Whereas deep vein thrombosis (referred to in this preamble as DVT) is a condition that occurs when a blood clot forms in the deep veins of the body, such as in the arm, abdomen, around the brain, and most commonly in the leg;

Whereas a potentially life-threatening complication of DVT is a pulmonary embolism (referred to in this preamble as a PE), where a blood clot breaks off, travels through the blood stream, and lodges in the lung;

Whereas DVT and PEs are serious but often preventable medical conditions;

Whereas DVT and PEs affect as many as 900,000 individuals in the United States each year;

Whereas DVT and PEs kill an estimated 60,000 to 100,000 individuals in the United States each year, and 1 out of 4 individuals who have a PE die without warning;

Whereas deaths caused by DVT and PEs are often preventable;

Whereas DVT and PEs are among the leading causes of preventable hospital deaths in the United States;

Whereas DVT and PEs are common complications faced by cancer patients, and survival rates are lower for individuals with cancer who also have blood clots;

Whereas pregnancy increases the risk of DVT and PEs, and that risk remains elevated for up to 3 months after giving birth;

Whereas immobility, surgery, older age, and a family history of clotting and thrombophilia increase the risk of DVT and PEs;

Whereas DVT and PEs contribute to up to $10,000,000,000 in incremental medical costs each year in the United States; and

Whereas the establishment of March as Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism Awareness Month would raise awareness about these life-threatening but preventable conditions: Now, therefore, be it