has also come to be known as lou gerhig's disease. but before he died in 1941, madam speaker, at a ceremony at the heavyweight at yankee stadium, lou gehrig looked up at the crowd and he said, for the past two weeks, you've been reading about a bad break. yet today, i consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. that story, lou gerhig's story, stayed with me as a child. now, madam speaker, as a member of united states congress, fast forward decades later. the same cruel disease has swept upon my own family. and we as a family quickly learned about the profound trauma it's caused so many other americans. a.l.s. takes about two to five years to destroy a body and exhaust a family. it's 100% fatal. its victims lose the ability to write and walk and talk and eat and move and finally to breathe. earlier this year, several hundred persons deeply affected from a.l.s., along with their courageous caregivers and friends, joined me and another member of congress on the other side of the body to discuss a legislative initiative. we

again, in new york we always refer to this as lou gerhig's disease after the famed yankee slugger. i'm saying that as a mets fan. but lou gehrig is a hero in new york. unfortunately as great as his baseball record is, he's known even more for the disease that ended both his career and his life. let me just say also, as this will be my final appearance on the house floor speaking, last time i speak on the house floor, i want to say what a great honor it's been to serve these past 28 years, all of the members, it's been a great privilege for me. one of the real privileges began with support legislation such as this, which is so needed and so necessary. with that, madam speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from new york reserves. the gentleman from connecticut is recognized. mr. larson: thank you, madam speaker. at this time it is my privilege to yield two minutes to the gentleman from illinois who i say is the voice of god and when you hear him speak, i think you'll agree with me, mr. d

lou gerhig just received his diagnosis. he famously exclaimed, i consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. i might have been given a bad break, but i have an awful lot to live for. the same could be said of every person living with a.l.s. today. they have an awful lot to live for and this bill will help them live. mr. president, i yield the floor. mr. whitehouse: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from rhode island. mr. whitehouse: mr. president, let me thank senator cotton for his work with me in getting this bill to this happy result. as the presiding officer knows, a bill can look like it was easy to get done when it passes 96-1, but that doesn't mean the pathway was easy. this has been years and years of effort. and senator cotton really helped make it possible so i'm very grateful to him. i also want to thank senator braun, who was the first republican member to join me in this and who has been a constant ally and source of support and encouragement. i'd also like to extend my appreciati