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Fellow PWP's, The Parkinson's Action Network (PAN) needs your help. Funding for the Army's Neurotoxin Exposure Treatment Research Program (NETRP) will soon be considered by the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. 50 million in targeted research into the causes and treatment of Parkinson's, and its connection to environmental neurotoxins, is at stake. PAN's Washington staff has been meeting every day with key members of the House and Senate defense appropriations subcommittees to secure their support for the NETRP. But those meetings may come to nothing unless they also hear the clearly expressed support of the Parkinson's community as a whole. We can show that support with our phone calls, e-mails and faxes to Senators who are committee members (Members listed below). As a constituent of a listed Senator, you have a right to ask that he or she take the time to listen to you and consider your opinion. If enough constituents send the same message demanding support for this vital program, Congress will listen. A mere 300 phone calls to a US Senator on a particular issue is widely accepted as the threshold amount to get their attention. If you see your Senator's name in the list below, pick up the phone, send a fax or e-mail, and let your Senator know that you are watching, that you vote, and that you are asking for their support. All members of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee are listed below with the phone number of the Caitol Switchboard. Once you reach the switchboard, ask to be transfered the office of your Senator. Please go to the Homepage of the Parkinson's Action Network (www.parkinsonsaction.org) where an explanation of the Program and talking points are provided for your convenience. As a PAN National Field Representative, I have seen PAN help to raise awareness about the benefits provided by funds for this program. Now we will be testing the collective power of our community to make Congress listen to us. The question is whether we have the will and the inclination to spend a few minutes looking at the program and then expressing our support for it to Senators who are members of the committee. I think we do, and I urge you to join with thousands of other PWP's in seeing that this vital program is fully funded. I cannot overstate the importance of seeing that this program is fully funded in a year which will see cuts in almost every program associated with neurological research. Just yesterday the House Labor Health and Human Services subcommittee voted appropriations for NIH which failed to increase the NIH budget even one dollar over the President’s proposed 2% increase. Last year that increase was almost 15% and the NIH budget doubled over the last five years. The likelihood that similar increases in the NIH budget will be repeated anytime soon is very slim. The NETRP may offer the one opportunity this year to commit substantial funds to Parkinson's research. Let's not sit back and watch $50 million in focused research disappear into the air. Pick up the phone. Please. Thanks THE INDIVIDUAL OFFICES OF ALL MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE AND SENATE CAN BE REACHED BY CALLING THE CAPITOL SWITCHBOARD - (202) 224-3121 - AND ASKING TO BE TRANSFERED TO THE OFFICE OF THE PARTICLULAR MEMBER Members of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee: Senator Ted Stevens (Chairman) (AK) Senator Thad Cochran (MI) Senator Arlen Specter (PA) Senator Pete Domenici (NM) Senator Christopher Bond (MO) Senator Mitch McConnell (KY) Senator Richard Shelby (AL) Senator Judd Gregg (NH) Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX) Senator Conrad Burns (MT) Senator Daniel Inouye (Ranking Member) (HI) Senator Ernest Hollings (SC) Senator Robert C. Byrd (WV) Senator Patrick Leahy (VT) Senator Tom Harkin (IA) Senator Byron Dorgan (ND) Senator Richard Durbin (IL) Senator Harry Reid (NV) Senator Diane Feinstein (CA) --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month!