Earlier this month, my wife and I welcomed our fourth child - Major Mast (we’ve got an “M” theme going - Madalyn, Magnum, Maverick and Major). We are blessed and thank God every day that both mom and baby are healthy!

But sadly, every 15 minutes in the United States, a baby is born with a congenital heart defect. This is far too often - in fact, heart defects are the most common and deadly form of birth defects.

There are more than 30 different kinds of congenital heart defects, and while many can be easily treated, others are complex and require a lifetime of specialized medical care. The bottom line is that not only can we be doing more, but we must, because every life is precious and innocent babies are especially worthy of our protection.

That’s why we recently passed the Congenital Heart Failures Reauthorization Act, which is now law. This bipartisan bill will enhance and expand research on congenital heart disease at both the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health.

These revamped research efforts can help us provide much needed hope to so many families living through the horror of congenital heart disease. Together, we can save lives.