If you haven't done so already, here is info to help you contact the
congressperson of your faith re ESCR bill coming for vote next week:
Ray
Call on Christians in Congress to Support the Stem Cell Research Enhancement
Act (H.R. 3 - SB. 5)
by CalifSherry
Sat Jan 06, 2007 at 09:52:33 AM PST
There is a new Congress in town.
This coming Thursday, January 11th, 2007, under Speaker Nancy Pelosi's
leadership, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Actwill be brought to the
floor of Congress once again.
Remember the terrific battle we waged last year, just to get the Stem Cell
Research Act considered? When finally muscled to the floor of Congress by
Republican Mike Castle and Democrat Diana DeGette, HR 810 proved a superb
example of bi-partisan cooperation. It overwhelmingly passed the House and
Senate-- only to be vetoed by President Bush.
Well, we're back, and this time it could be different. The same exact bill,
now called House Resolution 3, and Senate Bill 5, would increase the number
of federally-funded stem cell lines: all from microscopic blastocysts
otherwise thrown away: turning laboratory trash into a treasure of hope for
our loved ones.
Some of the folks who voted against it are gone: some are still there. Can
we get enough votes to override a Presidential veto? Will greater
bi-partisan support create a climate shift? This time around, we might get
there. Time to make phone calls and write letters...
CalifSherry's diary :: ::
particularly to those who voted against it. Courtesy of Faye Armitage, below
is a list of the Episcopalian, LDS (Mormon), Presbyterian, and Methodist
members of Congress who voted against HR 810 last time around.
First an introduction: One of the original founders of Cure Paralysis Now
Faye Armitage serves on the board of the Stem Cell Action Network. Her son
Jason (now 17), was paralyzed during a soccer match when he was just 7 years
old. The only movement left to Jason is the blinking of his eyes. Faye spent
five years traveling with Jason and his four sisters to Cyprus, Poland,
Canada and several states in the US to try different therapies, including
hyperbaric oxygen, accupucture, muscle biofeedback, constraint induced
therapy, FTM, IMT, etc. She came to the realization that none of these
treatments offer more than minor improvements and her hopes have shifted to
stem cell research. She has spent the past three years as an ardent stem
cell activist and has been quoted in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Tampa
Tribune, St Petersburg Times, Orlando Sentinel, the Times Union, Folio
Magazine and the Wall Street Journal.
Call to action Here are a few ways that forward-looking Christians can call
Congress to support the research which may one day lead to cure for millions
of good and decent folks across this planet.
One: if you belong to a church which supports stem cell research, as for
instance Episcopalian, LDS (Mormon), Presbyterian, or Methodist, call the
following members of Congress who are also members of your faith-and urge
them to support the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. Last time around,
they all voted against it.
Leave a message: call after hours, if you like. When leaving a phone
message, you might say, for example: "Like Representative _________, I am a
Presbyterian, and our Presbyterian faith supports stem cell research. I hope
Representative ____________ will vote yes on the Stem Cell Research Act this
Thursday, because it is important to my family and my congregation. Thank
you."
If you are a constituent, be sure to mention that, and leave your phone
number-they will almost certainly not call you, but the phone number
verifies you are a constituent. To reinforce the message, constituents might
also use the services of the Adopt a Legislator campaign of Cure Paralysis
Now or fax them with the help of Stem Cell Action.
Sorted by religious affiliation, here are the legislators and their DC
numbers:
Episcopalian
Jo Bonner, AL, 1-202-225-4931
Ander Crenshaw, FL, 1-202-225-2501
John Mica, FL, 1-202-225-4035
Adam Putnam, FL, 1-202-225-1252
Jack Kingston, GA, 1-202-225-5831
Dennis Rehberg, Montana, 1-202-225-3211
Michael Burgess, TX 1-202-225-7772
LDS
Jeff Flake, AZ, 1-202-225-2635
Mike Simpson, ID 1-202-225-5531
Chris Cannon, UT 1-202-225-5629
Presbyterian
Tom Tancredo, CO 1-202-225-7882
Candice Miller, MI 1-202-225-2106
Mike McIntyre, NC 1-202-225-2731
Jimmy Duncan, TN 1-202-225-5435
Mac Thornberry, TX 1-202-225-3706
Frank Wolf, VA 1-202-225-5136
Methodist
John Linder, GA 1-202-225-4272
Richard Baker, LA 1-202-225-3901
Jim McCrery, LA 1-202-225-2777
Stephen Buyer, IN 1-202-225-5037
Lee Terry, NE 1-202-225--4155
Ed Whitfield, KY 1-202-225--3115
Paul Gillmor, OH 1-202-225--6405
Dave Hobson, OH 1-202-225--4324
John Peterson, PA 1-202-225-5121
Ralph Hall, TX 1-202-225-6673
Below is a list of the Catholic legislators who voted against the Act, and
who might be persuaded by a call from a member of their faith-remember,
statistically American Catholics overwhelmingly support embryonic stem cell
research-but all too often, legislators only hear from the conservative
hierarchy.
So, if you are a Catholic, call your state representatives, saying something
like:
"I am one of the vast majority of American Catholics who support embryonic
stem cell research. I hope Representative ____________ will remember me and
my family, and vote for the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. Thank you."
The following Representatives - members of the Catholic faith - might be
moved by phone calls from fellow Catholics in support of embryonic stem cell
research.
Arizona
AZ-1 Renzi, Rick 1-202-225-2315
California
CA-3 Lungren, Dan 1-202- 225-5716
CA-21 Nunes, Devin (202) 225-2523
CA-19 Radanovich, George (202) 224-3121
CA-40 Royce, Ed (202) 225-4111
Florida
FL-21 Diaz-Balart, Lincoln (202) 225-4211
FL-25 Diaz-Balart, Mario (202) 225-2778
Georgia
GA-8 Marshall, Jim (202) 225-6531
Illinois
IL-3 Lipinski, Dan Phone: (202) 225-5701 Toll free from IL (866) 822-5701
IL-18 LaHood, Ray (202) 225-6201
Iowa
IA-5 King, Steve (202) 225-4426
Kansas
KS-1 Moran, Jerry (202) 225-2715
Louisiana
LA-1 Jindal, Bobby (202) 225-3015
Michigan
MI-1 Stupak, Bart (202) 225-4735
MI-4 Camp, Dave (202) 225-3561
MI-5 Kildee, Dale (202) 225-3611
MI-9 Knollenberg, (202) 225-5802
MI-11 McCotter, Thaddeus (202) 225-8171
Minnesota
MN-8 Oberstar, James (202) 225-6211
Mississippi
MS-4 Taylor, Gene (202) 225-5772
Missouri
MO-9 Hulshof, Kenny (202) 225-2956
Nebraska
NE-1 Fortenberry, Jeff (202) 225-4806
New Jersey
NJ-2 LoBiondo, Frank 202-225-6572
NJ-4 Smith, Christopher 202-224-3121 (general switchboard)
NJ-7 Ferguson, Michael 202-225-5361
New York
NY-3 King, Peter 202-225-7896
NY-23 McHugh, John 202-225-4611
NY-25 Walsh, James 202-225-3701
North Carolina
NC-3 Jones, Walter 202-225-3415
NC-5 Foxx, Virginia 202-225-2071
NC-10 Mchenry, Patrick 202-225-2576
Ohio
OH-1 Chabot, Steven 202-225-2216
OH-8 Boehner, John 202-225-6205
OH-12 Tiberi, Patrick 202-225-5355
Oklahoma
OK-1 Sullivan, John 202-225-2211
Pennsylvania
PA-3 English, Philip 202-225-5406
PA-17 Holden, Tim 202-225-5546
PA-18 Murphy, Tim 202-225-2301
Tennessee
TX-8 Brady, Kevin 202-225-4901
TX-10 McCaul, Michael 202-225-2401
Wisconsin
WI-1 Ryan, Paul Call 1-202-224-3121 (this is the general number. I could
find no working links on Congressman Ryan's website. really.)
In addition to phone and fax numbers, there is interesting and sometime
appalling information on their websites. Link through to websites from here.
Update: My appreciation to Don Reed, of StemPac, for his thinking and
guidance on this issue.
Poll
I get it: before Thursday, I'll call, fax &/or write
reps from my state, listed above
14%1 votes
out of state reps with whom I share religious affiliation
28%2 votes
my own representatives
42%3 votes
Nope: this issue will never touch me or those I care about.
14%1 votes
| 7 votes | Vote | Results
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