WASHINGTON, D.C.-Today, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, issued the following statement after the HELP Committee approved seven bipartisan bills at a Committee markup today. The approved bills include: the Promoting Physical Activity for Americans Act; the Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Community Assistance, Research and Education (MD-CARE) Amendments of 2014; the Emergency Medical Services for Children Reauthorization Act of 2014; the Trauma Systems and Regionalization of Emergency Care Reauthorization Act; the Improving Trauma Care Act of 2014; the Traumatic Brain Injury Reauthorization Act of 2014; and a bill to amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. The bills will now go on to be considered by the full Senate.
“Today the HELP Committee passed seven more bipartisan bills, continuing our strong record of working across party lines to put Americans first," Harkin said. “Six of the bills passed today underscore the Committee’s focus on improving and supporting our country’s public health-from addressing muscular dystrophy, to supporting emergency medical services for children, to improving care for traumatic injuries.
“In particular, I am pleased that the Committee has unanimously approved the Promoting Physical Activity for Americans Act, legislation I first introduced in 2008 with Senator Sam Brownback, and introduced this Congress with Senator Roger Wicker. This important bill will help ensure that all Americans have access to the information they need to support an active and healthy lifestyle by giving them clear, science-based guidelines on physical activity. We know that people who are physically active tend to live longer and have lower risk for obesity-related chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Providing accurate, timely, and uniform recommendations for physical activity can help communities and families across the country lead longer, healthier lives.
“I hope the Senate will consider these important, bipartisan measures as soon as possible."
The HELP Committee approval of seven bipartisan bills arrives on the heels of Congressional approval of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which was signed into law this week. WIOA, led to passage by Chairman Harkin, Ranking Member Lamar Alexander, Senator Patty Murray and Senator Johnny Isakson, is the 14th bipartisan HELP Committee bill to become law in 2014. Read the full list of HELP Committee bills that have become law this Congress here.
Summaries of the bills passed by the HELP Committee today are below:
