STARK RECOGNIZED FOR BIPARTISAN WORK TO HONOR ORGAN DONORS
Congressional Desk
May 05, 2009
Congressional Leadership Medal was awarded to Reps. Stark and Camp by the American Association of Kidney Patients
WASHINGTON- Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA) and Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI) jointly received the Congressional Leadership Medal from the American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) for their work to pass "The Stephanie Tubbs Jones Gift of Life Act" last year. Stark and Camp, who in 2008 were serving as Chairman and Ranking Member of the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, co-authored legislation that recognized organ donors with a commemorative medal. The bill was signed into law last September.
The legislation was introduced in previous Congresses by Stark, Camp, and former Senator Bill Frist. The medal was named after Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones who, in the last days of her life, requested that her organs and tissues be donated.
"This bill honors organ donors like Stephanie, and will hopefully encourage others to follow her selfless example," said Rep. Stark. "I am proud that we were able to pass this important measure in memory of our dear friend and colleague.
Rep. Stark continued, "I thank the American Association of Kidney Patients for this honor. I also wish to thank former Senator Bill Frist who, as both a senator and a transplant surgeon, was a long-time proponent for organ donation."
The award was presented by Roberta Wager, AAKP President to Rep. Stark and Rep. Camp at a ceremony in the Ways and Means Committee Library.
The Gift of Life Act was enacted last September. The bill directs the Treasury department to design and produce a commemorative medal to be awarded to organ donors or to a surviving family member. The medals will be funded solely by charitable donations, with no federal dollars.
In the United States, nearly 100,000 people are currently waiting for organ transplants; more than 2,000 of these are children under age 18. The national waiting list has grown substantially every year. Since the waiting list began, at least 75,000 donation-eligible Americans have died waiting for an organ to become available; in 2005 alone, more than 6,000 people died for lack of a suitable organ.
Rep. Tubbs Jones was a strong advocate for remedying health disparities, which are dramatic in the area of organ transplantation. Minorities donate organs in proportion to their population, but the rate of organ donations fails to keep pace with the need for transplants in the population. African Americans represent 13 percent of the population and 12 percent of organ donors, but comprise roughly 23 percent of individuals on the national waiting list for kidney transplants.
WASHINGTON- Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA) and Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI) jointly received the Congressional Leadership Medal from the American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) for their work to pass "The Stephanie Tubbs Jones Gift of Life Act" last year. Stark and Camp, who in 2008 were serving as Chairman and Ranking Member of the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, co-authored legislation that recognized organ donors with a commemorative medal. The bill was signed into law last September.
The legislation was introduced in previous Congresses by Stark, Camp, and former Senator Bill Frist. The medal was named after Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones who, in the last days of her life, requested that her organs and tissues be donated.
"This bill honors organ donors like Stephanie, and will hopefully encourage others to follow her selfless example," said Rep. Stark. "I am proud that we were able to pass this important measure in memory of our dear friend and colleague.
Rep. Stark continued, "I thank the American Association of Kidney Patients for this honor. I also wish to thank former Senator Bill Frist who, as both a senator and a transplant surgeon, was a long-time proponent for organ donation."
The award was presented by Roberta Wager, AAKP President to Rep. Stark and Rep. Camp at a ceremony in the Ways and Means Committee Library.
The Gift of Life Act was enacted last September. The bill directs the Treasury department to design and produce a commemorative medal to be awarded to organ donors or to a surviving family member. The medals will be funded solely by charitable donations, with no federal dollars.
In the United States, nearly 100,000 people are currently waiting for organ transplants; more than 2,000 of these are children under age 18. The national waiting list has grown substantially every year. Since the waiting list began, at least 75,000 donation-eligible Americans have died waiting for an organ to become available; in 2005 alone, more than 6,000 people died for lack of a suitable organ.
Rep. Tubbs Jones was a strong advocate for remedying health disparities, which are dramatic in the area of organ transplantation. Minorities donate organs in proportion to their population, but the rate of organ donations fails to keep pace with the need for transplants in the population. African Americans represent 13 percent of the population and 12 percent of organ donors, but comprise roughly 23 percent of individuals on the national waiting list for kidney transplants.
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