Congressional Men's Health Caucus Shows Bipartisan Consensus and Focus on Prevention, Mental Health, and Closing the Lifespan Gap

WASHINGTON - PrZen -- The Congressional Men's Health Caucus showcased its 2025 leadership team and 2025 agenda at a press conference on May 1. Co-Chairs Rep. Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) and Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA), with Vice-Chairs Rep. Rob Menendez (D-NJ), Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), and Rep. Neal Dunn, M.D. (R-FL) announced plans for passage of 2 resolutions drawing attention to men's health and two bills to create a federal Office of Men's Health and to establish responsibilities within the Office of the Secretary of HHS to help reduce the Lifespan Gender Gap.

As an original and continuing partner to the Caucus, Men's Health Network (MHN) joined the Caucus leadership to spotlight rising rates of preventable disease, the mental health crisis among men, and the widening lifespan gender gap, now over 5.3 years between men and women. Together, caucus leaders pledged to shift the conversation from reaction to prevention and from silence to empathy.

"We welcome the progress that has been made in women's health, and we are working to help men learn from those successes." Said Ronald Henry, President of MHN. "Reducing premature death and disability among men isn't just important for the men themselves; it's important to the wives, sisters, and daughters who love them."

Henry also addressed the rising gender gap in life expectancy, noting that it is not fixed or inevitable. "The Lifespan Gender Gap rises and falls over time with both medical advances and public health advances. From a peak of 7.7 years in 1979, the Lifespan Gender Gap was reduced by three full years to 4.7 years by 2010.  Unfortunately, the Gap began growing again in 2015, and that is not good for any part of America," he said.

A Bipartisan Push for Prevention and Policy
"Men's health isn't a partisan issue—it's a public health issue," said Rep. Troy A. Carter, Sr.
(D-LA), the new caucus chair. "This caucus is about saving lives, supporting families."

In addition to the resolutions and bills planned for filing, Carter previously introduced the Men's Health Workforce Act, which expands access to mental health services in underserved communities and also co-leads the PSA Screening for HIMs Act with Dr. Dunn, a bill that would require insurance coverage for prostate cancer screenings for high-risk men.

About MHN: Our mission is to reach men, boys, and their families where they live, work, play, and pray. Since 1992, MHN has led the charge in public health education, community outreach, and policy advocacy to improve the health and well-being of males of all ages www.MensHealthNetwork.org.