Cardiovascular Advances in Research and Opportunities Legacy Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1193, the Cardiovascular Advances and Opportunities Legacy Act, or the CAROL Act. I am excited that we are going to pass this legislation and send it to the President's desk.

Our friend and colleague, Representative Andy Barr, introduced the CAROL Act to honor his late wife who tragically passed away from an underlying condition known as mitral valve prolapse.

The bill authorizes grants administered by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to support research on valvular heart disease and convene subject matter experts to identify research opportunities to develop treatment guidelines for patients with valvular heart diseases. It also instructs the CDC to increase public awareness regarding symptoms of valvular heart disease and effective strategies for preventing sudden cardiac death.

Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death for most demographic groups in the United States. Over 600,000 Americans die from heart disease each year. This is equal to one person every 36 seconds.

We know that early action is critical to surviving a heart condition. People need to know warning signs and symptoms, so we must identify the gaps in education and information sharing.

This bill also has been a model in terms of how legislation should be done. It was the subject of a hearing at the Energy and Commerce Committee, was voted on by the subcommittee and full committee, and then passed by the entire House. The Senate then also moved it through the committee process and made some improvements to the legislation in consultation with House sponsors and the Energy and Commerce Committee. Last week, the Senate voted to send the updated legislation back here to the House.

This regular order process only improved this important legislation, and I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.

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