BETHESDA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, representing approximately 30,000 people with cystic fibrosis in the United States, applauds Senators Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) on their creation of a Senate Cystic Fibrosis Caucus, which was announced today.
This bipartisan group of senators will work closely with the House of Representatives’ Congressional Cystic Fibrosis Caucus, led by Representatives James McGovern (D-Mass.) and Tom Marino (R-Pa.). The caucus will work to raise awareness about cystic fibrosis, advance policies and support research that helps people with the disease live longer, healthier lives.
“Senator Markey and Senator Grassley are ardent champions of the cystic fibrosis community, and we are deeply grateful for this bipartisan show of support for people who live everyday with this serious, life-threatening disease,” said Preston W. Campbell III, M.D., president and CEO of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. “We at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation look forward to continuing our close collaboration with the senators as they explore ways to improve the lives of people with CF.”
“The formation of this caucus is intended to highlight the importance of beating this dreadful, cruel disease and pledging to all those with cystic fibrosis and their loved ones that Congress is dedicated to supporting you. Our hope for this caucus is to make CF stand for 'Cured Forever'. We need to provide patients with hope for a better future and we can do that by making greater investments in research, providing resources for treatment and showing our unwavering commitment to the people with CF, their families and caretakers. I thank Chairman Grassley for his partnership in founding the Senate caucus, and I look forward to working together on a bipartisan basis to help families gain more control over this disease,” said Senator Markey.
“The advocacy of the cystic fibrosis community is impressive, and it’s gained results. These families are passionate about helping their children live past the predicted 40-year life expectancy. Their children fight an everyday battle to live healthy, regular lives. The Senate caucus is meant to add to advocacy efforts in promoting awareness, research and policies toward a good quality of life and a cure,” said Senator Grassley.
“As co-chair of the Cystic Fibrosis Caucus in the House, I am thrilled that Senators Markey and Grassley are joining the bipartisan push to raise awareness and find a cure. With the House and Senate working together, we can continue to build on the great work led by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and support the strong investments in the research needed to help everyone with this disease to live longer, healthier lives,” said Representative McGovern.
“As a father of someone who suffers from cystic fibrosis, this issue is extremely close to my heart. I am incredibly proud of my colleagues in the Senate for joining the cause to put an end to CF. We are strongest when we work together and I know having a bicameral caucus aimed at raising awareness and supporting research will enable us to make real, meaningful progress in our efforts. I look forward to working closely with Senators Markey and Grassley and thank them for standing with us in our fight to cure CF,” said Representative Marino.
The House of Representatives’ Congressional Cystic Fibrosis Caucus was founded in 2006 by then-Representatives Markey and Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.), and currently includes 143 bipartisan members.
Cystic fibrosis is a fatal genetic disease that affects about 30,000 people in the United States and about 70,000 worldwide. CF damages the lungs and can lead to respiratory failure. Sixty years ago, when the CF Foundation was established, the average life expectancy of a child with CF was about five years. Today, because of dramatic advances in treatment and care, people with CF are living into their 30s, 40s and beyond.
The CF Foundation has raised and invested hundreds of millions of dollars to help discover and develop new and effective CF therapies. Nearly every CF drug available today was made possible because of the Foundation’s support and our ongoing work with researchers and the pharmaceutical industry to find a cure.
About the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is the world's leader in the search for a cure for cystic fibrosis. The Foundation funds more cystic fibrosis research than any other organization, and nearly every CF drug available today was made possible because of Foundation support. Based in Bethesda, Md., the Foundation also supports and accredits a national care center network that has been recognized by the National Institutes of Health as a model of care for a chronic disease. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is a donor-supported nonprofit organization. For more information, go to www.cff.org.
