Washington, DC -- Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY-17) and Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY-18) will serve as two of the four co-chairs of the Congressional Allergy and Asthma Caucus.  Both have been longtime leaders in the fight to cure asthma, and other debilitating allergies and have been long serving members of the Caucus.  Today, they are leading the caucus and will be joined by Republican Congressmen Joe Barton (R-TX) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA).

“New York has long provided stellar health care coverage for our citizens, and as a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health, I am proud to have played a key role in helping New York City develop the Asthma Initiative.  I look forward to working with my colleagues on this caucus to find ways to encourage innovation and provide funding for treatment and research in asthma and allergy care.  The goal will be to one day end the suffering endured by millions of people each day,” said Rep. Engel.

“Allergies and asthma can have severe and long-lasting effects on health and quality of life for New Yorkers and millions of other Americans,” said Congresswoman Nita Lowey.  “I am pleased to partner with Congressman Engel and other Members of Congress in drawing attention to the need for research and resources to help schools, physicians, and families deal with potentially serious health problems like asthma and allergies.”

One in 11 children and adults in New York State currently have asthma.  It remains an epidemic in New York, with statistics higher in New York State than the national average.  In 2008, there were 1.3 million American adults, and 475,000 children, suffering from asthma. In 2007, there were 535 million hospitalizations due to asthma.

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