U.S. Sens. Martha McSally (R-AZ) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) joined a bipartisan group of senators that founded the new Senate ALS Caucus last week.
“Thousands of Americans and their families are battling a devastating ALS diagnosis,” Sen. McSally said on Feb. 7. “I joined my colleagues in founding the Senate ALS Caucus so that we could partner together with ALS patients, their families, and health care professionals to find innovative treatments and hopefully, a cure for this debilitating disease.”
ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a nervous system disease that kills neurons controlling voluntary muscles, impacting physical function. While the cause of the disease is unknown, there is no cure for ALS and only limited treatments are available to help improve a patient’s quality of life.
In addition to helping raise awareness about the difficulties faced by ALS patients and families, the Senate ALS Caucus will advance policies that seek to improve patient quality of life and expand the network of patient and family support. Its mission also includes advocating for investments that will help researchers and doctors better understand ALS disease progression, identify effective treatments, and work toward discovering a cure, according to information provided by Sen. McSally’s office.
“During my time in Congress, I have been inspired by ALS patients and their families,” Sen. Blackburn said. “Their courage and determination to face this disease and fight for therapies and a cure motivates me to work to find a way to improve their quality of life.”
Sens. McSally and Blackburn were joined in launching the new caucus by Sens. Chris Coons (D-DE), Mike Braun (R-IN), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), John Boozman (R-AR), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Kennedy (R-LA), Doug Jones (D-AL), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tom Cotton (R-AR), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).