November 16, 2024 - U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) has joined Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)—co-chairs of the Senate Diabetes Caucus—and 52 other senators in a bipartisan letter to Senate leadership emphasizing the importance of the Special Diabetes Program (SDP). Earlier this year, a short-term reauthorization of SDP funding was secured with the first funding increase for the SDP in 20 years. Without further action in Congress, however, funding for the SDP will expire on December 31, 2024. 

“Diabetes is one of our country’s most costly diseases in both human and economic terms, affecting people of all ages and races, and in every region of our country,” the senators wrote. “It is a leading cause of kidney disease, blindness in working-age adults, lower-limb amputations, heart disease, and stroke. Approximately one in four health care dollars and one in three Medicare dollars are spent treating people with diabetes. Diabetes costs our nation $412.9 billion in 2022. Medical expenditures for individuals diagnosed with diabetes are roughly 2.6 times higher than expenditures for those without the disease.” 

“For 27 years, the Special Diabetes Program has delivered meaningful resources and research breakthroughs for the 38.4 million Americans with diabetes and 97.6 million with prediabetes,” the senators continued. “It is essential that we continue to invest in the research necessary to develop a cure for diabetes, as well as support the programs that help prevent and treat the disease and its complications.” 

The Special Diabetes Program consists of two components: the Special Statutory Funding Program for Type 1 Diabetes Research which supports research to prevent, treat, and cure type 1 diabetes and its complications and the Special Diabetes Program for Indians which supports diabetes treatment and prevention strategies for American Indian and Alaska Native populations who are disproportionately burdened with type 2 diabetes. 

More than 37 million Americans live with diabetes, including an estimated one in every three older Americans. The disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, claiming over 101,000 lives in 2022. 

In addition to Kelly, Collins, and Shaheen, the letter was signed by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), John Boozman (R-AR), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Shelley Capito (R-WV), Tom Carper (D-DE), Bob Casey (D-PA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Steve Daines (R-MT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Charles Grassley (R-IA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), John Hoeven (R-ND), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Edward Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (R-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), James Risch (R-ID), Jacklyn Rosen (D-NV), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Tina Smith (D-MN), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Todd Young (R-IN). 

The full letter can be read here. 
Source: Senator Mark Kelly