Advocate to Pass ASAP Act with 100+ Bipartisan Cosponsors
WASHINGTON — Yesterday, Congressman Vern Buchanan, Vice Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and Chairman of the Health Subcommittee, joined Congressman Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) for an interview with Andrew Desiderio, Senior Congressional Reporter at Punchbowl News, to discuss the importance of early detection, prevention and support for families battling Alzheimer’s disease.
Buchanan highlighted his bipartisan Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention (ASAP) Act (H.R. 6130), which would expand access to blood-based biomarker testing and improve early diagnosis for patients. As of May 21, 2026, the ASAP Act has officially secured over 100 bipartisan cosponsors.
Here’s what Buchanan said about Alzheimer’s prevention and the need to pass the ASAP Act:
On his personal family experience with Alzheimer’s
Desiderio: “I want to kick it off on the conversation of the day here with talking about the Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention Act, otherwise known as the ASAP Act. Congressman Buchanan, this is something you are spearheading. This is a bill that aims to have Medicare cover these newly developed blood tests for early detection of Alzheimer’s. Can you tell us a little bit about this effort, and how it came about?”
Buchanan: “My dad was in perfect health. He was 58 and came down with Alzheimer’s. … So, I’ve always been very passionate about it because I thought it might be a year or two … then it ran on for a period of 10 years, so I’ve just seen the agony that families have to deal with and so I thought if I ever get in a position where I can make a difference on something, this would be it.”
“The second thing is, I’m very, very big on prevention. Someone said, ‘you’ve got to be the CEO of your own health.’ There’s a lot of things like cancer … they tell me if you catch it early, 95 percent can be cured. But if you don’t, it can’t be. We as a society, we react to circumstances and react to health. You get sick then you deal with it. Many times, that’s too late. … So, I’m all about prevention, doing everything we can. I think the system is wrong because the way they pay people is based on reaction. It’s not based on health; it’s based on—many times—people being not as healthy as they could be.”
On momentum behind the ASAP Act and improving Alzheimer’s care
Desiderio: “A lot of retiring lawmakers say they often have one big priority they want to get done before they leave Congress. What’s your plan on trying to focus on this over the next six months or so here, and get it over the finish line?”
Buchanan: “In six months, we’ve got 98 bipartisan members, and I think we’re just getting started. I think we’ve got a lot of momentum. I don’t know how anybody can say no … It’s one of those areas I brought up about prevention. If you can find out early, it can make a big difference for people, instead of waiting to get the news later when it’s too late. So, I’m going to do everything I can to make sure we get this done, because it’s critical.”
On rising healthcare costs
Buchanan: “The bottom line is we’re spending $5 trillion a year, not billion, $5 trillion a year on healthcare, the whole system. We spend more money per capita than anybody else on the planet, but yet we’re getting bad results, fewer good results in terms of going forward. … I’m just concerned about how we keep spending more money. Medicare is over a trillion. Medicaid, $900 billion, so $2 trillion on those two programs. … My point is that we’re spending the money, but the question is the priorities and how we’re spending it.”
On passing the ASAP Act by the end of the year
Buchanan: “I do want to thank the Alzheimer’s Association because … they have been incredible. They’re focused. They want to get this done by the end of the year, we’re all working together as a team. I’m very excited about the possibilities and I’m going to do everything I can personally do, working together, to make that happen.
In addition to being the Vice Chairman and most senior Republican on the powerful U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, Buchanan is also the Chairman of the Health Subcommittee, which has broad jurisdiction over traditional Medicare, the Medicare prescription drug benefit program and Medicare Advantage.
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