkinson's research slip away because of a lack of
support for our nation's scientific researchers.

Finally, I would like to thank the hundreds of individuals who have written
or called my office in support of this measure.  These individuals are
committed to seeing this legislation enacted this year and are hopeful that
Parkinson's research will finally receive a fair and justifiable investment
from the federal government.