American Lung Association Honors Congresswoman

Capps Named Lung Health Champion

Washington, D.C. (March 28, 2012) —

The American Lung Association presented Congresswoman Lois Capps (D-CA) its Lung Health Champion Award for her leadership and heroic work to protect the lung health of all Americans.
“The Lung Association thanks Congresswoman Lois Capps for her dedication to protecting the health of all Americans, particularly for those affected by lung disease, including asthma, COPD, and lung cancer,” said Geri Reinardy, American Lung Association Nationwide Assembly Speaker.  “Congresswoman Capps has been at the forefront of lung health issues most notably defending the Clean Air Act to improve the quality of the air we breathe and protecting kids from big tobacco.”
As a registered nurse, Congresswoman Capps has seen firsthand the devastating effects of air pollution and tobacco use on lung health. As a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Capps has had an instrumental role on three major legislative lung health issues. Over the past three years, she was involved with the passage of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which gave the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authority over tobacco products; passage of the Affordable Care Act, which dramatically expanded access to comprehensive cessation benefits and also ensured that every pregnant woman in America enrolled in Medicaid have access to the help they need to quit smoking; and defense of the Clean Air Act, including the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recent adoption of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards for Power Plants that will annually save up to 11,000 lives, prevent up to 4,700 heart attacks and 130,000 asthma attacks when fully implemented in 2016.
Last year, Congresswoman Capps led more than 100 Congressional cosigners on a letter in support of toxic mercury clean up. In July 2011, she led efforts to protect EPA’s power plant cleanup authority when she hosted a press conference welcoming the Lung Association’s iconic red carriage to Capitol Hill.
Congresswoman Capps is also the co-chair of the House Cancer Caucus, and is a chief advocate for additional funding of cancer research, prevention, and access to comprehensive health care.
“The American Lung Association is grateful to Congresswoman Capps for her tireless leadership and commitment to the fight for healthy lungs and healthy air,” said Geri Reinardy.

###
About the American Lung Association Now in its second century, the American Lung Association is the leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease. With your generous support, the American Lung Association is “Fighting for Air” through research, education and advocacy. For more information about the American Lung Association, a Charity Navigator Four Star Charity and holder of the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Guide Seal, or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNG-USA ( 1-800-586-4872 ) or visit  www.lung.org .