Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Stefanik met with members of the Center for Lyme Action, an organization dedicated to increasing federal funding for Lyme Disease research, diagnostics, and treatments. Lyme Disease continues to impact the lives of many residents in the North Country, particularly throughout the Adirondack region. The Center for Lyme Action awarded Congresswoman Stefanik with the 2021 Lyme Champion Award for her work on this issue.
Congresswoman Stefanik issued the following statement: “I am grateful to the Center for Lyme Action for their dedication to increasing resources for Lyme Disease research. As co-chair of the Invasive Species Caucus, I will continue to passionately advocate on behalf of my constituents who suffer from Lyme Disease and other tick-borne illnesses."
In Congress, Congresswoman Stefanik has:
- Cosponsored and supported the passage of the Kay Hagan Ticks: Identify, Control, and Knockout (TICKS) Act
- Based on passage of the TICK Act, the CDC launched a report that found that cases of tick-borne Lyme disease may actually be more than 10 times higher than previous records indicated
- Requested an increase in funding for the FY21 CDC Lyme disease program
- Requested $10 million in the FY21 DOD Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program for research on Lyme diseases and other tick-borne diseases
- Pushed for the redirection of $4 million from the General Departmental Management at HHS to the CDC for Lyme disease
- Advocated for the LymeX Innovation Accelerator, the largest Lyme disease public-private partnership in history
