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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.