Donating a kidney was one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. It was not an easy decision, and it certainly came with stress and sacrifice, but knowing I was giving someone else a shot at life made every step worth it. Still, I know that not everyone who wants to donate can afford to take the financial hit that often comes with it. That is why I am asking Rep. Chellie Pingree to co-sponsor and champion the End Kidney Deaths Act (HR 2687).

This bill would provide a refundable tax credit of $10,000 per year for five years to people who donate a kidney to a stranger. That $50,000 would help donors cover lost wages, travel, recovery time and other out-of-pocket costs. The kidneys would go to those who have been waiting the longest on the national transplant list. In the next 10 years, this policy could help up to 100,000 people finally receive a kidney and avoid dying on dialysis.

We are in a crisis. In Maine’s 1st District alone, 437 people are on dialysis, and 20% of them die each year waiting for a transplant. Nationally, more than 90,000 people are waiting for a kidney. From 2010 to 2021, more than 100,000 people died while waiting. They had families, friends, jobs, dreams. They died not because there was no cure, but because we could not match them with a living donor in time.

Living donors are essential because deceased donation simply cannot meet the need. Fewer than 1% of deaths occur in a way that allows for organ donation. Even if we made the system more efficient, we might only add a couple thousand more kidneys each year. That is not nearly enough to close the gap. The only real solution is to increase living donations, especially from people who are willing to donate to strangers.

Right now, about 400 people in the U.S. make that kind of donation every year. Often, their generosity starts a chain of transplants that saves many lives. But they do it without compensation for lost wages, medical travel or time spent recovering. The End Kidney Deaths Act would finally recognize this gift for what it is: a lifesaving act of heroism that deserves real support.

This bill is also smart policy. The government spends about $100,000 per person per year on dialysis. In total, that is $50 billion annually. Living transplants are far more cost-effective and lead to better health outcomes. According to projections, this bill could save taxpayers $37 billion over a decade.

Many of us are willing to give. What we need is a system that makes it possible. Congress has used tax credits to support people who go to college, install solar panels or adopt children. Why not use the same approach to support those willing to save a life?

I hope Rep. Pingree will back this common-sense, compassionate bill. Maine values compassion, fairness and community. Let’s show that in our policy.

The End Kidney Deaths Act offers a real path to ending the needless suffering caused by the kidney shortage. I urge Rep. Pingree to help lead the way.