Protecting the Limbs and Lives of Americans Nationwide

Floor Speech

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Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss my bill, the Amputation Reduction and Compassion Act, or ARC, and how it will protect Americans from Peripheral Artery Disease, or PAD, from unnecessary amputations.

PAD is a disease of the arteries that can cause blockages in arms and legs and lead to unnecessary amputations. There are 200,000 PAD patients at risk of an amputation every year, and African Americans are three times more likely to need one from PAD than any other American.

My ARC Act would change that. It requires Medicare and Medicaid to cover screenings for Americans with a high risk for getting PAD. It establishes a PAD education program at the Department of Health and Human Services to create more awareness of PAD symptoms. It requires HHS to reduce the number of unnecessary amputations from PAD.

My bill will protect the limbs and lives of Americans nationwide, and I am proud to introduce it this week. I ask my colleagues to please join the PAD Caucus along with me.

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