(July 27, 2006) Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) honors Jo Merrill (pictured left), the former March of Dimes Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs, upon her retirement from the national voluntary health agency after 22 years. The congresswoman presented Ms. Merrill with a framed congressional record tribute highlighting Ms. Merrill's many achievements during her tenure with the March of Dimes, an organization dedicated to improving the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. Most notably, the congresswoman thanked Ms. Merrill for her unwavering support and advocacy on behalf of two of the congresswoman's measures: The Folic Acid Promotion and Birth Defects Prevention Act of 1999, which successfully passed into law as part of the Children's Health Act of 2000; and the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act, introduced to educate parents and health care providers about newborn screening, improve follow-up care for infants with an illness detected through newborn screening, and help states expand their newborn screening programs.