VIDEO RELEASE Chairman Rick Scott Spearheads Aging Committee Hearing on Optimizing Longevity for Healthier, Longer Lives

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging Chairman Rick Scott and Ranking Member Kirsten Gillibrand convened the committee’s third hearing entitled, “Optimizing Longevity: From Research to Action.” The hearing included testimony from expert witnesses and a discussion on ways to ensure longevity research results in action that prevents disease, improves health outcomes, and lowers costs by better educating the American public on the benefits of healthy lifestyles.

Chairman Scott welcomed three witnesses for this hearing, including Floridian Dan Buettner, Founder of Blue Zones, along with Dr. Rhonda Patrick, Founder of FoundMyFitness, and Dr. Eric Verdin, President and CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging.

Watch Chairman Scott’s full remarks HERE. Read Chairman Scott’s remarks as prepared for delivery below:

I want to thank you all for being here today.

Every member of this committee is a parent, and most of us have had the honor of being promoted to grandparent.

Living a long and healthy life is something that is very important to me and I’m sure to all our members on this committee. But having more time with our loved ones is only half of the issue.

What I hope to focus on today is extending not just our lifespans – the number of years we live – but also our health spans – the number of years we live free of disease or disability.

It is no secret that we are facing significant health issues in our country. Americans are plagued by preventable chronic diseases, cancers, and other illnesses.

Heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. 

It’s a massive problem. Six in 10 Americans have at least one chronic disease, and four in 10 have two or more chronic diseases, according to the CDC.

Here’s the good news: healthy life choices can mitigate and, in some cases, completely prevent these illnesses.

I believe that the American people make smart choices when they have good information. In Florida, we see that ahead of every hurricane season.

When families understand the dangers of inaction, they make the decision to do what is best for themselves and their loved ones.

With hurricanes, we say that preparedness saves lives.  

It’s no different for our health. Think about it this way – preparedness happens when education is met with action.

Unfortunately, the American people are being underserved in both categories – education and action.

Too much of the conversation around health these days is reactive instead of preventative. We spend a lot of time talking about how to deal with health issues, and not enough time talking about the simple ways to prevent these illnesses in the first place.

Even more frustrating is that there is a huge amount of research out there showing how Americans can live longer, healthier lives – but there is an inexcusable lack of action to put these best practices in place.

That’s what today’s hearing will be about – turning research into action that improves the health and wellness of Americans so we can all enjoy longer, healthier lives and spend our senior years enjoying time with family.

It’s time to put a lot more focus and action on wellness and prevention.

As our witnesses here will discuss, it is not too late for anyone, even our seniors, to start making informed choices that lead to healthier, happier and longer lives.

That’s why I’m proud to be part of the MAHA caucus here in the Senate, and I look forward to working with RFK Jr. to create a healthier country.

The issue of longevity is also something our government should be much more focused on. When Americans live healthier lives, health care costs come down.

The chronic diseases I mentioned before are also leading drivers of America’s $4.5 trillion in annual health care costs, according to the CDC.

We are all fiduciaries of the American taxpayers and when we can do something that helps people live healthier lives while saving taxpayer money, that’s a win for everyone.

I look forward to an insightful discussion today on how we can advance good research and take action that improves wellness for American seniors today and for generations to come.

I’d now like to welcome Ranking Member Kirsten Gillibrand for her opening remarks.

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