PARKINSON'S ACTION NETWORK ACTION  ADVISORY
To:  Parkinson's  community -- Patients, Loved Ones, Scientists, Clinicians,
and Others Who Care.
From:  Joan I. Samuelson, ESQ.
Date:  July 10, 1996
Re:  UDALL BILL UPDATE;  HELP NEEDED
An extraordinary effort by the Parkinson's community nationwide has produced
a tremendous surge in cosponsors of the Morris K. Udall Parkinson's Research
Act during May and June.  The House and Senate totals stand at 193 and 49
respectively, with more expected this week!  We are tantalizingly close to a
majority (51) in the Senate, and within reach of a majority (218) in the
House.  To reach our goal - passage of both Houses this year - we need more
power, which means we still need to add as many Members as possible to the
lists.  We need your help to give us the major push required to keep Udall
passage as a priority for busy Senators and Representatives.

I.   SENATE ACTION --UDALL MOVING WITH NIH REVITALIZATION BILL?   In the
Senate, the Udall bill has very strong support in the Labor & Human Resources
Committee to which it is assigned.  We now have 12 out of 16 Labor Committee
Members cosponsoring, including 5 of 9 Republicans.  We do not yet have the
support of the Chair, Nancy Kassebaum (R) of Kansas.  The Committee is
scheduled to "mark up" (vote on) the National Institutes of Health 1997
Revitalization Act in July, and our supporters on the Committee plan to seek
an amendment adding the Udall bill so that it can get moving to the Senate
floor for a vote.  Our strength in committee gives us a good chance, but it's
not a "done deal",  particularly without Senator Kassebaum behind us.

II.   HOUSE STATUS.   The Udall bill enjoys strong support in the House
committee to which it is assigned.  28 out of 49 Members of the Commerce
Committee have cosponsored, including 17 of 27 Members of the Subcommittee on
Health and Environment.  Unfortunately we do not have the support  of either
the Subcommittee or Full Committee Chair, Representative Michael Bilirakis
(R) of Florida and Representative Thomas J. Bliley, Jr. (R) of Virginia,
respectively.  Despite the support of majority of the Committee Members, we
need Chairmen Bilirakis and Bliley to agree to bring the Udall bill up for a
vote, or bring up another bill that the Udall bill can be amended to.  They
can prevent the bill from moving to the House floor for a vote, and need to
be persuaded -- by our community or their fellow Congress Members -- to let
it come up for a vote.

III.   WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP.

 (A)  KEEP THOSE CARDS, LETTERS AND PHONE CALLS COMING!
  - The Senate:   With the upcoming mark-up of the Senate NIH bill,
contacting Senators --  particularly those on the Labor and Human Resources
Committee -- is our first priority.  If they haven't cosponsored yet,  tell
them to!  If they have, ask them to help "push for passage"  by urging the
Labor Committee and the Senate leadership to send the bill to the floor for a
vote.

  - The House:   We need to build as much support as we can to overcome the
stalemate in   the Commerce Committee.  All Representatives are important --
especially until we reach 218 cosponsors and beyond -- but Members of  the
Commerce Committee, the House leadership and the House Appropriations
Committee remain our top priorities.  REMEMBER, every additional Committee
Member who signs on increases the pressure on Chairmen Bilirakis and  Bliley.
 Those Members already on the Udall bill can work to sign up their
colleagues, or to appeal directly to their Chairmen -- There's always
something they can do to help!

 (B)  POST CARD DRIVE -- "DO IT FOR MO!"    During the last month, tens of
thousands of  "This is for you, Mo"  postcards have been mailed to Capitol
Hill.  Bearing a picture of Morris K. Udall and a direct request to
co-sponsor and support passage of the Udall bill, these cards are easy to
send, inexpensive to mail and quite effective.  The majority of these cards
have been targeted at the Members with the most direct influence on  the
ultimate fate  of the Udall bill: Senator Nancy Kassebaum and Senate Majority
Leader Trent Lott,  and Representatives Michael Bilirakis  and Thomas Bliley,
and House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

 Barbara Schirloff of East Brunswick, New Jersey has printed another 50,000
postcards, and will send as many as your or your support group can mail.
 Call Barbara at  908-257-8074 or email her at   [log in to unmask]   or
  call PAN at  800 -850-4726.  The postcards themselves are free,  but we ask
that you contribute what you can to Barbara to cover shipping costs.

 (C)   CRASH LOBBY III.  In light of the importance of the coming weeks --
and the effectiveness of past direct lobbying efforts -- we are coordinating
another grassroots convergence on Capitol Hill in support of the Udall bill.
 During the week of July 22-26, we will "work the Hill"  with anyone who
wants to come to DC to seek passage of the Udall bill.  Everyone is needed;
 we would particularly like to find people in Florida, Arkansas, Indiana,
Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, and
Wisconsin.  Contact PAN   (800) 850-4726 for details.

 Those of you unable to attend also can play an important role by continuing
to write, call and fax your Senators and Representatives.  Contact them as
soon as possible and voice your support for the Udall bill and the upcoming
lobbying effort on  the Hill.  Another way to help is to schedule
appointments with your legislators on behalf of those planning to be in DC.
 It is often easier for a constituent to make an appointment, even if they
themselves can't attend the meeting.  If you would like to help by scheduling
appointments,  please coordinate with someone you know who's attending or
with Michael Claeys, PAN's Community Outreach Coordinator.

IV.   HELP WITH COSTS AND TRAVEL EXPENSES.   If you or your support group
can't attend yourself, please consider helping support the costs (postage,
phone bills, etc.) and travel expenses of others who want to attend but can't
afford the trip.

V.    WHAT TO TELL CONGRESS.  Our message is clear:
 (a)  Parkinson's research is poised on the brink of a breakthrough and
federal support will make it happen sooner.

 (b)  The cure is cheaper than the care -- our suffering costs the nation in
excess of $25 billion per year.

 (C)  Parkinson's research has been terribly neglected.  It is time to
reverse the disparity in funding.  We have materials on all these points --
call us at 800- 850-4726.

VI.    THANKS.  Your hard work is making a difference!