Throughout Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, we are reminded of our vested interest in slowing down, preventing and ultimately bringing an end to Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Alzheimer's is a progressive type of dementia that affects memory, thinking and behavior, and symptoms eventually grow severe enough to interfere with daily tasks. This month, we also remember those whose lives were uprooted and changed for the worse by this terrible disease, including their families and loved ones also serving as caregivers.
Indeed, my family knows firsthand how debilitating and tragic this disease is that currently affects more than six million Americans, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. My father battled and ultimately lost his life to Alzheimer’s disease. With heavy hearts, during the last several years of his life, my family watched helplessly as he progressively became a different person and slowly lost precious memories from his entire lifetime.
As the most common cause of dementia, Alzheimer’s accounts for between 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. With cases continuing to grow rapidly and absent a medical breakthrough, the number of people aged 65 and older with Alzheimer’s is projected to rise to 12.7 million by 2050.
Alzheimer’s is also the most expensive disease in the United States. It is estimated that more than 11 million Americans provide unpaid care for Alzheimer's or other dementia patients. Last year, caregivers provided more than 16 billion hours of care valued at nearly $272 billion. In 2022, Alzheimer's and other dementias are expected to cost the nation $321 billion and could reach $1 trillion by 2050.
Due to these alarming statistics, I am disturbed by the Biden Administration’s proposal to cut funding for dedicated Alzheimer’s and brain research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by $200 million in his budget request for fiscal year 2023. As our nation grapples with this tragic Alzheimer’s epidemic, cutting funding for critical research to unlock causes and cures is quite simply the absolute wrong move for Americans. Under my leadership as the top Republican of the House Appropriations subcommittee responsible for funding the NIH, I will continue to work diligently to prevent such a mistake from becoming reality.
Since 2016, Republicans in Congress have proudly and tenaciously led the charge to increase federal funding to study this mysterious disease. In fact, while I was Chairman of the subcommittee, I helped secure historic funding increases for dedicated Alzheimer’s research – increasing federal support from $600 million a year to $3.4 billion in fiscal year 2022, and I remain dedicated to building on this momentum and working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure further incremental increases.
This Congress, I am also the proud cosponsor of two critical pieces of legislation to improve the quality of lives for those living with Alzheimer’s disease and help support caregivers. First, the Alzheimer's Caregiver Support Act authorizes grants to public and non-profit organizations to expand training and support services for families and unpaid caregivers of patients with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias. I am also the cosponsor of the Comprehensive Care for Alzheimer's Act to direct the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to test a new dementia care management model that equip comprehensive care management services to individuals with Alzheimer’s.
Every year, one in three seniors loses their life to Alzheimer's or another dementia – more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. In the coming days, months and years, we must continue to build on the significant progress already made to find answers to Alzheimer’s and improve the quality of life for those with dementia. If we can do that, our nation and the world will be much better off.