III 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 365 

Designating February 2016 as ‘‘American Heart Month’’ and February 5, 

2016, as ‘‘National Wear Red Day’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 8, 2016 

Ms. HIRONO (for herself, Ms. BALDWIN, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Ms. HEITKAMP, 

Ms. WARREN, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mrs. MURRAY, Ms. MURKOWSKI, Mrs. 

CAPITO, Ms. AYOTTE, Ms. CANTWELL, Mrs. BOXER, Mrs. FISCHER, Mrs. 

SHAHEEN, Ms. STABENOW, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. DURBIN, and Ms. MIKULSKI) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

RESOLUTION 

Designating February 2016 as ‘‘American Heart Month’’ 

and February 5, 2016, as ‘‘National Wear Red Day’’. 

Whereas heart disease affects men, women, and children of 

every age and race in the United States; 

Whereas, between 2003 and 2013, the death rate from heart 

disease fell nearly 40 percent, but heart disease continues 

to be the leading cause of death in the United States, 

taking the lives of approximately 370,000 individuals in 

the United States and accounting for 1 in 7 deaths nationwide; 


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Whereas congenital heart defects are the most common birth 

defect in the United States, as well as the leading killer 

of infants with birth defects; 

Whereas, every year, an estimated 750,000 individuals in the 

United States have a heart attack, of which an estimated 

116,000 individuals die; 

Whereas cardiovascular disease and stroke account for 

$316,000,000,000 in health care expenditures and lost 

productivity annually; 

Whereas cardiovascular disease and stroke will account for 

$1,393,000,000,000 in health care expenditures and lost 

productivity annually by 2030; 

Whereas individuals in the United States have made great 

progress in reducing the death rate for coronary heart 

disease, but this progress has been more modest with respect to the death rate for coronary heart disease for 

women and minorities; 

Whereas many people do not recognize that heart disease is 

the number 1 killer of women in the United States, taking the lives of 287,220 women in 2012; 

Whereas nearly 2⁄3 of women who unexpectedly die of heart 

disease have no previous symptoms of disease; 

Whereas nearly 1⁄2 of all African-American adults have some 

form of cardiovascular disease, including 48 percent of 

African-American women and 46 percent of AfricanAmerican men; 

Whereas many minority women, including African-American, 

Hispanic, Asian-American, and Native-American women 

and women from indigenous populations, have a greater 

prevalence of risk factors or are at a higher risk of death 


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from heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases, but such women are less likely to know of the risk; 

Whereas, between 1965 and 2016, treatment of cardiovascular disease for women has largely been based on 

medical research on men; 

Whereas, due to the differences in heart disease between 

males and females, more research and data on the effects 

of heart disease treatments for women is vital; 

Whereas extensive clinical and statistical studies have identified major and contributing factors that increase the risk 

of heart disease, including high blood pressure, high 

blood cholesterol, smoking tobacco products, exposure to 

tobacco smoke, physical inactivity, obesity, and diabetes 

mellitus; 

Whereas an individual can greatly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease through lifestyle modification coupled 

with medical treatment when necessary; 

Whereas greater awareness and early detection of risk factors 

of heart disease can improve and save the lives of thousands of individuals in the United States each year; 

Whereas under the Joint Resolution entitled ‘‘Joint Resolution to provide for the designation of the month of February in each year as ‘American Heart Month’ ’’, approved December 30, 1963 (36 U.S.C. 101), Congress requested that the President issue an annual proclamation 

designating February as ‘‘American Heart Month’’; 

Whereas the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of 

the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart 

Association, and many other organizations celebrate ‘‘National Wear Red Day’’ during February by ‘‘going red’’ 


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to increase awareness about heart disease as the leading 

killer of women; and 

Whereas, every year since 1964, the President has issued a 

proclamation designating the month of February as 

‘‘American Heart Month’’: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) supports the goals and ideals of ‘‘American 

3 Heart Month’’ and ‘‘National Wear Red Day’’; 

4 (2) recognizes and reaffirms the commitment in 

5 the United States to fighting heart disease and 

6 stroke by— 

7 (A) promoting awareness about the causes, 

8 risks, and prevention of heart disease and 

9 stroke; 

10 (B) supporting research on heart disease 

11 and stroke; and 

12 (C) expanding access to medical treatment; 

13 (3) commends the efforts of States, territories 

14 and possessions of the United States, localities, non15 profit organizations, businesses and other entities, 

16 and the people of the United States who support 

17 ‘‘American Heart Month’’ and ‘‘National Wear Red 

18 Day’’; and 


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1 (4) encourages every individual in the United 

2 States to learn about the risk of the individual for 

3 heart disease. 

Æ 


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