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FORWARDED message from Laura Eckart of the Parkinson's Action Network: From: "Laura Eckart" <[log in to unmask]> Date: Fri, 2 Nov 2001 11:18:42 -0500 Subject: Legislative Update - Week of October 29th - November 2 Legislative Update Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations - NIH funding The Senate began consideration of the Labor- HHS-Ed bill on the floor this week. The Senate is moving slowly through the bill and will continue consideration of the bill next week. The bill is being held up because of a proposal by Majority Leader Daschle, D-SD that would allow police, fire fighters and other rescue workers the right to unionize to lobby for higher wages. Stem Cells Earlier in the week, Senator Brownback, R-KS, was threatening to offer three anti stem cell research and therapeutic cloning amendments to the Senate Labor-HHS-Ed bill. An agreement was reached when Senator Specter, R-PA, withdrew his pro stem cell research language from the bill and Senator Brownback agreed to not offer his amendments to the bill. Majority Leader Daschle, D-SD, agreed to allow both Senators Brownback and Specter to bring stem cell research bills to the floor in February or March of 2002. In the interim, hearings on stem cell research will take place. This agreement ensures that the stem cell research issue will be revisited next year and PAN and CAMR are continuing to educate Congress on this very important issue. Department of Defense Appropriations The House Appropriations Committee passed the FY 2002 Appropriations bill. It has not yet been brought to the House floor for consideration by the full House of Representatives. The NETRP received $20 million dollars in the House version of the bill, which PAN was very pleased with considering the climate in Washington. The Senate has not yet marked up any version of the Department of Defense bill. We are working with members of the Senate and staff to ensure that the NETRP funding is included. Labor - HHS Conference Once the Senate passes the FY 2002 Labor- HHS-Ed bill, the bill will go to Conference. When a bill goes to conference, members of both the House and Senate come together to work out the difference in their bills in order to create one bill, which is called a Conference Report. Once that is done, the Conference Report is sent back to both the House and Senate and voted on one final time and then sent to the President for signature or veto. This is significant to Parkinson's research because the House and Senate language is different. The Senate's version is much stronger than the House version. PAN is working with members of both the House and Senate to ensure that the language that is in the Senate bill is the language that is in the Conference Report. Synopsis The Appropriations process is in the final stages, but not over. Please continue to call you Senators and Congresspersons to urge them to support the NETRP program and the NIH's Parkinson's Disease Research Agenda. PAN is busy working with members of Congress on various Appropriations bill to ensure that Parkinson's disease is funded at a level that matches the scientific opportunity. I will continue to provide you with updates. If you have any questions, please email me at [log in to unmask] Thanks, Laura Eckart ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn