Sen. Richard Blumenthal urged Congress to pass legislation to ease hot weather-related illnesses on Friday.

Blumenthal met with lawmakers outside of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. to push for the passing of the HEAT Act.

The legislation, which stands for Preventing Health Emergencies And Temperature-related illnesses, would provide $100 million to help local communities prevent hot weather deaths.

Blumenthal believes community programs and specific projects such as roofs and pavement with cooling technology are worth investing in.

Across the country, extreme heat sends more than 67,000 people a year to the emergency room.