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"The passage today of the National Alzheimer's Project Act is a momentous legislative victory for the millions of American families profoundly affected by this devastating disease, and the millions more who will be in the future."-- Maria Shriver, California’s First Lady.
December 15, 2010 (Washington D.C.) – The National Alzheimer’s Act has been approved by Congress and now goes to President Barack Obama for signature. The National Alzheimer's Project Act would create the National Alzheimer's Project, which would coordinate government efforts to prevent and treat the disease and create a national strategy for defeating Alzheimer's disease.
S. 3036 passed the Senate by unanimous consent. The House version, HR 4689, passed the House of Representatives today. (The voting record in the House is not yet posted.)
“More than 5 million Americans and their 11 million caregivers face the reality of Alzheimer’s every day,” said Harry Johns, president and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association. With America’s aging baby boomers, the number of Alzheimer’s cases is expected to soar, having devastating effects on families and straining public healthcare resources. “Passage of this critical legislation addresses the need for a coordinated national strategy to overcome this rapidly escalating crisis,” added Johns.
"Thanks to the bi-partisan actions of Congress and the leadership of the Alzheimer's Association, the United States is on its way to having a national plan so our country will be prepared to handle this national emergency and advance ourselves toward a cure,” said Maria Shriver, California's First Lady.
After her father, Sargent Shriver, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2003, she has become one of the nation's leading advocates for families struggling with this devastating disease. In 2009, she executive produced The Alzheimer’s Project, a groundbreaking four-part documentary series that premiered on HBO, attracted 11 million viewers, and won two Emmy Awards.
The series took a close look at cutting-edge work being done in the country’s leading Alzheimer’s laboratories, and it examined the effects of this disease on patients and their families. Also in 2009, Shriver testified before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging to encourage Congress to make Alzheimer’s a national legislative priority by enacting the recommendations put forth by the independent Alzheimer’s Study Group.
In October 2010, Shriver published “The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Takes on Alzheimer's,” which was the largest study ever conducted to look at the significant impact of Alzheimer's disease on women. Released in partnership with ABC News and Time, the Report ignited a national conversation around this devastating disease. She also led a massive fundraising march against Alzheimer's.
“I am heartened that our country's lawmakers have made Alzheimer's a strategic priority and answered this critical call to action,” Shriver concluded. “Together, we are the hope to defeat this mind-blowing disease."
For more information about the National Alzheimer's Project Act, visit: http://alz.org.
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