Sponsors (2)
This resolution channels federal attention and research funding toward spinal cord injury treatments—potentially improving outcomes for hundreds of thousands, including veterans—while increasing federal spending and offering benefits that may take years to reach patients.
People with spinal cord injuries (about 308,000 Americans living with paralysis) would see increased federal research funding aimed at accelerating neuroprotection and regenerative treatments, which could improve quality of life and long-term outcomes.
Veterans with spinal cord injuries would likely benefit from expanded VA-focused research and programs, potentially improving specialized care and services for that group.
Directing more federal research dollars to spinal cord injury increases government spending, which could raise the deficit or crowd out other federal priorities (cost borne by taxpayers).
Emphasizing biomedical research and advanced treatments may take years to deliver patient benefits, leaving some immediate care and support needs for people with spinal cord injuries underaddressed in the near term.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
States findings on spinal cord injury prevalence, causes, stagnant life expectancy, and urges expanded research, therapies, education, and funding to improve outcomes and pursue cures.
States federal findings about spinal cord injuries, reporting prevalence, annual incidence, veteran impact, primary causes, and stagnant life-expectancy trends since the 1980s. It emphasizes an urgent need for new neuroprotective, pharmacological, and regenerative therapies and for greater education and research funding to improve outcomes and pursue cures for paralysis. Highlights include that about 308,000 people in the U.S. live with spinal cord injuries, roughly 18,000 new injuries occur each year, over 42,000 affected are veterans, and motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause—especially among people 30 and younger. The text calls for expanded research, therapies, and public education but does not itself appropriate funds or create new programs.
Introduced October 7, 2025 by Tammy Baldwin · Last progress October 7, 2025