Watch: Senator Markey Introduces Amendment to Fund Alzheimer’s Research

Washington (February 21, 2025) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), ranking member of the Health Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security and founder and co-chair of the Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s, yesterday introduced an amendment to the Senate’s budget resolution, which would increase funding for Alzheimer’s research amidst cuts to National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding. Republicans overwhelmingly voted down the amendment from passing. 

Below is an excerpt from Senator Markey’s remarks on the Senate floor.

“Funding for Alzheimer’s research at the NIH is essential. Nearly seven million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s right now and if nothing changes, fifteen million Americans will have Alzheimer’s by 2050 with a cost of one trillion dollars a year to our health care system. We need to tackle this challenge head on by increasing funding for NIH research for Alzheimer’s. Trump and DOGE have already cut and slowed down NIH research, interfering with our ability to cure this disease. We must guarantee that Alzheimer’s research is protected.”  

In October 2024, Senators Markey and Susan Collins (R-Maine) announced President Biden signed their bipartisan Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act (AAIA) and National Alzheimer's Project Act (NAPA) Reauthorization into law. These bills cement and build on the important progress that has been made to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s disease.

Senator Markey is a leader in the fight to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease and to support family caregivers. In July 2024, Senator Markey applauded the HELP Committee's passage of Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2024, which included provisions based on his Respite Care And Resources for Everyone (CARE) Act and Convenient Care for Caregivers Act to expand respite care for family caregivers of older adults that need long-term care, including individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia. Earlier that month, Senator Markey unveiled his “Caring for Caregivers” family caregiving agenda, which included his Convenient Care for Caregivers Act to support family caregivers and individuals with Alzheimer’s receiving health care services at the same time and location to improve health outcomes.

As a member of the House of Representatives, Senator Markey founded the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s to develop a whole-of-government approach to finding a cure for Alzheimer’s. He created the Independence at Home program to provide seniors, including individuals with Alzheimer’s and other dementia, the option to receive primary care in their home. Senator Markey authored the bipartisan Spending Reductions Through Innovations in Therapies (SPRINT) Act, which would encourage drug development for high-cost, chronic health conditions such as Alzheimer’s, the Health Outcomes, Planning and Education (HOPE) Act to improve early detection and diagnoses of Alzheimer’s and support caregivers, and the Alzheimer’s Breakthrough Act, which would require the National Institutes of Health (NIH) work to improve treatment outcomes and engage federal agencies in the effort to combat Alzheimer’s.

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