{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://fong.house.gov/media/press-releases/fong-holds-fungal-disease-roundtable-hhs-sec-kennedy-introduces-valley-fever", "Fong Holds Fungal Disease Roundtable with HHS Sec. Kennedy; Introduces Valley Fever Awareness Resolution", "2026-09-18", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "CA", "Vince Fong", "F000480", "fong.house.gov", "fong", "https://fong.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, Congressman Vince Fong (CA-20) joined an Invasive Fungal and Mold Disease Roundtable at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., CDC Director Dr. Erica Schwartz, HHS Senior Leadership, and patients.\n\nThe roundtable follows Congressman Fong\u2019s (CA-20) introduction of a resolution that would recognizes the third week of September as Fungal Disease Awareness Week (FDAW). The resolution encourages efforts to improve awareness, diagnosis, treatment, surveillance, and prevention of fungal diseases, like Valley Fever, in the United States.\n\n\u201cIn the Central Valley, fungal diseases \u2014 Valley Fever in particular \u2014 are not a distant public health concern. They are a reality for thousands of our neighbors and families every single year,\u201d said Congressman Fong. \u201cToo many patients are misdiagnosed and left without answers while their condition worsens. I am committed to improving awareness, increasing investment into research and development, and improving diagnosis and finding new treatments and cures. This is exactly how we improve patient outcomes and save lives. Secretary Kennedy and HHS have made combatting fungal diseases a priority, and I\u2019m proud to be a partner in this fight.\u201d\n\n\u201cFungal diseases can devastate patients when doctors fail to recognize them early,\u201d said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. \u201cWe are changing that. HHS is working to strengthen detection, accelerate diagnosis, advance new treatments, and give doctors the tools they need to act sooner. I thank Congressman Fong for bringing the experiences of Valley Fever patients to Washington and helping us confront these diseases head-on.\u201d\n\nThe discussion covered how to better incorporate fungal and mold diseases like Valley Fever into the broader public health response, increasing investment in research and development and clinical trials to better diagnose and treat patients, and ensuring fungal diseases receive the sustained attention they need. Fungal disease patients also shared their stories and highlighted the critical importance of awareness and early treatment.\n\nClick here to watch the roundtable.\n\n\u201cCongressman Fong has been a consistent voice for communities affected by fungal diseases, including Valley Fever,\u201d said Rob Purdie, Valley Fever Patient and President, MYCARE Foundation. \u201cHis continued leadership helps connect patient experience with the policy, research, and public health solutions needed to improve diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes. The 10th anniversary of Fungal Disease Awareness Week is an opportunity to turn awareness into action, and Congressman Fong\u2019s leadership helps move that work forward.\u201d\n\nValley Fever is of particular concern in CA-20, the Central Valley, and across the desert southwest. Caused by breathing in fungal spores found in soil and dust, it accounts for 15 to 30 percent of community-acquired pneumonias in the Bakersfield area. Approximately 20,000 cases are reported nationwide each year, and 5 to 10 percent of patients develop serious chronic complications.\n\nThe resolution also highlights the growing threat of histoplasmosis, blastomycosis, and Candida auris \u2014 an emerging, drug-resistant fungus with 6,304 new U.S. cases reported in 2024, a number that has increased every year since its first U.S. detection. It supports expanded education, improved surveillance, stronger public health readiness, and research into better diagnostics and treatments.\n\nThis resolution is cosponsored by Reps. David Valadao (CA-22), Young Kim (CA-40), and Ken Calvert (CA-41).\n\nTo view the resolution text, click here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-24T09:44:48Z", "2026-09-24T09:45:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://fong.house.gov/media/press-releases/fong-holds-fungal-disease-roundtable-hhs-sec-kennedy-introduces-valley-fever"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.1433811634778976, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}