WHEREAS, Approximately 50 years ago, kidney failure was a death sentence; and

WHEREAS, In 1972, Congress developed the Medicare End-Stage Renal Disease benefit. In doing so, Congress ensured that regardless of age or income, any American would have access to lifesaving dialysis care. That was the turning point in kidney care; and

WHEREAS, The Chronic Kidney Disease Improvement in Research and Treatment Act of 2015 (HR 1130) was introduced in the House of Representatives by Representative Tom Marino to address kidney disease care; and

WHEREAS, House Resolution 1130 is built on three primary tenets. First, for individuals living with chronic diseases, especially when those diseases are complicated by multiple comorbid conditions, coordinated care is key to improving outcomes and lowering health care costs. Second, increased research can lead to a deeper understanding of kidney disease prevention and ultimately to significant innovations in treatment. Lastly, stability in the Medicare Program is central to an end-stage renal disease program that ensures quality and produces optimal results; and

WHEREAS, If left untreated, chronic kidney disease can progress to kidney failure, also known as end-stage renal disease, and early cardiovascular death; and

WHEREAS, More than 20 million adults in the United States, or more than 10 percent of the adult population, are estimated to have chronic kidney disease and most are undiagnosed; and

WHEREAS, Kidney disease is the ninth leading cause of death in the United States; and

WHEREAS, In the United States, diabetes and high blood pressure are the leading causes of kidney failure, accounting for 72 percent or about three out of four new cases of kidney failure; and

WHEREAS, The number of kidney failure cases in the United States population has more than tripled since 1990 and is expected to grow because of an aging population and the increasing number of people with conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, that place them at the risk of developing chronic kidney disease; now, therefore, be it