Business and Professional Women/USA Supports New Heart Legislation for Women

Business and Professional Women/USA Supports New Heart Legislation for Women

Washington, DC, February 14, 2006—Today on Valentine’s Day Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) will introduce the HEART for Women Act. The bill is supported by Business and Professional Women/USA (BPW/USA) because of the need for increased research on heart disease and its unique impact upon women.

The HEART for Women Act would “amend the Public Health Service Act to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases in women.” Specifically this legislation would require data reporting and analysis to be stratified to include gender, race and ethnicity.

“BPW/USA supports this legislation because health is a component of our legislative platform which states that BPW/USA “will encourage the development of a national health care policy recognizing the special health care needs of women,” said Roslyn Ridgeway, BPW/USA national president. “This legislation is critical to all women and their families and our grassroots members plan to support it not only on the national level, but on state and local levels across the nation,” she added.

Senator Stabenow recently addressed BPW/USA members and supporters about the HEART for Women Act at a Capitol Hill luncheon during its annual Policy & Action Conference. Senator Stabenow is a former BPW/PAC endorsee.

The bill also includes appropriations to extend the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s current WISEWOMAN program to all 50 states and territories. The four original conveners of this legislation are the American Heart Association, Association of Black Cardiologists, Society for Women’s Health Research and WomenHeart.

For more information on Business and Professional Women/USA’s legislative priorities, please visit our web site at www.bpwusa.org.

Business and Professional Women/USA, founded in 1919, promotes equity for all women in the workplace through advocacy, education and information. With 1,300 Local Organizations across the country and members in every congressional district, BPW/USA is the leading advocate for millions of workingwomen on work-life effectiveness and workplace equity issues. BPW Local Organizations provide members with professional development programs, networking, participation in grassroots activism, and opportunities to support scholarships.