Why It Matters
The American Heart Association filed a lobbying disclosure that lists issue areas including budget and appropriations, tobacco, health issues, Medicare and Medicaid, agriculture, and government issues.
The disclosure lists specific issues that include the Health Care Affordability Act of 2025 (H.R. 247/S. 46), the Resources to Prevent Youth Vaping Act, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act (H.R. 649/S. 222), the Charitable Act (H.R. 801/S. 317), the Amputation Reduction and Compassion Act, and the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026 (H.R. 4121/S. 2256).
By the Numbers
In-house spending by the American Heart Association was $230,000 in the fourth quarter of 2025, $290,000 in the first quarter of 2026, and $400,000 in the second quarter of 2026.
The in-house team consists of eight lobbyists: Katherine Cruz, Rohan Jyothinagaram, Susan Bishop, John Laughner, Lake Majestic, Kristy Anderson, Joanna Ratigan, and Branden Reis. Laughner, Anderson, and Majestic each have prior congressional experience. Van Scoyoc Associates and Lewis-Burke Associates both filed terminations by mid-2026, leaving Uncorked Advocates and alb solutions LLC as the AHA's remaining outside filers.
The Agenda
On tobacco, the filing cites the Resources to Prevent Youth Vaping Act. The Supreme Court largely upheld the FDA's refusal to authorize flavored e-cigarettes, while the FDA subsequently authorized certain flavored and menthol e-cigarettes for adults.
On amputations, the AP reported that U.S. diabetes-related amputation rates had begun rising again among people younger than 65 after roughly 15 years of decline.
On school nutrition, President Donald Trump signed legislation allowing whole milk back in school meals in January, while the AP noted new federal rules would impose the first limits on added sugar in school meals.
On charitable giving, Rep. Chris Pappas and Sen. Chris Coons with Sen. James Lankford reintroduced the Charitable Act in early 2025 to expand the non-itemizer charitable deduction.
Competitive Landscape
Uncorked Advocates has filed $20,000 reports each quarter from the third quarter of 2025 through the second quarter of 2026, with the first three covering the Charitable Act and its inclusion in H.R. 1, and the second quarter of 2026 covering charitable giving incentives and the Charity Parity Act. alb solutions LLC has filed $50,000 reports each quarter over the same period, covering the Access to AEDs Act and HEARTS Act funding.
The Bottom Line
The AHA's amended filing reflects a broad, in-house-led effort across health care, nutrition, tobacco, transportation, and tax policy. The departure of two outside firms by mid-2026 narrows its external lobbying footprint, leaving the eight-person in-house team and two retained firms as the active filers.
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