Advocacy Update from the Parkinson’s Action Network

October 14, 1999


Status of FY2000 Labor/HHS Appropriations Bills

Senate:  On October 7th, the Senate passed its version of the Labor/HHS bill
which includes $17.6 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a
$2 billion increase over the FY1999 budget.

The report accompanying the Senate bill also contains language pertaining to
Parkinson’s disease and research in several sections covering the various
Institutes at the NIH.  Significantly, the Senate report also contains a
"colloquy" - or officially recorded conversation - amongst Senators Thad
Cochran (R-MS), Paul Wellstone (D-MN), Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Tom Harkin
(D-IA) - essentially stating that within the approved $2 billion NIH
increase there are sufficient funds to add $75 million in
Parkinson’s-focused research to NIH’s current Parkinson’s research agenda.
Although not carrying the force of law, this colloquy is a strong statement
of the Senate’s intent, and represents the clearest, most binding language
the Parkinson’s community has received to date.

House:  The House Appropriations Committee has approved its version of the
Labor/HHS bill which includes $16.9 billion for NIH, a $1.3 billion increase
over FY1999.

As with the Senate version, the House report contains several sections of
non-binding language relating to Parkinson’s disease and the need for
increased research.  The House version does not contain the Senate colloquy,
or anything similar.


WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Typically once both the House and Senate have approved their versions of the
Labor/HHS bill, House and Senate representatives will meet together in a
"conference" committee to resolve the differences in the two bills in one
final conference report.

It is unclear at this time if the House bill will go before the full House
for a vote.  Negotiations on that matter continue, and while they do, key
Members of the House and Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittees are
meeting together in "pre-conference" sessions.  It is possible that a
Labor/HHS conference may be held, and a report may be approved without the
House bill being voted on - and it’s possible that all could happen by the
beginning of next week.

Watch the Listserve for more updates soon.


WHAT ADVOCATES CAN DO:

Advocates can contact the four principal conferees - the four leaders of the
Labor/HHS conference (listed below) - and urge them to do everything in
their
considerable power to ensure that an additional $75 million is actually
spent on Parkinson’s-focused research in FY2000.

They have provided the additional money - and for that we are grateful - but
NIH must be directed to devote those funds to research that will produce
improved therapies and a cure for Parkinson’s as soon as possible!

Deliver that same message to the members of the House and Senate Labor/HHS
Appropriations Subcommittees listed below:

Senate Membership:
Republicans:
Chairman: Arlen Specter (PA)
Thad Cochran (MS)
Larry E. Craig (ID)
Slade Gorton (WA)
Judd Gregg (NH)
Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX)
Jon L. Kyl (AZ)
Ted Stevens (AK)

Democrats:
Ranking: Tom Harkin (IA)
Dianne Feinstein (CA)
Ernest F. Hollings (SC)
Daniel K. Inouye (HI)
Herbert H. Kohl (WI)
Patty Murray (WA)
Harry Reid (NV)

House Membership:
Republicans:
Chairman: John Edward Porter (IL)
Henry Bonilla (TX)
Randy Cunningham (CA)
Jay Dickey (AR)
Ernst Istook, Jr. (OK)
Dan Miller (FL)
Anne M. Northup (KY)
Roger Wicker (MS)
C.W. (Bill) Young (FL)

Democrats:
Ranking: David R. Obey (WI)
Rosa DeLauro (CT)
Steny H. Hoyer (MD)
Jesse Jackson, Jr. (IL)
Nita M. Lowey (NY)
Nancy Pelosi (CA



All Members of Congress can be reached by telephone through the Capitol
Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.


A SPECIAL MESSAGE OF THANKS:

After making the important calls outlined above, we encourage you to make
one more call - or even better, write a personal note - to a Senator who has
worked very hard this year to get us as far as we are.

Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi is a high-ranking and influential member
of the Senate Labor/HHS Subcommittee.  Beginning last year he has helped
push forward the Parkinson’s community’s agenda, and has been instrumental
in nearly every one of the community’s achievements this year: an important
letter to Senator Specter, the Senate Labor/HHS hearing, the colloquy.  And
Senator Cochran continues to work to ensure that these accomplishments are
translated into the needed research funding he knows can help deliver the
cure to people with Parkinson’s everywhere.

Senator Cochran truly deserves the heartfelt thanks of the Parkinson’s
community.

The Honorable Thad Cochran
326 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-5054 - voice
(202)  224-9450 - fax
[log in to unmask] - email
www.senate.gov/~cochran

For any further information or questions, contact the Parkinson's Action
Network at 800/850-4726 or email us at [log in to unmask]