Rep. Morgan Griffith says a series of ALS deaths affecting people he knew in the Roanoke Valley is a key reason he is backing federal legislation to extend research funding for the disease.
The Salem Republican spoke as a House subcommittee considered a bill to reauthorize money for ALS research and investigational therapies. During the hearing, Griffith described former colleagues, swim teammates and friends from the Roanoke Valley who died from the disease, and said researchers still do not fully understand why some areas — including neighborhoods in the Roanoke Valley — appear to be hot spots.
Local experience shapes ALS research focus
Griffith told lawmakers that losing multiple people connected to his community has pushed him to press for answers and resources at the federal level.
He said the measure is not abstract for him because personal connections in the Roanoke Valley shaped his understanding of what patients and researchers need from Congress.
The bill would reauthorize funding first approved by Congress in 2021 for ALS and related neurodegenerative disease research. That funding authority expires this year. Supporters say continuing that support is critical for advancing investigational therapies for patients who often face limited treatment options after diagnosis.
Bipartisan effort on a shared health priority
Griffith said the ALS legislation is an example of bipartisan work on diseases that affect families in every community, regardless of politics.
He framed the bill as part of a broader effort in Congress to maintain support for medical research into conditions where current treatments are few and outcomes are often severe.
The reauthorization measure still needs approval from the full committee, the House and the Senate before it can go to the president.
The post Griffith cites Roanoke Valley ALS deaths in push to renew federal research funding first appeared on News/Talk 960-AM & FM-107.3 WFIR.
