Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS)

• As the former Chairman and now Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Cochran wields considerable power on Capitol Hill, particularly on budget issues that impact health and aging programs at the NIH, FDA, CDC, etc.
• During his 29 year career, Senator Cochran has served on various committees in addition to Appropriations including the Labor and Human Resources Committee. Service on this committee enabled him to be actively involved in the writing of laws affecting a wide range of health policy issues.
• Also of note is Senator Cochran’s membership on the bipartisan Congressional Prevention Coalition (CPC). The CPC was formed in 1998 to raise the level of knowledge in the Congress about disease prevention and health promotion and identify strategies that can lead to a healthier nation.
• Currently and in previous Congresses, Senator Cochran has sponsored a number of health-related proposals that benefit seniors. These proposals include:
  - The “STOP Stroke Act”, legislation that would develop a comprehensive system dedicated to prevention, early intervention, and treatment of stroke;
  - The ‘Closing the Health Care Gap Act”, aimed at focusing attention and resources on health care disparities among underserved populations; and
  - The “REACH Act”, to expand access to Community Health Centers, the primary point of health care delivery for many Americans in rural areas.
• Most recently Senator Cochran championed efforts in the Senate to halt consideration of drug reimportation until the Secretary of HHS certifies that the practice would pose no additional risk to the public's health and safety and would significantly reduce costs for consumers.
• Senator Cochran is also applauded by the Alliance for his vote to expand federal support for embryonic stem cell research through the NIH.