American Heart Association Welcomes Sen. Richard Durbin as Co-Chair of Congressional Heart and Stroke Coalition

(Washington, January 20, 2011) — Illinois Senator Richard Durbin, Assistant Majority Leader in the Senate, has been named Senate Democratic co-chair of the Congressional Heart and Stroke Coalition. The American Heart Association congratulates him for taking on this important role and driving efforts to fight heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases—the nation’s leading health threats.

Sen. Durbin will fill the vacancy left by retired Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and join Senator Michael Crapo (R-ID) and Representatives Lois Capps (D-CA) and Todd Platts (R-PA) as leaders of the coalition.

The Congressional Heart and Stroke Coalition works to raise awareness of the seriousness of cardiovascular diseases and acts as a resource center for issues including biomedical research, quality and availability of care and health promotion and disease prevention. The coalition and its more than 150 members also help advance public policies aimed at fighting cardiovascular diseases.

“I am honored to join my colleagues as co-chair of the Congressional Heart and Stroke Coalition. I look forward to working with them and the American Heart Association to raise awareness and secure resources in the fight against heart disease and stroke,” said Durbin.

“Sen. Durbin has been a staunch supporter of the association’s goals to reduce American death and disability rates from heart disease and stroke,” said Ralph Sacco, MD, American Heart Association President. “We look forward to continuing our work with the Senator to educate congressional Members and staff, improve research, treatment and awareness and advance lifesaving policies.”

Sen. Durbin’s record as a heart and stroke champion in Congress includes his leadership role in ensuring passage of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act and as the lead sponsor of the Congenital Heart Futures Act, both of which were enacted into law in the last Congress. He also was the lead author of the law that banned smoking on airplanes more than 20 years ago. He has been a strong advocate for increased heart and stroke research funding for the National Institutes for Health and has co-sponsored numerous bills supported by the association, including the HEART for Women Act and the Genetic Information Non-discrimination Act.