This year, more than 450 ACP members from 49 states and the District of Columbia attended ACP’s annual Leadership Day on Capitol Hill on May 12-13. Attendees heard from members of Congress and legislative staff, including Representative Frank Pallone, recipient of this year’s Joseph F. Boyle Award for Distinguished Public Service. Leadership Day participants also learned about key policy issues before going to Capitol Hill to meet with their members of Congress to advocate for these ACP priorities:

• Protect and Invest in Primary Care and the Physician Workforce: Cosponsor H.R. 2028/S. 942, the REDI (Resident Education Deferred Interest) Act, which would allow borrowers to qualify for interest-free deferment on their federal student loans while in a medical or dental internship or residency program.

• Safeguard Access to Vaccines:  Cosponsor H.R.5448/S.2857, the Protecting Free Vaccines Act, which would protect public health by ensuring that patients will have access to well-established vaccines backed by rigorous scientific standards and fact-based science, without cost-sharing.

• Strengthen and Stabilize the Medicare Payment System: Co-sponsor H.R. 8163, the Provider Reimbursement Stability Act of 2026, a bipartisan bill that would help strengthen and stabilize the Medicare payment system by reducing the annual payment cuts in the fee schedule due to the budget neutrality mandate.

Contact Shuan Tomlinson and Aleah Jensen for more information