--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Laura Eckart" <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2001 17:45:57 -0500
Subject: Labor-HHS Conference Report/ Good News!
Today the House and Senate passed the Conference Report for
FY 02 Labor-HHS Appropriations. Below is a summary of this somewhat
complex
bill and our results. I know you will be pleased with the results.
We had a truly outstanding year and we would like to thank
all of you for your efforts - Together we can make a difference!
Results:
> We are very happy to report that the Office of Director language for
> the Conference Report for the FY 02 Labor-HHS Appropriations does not
> contain any language regarding Parkinson's disease! There was no
> additional language in the Conference Report which means that the
> excellent Senate language that we reported to you earlier stands.
>
> Background
>
> As you know, the Senate and House differed in several areas
> regarding Parkinson's in their respective committee reports. The most
> notable difference was the language contained in the Office of
Director,
> with the Senate language being significantly stronger. While the
language
> was not an earmark, it was as strong as a patient/disease group has
ever
> seen. We were very pleased to get this unprecedented language into the
> Senate Report. The House and Senate also differed on funding levels for
> the NINDS, NIEHS and on the Office of the Director Language. In all
cases,
> the Senate report contained the preferred language.
>
> Because the Senate language was so strong, not everyone was pleased
> with this language. In fact, many on the House side and at NIH were
> hoping that this language would be taken out of the bill entirely and
the
> Senate would concur with the House on the Office of Director language.
We
> worked very hard to ensure that at the very least, the Senate language
> remained in its report and that the conferees did not include any
language
> on Parkinson's research.
>
> The language that was included in the Conference Report, Office of
> the Director, applied to all disease group research. It says, "The
> conferees also expect NIH to carefully consider the language in both
the
> House and the Senate reports and give it appropriate weight when
> determining funding allocations across disease areas. Regarding the
cases
> in which the House or Senate reports reference funding levels for a
> specific disease, the conferees are agreed that these are intended only
to
> express relative priority and are not funding earmarks." Our
> analyses/intelligence is that this language was included to address the
> House concerns that no earmark precedents be established, a fact which
we
> contended, while at the same time keeping the Senate language in the
final
> bill. Our language in the Senate proved to be a point of contention
> throughout the conference and this language satisfied both the House
and
> the Senate.
>
To read the Senate language please go to:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/cpquery/1?cp107:./temp/~cp107FLk6:e567864:&
&si
d=kLF01p&&report=sr084.107&&sel=TOC_567863&&previous_query=&&xform_type=1
000
&&hold_doc_count=1&&level=3&&variant=no&&item_number=1&&bool=n&
> We thank everyone who participated in this process; it truly was a
> team effort! Again, this is a great victory for Parkinson's; we all
> should be proud of this accomplishment and mindful that our fight is
not
> over.
>
> Please let us know if you have any questions.
>
> Have a joyous Holiday Season.
>
> John Rogers and Laura Eckart
>
>
Background Information on Conference Reports:
Once the House and the Senate have passed their version of a
bill, it goes to conference where they work out the differences contained
in
their separate bills. In conference, "Conferees" create one new bill
that
then is sent back to both bodies of Congress. Then the " Conference
Report"
is voted on for the final time. Once that is done, the bill is sent to
the
President for signature or veto. It is expected that the President will
sign this bill.
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