Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) was honored by the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition for her ongoing work on behalf of children at a May 20 ceremony on Capitol Hill.

On May 20, Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) received a 2004 Special Impact Award from the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition for her ongoing work on behalf of children. Pictured from left to right, George Guido, Chair, National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition; Congresswoman Roybal-Allard; Anita Boles, Executive Director, National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition; and Mike Peto, who represented Wyeth Consumer Healthcare, the event's Corporate Underwriter.

"Our 2004 Special Impact Awards focus on individuals and organizations that are working to see that every child has the best possible chance at a healthy start and a safe and nurturing environment in which to grow. Congresswoman Roybal-Allard's extraordinary efforts to promote issues such as birth defects prevention, newborn screening, breastfeeding and immunization have made a profound impact on countless families and we are thrilled to honor her in this way," said Anita Boles, Executive Director of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition.

The congresswoman was nominated for the prestigious honor by the March of Dimes which, last year, bestowed upon her its National Public Affairs Leadership Award for her work to improve the health of mothers, infants and children.

The congresswoman successfully sponsored the "Folic Acid Education Act of 2000." The law directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to start a public education campaign to educate women about the importance of folic acid in preventing birth defects. The congresswoman continues to work to increase funding for this proven program.

Congresswoman Roybal-Allard also successfully commissioned the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council of the National Academies to research and report on underage drinking in our country. The highly acclaimed report is entitled "Reducing Underage Drinking - A Collective Responsibility." The report finds underage drinking to be a national crisis and calls for a comprehensive effort by the federal government, states, communities, the alcohol industry and the entertainment industry to cooperatively work to address the issue of underage drinking. It also recommends the implementation of a national media campaign to educate parents about the dangers of underage drinking. Last year, to kick off the national media campaign, the congresswoman secured $800,000 in federal funds. This year, the congresswoman will introduce legislation that includes all the report's recommendations.

"The problem of underage drinking constitutes a health crisis for our children in this country," Congresswoman Roybal-Allard said during her acceptance remarks. "The statistics tell us that by the end of 8th grade, almost half of the children in this country have engaged in heavy drinking. Even more alarming is the fact that six and a half times more youth die from underage drinking than all illegal drugs combined. Yet the federal government only spends $71 million annually to prevent underage drinking compared to $1.8 billion to combat youth drug use. Clearly, the government needs to do more on this issue."

Congresswoman Roybal-Allard was also recognized for leading the effort to improve newborn screening programs. She is the House sponsor of the "Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act of 2004," which would make available a total of $15 million in grants to medical schools, nursing schools and schools of public health to assist health care professionals with education and training in newborn screening. The measure would also establish a follow-up system to coordinate treatments when certain disorders are detected. Under the measure, grants would also be provided to community-based organizations to promote newborn screening education to parents, families, and patient advocacy and support groups.

"I would like to commend the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition for playing an important role in support of key congressional initiatives that promote the health and well being of our children and families. The Coalition's advocacy is critical to the passage of effective and meaningful legislation that addresses issues such as newborn screening, folic acid education and the prevention of underage drinking," Congresswoman Roybal-Allard said.

The National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition is a recognized leader and resource in maternal and child health. The group provides an innovative forum for collaborative partnerships of public and private organizations, employers, policymakers and consumers.

Other recipients of the 2004 Special Impact Award include: U.S. Sen. Christopher Bond (R-MO) for his efforts to prevent lead poisoning; Actress Marlo Thomas who is the National Outreach Director of St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital; the Family Road Program of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for connecting families in need to local resources; and the Washington State Booster Seat Coalition, for their statewide efforts to promote the safety of older children on the highways.