Prevent Blindness Statement on Departure of Congressional Vision Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Steve Stivers (R-OH)

Congressman Steve Stivers (R-OH) has announced that he will be departing Congress on May 16, 2021 to take a role in the private sector in Ohio. Congressman Stivers has served as a co-chair of the Congressional Vision Caucus since 2018, and served on the Prevent Blindness, Ohio Affiliate Board of Directors before being elected to Ohio’s 15^th Congressional district in 2011. Congressman Stivers has been a strong leader for vision and eye health policy in Congress and has worked hard to help protect funding for sight-saving programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the federal budget and appropriations process. Congressman Stivers was also instrumental in reauthorizing several federal programs related to children’s vision and eye health through schools and addressing neonatal abstinence syndrome, (a group of problems that occurs in a newborn who was exposed to opioid drugs for a length of time while in the mother’s womb).  “Addressing the significant challenges our country faces to ensure equitable vision care access takes strong leadership from across multiple sectors,” said Jeff Todd, president and CEO at Prevent Blindness. “We sincerely thank Congressman Stivers for his tireless championship of vision and eye health policy at the federal level, and we wish him utmost success on his next endeavor.”