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Politics

Tom Rooney, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Help Get Federal Funds to Battle Lupus

March 13, 2017 - 9:00am

As part of the Defense Appropriations Act passed in the U.S. House last week, Congress is creating a Lupus Research Program under the  Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program run by the Army Medical Research and Materiel Command in Maryland. That’s a win for two Florida Republicans who co-chair the Congressional Lupus Caucus. 

Florida Republican U.S. Reps. Tom Rooney and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen co-chair the caucus along with U.S. Reps. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Tex., and William Keating, D-Mass. The caucus spearheaded efforts to ensure $5 million would be set aside for the Lupus Research Program. 

More than 1.5 million Americans suffer from lupus, an autoimmune disease that leads to  inflammation and causes heart attacks, organ failure, seizures and strokes, often leading to death. Most Americans who suffer from lupus--around 90 percent--are women. Minorities, including African-Americans, Asians, Hispanics and Native Americans, are far more likely to contract lupus. 

On Friday, the two Florida Republicans made the case as to why this funding was important. 

“As the co-chair of the Lupus caucus, I’m very pleased that that the Lupus Medical Research Program is included in the Defense Appropriations Act,” said Ros-Lehtinen. “This measure will help provide essential relief to the community of patients who often wait years to reach a positive diagnosis and whose lives have been affected by lupus. It is my hope that increased research and awareness, will get us closer to that one day no one will be diagnosed with lupus.”

“The fight against lupus is a cause near and dear to my heart, having lost my cousin Kathleen to the disease,” Rooney said.  “With 1.5 million Americans living with lupus, this funding is a critical step to further research and treatment development efforts to help improve the quality of life for all people affected by lupus. It is my hope that this funding benefits the lupus community and helps to one day find a cure.”

Kenneth Farber, who is the co-president and co-CEO of the Lupus Research Alliance, praised the caucus and the Senate and House Defense Appropriations Committees for getting the funds through the House. "These visionary leaders – and all the members of the House and Senate defense appropriations subcommittees – appreciated the difficult health challenges people with lupus face, including those serving in our military,” Faber said. “They recognized the need to invest in world-class scientific research and we thank them all."

The full Senate has not held a final vote on Defense appropriations but is expected to pass it. 

Comments

Thank you. I hope more help can be achieved for the younger victims. It's a hard disease to bear.

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