U.S. Senators Tillis, Padilla Introduce Legislation to Accelerate Research Against Leading Cause of Death in U.S.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- ASANA Voices today welcomed the introduction of bipartisan legislation in the U.S. Senate to establish the Heart Security Foundation, a federally chartered, nonprofit organization that would operate out of the National Institutes of Health. Such an entity would accelerate cardiovascular research, strengthen prevention and early detection and improve health outcomes for Americans from all backgrounds.  

ASANA Voices has been a leading advocate for S.5469, The HEART Foundation Act, a bill led by U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Alex Padilla (D-CA). 

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, claiming nearly one million lives each year. Approximately 120 million American adults from all walks of life are living with some form of cardiovascular disease. That's nearly one-third of the population facing disproportionately high levels of cardiovascular risk.  

"The HEART Foundation Act offers a serious and practical framework for bringing additional resources into cardiovascular research while building on the scientific leadership of the NIH," said ASANA Voices Founder and CEO Prince Bhojwani. "For ASANA Voices, this work also reflects a broader principle: when we listen closely to the challenges facing individual communities and rigorously examine the evidence, we often uncover opportunities to improve outcomes for the entire country."

"We are grateful to Senators Tillis and Padilla for recognizing the scale of this challenge and working across party lines to advance a durable solution," Bhojwani added. 

The Heart Security Foundation could support research across the cardiovascular continuum, including efforts to:

• Improve prevention and early detection;
• Deepen the study of biomarkers, inherited risk and congenital cardiovascular conditions;
• Diversify the scientific pathways receiving research support;
• Strengthen collaboration among federal researchers, universities, healthcare institutions, philanthropies and private-sector partners; and
• Move promising discoveries toward practical application more effectively.

The proposal reflects ASANA Voices' long-term approach to policy: investing in the research, data and institutions required to create progress that extends beyond a single news cycle, election or awareness campaign.

"Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and we must continue investing in research that can help prevent disease, improve early detection, and save lives," said Senator Tillis. "I am proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to establish the Heart Security Foundation and support critical cardiovascular research."

"All Americans deserve access to high-quality healthcare to live a long, healthy life, but too many people continue to face barriers to preventing and treating heart disease," said Senator Padilla. "Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in California and across the country. It's past time we take action to prevent it and improve diagnosis and treatment. Our bill will support critical research to help reduce the devastating impact of heart disease and ultimately save lives." 

Additional resources: 

• Full legislative text.
• Bill filing page.
• The HEART Foundation Act one-pager. 
• Recent media reporting on cardiovascular research and the late-stage drug trial.  

About ASANA Voices

ASANA Voices brings rigorous, evidence-based research to elected officials on the issues that matter most to the South Asian American community—strengthening policy on healthcare, economic development, workforce, education and technology for the benefit of all Americans. Bipartisan by design, the organization works with elected officials across the political spectrum to build durable support for practical policy solutions. Community-rooted and policy-fluent, ASANA Voices listens first and translates the needs of the community into credible, actionable recommendations grounded in data and research rather than partisan ideology. asanavoices.org

Media Contact:
Sean Bartlett, 202.821.2947

SOURCE ASANA Voices