Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) is ready to tackle what he calls one of the most important political issues of our time — loneliness. "Loneliness drives bad health outcomes, but I also think it drives political instability. I think it's a mistake for government to ignore this epidemic," Murphy told Erin. Last month during remarks on the Senate floor, Murphy laid out a case for addressing the nation's social connection crisis as a policy issue. We just need a starting point, he told Congress. That start came Tuesday, when Murphy announced new legislation, the National Strategy for Social Connection Act, targeting loneliness and isolation. The bill would: — Establish an office of social connection policy within the White House to advise the president on how loneliness and isolation affect the economy, public health, national security, the environment and community engagement. — Form an advisory council bringing together stakeholders and federal agencies to improve social infrastructure, quality of life and civic spirit. — Develop a government-wide strategy promoting connection, working across the transportation, housing, health, education and labor agencies. — Launch a public education campaign, including national guidelines and research-backed best practices to help people engage and connect with their communities, similar to existing guidelines on nutrition, sleep and physical activity. — Provide $5 million in annual Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funding to research social connection, loneliness and social infrastructure through 2029. Murphy has good company in Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who issued a May report on the loneliness epidemic, including a six-pillar strategy for advancing social connection. "The conversation he helped begin is really important, and I want to make sure it endures. By creating this office of social connection policy, we're guaranteeing that work Dr. Murthy has done becomes a permanent part of our government's focus," Murphy said. Why it matters: Loneliness is a pervasive problem, with 1 in 3 people in the U.S. who are 45 years old and older feeling lonely, according to the CDC. Being socially disconnected is associated with a higher risk for health problems, including cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety and suicide, according to the surgeon general report. "Loneliness is far more than just a bad feeling — it harms both individual and societal health," Murthy wrote in the report. What's next? Since loneliness doesn't naturally sort people into political camps, Murphy says he's hopeful that he'll be able to draw bipartisan support for his bill. He pointed to a bipartisan measure to regulate kids' access to social media, which is tied to youth loneliness, that he put forth this spring with Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), and Katie Britt (R-Ala.) as a promising example of such partnerships. "I think you'll see some really interesting collaborations between right and left over the course of the next year to attack this problem of aloneness," he said.
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