FWD: from Parkinson's Action Network From: "Laura Jane Cohen" <[log in to unmask]> Date: Mon, 21 Jun 2004 14:40:30 -0400 Subject: Update to ACTION ALERT! ASK YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS TO SIGN ON TO THE NIH DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTER! Hi, all! Below, please find an updated list of folks who have signed on to the Congressional Working Group on Parkinson’s disease “Dear Colleague” letter regarding NIH funding. Great work to all of you out there! We have several Members signed on from the same states which let’s us know you all are working your delegations hard! Especially New York with a total of 7 Members signed on to the letter already! Keep at it!! The letter is still open… Thanks so much for all your hard work! Best- LJ Members signed on to the NIH Dear Colleague as of 6-21-04 Representative State Spencer Bachus (AL) Raul Grijalva (AZ) Robert Matsui (CA) Bob Filner (CA) Henry Waxman (CA) Mark Udall (CO) Alcee Hastings (FL) Robert Wexler (FL) Madeleine Bordallo (Guam) Neil Abercrombie (HI) Jan Schakowski (IL) Lane Evans (IL) Michael Capuano (MA) Stephen Lynch (MA) Dale Kildee (MI) Karen McCarthy (MO) Mike McIntyre (NC) Bob Etheridge (NC) Tom Udall (NM) Shelly Berkley (NV) Maurice Hinchey (NY) Maurice Hinchey (NY) Michael McNulty (NY) Jerry Nadler (NY) Carolyn Maloney (NY) Peter King (NY) Sherwood Boehlert (NY) Ted Strickland (OH) Jim Langevin (RI) Ciro Rodriguez (TX) Sheila Jackson-Lee (TX) Jim Moran (VA) Chris Van Hollen (VA) Jim McDermott (WA) Tammy Baldwin (WI) Ron Kind (WI) Laura Jane Cohen Director of Outreach Parkinson's Action Network 1000 Vermont Ave., NW Suite 900 Washington, D.C. 20005 ph: 202-842-4101 ext. 104 or 800-850-4726 fax: 202-842-4105 [log in to unmask] www.parkinsonsaction.org -----Original Message----- From: Laura Jane Cohen Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 2004 3:20 PM To: Laura Jane Cohen Subject: ACTION ALERT! ASK YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS TO SIGN ON TO THE NIH DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTER! Hi, all! It’s seems to perpetually be appropriations time here—no rest for the weary out there! Thanks so much for all the hard work and hours you all have put in lately calling the White House, calling about NETRP, calling about stem cells. However, there is more work to be done… As many of you will remember, every year around this time the Congressional Working Group on Parkinson’s Disease issues a “Dear Colleague” letter supporting increased NIH funding for PD to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Labor-Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee (where NIH funding is determined every year). This letter is circulated to all 435 members of the House of Representatives. The hope is that as many of those Members as possible will sign on to the letter before it is sent to the committee. So, we are asking that you call/e-mail/fax your Member of Congress and ask them to sign on to the Congressional Working Group on Parkinson’s Disease “Dear Colleague” letter supporting increased NIH funding for PD research. Please find a copy of the letter from the Working Group to all Members of Congress as well as the letter that will be sent to Chairman Regula and Ranking Member Obey (L-HHS subcommittee) for which we are seeking signatures. When you call your Member of Congress, ask to speak to the person in their office who handles Health Care Issues. Express your concern about Federal Parkinson’s Disease research funding and the importance of the National Institutes of Health in finding better treatments and ultimately a cure for Parkinson’s Disease. Tell them that you hope that the Representative will sign on to this important letter. If you do not know your Member of Congress’ phone number, you may call the Capitol Hill Switch Board at 202-224-3121 to be connected. If you do not know who your Member of Congress is, you may go to http://capwiz.com/pan/home/ and click on elected officials to find out. If your Member of Congress would like to sign on to this letter, they may do so by contacting Mandy Wimmer (Rep. Lane Evans’ office) at 202-225-5905, Kerry Ann Watkins (Rep. Peter King’s office) at 202-225-7896, Orly Isaacson (Rep. Carolyn Maloney’s office) at 202-225-7944 or Eben Carle (Rep. Sherwood Boehlert) at 202-225-3665 to sign the letter. ---------------------------------------- June 3, 2004 A CURE FOR PARKINSON’S DISEASE IS WITHIN REACH “The scientific community and I believe that with a significant investment in Parkinson’s research, new discoveries and improved treatment strategies are very close at hand.” – Michael J. Fox on finding a cure for Parkinson’s Disease Dear Colleague: Over the past few years, Parkinson’s Disease has received increased public attention. The heightened awareness of the disease has largely been brought by public figures who have Parkinson’s Disease, such as Michael J. Fox, Muhammad Ali, Rev. Billy Graham, Pope John Paul II, Janet Reno, and Johnny Cash. However, in the scientific community, Parkinson’s Disease is gaining prominence because of the recent breakthroughs in managing and treating the disease. The Parkinson’s community believes recent research holds great promise for a cure for the disease. They have good reason for their optimism. Patients with Parkinson’s have seen many advances in treatment options in recent years and the prospects for a cure have become tangible. In fact, a cure for Parkinson’s could be on the horizon with the next five to ten years if adequate funding is dedicated to research on the disease. Over one million people – young and old, male and female – in America suffer from Parkinson’s disease. This degenerative disorder attacks cells in the brain, causing a progressive loss of muscle control, leading eventually to paralysis. But, it does not have to end this way. The National Institute of Health has developed a comprehensive agenda to aggressively pursue a cure for Parkinson’s Disease. This agenda deserves the support of Congress. Please join us in signing the attached letter to the Appropriations Committee urging full funding for NIH’s Parkinson’s research agenda in FY 2005. With this strong commitment, we will bring a cure within reach. Please contact Mandy Wimmer (Evans) at 5-5905, Kerry Ann Watkins (King) at 5-7896, Orly Isaacson (Maloney) at 5-7944 or Eben Carle (Boehlert) at 5-3665 to sign the letter. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, LANE EVANS PETER KING Member of Congress Member of Congress CAROLYN MALONEY MARK UDALL SHERWOOD BOEHLERT Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress June XX, 2004 The Honorable Ralph Regula The Honorable David Obey Chairman Ranking Member Appropriations, Subcommittee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Labor, Health and Human Services, Education 2358 Rayburn House Office Building 1016 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515-6024 Washington, DC 20515-6024 Dear Chairman Regula and Ranking Member Obey: We respectfully request an increase in federal funding for medical research in general and Parkinson’s disease research in particular. Over the years, we have made valuable investments in medical research by financing the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Parkinson’s community strongly supports continued investments in biomedical research and encourages the Committee to provide an increase of 10 percent to the NIH budget in Fiscal 2005, which would bring its total budget to $30.6 billion. Recent advances in Parkinson’s disease research have given us great hope that a cure is on the horizon. The science regarding Parkinson's has advanced to a stage where greater management and coordination of the federally-funded research effort will accelerate the pace of scientific progress dramatically and soon lead to a cure. In light of these developments, NIH developed a five-year Parkinson’s Disease Research Agenda (PDRA) in 2000. In the last four years, Congress has called upon NIH to fund this plan. As the PDRA completes its initial course of action in March 2005, we understand that NIH has used this agenda as a springboard for further goal setting for Parkinson’s disease research, producing the Parkinson’s Disease Matrix. This Matrix identifies research priorities for both private and public projects, rates project risk, and establishes this within a timeframe. We urge you to aid in NIH’s transition from the PDRA to the Matrix by strongly supporting NIH’s recommendation of full funding for Parkinson’s disease research at $442.6 million for FY05. More than one million Americans suffer from Parkinson’s disease. NIH’s research agenda gives the best chance for scientists to achieve the breakthroughs that will lead to effective treatments and eventually a cure for these individuals. Already, NIH’s program is making breakthroughs in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and serves as an excellent example of the type of collaboration that is moving us closer everyday toward a cure for Parkinson’s. We encourage your continued support of the Parkinson's community. Thank you for your attention and consideration of this matter. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn