A medical research bill named for a congressman’s late wife unanimously passed through the House Energy and Commerce Committee, paving the way for a full House vote.
Rep. Andy Barr introduced the Cardiovascular Advances in Research and Opportunities Legacy Act earlier this year to honor his late wife, Eleanor “Carol” Leavell Barr, who unexpectedly died in June 2020. The Fayette County Coroner’s Office later attributed her death to an underlying heart condition known as mitral valve prolapse.
The CAROL Act would create a grant program administered by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to conduct research on valvular heart disease and recommend best practices for treating the condition. The bill would also direct the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to increase public awareness of symptoms that are cause for concern. In a February release about the bill, Barr’s office said many people may be unaware they have the typically benign condition, leaving some unprepared in the event of adverse effects.
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“Carol’s life was dedicated to serving her community and country,” Barr said in a statement on Wednesday.
“This legislation that honors her extraordinary life and legacy will invest in the critical research needed to prevent the tragedy that impacted our family from happening to others,” the Kentucky Republican said. “I am grateful to Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Congresswoman Kathleen Rice, and Congressman Brett Guthrie, for pushing this legislation through the Committee. It is time to move this bill across the finish line and save lives.”
The bill’s bipartisan support in the committee signals it will likely be brought up for a full House vote. Rep. Frank Pallone, a New Jersey Democrat and chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, touted it as one of 12 bipartisan bills advanced by the committee on Wednesday.
Rep. Kathleen Rice, a New York Democrat who co-sponsored the legislation, said in a statement, “I commend my friend Congressman Barr for leading this bipartisan bill which will fund new investments in valvular heart disease research and honor his wife, Carol.”
Rice, who also serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, added, “I am proud to co-lead this legislation, and I thank Chairman Pallone and our Energy and Commerce colleagues who advanced it today.”
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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Arizona Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema introduced bipartisan companion legislation in the Senate. The bill has been endorsed by groups such as the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology.
