Sponsors (2)
This resolution raises public and policymaker awareness about the large health and economic toll of cardiovascular disease—especially for women and pregnant people—and supplies evidence to support prevention and research, but it is nonbinding and may raise expectations, risk prompting future spending, and fail to target communities with the highest burdens.
Women and pregnant people: Raises awareness that cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death for women and contributes to over one-quarter of pregnancy-related deaths, which can prompt improved screening and maternal cardiovascular care.
All Americans: Emphasizes that lifestyle changes and medical treatment can greatly reduce CVD risk, encouraging preventive care, healthier behaviors, and earlier diagnosis across the population.
Taxpayers and policymakers: Documents the large and growing economic and mortality burden of CVD (e.g., $252B in 2019–2020; $1T projected by 2035), providing evidence to justify future prevention, research, and public‑health planning efforts.
Everyone: The language is nonbinding (findings/preamble and a presidential proclamation request), so it does not create new services or funding and may raise expectations without delivering direct benefits.
Racial and ethnic minority communities: Broad, general statements that CVD affects all ages and races risk obscuring the need for targeted interventions, potentially perpetuating gaps in care for higher‑burden groups.
Taxpayers: Emphasizing projected costs (e.g., $1T by 2035) could be used to justify future federal spending increases or new programs that raise public expenditures.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Introduced February 21, 2025 by Richard Joseph Durbin · Last progress February 21, 2025
Declares findings about the scale, health impact, economic cost, and racial disparities of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the United States and urges the President to issue an annual proclamation designating February as American Heart Month to raise public awareness. It highlights statistics on deaths, costs, sudden cardiac arrest, heart attacks and strokes, maternal and congenital risks, and the role of prevention, early detection, and public education.