Federal Agenda 2020: What We’re Working On

Every new year brings a new opportunity for the American Heart Association and You’re the Cure to advocate for heart and stroke patients and for heart healthy legislation in Washington D.C. Read on to learn about some of the issues we will advocate on in 2020.

Thanks largely to the efforts of YTC advocates, we were able to achieve many of our legislative and regulatory goals in 2019. YTC advocates enable the American Heart Association to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives and we would not be nearly as successful without you.

Despite our successes, there is still important, life-saving work to do. Below is a list of some of the federal issues the AHA and YTC advocates will work on in 2020. We’ve broken it down into broad topics and listed a few examples to highlight our work. While this list focuses on the work the AHA will do federally, rest assured AHA staff and YTC advocates will be hard at work on state and local campaigns as well. For more information about state and local campaigns, or if you have any questions on our federal work please email [email protected].

We will need your help and your voice to be successful so please take a moment to read about our federal priorities for 2020 and be on the lookout for ways to lending a helping voice!

• Appropriations: Secure federal funding for items such as NIH research, CDC Prevention programs, and more.
• Tobacco: Work with Congress and regulatory agencies to combat the youth tobacco epidemic. Examples include working to remove flavored tobacco products from the market and including graphic warning labels on tobacco products.
• Transportation Bill Reauthorization: Ensure healthy transportation alternatives like bike lanes, safe routes to school, and more are prioritized.
• Nutrition: Work with Congress and regulatory agencies to ensure science-based nutrition policies and standards are implemented.
• Surprise Medical Billing: Work with Congress to protect patients from financially crippling surprise medical bills which disproportionately impact heart and stroke patients.
• Cardiac Rehab: Work with Congress to increase access to life-saving cardiac rehab programs.