Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2295, to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the establishment of an Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Registry.

ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a particularly cruel disease and is always fatal, usually between two and five years after diagnosis. One of the very few trends researchers have been able to identify is that veterans are twice as likely to die from ALS as those who have not served in the military. However, Madam Speaker, it can strike at any time, regardless of age, race, gender or nationality.

This fight is personal for me, as my good friend Shelbie Oppenheimer, and her husband Jeff have long been advocates for those with ALS.

Shelbie was diagnosed when she was just 28 years old and has since spent countless hours educating friends, family, community members and elected officials. Shelbie has been fortunate--still fighting after 10 years.

The Oppenheimers have created a wonderful organization based in my district in Bucks County, Pennsylvania: Shelbie.org.

Along with many community partners, they work tirelessly to provide opportunities for the children of ALS patients. Jeff and Shelbie, along with their daughter Isabel, are a constant inspiration to me and I join them in the fight to turn ALS from a disease to a memory.

It is for Shelbie, Jeff, Isabel and countless others that I am proud to be a cosponsor of this bill. This legislation will create, through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a single, nationwide ALS registry. This Registry is essential to advancing the search for treatments and the cure.

Since we don't know the cause or the cure of ALS, research is the key. Enabling researchers, doctors and patients to understand the trends and history of the disease is vital to moving forward. The Registry will gather data on the environmental and occupational factors that may contribute to the disease, including the age, race and ethnicity of individuals with ALS, the patients' family histories and other information that may be beneficial to advancing research and care.

Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join this fight and support the ALS Registry Act and vote yes on H.R. 2295.