News
Sen. Dick Durbin becomes co-chair of the Congressional COPD Caucus
COPD Foundation
Washington, DC – Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) has officially become the Co-Chair of the Congressional COPD Caucus. The Caucus serves as a platform for the community of patients affected by Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) to voice their concerns.
“Approximately 24 million Americans—including 557,120 people in Illinois—are living with COPD,” says Sen. Durbin. “While there is no cure, the causes are largely preventable. Prevention starts with protecting the air we breathe and I have long been committed to that effort during my time in Congress. I look forward to pursuing that effort further as I join Senator Crapo as a Co-Chair of the Senate Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Caucus.”
The Congressional COPD Caucus was created in 2004 by Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) as a bipartisan, bicameral way to raise awareness of COPD. Senator Crapo was joined by then-Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), and Representative Cliff Stearns (R-FL) and Representative John Lewis (D-GA) in the House. The Caucus has addressed the need to ease air travel with supplemental oxygen, helped to make pulmonary rehabilitation a permanent benefit for Medicare beneficiaries, and enhanced data collection that will assist with tailoring the public health response to COPD.
“The COPD Foundation is excited that Sen. Durbin has become Co-Chair of the COPD Congressional Caucus,” said John W. Walsh, president of both the COPD Foundation and the Alpha-1 Foundation. “With his strong bipartisan leadership, we look forward to making progress on engaging the government in support of our efforts for more research, early diagnosis, prevention and improved access to treatment for those living with COPD.”
