WASHINGTON – U.S Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Co-Chairs of the Senate ALS Caucus, introduced a resolution to designate May 2024 as ALS Awareness Month. ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and often known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a debilitating disease that affects 1 in 300 people – approximately 30,000 Americans. There is as of yet no cure for this fatal disease.

Senator Coons has long been a proud advocate for ALS patients and their families, pushing to expand access to treatment. He introduced bipartisan legislation, the ACT for ALS Act, which funds essential research into rare, neurodegenerative illnesses such as ALS. The bill was signed into law by President Biden in 2021. Last year, Senator Coons introduced the bipartisan ALS Better Care Act, which would increase access to multidisciplinary care for ALS through Medicare.

“After seeing firsthand how ALS affects individuals and families across Delaware, I’m proud to be an advocate for sustaining research and expanding treatment and therapy options,” said Senator Coons. “Designating May as ALS Awareness Month will get more people involved in the broader fight against this terrible disease while we tirelessly work towards a cure.”

“Designating May as ALS Awareness Month is important to raise awareness about this terrible disease that could affect anyone. ALS patients don’t have time to wait for better treatments and cures, and there’s more Congress can do to help them. I was proud to start the ALS Caucus with Senator Coons and to have made progress on helping ALS patients,” said Senator Braun.

In addition to Senators Coons and Braun, this legislation is also cosponsored by Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.).

“ALS is a devastating diagnosis that takes tremendous courage from patients, families, and friends to cope with,” said Senator Whitehouse, who passed the ALS Disability Insurance Act to ensure that ALS patients can get disability benefits right away after a diagnosis.  “During ALS Awareness Month, we lift up the stories of those affected by ALS and recommit to supporting the researchers working on the path to a cure.”

“ALS is a devastating diagnosis—one that is, currently, fatal and has no cure. But through the advocacy of organizations like I AM ALS, led by Illinoisans Brian Wallach and Sandra Abrevaya, and robust medical research funding, we hope to develop new treatment options for those with the disease,” said Senator Durbin.  “In introducing this resolution to mark May as ALS Awareness Month, we can continue our vital work to bring attention to ALS, build better support systems for those fighting ALS, and funnel resources to the scientists and medical professionals looking for a cure.”

The full text of the resolution can be found here.