Reps Bilirakis, DeGette Announce Rep. Schrier’s Appointment to Co-Chair the Congressional Diabetes Caucus

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Representatives Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) - Co-Chairs of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus - announced that Representative Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08), the first pediatrician elected to Congress, will serve as the new Democratic Co-Chair of the Caucus in the 120th Congress. Representative Schrier will join Co-Chair Bilirakis in leading the 246-member Diabetes Caucus, one of the largest and most influential bipartisan member organizations in Congress.

"As a doctor with Type 1 diabetes, it is a priority of mine in Congress to help patients with diabetes manage their condition and afford their medications," said Rep. Schrier. "I am extremely excited to co-chair the Congressional Diabetes Caucus alongside Congressman Bilirakis. Congresswoman DeGette has championed the Diabetes Caucus for over twenty years, and I am honored to continue her work to bolster diabetes research, lower costs for patients, and ensure quality care for all Americans."

"I am proud to announce my friend, Rep. Kim Schrier, as the incoming Democratic Co-Chair of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus," said Rep. DeGette. "Diabetes impacts millions of Americans across every district in this country, crossing all political lines. Those who live with diabetes in this nation need strong advocates on their behalf in the years to come. Rep. Schrier brings her expertise as a pediatrician and as someone with direct personal experience with diabetes to her work every day. She is a tough, practical legislator and will drive bipartisan work to expand access to life-saving treatments, bring down insulin costs, and fund the biomedical research that will ultimately lead to a cure."

"Diana is a dear friend and one of the fiercest advocates I have ever had the privilege of working alongside," said Rep. Bilirakis. "For years, we have put politics aside and worked together toward a shared goal: improving the lives of Americans living with diabetes and, ultimately, finding a cure. Her leadership, tenacity and compassion have helped drive tremendous progress in diabetes research, treatment and prevention. I am deeply grateful for her friendship and partnership, and for the lasting legacy she has built through her leadership of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus. I am also pleased that Dr. Kim Schrier will join me in leading the Caucus in the 120th Congress, should voters place their continued trust in us to serve. As a pediatrician who also lives with Type 1 diabetes, she brings firsthand experience to the issues facing patients and families. I look forward to continuing the Caucus's bipartisan work to improve diabetes care, lower costs, advance lifesaving research and pursue our ultimate goal of finding a cure."

"The American Diabetes Association is thrilled that Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D., will be the next co-chair of the Diabetes Caucus," saidAmerican Diabetes Association Chief Advocacy Officer Lisa Murdock. "Congresswoman Schrier has demonstrated her leadership on behalf of those with diabetes, including commitment to ensuring access to medicines and technology. Her experience living with diabetes and as a pediatrician enable her to have valuable insight into the needs of the diabetes community and the policies necessary to support them. We look forward to working in partnership with Congresswoman Schrier as she takes on this new role. As we welcome Congresswoman Schrier, we want to express our gratitude to Congresswoman Diana DeGette for her leadership of the Diabetes Caucus who has tirelessly advocated for legislation to improve diabetes research, education, and treatment, as well as contributed to efforts that resulted in growing the Diabetes Caucus into the largest caucus in Congress. Her many years of service to those living with diabetes cannot be overstated."

"The Diabetes Leadership Council (DLC) and Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition (DPAC) are thrilled that Congresswoman Kim Schrier is becoming a House Co-Chair of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus," saidGeorge Huntley, CEO of the Diabetes Leadership Council & Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition. "This is a natural extension of the critical work she is doing on behalf of the diabetes community, including introducing the bipartisan INSULIN Act to cap out-of-pocket insulin costs. We look forward to continuing to work closely with Congresswoman Schrier in her new role. We also want to thank Congresswoman Diana DeGette for her many years of service leading the Caucus and for all that she has done for people with diabetes."

"Rep. Kim Schrier's leadership, clinical perspective and personal experience will be a tremendous asset to the Congressional Diabetes Caucus. The Endocrine Society is grateful to Rep. Diana DeGette for her tireless efforts to elevate diabetes as a national priority and improve care for people living with the disease," said Endocrine Society President Nanette Santoro, MD, E. Stewart Taylor Chair of Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora, Colorado. "Diabetes affects tens of millions of Americans and places an enormous burden on individuals, families, and our healthcare system. As an organization dedicated to improving hormone health, the Endocrine Society prioritizes diabetes prevention, treatment and research, and we look forward to partnering with Reps. Schrier and Bilirakis to advance policies that help people living with diabetes." 

"It has been an honor to work with Congresswoman DeGette," saidBreakthrough T1D Chief Global Advocacy Officer Lynn Starr. "Her legacy for the T1D community is unparalleled. From the Special Diabetes Program to the 21st Century Cures Act, stem cell research, and the INSULIN Act, her vision and determination have saved lives, transformed care, and significantly advanced the pursuit of cures. She has truly been a steadfast champion for everyone affected by T1D, and even now in her final months in Congress, she is working tirelessly to accomplish as much as possible for the community she has served for so long. She is an inspiration, and we will deeply miss her and her powerful voice in Congress. Congresswoman Schrier is a worthy successor who has her own legacy as a leader for the T1D community on Capitol Hill. As a pediatrician and the only sitting member of Congress living with type 1 diabetes herself, she understands the stakes and the day-to-day realities of managing this disease. She knows firsthand the needs of the community. We are grateful to her for taking on this new role and responsibility and look forward to working alongside her and her fellow caucus members to accelerate cures and improve the lives of all those affected by T1D." 

BACKGROUND: The mission of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus is to educate members of Congress and their staff about diabetes and support legislative activities that improve diabetes research, education and treatment. The Diabetes Caucus, under the leadership of Reps DeGette and Bilirakis, has been the driving force behind some of the most significant advancements in diabetes care, prevention, and research in modern history, including:

• Historic Funding Increases for Dedicated Programs: Led the successful, multi-year push to increase funding for the Special Statutory Funding Program for Type 1 Diabetes (SDP) and the Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI) from $30 million a year to $200 million a year.
• Significant Investments in National Research: Championed the expansion of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) budget, increasing its appropriations from under $1 billion to over $2.3 billion to accelerate the search for a cure.
• Expanded Access to Lifesaving Technology: Successfully pushed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to improve coverage and access for continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), revolutionizing daily care for seniors with diabetes.
• Groundbreaking Prevention Initiatives: Led the effort to establish the National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP) and successfully put the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program into statute, focusing federal efforts on stopping the disease before it starts.
• Tackling the Root Causes of High Insulin Costs: Spearheaded some of the earliest Congressional investigations into how Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) drive up the cost of insulin. These early efforts laid the crucial groundwork for major PBM reforms and advanced policies to make it easier to bring lower-cost biosimilar insulins to the market.

As the Caucus enters this new chapter, its leadership will remain committed to passing legislation that improves the lives of the over 40 million Americans living with diabetes and over 115 million living with prediabetes. For more information on the Congressional Diabetes Caucus and its ongoing initiatives, please visit diabetescaucus-degette.house.gov.

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