Sharing a message from the March of Dimes...please support them and their excellent work...and tell your elected officials you want to lower the preterm birth rate!
PREEMIE Reauthorization Act Introduced in U.S. Congress
This week, Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Representatives Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Leonard Lance (R-NJ) introduced the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act of 2013 (S.252/ H.R. 541) – comprehensive legislation reauthorizing critical federal research and programs that will help identify the causes of premature births, and work to prevent them. Thanks to your tireless efforts as advocates and supporters, we made critical advancements moving the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act forward last year. During the last weeks of the 112th Congress, both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate passed the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act, but it didn't become law due to procedural entanglements. With the new Congress now under way, we're back for our next attempt at getting this important bill enacted into law.
After the original PREEMIE Act passed in 2006, preterm birth rates dropped for five consecutive years after rising steadily for three decades. Reauthorizing the PREEMIE Act will help us reach the March of Dimes goal of lowering the preterm birth rate to 9.6 percent by 2020 and reducing the number of infant deaths and childhood disabilities caused by premature birth. There are encouraging signs that PREEMIE is primed for early action in both chambers, and our Congressional champions remain committed to securing passage of this bill into law. Your work throughout 2012 provided a firm foundation for this year, and we will likely call on you in the coming weeks as we work to secure swift passage to ensure all babies have a healthy start.
Thank you for your continued support.
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