Representative Sutton Speaks in Support of the Josh Miller HEARTS Act

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the gentleman from New York for his great leadership on this issue, and for all of the work that he does on education and labor and many issues that are so important to the people of America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the proud sponsor of the H.R. 1380, the Josh Miller Helping Everyone Access Responsive Treatment in Schools Act, or also known as the Josh Miller HEARTS Act.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest is the leading cause of death in the United States and is the leading cause of death for student athletes and on school property.

This bill establishes a grant program to help elementary and secondary schools across the country purchase Automated External Defibrillators or AEDs.

I introduced the Josh Miller HEARTS Act in memory of a young man from my hometown of Barberton, Ohio.

To know Josh Miller was to know a kind-hearted and generous young man with limitless potential.

Josh was a Barberton High School sophomore with a 4.0 grade point average, the son of proud parents Ken and Jerri Miller. He was a linebacker who dreamed of playing football for Ohio State someday. He was the kind of a kid who could walk into a room and light it up.

But one day, without warning, his dreams were cut short.

Josh never showed any signs of heart trouble. But while playing football for his school in 2000, he collapsed after leaving the field.

By the time his heart was shocked with an automated external defibrillator, it was too late to save him.

Josh suffered a sudden cardiac arrest which, according to the American Heart Association, claims the lives of nearly 300,000 Americans every year.

And Josh's death was devastating not only to his family, but to our entire community. Like Josh, the vast majority of these individuals who suffer sudden cardiac arrest do not display any prior signs of heart trouble.

Yet there is an easy-to-use, relatively inexpensive piece of medical equipment that more than doubles the odds of survival for someone experiencing a sudden cardiac arrest.

An AED is the single most effective treatment for starting the heart after a sudden cardiac arrest.

And because the chance of survival decreases by up to 10 percent for every minute that passes, every second is critical.

In March, I reintroduced the Josh Miller HEARTS Act to increase the availability of AEDs in our communities, because schools are central gathering places in our communities.

Placing AEDs in our schools will save the lives of the students enrolled there, but they will be also be available for teachers and staff, parents and volunteers, and the many other members of the community who pass through their halls every single day.

This legislation is modeled on a similar program from the State of Ohio.

Dr. Terry Gordon, a cardiologist at Akron General Medical Center, has dedicated his life to this lifesaving mission.

His tireless efforts in Ohio led to the adoption of a statewide initiative to put an AED into every school in our state.

And I hope that we in Congress can build on Dr. Gordon's good work and carry out this program on the national level.

This bill is endorsed by the American Red Cross, the American Heart Association, the Heart Rhythm Society, the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association, the International Association of Firefighters, the American College of Cardiology, the National Education Association, the Parent Heart Watch, the American Federation of Teachers and the National Safety Council.

And I want to thank these organizations for their support on this issue, and I look forward to working with them to continue to raise awareness on AEDs.

Losing a young life like Josh's can bring a sense of helplessness. In just the last year, in the short time from August 2008 to December 2008, 63 children lost their lives to sudden cardiac arrest.

But today we have an opportunity to act.

This bill passed the House in the last Congress, but it did not emerge from the Senate.

But this time I am pleased to report that Ohio Senator George Voinovich will be leading the charge in the Senate, and that Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown will be working alongside him to make sure that it gets done.

It is appropriate that this bill comes to the floor this week. This week is National CPR and AED Awareness week, and this week serves to raise awareness of the importance of CPR training and AED accessibility.

In fact, the American Heart Association has embarked on the campaign trail to train a million people in CPR and the use of AEDs this week.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this effort to bring AEDs into every single school across this country.

I thank the gentleman from across the aisle for his support of this measure.

AEDs in schools will save lives.

I want to thank the Miller family and the Acompora family and others who have turned their personal tragedies into a lifesaving mission.

Thank you and I yield back the balance of my time.