Rep. Barragán Leads Bipartisan Letter to House Appropriations Committee Leadership in Support of Increased Funding for the Parkinson’s Research Program at the Department of Defense

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

7 October 2024

Contact: Kevin G. McGuire, 202-538-2386 (mobile)

[email protected]

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Last week, Congresswoman Nanette Barragán (CA-44), a member of the Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health, led 33 of her colleagues in a bipartisan letter urging House Appropriations Committee leadership to increase funding for the Department of Defense's (DoD) Parkinson's Research Program (PRP) in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget.

The PRP, administered by the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), focuses on research related to Parkinson's disease, a condition that affects over 1 million Americans, including 110,000 veterans.

While level funding for the PRP was included in the House's version of the FY 2025 Defense Appropriations Act, the letter calls for greater federal investment to expand vital research aimed at preventing, treating, and ultimately curing Parkinson's disease.

"The groundbreaking research carried out through the Parkinson's Research Program benefits not only our nation's servicemembers and veterans, who are at a higher risk of developing Parkinson's due to their service, but also all Americans," said Rep. Barragán. "As someone whose father battled Parkinson's for most of the time I knew him, I know how devastating this disease can be for patients and their loved ones. That is why I am proud to lead a bipartisan letter requesting an increase in funding for this program, which is one important step towards ending Parkinson's disease once and for all."

"We appreciate Rep. Barragán's leadership and commitment to the Parkinson's community, including supporting increased funding for the DOD Parkinson's Research Program," said Ted Thompson, senior vice president of public policy at The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. "We know that stressors associated with military service like traumatic brain injury and exposure to toxic chemicals can heighten the risk of developing Parkinson's. As one of the only federal programs specifically dedicated to Parkinson's disease research - and one that takes the lead on researching service-related risks - the PRP plays a critical role in deepening our understanding of the disease and how to treat it. Ensuring greater funding for the PRP means better brain health for veterans and for all Americans living with Parkinson's disease today and in the future."

In addition to Barragán, the letter was signed by Reps. Don Bacon, Gus Bilirakis, Julia Brownley, Sean Casten, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Yvette Clarke, Donald Davis, Veronica Escobar, Brian Fitzpatrick, Sylvia Garcia, Josh Gottheimer, Andy Kim, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Greg Landsman, Stephen Lynch, Nicole Malliotakis, Kevin Mullin, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Katie Porter, Andrea Salinas, Linda Sánchez, Jan Schakowsky, Terri Sewell, Mikie Sherrill, Elissa Slotkin, Darren Soto, Abigail Spanberger, Melanie Stansbury, Haley Stevens, Rashida Tlaib, Paul Tonko, Nydia Velázquez, and Joe Wilson.

The letter was endorsed by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.

The full text of the letter can be found here.

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Congressmember Nanette Barragán represents California's 44^th District. She sits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and works on environmental justice and healthcare issues. She is also Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC).