Susan Collins: “I rise today to introduce legislation to reauthorize the Building Our Largest Dementia, BOLD, infrastructure for…”

“I rise today to introduce legislation to reauthorize the Building Our Largest Dementia, BOLD, infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act, legislation I authored that was signed into law in 2018. The Building Our Largest Dementia, BOLD, Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Reauthorization Act of 2024, which I am pleased to introduce today with my colleagues Catherine Cortez Masto, Shelley Moore Capito, and Tim Kaine, would continue our important work to create a public health infrastructure to combat Alzheimer's disease and preserve brain health. Public health plays an important role in achieving population-level improvements, but for too long Alzheimer's and other dementias have been viewed as just a normal part of aging and not as the public health crisis it warrants. Through the BOLD Act, we started to change this narrative and for the first time put resources behind the interventions that can help improve the health and quality of life for people living with Alzheimer's, as well as reduce the costs associated with the disease. Still, Alzheimer's disease remains one of the greatest public health threats of our time. Approximately 6.7 million Americans are living with the disease, and, barring any major breakthroughs to prevent, slow down, or cure Alzheimer's, that number is expected to more than double. In addition to the human suffering it causes, Alzheimer's is one of our Nation's most expensive diseases, costing an estimated $345 billion last year.…”