Congress’s resolution to make Mesothelioma Day a national occasion speaks volumes in few words

If ever you’ve tried to read through a piece of proposed legislation, you know that it can be a daunting task.

That’s because bills are not designed to be literary works. Rather, they are highly technical documents, spanning hundreds or even thousands of pages.

Not so with regard to the resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate in 2009, designating each Sept. 26 as National Mesothelioma Awareness Day.

The resolution is relatively short – just a tad over 300 words. And, yet, in those 300-plus words, it manages to speak volumes about a health concern of enormous consequence for thousands of Americans – a matter known only too well by those of us at Weitz & Luxenberg, because our team of experienced personal injury lawyers has successfully championed mesothelioma victims for decades now.

However, on National Mesothelioma Awareness Day 2011, instead of our telling you what a fine resolution Congress crafted, you might find it more rewarding to read it for yourself. Here, then is, the full text of that brief but powerful resolution:

“Whereas there is no known safe level of exposure to asbestos;

“Whereas millions of workers in the United States have been, and continue to be, exposed to dangerous levels of asbestos;

“Whereas the National Institutes of Health reported to Congress in 2006 that mesothelioma is a difficult disease to detect, diagnose, and treat;

“Whereas the National Cancer Institute recognizes a clear need for new treatments to improve the outlook for patients with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases;

“Whereas the need to develop treatments for mesothelioma was overlooked for decades;

“Whereas even the best available treatments for mesothelioma typically have only a very limited effect, and a person diagnosed with mesothelioma is expected to survive between8 and 14 months;

“Whereas mesothelioma has claimed the lives of such heroes and public servants as Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, Jr., and Congressman Bruce F. Vento;

“Whereas many mesothelioma victims were exposed to asbestos while serving in the Navy;

“Whereas it is believed that many of the firefighters, police officers, and rescue workers who served at Ground Zero on September 11, 2001, may be at increased risk of contracting mesothelioma in the future; and–

“Whereas cities and localities throughout the United States will recognize September 26, 2009, as ‘Mesothelioma Awareness Day’: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate designates September 26, 2009, as ‘‘National Mesothelioma Awareness Day’’; and calls on the people of the United States, Federal departments and agencies, States, localities, organizations, and media to observe National Mesothelioma Awareness Day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.”