On June 6, the House approved, by voice vote, a resolution (H. Res. 833) sponsored by Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) expressing support for Women’s Health Week. The House resolution is identical to the Senate’s version (S. Res. 487), which passed on May 22 (see The Source, 5/26/06).
Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA) spoke in strong support of the resolution, saying, “For too long research lacked gender specificity, and because of that, we lacked vital information about how women experience disease differently from men…National Women’s Health Week is not just a concept, but it truly is a large-scale effort by individuals, government, local and national organizations in order to highlight practical steps women can take to improve their lives and their health.”
Rep. Nathan Deal (R-GA) commended the “hundreds of volunteers, women’s groups, health organizations, businesses, and charitable organizations who have helped to make National Women’s Health Week a success,” and said that “each year Women’s Health Week promotes awareness about steps women can take to improve their health…When women take simple steps to improve their health, the results can be significant. Many of the leading causes of death among women, such as heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes are preventable and treatable if the warning signs are recognized.”
