Deondra Dixon Include Project Act of 2026

Floor Speech

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Mr. HICKENLOOPER. 1838, the DeOndra Dixon INCLUDE Project Act.

Thousands of Americans live with Down syndrome, and yet research has been underfunded for decades.

In 2017, Congress encouraged the National Institutes of Health, the NIH, to launch the INCLUDE Project--an effort to make groundbreaking discoveries about conditions that disproportionately affect people with Down syndrome, like Alzheimer's disease.

The INCLUDE Project brings together multiple NIH institutes under a coordinated approach that is already delivering significant scientific discoveries as well as new treatments.

The bipartisan, bicameral DeOndra Dixon INCLUDE Project Act will officially authorize the INCLUDE Project into law.

The bill will ensure that Congress and the American people have visibility into the scientific breakthroughs that are so needed for this community. The INCLUDE Project is already yielding significant scientific results, and Colorado is at the core of these scientific advances.

Today, Colorado is proudly home to the world's leading Down syndrome advocacy, research, and medical care partners at the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, the Alzheimer's and Cognition Center, and the Sie Center at Children's Hospital Colorado.

We need to make sure that improving health outcomes for individuals with Down syndrome remains a priority and do so in honor of DeOndra Dixon, an extraordinary person who was an advocate leaving a legacy that will help improve lives for generations.

This bill has support on both sides of the aisle, including Senators Jerry Moran and Cory Booker and Representatives Diana DeGette and Richard Hudson. We also thank Senators Bennet, Padilla, Capito, Coons, Van Hollen, and Ossoff for their support.

We are determined to get this bill across the finish line for DeOndra and for the thousands of Americans who will see their lives improve for the better by this critical research.

1838.
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Mr. HICKENLOOPER. Mr. President, I know of no further debate on the bill, as amended.
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Mr. HICKENLOOPER. Mr. President, I also would be remiss if I didn't recognize, once again, the incredible partners that have been behind these Down syndrome advocacy, research, and medical care--primarily the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, but also the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, the Alzheimer's and Cognition Center, and the Sie Center at Children's Hospital Colorado.

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