Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On The Unanimous Senate Passage Of The HEARTS Act, Which Will Allow Schools To Better Prepare For Cardiac Emergencies

Washington, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on the passage of his HEARTS Act, which will better prepare schools around the country to deal with cardiac emergencies. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Last night, the Senate finally reached the end zone on the HEARTS Act, a bill I’ve worked on for months with Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills, to better prepare schools against cardiac emergencies.

The HEARTS Act is now on the way to President Biden’s desk, and by doing so we’re ensuring that every school has access to AEDs and the ability to teach CPR.

The HEARTS Act will save lives, plain and simple. God forbid a child goes into cardiac arrest while at school, or a young athlete suffers an emergency on the field, but thanks to the HEARTS Act there will soon be more AEDs nearby to save them, like they saved Damar Hamlin.

I’m so proud to have worked with Damar to get this bill passed. He is an amazing man, and together, I must say, Damar and I – as unlikely as it may seem – have been a great team.

After he suffered from cardiac arrest in the middle of a football game, Damar didn’t just sit around. He came to visit me in Washington, and told me he wanted to make history and ensure more kids in schools have access to the same AEDs that saved Damar’s life.

Last night, finally, history was made when we passed this bill that Damar and I proudly led.

So, thank you Damar Hamlin. You’re both a strong and humble man, it’s a rare combination. Thank you to the Buffalo Bills. Thank you to the NFL and Roger Goodell. And thank you to all the student athletes and great champions in Buffalo and everywhere who pushed for this bill. They all made it happen.

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