Introduction: This chronology portrays the history of governmental
affairs and advocacy accomplishments relating to the passage of federal
legislation relevant to the March of Dimes mission since the founding of the
National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis in 1938. It also provides
information on the passage of selected state legislation, relations with
federal agencies, and general governmental affairs. The timeline accounts for
important milestones only and is not intended to be comprehensive or complete.
1930s – 1950s
Founding of NFIP: President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued a proclamation on September 23, 1937 to create a nationwide organization to “lead, direct, and unify” the fight against polio. Accordingly, the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (NFIP) was founded on January 3, 1938, incorporated in the state of New York. Basil O’Connor, a close advisor and former law partner of FDR, was president of the NFIP from 1938 to 1972.
The White House: As founder, FDR
remained closely associated with the March of Dimes by the American people, especially
since Eddie Cantor’s radio appeal for the first “March of Dimes” in 1938
resulted in 2,680,000 dimes mailed to the White House. From 1938 to 1945, FDR
authorized the use of his birthday for the annual March of Dimes campaign, and
thereafter the foundation continued to schedule White House events and radio
broadcasts as part of its fund-raising publicity through the 1950s. Later, in
1981, President Ronald Reagan hosted a reunion of March of Dimes poster
children at the White House to commemorate the United Nations Year of the
Disabled Person.
U.S. Children’s Bureau: In 1943, the NFIP and the U.S. Children’s
Bureau agreed to coordinate activities and tracking of state services provided
to disabled children. In a second agreement with the Children’s Bureau and the
American Red Cross, the NFIP agreed to coordinate efforts in meeting civilian
needs arising from polio epidemics. These activities were also coordinated with
the Federal Security Agency of the Social Security Administration.
Roosevelt Dime: After FDR’s death on April 12, 1945 U.S. Representative
Ralph H.
Daughton of Virginia introduced a bill (HR 4790) to
create a dime “bearing the likeness of Franklin Delano Roosevelt."
Congressman Daughton introduced this legislation at the request of the De Paul Polio Club of
Norfolk, Virginia, which consisted of polio patients affiliated
with the Norfolk Hospital Association Chapter of the NFIP. The De Paul Polio
Club had petitioned for the dime immediately following the death of President
Roosevelt. The U.S. Mint has stated that the FDR dime commemorates “his ardent
support of the March of Dimes.” The first Roosevelt dime was minted in 1946.
Law Research Unit: In 1945, the NFIP created a “Law Research Unit”
to track existing statutes and proposed legislation relating to public health
and welfare, contagious disease control, education, and federal and state aid
concerning the physically disabled. The NFIP was interested in the Maternal and
Child Welfare Act (1945), the Subcommittee on Aid to the Physically Handicapped
of the House Committee on Labor (1946), and the National Health Insurance bill
(1949), but did not seek to influence passage of legislation.
U.S. Armed Forces: Immediately after World War II, the foundation
created an Armed Forces Division, also known as the “Armed Forces March of
Dimes,” that coordinated March of Dimes fund-raising with all branches of the U.S.
military, including the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, and
Veterans Administration. The Armed Forces Division was active through the
1950s, and the foundation employed retired military personnel as liaisons with
the military through the 1960s. Beginning in 1952, the NFIP coordinated the
Military Air Transport Service (MATS) with the U.S. Air Force for the aerial
transport of polio patients and equipment, notably iron lung respirators. The MATS
program ended in 1961. The March of Dimes conducted polio vaccination programs
for military personnel and their families and has also maintained a long and
fruitful association with Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) that began in 1946.
Gamma Globulin Distribution: In 1953, the NFIP worked closely with
the U.S. Office of Defense Mobilization and other federal and state agencies to
distribute and administer gamma globulin inoculations that gave temporary
immunity against polio during summertime epidemics. After 1955, the Salk polio
vaccine replaced gamma globulin as a preventative for polio.
Salk Polio Vaccine: On April 12, 1955 the U.S. Public Health
Service licensed the polio vaccine developed by Dr. Jonas Salk and financed by
the NFIP after a massive field trial in 1954 to test the vaccine’s
effectiveness, also organized and funded by the NFIP. In its fight against
polio, the NFIP collaborated with the National Institutes of Health on many
clinical and epidemiological matters; and field trial logistics were
coordinated closely with the Association of State and Territorial Health
Officers. President Dwight Eisenhower awarded Dr. Salk a presidential citation at
a White House ceremony on April 22, and the U.S. Congress conferred on him the
Congressional Medal of Honor in 1956.
Poliomyelitis Vaccination Assistance Act: In August 1955, U.S. Congress passed an act (PL
84-377) authorizing the appropriation of $30 million as grants-in-aid to states
for purchase of the Salk polio vaccine, building on the NFIP vaccination
program that commenced immediately after the vaccine was licensed.
Epidemic Aid to Argentina: In 1956, at the request of the U.S.
State Department, the NFIP dispatched a team of physicians and medical aid to
Buenos Aires, Argentina then in the grip of a severe polio epidemic. Argentine
officials admitted it was the first time in the history of Argentina that its
government had appealed for outside assistance, creating a unique opportunity
for the U.S. to improve diplomatic relations with that nation. Secretary of
State John Foster Dulles praised the NFIP for its “readiness, promptness, and
effectiveness” in response to the State Department appeal for medical aid.
Health for Peace Bill: On February 27, 1959 March of Dimes
president Basil O’Connor gave testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on
Labor and Public Welfare in support of the International Health and Medical
Research Act (1959).
1960s
Sabin Polio Vaccine: The oral polio vaccine developed by March of Dimes grantee Dr. Albert Sabin was field-tested in the Soviet Union in 1959. Dr. Sabin shared both his research findings and seed lots of poliovirus with Russian scientists, enabling the USSR to immunize over ten million Russian children. The success of this program led to the licensing of the Sabin vaccine in the U.S. in 1962. This accomplishment occurred at the height of the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, and it stands as an historic milestone of international collaboration and scientific exchange in medicine and public health even at a time of heightened tensions between the superpowers.
PKU Screening: The March of Dimes initiated discussions about
newborn screening and a practical program to detect phenylketonuria (PKU) on a
large scale in 1959 at a time when mandated newborn screening was non-existent.
March of Dimes grantee Robert Guthrie, MD (1916-1995) developed a simple blood
test to detect PKU, a cause of brain damage and mental retardation. Dr. Guthrie’s
breakthrough ushered in an era of state-mandated newborn screening. In 1963,
Massachusetts became the first state to pass a law making the Guthrie PKU test
mandatory, and New York followed suit with a similar law in 1965. At present,
all 50 states require PKU testing, and the March of Dimes today vigorously continues
its advocacy for newborn screening of 29 inherited disorders.
Native Americans and Prenatal Care: In 1968, the March of Dimes
collaborated with the Bureau of Indian Affairs of the U.S. Department of the
Interior and the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare on a pilot
project to educate native American children and adults about prenatal care. The
recipient population was primarily in Arizona.
Neighborhood Health Center Act: In 1968, March of Dimes president
Basil O’Connor supported Senator Charles Percy’s introduction of the
Neighborhood Health Center Act (S. 3835) to establish outpatient clinics and
ambulatory care centers in poor communities, particularly with regard to
prenatal care.
1970s
Birth Defects Monitoring Program: In 1973, the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare announced the creation of a computer monitoring system of birth defects directed by the Center for Disease Control and supported, in part, by the March of Dimes. The surveillance program was designed to provide early warning about patterns in the occurrence of birth defects in the United States in the wake of the thalidomide tragedy.
Office of Public Affairs: The March of Dimes established its Office
of Public Affairs in Washington, DC in 1974 with Clyde Everett Shorey, Jr. at
its head as Vice President for Public Affairs. This followed the revision of
requirements in the federal tax code proposed in 1972 to allow “tax-exempt
charitable organizations to advocate the public interest directly before
Congress on an equal basis with private business.”
Birth Defects Prevention Month: In 1974, January was designated as
“March of Dimes Birth Defects Prevention Month” by a joint resolution of the
Senate and House of Representatives. The resolution urged governors of the
states to issue similar annual proclamations to address “the nationwide problem
of birth defects and their effect on future generations, and to support all
essential programs to prevent their occurrence.” Birth Defects Prevention Month
occurred annually thereafter through 1990.
WIC Program: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women,
Infants, and Children (the WIC Program), first authorized in 1974, provides
federal grants to states to provide nutritious food supplements to pregnant
women, infants, and children. Participation in WIC by pregnant women has tended
to encourage prenatal care, increase birthweight, and improve birth outcomes. From
the inception of WIC and throughout its history, the March of Dimes has advocated
for appropriations, amendments, and re-authorizations of the WIC program to
strengthen its provisions to reduce infant mortality and perinatal deficiencies
caused by poor nutrition, just as the foundation has awarded community grants
to enhance the effectiveness of WIC at the local level.
National Genetic Diseases Act: With the successful lobbying efforts
of the new Office of Public Affairs, Congress passed the National Genetic
Disease Act in 1976, which authorized federal funding for genetic testing and
counseling programs and for education about genetic diseases. The March of
Dimes also provided local community grants for genetic counseling and education
from this time through the early 1980s. The act was renewed in 1979 but
replaced by the Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1981.
1980s
Maternal and Child Health Block Grants: In 1981, Title V programs of the Social Security Act were converted to the Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant Program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. These provided a host of health benefits to low-income mothers and babies through preventive and primary care services, including prenatal care. Through the 1980s, the March of Dimes consistently supported appropriations bills that extended the reach of MCH block grants to women and infants to improve perinatal care and birth outcomes.
Medicaid: As with the WIC program and MCH block grants, the March
of Dimes has spoken out for Medicaid insurance coverage appropriations and
amendments to improve eligibility and covered services for low-income pregnant
and postpartum women and for young children. The March of Dimes has supported
such provisions as the Child Health Assurance Program (CHAP) for prenatal and
infant care to low-income women and children (1984), a Medicaid initiative to
reduce infant mortality (1986), and the extension of coverage for drug
treatment programs for pregnant women (1988).
Congressional WalkAmerica: From 1982 to 1989, the March of Dimes
fund-raiser WalkAmerica featured the participation of senators and
representatives in a special, annual kick-off event in Washington, DC. “Congressional
WalkAmerica” was conceived at the time to develop Congressional contacts, to
stimulate publicity, and to illustrate bipartisan support for March of Dimes
research and programs. Congressional participants included Thomas Foley, Albert
Gore, Edward Kennedy, Nita Lowey, Tip O’Neill, and Jim Wright among many
others.
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| Congressional WalkAmerica, 1983. As WalkAmerica became the mainstay of March of Dimes fund raising, its development included corporate participation through “TeamWalk” and special events like the Congressional WalkAmerica. Walking in front from left to right are Senator Ted Kennedy; Arnold Palmer, who carries poster boy Ben Hill; and Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill. March of Dimes president Charles Massey appears between Ben Hill and Tip O’Neill. |
National Commission to Prevent Infant Mortality: Congress
established this commission in 1986 from legislation sponsored by Senators Lawton
Chiles and Lloyd Bentsen. Supported by the March of Dimes, the commission
addressed national policy to prevent infant mortality at a time when the U.S.
ranked 23rd among industrial nations in its infant mortality rate.
Alcohol Warning Labels: In 1988, Congress passed legislation to require
warning labels on containers of alcoholic beverages that “women should not
drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy because of the risk of birth
defects.” The Alcohol Beverage Labeling Act was supported, in part, by the
March of Dimes since its educational warning was fully congruent with the
foundation’s concern about ethanol as a reproductive toxin. In 1973, March of
Dimes grantees had described and identified fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) as a
wide pattern of physical and mental birth impairments resulting from drinking
alcohol during pregnancy. As such, FAS remains the only 100% preventable birth
defect.
1990s
Southern Legislative Summit: The Southern Legislative Summit on Healthy Infants and Families of the Southern Regional Project on Infant Mortality was established in 1990. In addition to the March of Dimes and other advocacy groups, participants included state legislators and gubernatorial staff from 18 states. The group developed model legislation pertaining to infant mortality and perinatal health to be introduced at the state level.
Healthy Start Initiative: In 1991, the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services launched the Healthy Start Initiative in 15 urban and rural
locations with higher than average infant mortality rates. The March of Dimes
provided assistance through its Campaign for Healthier Babies to Healthy
Start’s initial five-year demonstration phase to reduce infant mortality rates
by 50%. The March of Dimes report, “Infant Survival in Rural America” (1991)
emphasized that infant mortality was high in rural America in part due to lack
of insurance coverage. Healthy Start was reauthorized by Congress in the
Children’s Health Act of 2000.
Office of Government Affairs: The March of Dimes Office of Public
Affairs changed its name to the Office of Government Affairs in 1991. OGA
focuses on advocacy, one of the four mission strategies of the March of Dimes,
working “to encourage federal, state, and local governments to adopt public
policies, programs, and funding to improve the health of infants, children, and
women of childbearing age.” The Office works to advocate public health policies
and programs most closely aligned with the March of Dimes mission, to provide oversight
of policy studies that support this advocacy agenda, and to communicate
effectively through public testimony and media outreach.
Family and Medical Leave Act: From the time the legislation was
introduced in 1988, the March of Dimes was one of several organizations that
encouraged passage of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993. In this, the
foundation advocated on behalf of parents of premature infants or those with
birth defects who need unpaid leave from work to handle such health problems as
well as women who experience difficult pregnancies and whose standard maternity
leave is too brief for adequate recovery.
Virginia Apgar Postage Stamp: In 1994, the U.S. Postal Service
issued a postage stamp in honor of Virginia Apgar, MD whose career in medicine
culminated with 15 years of service to the March of Dimes. The chairman of the
Apgar Stamp Committee that advocated the stamp was L. Joseph Butterfield, MD
who served on the March of Dimes Committee on Perinatal Health from 1972 to
1976 and spearheaded the regionalization of perinatal care in the western U.S.
Dr. Apgar was the creator of the “Apgar Score” to evaluate a newborn baby’s
condition at birth and is the only March of Dimes employee to be honored by the
issuance of a postage stamp.
State Children’s Health Insurance Program: In 1997, March of Dimes
advocacy efforts help secure the passage of the State Children’s Health
Insurance Program (S-CHIP). The $40 billion, 10-year program was designed to
provide health care coverage for nearly half of the nation’s 11.6 uninsured
children. In 2007, Congress approved the extension of and increased funding for
S-CHIP, reallocating $271 million in S-CHIP funds to states with program
shortfalls.
FDA Approves Grain Fortification: In 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) approved the fortification of enriched grain products with
the B vitamin folic acid after three years of advocacy efforts by the March of
Dimes and Centers for Disease Control recommendations (1992) on folic acid to
reduce the incidence of neural tube defects. In 1995, the CDC awarded a grant
to the March of Dimes to conduct benchmark surveys of the knowledge and use of
folic acid among women of childbearing age, and the foundation subsequently
launched its Folic Acid Campaign in 1998.
Birth Defects Prevention Act: In 1998, Congress enacted the Birth
Defects Prevention Act, establishing a nationwide network of birth defects
monitoring systems, with authorization of appropriations through 2002. This
legislation followed six years of advocacy efforts by the March of Dimes in the
wake of increasing incidence of neural tube defects in Brownsville, Texas from
1989 to 1992 that ushered folic acid education to the forefront of the March of
Dimes fight against birth defects. In 2003, Congress enacted the Birth Defects
and Developmental Disabilities Prevention Act to revise and extend the Birth
Defects Prevention Act of 1998.
2000s
Children’s Health Act: In 2000, Congress passed the Children’s Health Act, which created the National Center on Birth Defects and Development Disabilities to help states expand newborn screening. The center is a part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and is devoted to identifying the causes of and preventing birth defects. The act also authorized a federal program to support newborn screening.
PREEMIE Act: In 2004, March of Dimes President
Dr. Jennifer Howse testified before a Senate subcommittee in support of the Premature
Research Expansion and Education Act for Mothers (PREEMIE) Act (P.L. 109-450) to
expand research, education, and services to fight premature birth. In 2006,
March of Dimes advocacy led to passage of the PREEMIE Act to bring together
experts from the private and public sectors to speed development of prevention
strategies for preterm labor and delivery. One important provision of the bill
was the authorization of a Surgeon General’s conference to develop a national
agenda for action to accelerate prevention strategies for preterm birth.
Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act: In
2008, Congress passed the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act (S. 1858) which established
national guidelines on what conditions should be tested in newborn screening
programs. Nearly 90% of all babies born in the U.S., more than double the
percentage in 2005, live in states that require screening for at least 21 of 29
life-threatening but treatable disorders defined as essential by the March of
Dimes and the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2004.
2010s
Prematurity Prevention Network: January 19, 2012: March of Dimes launches Prematurity Prevention Network in partnership with U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin.
2020s
Telehealth in Maternal and Child Healthcare: March of Dimes made strong recommendations encouraging insurance companies to waive co-pays for Telehealth visits to help ensure the continuation of care during the COVID-19 pandemic. March of Dimes also advocated for increased access to healthcare through Telehealth visits and the inclusion of pregnancy related care (via Telehealth) in state Medicaid reimbursement policies.
Sources: March of Dimes Archives: Government Relations (Federal) Records, 1938-1985; Office of Government Affairs Records, 1974-2007; March of Dimes annual reports and web site.
May 16, 2008 / David Rose / March of
Dimes Archives
Updated June 29, 2021 / Chris Lima / March of Dimes Archives
