On June 26-27, more than 330 American Heart Association volunteers and staff from 46 states trekked to Washington, D.C. as part of the biennial You’re the Cure on the Hill to advocate for the protection of health care coverage, federal research support, and key legislation that will benefit Americans with cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Heart disease and stroke researchers and survivors met with legislators to stress the urgent need for more National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded heart and stroke research, Advocates urged their congressional members to prioritize NIH funding for heart and stroke research and to increase the NIH’s budget by $2 billion in fiscal year 2018.
Volunteers also asked lawmakers to support a cardiac rehabilitation supervision bill (H.R. 1155/S. 1361) and the Furthering Access to Stroke Telemedicine (FAST) Act (H.R. 1148/S. 431).
Support the efforts of your fellow advocates by taking action:
- Ask your lawmakers to Make Heart and Stroke Research a National Priority by increasing the National Institutes of Health budget by 6% or $2 Billion for 2018.
- Request Congress expand access to stroke telemedicine.
Please contact your local congressmen and women to help save the lives of millions of Americans. For more information visit www.yourethecure.org.
Our mission is to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. For nearly 100 years, we’ve been fighting heart disease and stroke, striving to save and improve lives. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer worldwide, and stroke ranks second globally. Even when those conditions don’t result in death, they cause disability and diminish quality of life. We want to see a world free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.