[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 47 (Monday, March 16, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E217]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      RECOGNIZING DEBORAH P. BROWN

                                  _____
                                 

                         HON. CHRISSY HOULAHAN

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 16, 2026

  Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Deborah P. Brown 
for more than forty-four years of extraordinary service to the American 
Lung Association and for a lifetime of visionary leadership dedicated 
to saving lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease.
  As Chief Mission Officer of the American Lung Association, and 
previously as President and CEO of the Lung Association of the Mid-
Atlantic, Deb Brown has been a transformative leader whose steadfast 
advocacy, innovative leadership, and unwavering commitment to public 
health have strengthened programs, advanced research, expanded 
advocacy, and forged impactful partnerships across the Nation. Her work 
has helped improve lung health and strengthen public health protections 
for Pennsylvanians and communities nationwide.
  Deb's commitment to lung health is deeply personal. After losing 
loved ones to pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), she dedicated her 
life to ensuring that no family faces lung disease without access to 
support, education, and hope. That experience strengthened her resolve 
to raise awareness, advance research, and champion policies that 
improve quality of life for those living with lung disease.
  In Pennsylvania, Deb was instrumental in advancing landmark public 
health achievements, including tobacco prevention initiatives, asthma 
control efforts, expanded healthcare access, clean air protections and 
anti-idling legislation that strengthened safeguards for residents 
across the Commonwealth. Her leadership also extended to Delaware, 
where she played a pivotal role in the passage of the state's Clean 
Indoor Air Act--then the second comprehensive law of its kind in the 
Nation. As Chair of the Delaware Cancer Consortium, she led statewide 
efforts to improve cancer prevention, detection, and treatment.
  Over the past eight years, under her national leadership, Deb 
advanced the American Lung Association's work in research, advocacy, 
and public education. Under her direction, the organization 
successfully advocated for stronger car and truck emission standards, 
cleaner power plants, and critical methane emission controls from oil 
and gas operations--policies that continue to deliver lasting health 
benefits. She also served on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 
Clean Air Act Advisory Committee. During her tenure, the organization 
supported approximately $178.6 million in research investments to 
advance initiatives that improve lung health and accelerate innovation.
  Deb's leadership was particularly critical during the COVID-19 
pandemic, when she helped advance science-based public health efforts 
to protect people living with lung disease. She also played an 
important role in advancing Tobacco 21 policies, protecting children 
from predatory marketing of e-cigarettes, and supporting state-level 
successes, including increased tobacco taxes. She strengthened advocacy 
efforts that bring lung disease patients and caregivers to Washington, 
D.C. each year to advocate for protecting access to affordable 
healthcare and securing sustained federal funding for the National 
Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
  With degrees in Public Health and Health Education and as a Certified 
Health Education Specialist, Deb has dedicated her career to empowering 
communities through education, prevention, and advocacy. She has 
authored curricula, contributed to research publications, and trained 
advocates and educators across the country. Just as importantly, she is 
widely respected for her mentorship and compassion, helping cultivate 
the next generation of public health leaders.
  Through her visionary leadership, deeply personal commitment, and 
tireless dedication to lung health, Deb has improved the lives of 
countless individuals and families and helped create healthier 
communities across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the United 
States. Her legacy will endure in cleaner air, stronger public health 
protections, groundbreaking research, expanded access to care, and the 
many lives saved and leaders inspired by her example.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in celebrating the 
career and retirement of Deborah P. Brown.

                          ____________________