The American College of Cardiology (ACC) has announced that its political action committee, the HeartPAC Executive Committee, is “temporarily pausing all individual and leadership contributions” as it reassesses the current U..S. political landscape. The Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol and continued division between the country’s political parties appear to be at the center of the committee’s decision.
The committee, first established in 2002, said in the announcement that it will still be making certain contributions during this period of reflection.
“The HeartPAC will continue to support larger Democratic and Republican party committees as part of our ongoing commitment to working with members of Congress, regardless of party affiliation, to advance quality cardiovascular care on behalf of all ACC members and their patients—a commitment that is even more critical in light of the COVID-19 pandemic,” wrote committee chair Sandra J. Lewis, MD, and committee vice-chair Andrew P. Miller, MD.
The two leaders also emphasized that this is “not the end of a conversation, but rather the continuation of an ongoing dialogue.”
“We must always strive and seek to be better and do better for the cardiovascular community and for our patients,” they wrote. “It's not work that will happen fast, but it is work we are committed to doing.”
The HeartPAC statement also pointed to a letter written by Athena Poppas, MD, the president of the ACC. In the letter, published on the ACC website on Jan. 19, Poppas underlined the importance of unity going forward.
“As the United States and the rest of the world work to overcome healthcare threats, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical to our mission that we come together with humility, compassion and open minds,” she wrote.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.