Tom Harkin: “I don't know that I can make it any more clear than the New York Times editorial, and there is not the time to mention…”

“I don't know that I can make it any more clear than the New York Times editorial, and there is not the time to mention all of the ways this fund is already making Americans healthier. But I want to mention several representative investments that are happening, again, right now. I mentioned those right here, the $226 million for diabetes and heart disease, the $93 million for antitobacco education, the $190 million, again, for childhood immunization programs. I might just go back to that first on the heart disease because heart disease disproportionately affects women. Most people don't know that. I think most people would say the No. 1 cause of death in women today might be breast cancer. Not so. The No. 1 cause of death for women in this country is heart disease. Some 42 million women in America are currently living with some form of heart disease, and the World Health Organization estimates that a staggering 80 percent of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke could be prevented just from changes in smoking, nutrition, and physical activity alone. That is what this prevention fund is doing right now. Moreover, this investment by the prevention fund isn't only saving lives, but it is saving money. Right now, heart disease costs our Nation about $440 billion a year. We can reduce those costs. I might also mention smoking. Cigarette smoking also kills an estimated 173,000 women every year. If current smoking rates persist, more than 6 million kids will die from smoking.…”