Posted on 11/17/2007

November 17, 2007–WASHINGTON, CD–The House of Representatives has failed to override President George W. Bush's Veto of the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill, which would have provided $ 2.5 million to fund the Rural and Community Access to Emergency Devices Program. The appropriations would have included an allocation of $200,000 to fund an information clearinghouse designed to increase public access to defibrillation in schools, as requested in the Automated Defibrillators in Adam’s Memory (ADAM) Act.

In response, American Heart Association President Daniel W. Jones, M.D., issued the following statement: “Hope of making significant gains in the fight against heart disease and stroke was dealt a severe blow today, with the vote in the House of Representatives to sustain the President’s veto of the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill.  Future scientific breakthroughs in the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular diseases will be much less likely without this funding.

“The funding levels in this bill would have allowed the National Institutes of Health to support groundbreaking research for heart disease, and given States the tools they need to translate research into guidance on how to live free of cardiovascular disease and stroke.  

“As Congress moves forward, we implore Members to retain these funding levels.  We can’t continue to wage a strong and sustained fight to build lives free of heart disease and stroke unless we are armed with the resources to win the battle.”

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