Durbin, Crapo Celebrate Senate Passage of Bipartisan Resolution To Designate February As American Heart Month
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID), Co-Chairs of the Congressional Heart and Stroke Caucus, today celebrated Senate passage of their bipartisan resolution to designate February 2025 as American Heart Month. The resolution reaffirms the government’s commitment to fighting cardiovascular disease by supporting research and improving access to affordable, quality care to reduce long-term disability and mortality.
“As the leading cause of death in the U.S., heart disease has touched nearly every American family. It’s critical that we advance clinical research and treatments to support those suffering from cardiovascular diseases,” said Durbin. “I’m encouraged that my Senate colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, saw the value in raising awareness around the damaging impacts of cardiovascular disease by passing my resolution with Senator Crapo. I hope together we can use American Heart Month to build support for our efforts.”
“Heart disease remains the number one cause of death in Idaho and in the United States. We can all make changes to our lifestyle that will decrease our risk of heart disease, as well as the risk to our family members. This month, the Senate reaffirmed the commitment of the United States to fighting cardiovascular disease,” said Crapo.
In 2022, cardiovascular disease claimed the lives of more than 940,000 Americans, making it the leading cause of death in the United States. Cardiovascular disease disproportionately affects women and communities of color. Increased awareness of cardiovascular disease can lead to prevention or treatment, ultimately saving thousands of lives annually.
Durbin is a strong advocate for advancing research and treatments for cardiovascular diseases, particularly through his work on the Senate Committee on Appropriations to secure increased funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In November 2024, Durbin’s bipartisan Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act of 2024 was signed into law, extending funding for public health efforts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to improve childhood survival rates, prevent premature death and disability, and increase quality of life for the 2.5 million Americans living with congenital heart disease (CHD). Specifically, this funding supports data collection, research, and awareness efforts at the CDC for congenital heart defects, the most common and deadliest birth defect. Since 2018, Durbin has increased appropriations for the cause from $4 million to $8.25 million.
A copy of the resolution can be found here.
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