Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx joined lawmakers on Capitol Hill Wednesday to push for more funding for the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) research program on Down syndrome.
The DeOndra Dixon INCLUDE Project Act, named after Foxx’s late sister who had Down syndrome, has already passed the House and been introduced to the Senate.
The Global Down Syndrome Foundation (GLOBAL) worked with Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) and others to form and introduce the legislation, which would increase research funding up to $250 million for the NIH’s Investigation of Co-occurring Conditions Across the Lifespan to Understand Down Syndrome (INCLUDE) Project.
“When we lost DeOndra, we lost a part of our soul,” Foxx said during a press briefing. “We all felt it. It was gut wrenching. She had so much life.”
Foxx has had an extensive partnership with GLOBAL, creating the DeOndra Dixon Fund in 2020 after her passing. DeOndra had also been appointed a global ambassador for the foundation in 2011.
GLOBAL flew in 150 members comprised of people with Down syndrome and their families for the briefing. Foxx was joined by his father, George Dixon, who was brought to tears by the support in the room.
Funding for the INCLUDE Project and Down syndrome research at the NIH currently sits at $111 million.
The DeOndra Dixon INCLUDE Project Act seeks to expand clinical trials for those with Down syndrome, increase targeted research on the extra chromosome associated with the condition and open doors for collaboration with other departments within the NIH. Those with Down syndrome are predisposed to certain conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and leukemia but are less likely to experience mass tumor cancers or certain heart diseases.
McMorris Rogers, who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee, has a son with Down syndrome.
“Although this is the most common chromosome abnormality, it is also the least funded at NIH,” she said. “And we’re going to change that.”
She also thanked Foxx for bringing the “star power” to the cause, adding that his attendance increased attention on Capitol Hill.
“She taught us how to embrace the good of life,” Foxx said of his sister.
“She is going to be more famous than me,” he added.