 |
 |
I just accompanied Carol Gray to visit Congressman Mike Doyle. Carol should be a model for us all. Upon returning from the PAN Advocacy Forum I asked her to take responsibility for coordinating efforts to obtain Congressman Doyle support and cosponsor of the Udall Bill. She promptly set up a meeting with his aid locally. This is where many of us would have said we did what was asked of us. But Carol continued to push for a meeting with Doyle. " He won't be available until August." was his office's response. " I can't wait until August. I need to see him now if only for five minutes." replyed Carol. We saw Doyle last Thursday morning for almost an hour. He agreed to cosponsor the Udall Bill. There were a couple of things I took from that meeting: 1) If we could set as a goal, and accomplish it by fall, of having at least one person with Parkinson's Disease personally see each Congressman and Senator, the Udall Bill would be well on its way to enactment. We have a compelling case. Its not easy for someone to say no to us face to face. 2) Doyle emphasized the importance of committees. We have to get support from key committee members. Joan Samuelson emphasized this at the PAN Advocacy Forum. Below is a list of key committee members. If you see your elected official on that list without an asterisk indicating they have agreed to cosponsor, use Carol Gray as an example. Go see them. Don't take no for an answer. This is important to you, its your life. The increased funding in the Udall Bill may seed the finding of a cure by years. In the sixties there was a saying "Power to the people". If you don't already know you might be suprized at the power we have. Carol Gray used hers. Use your's. If you need informatioin to take with you please contact me. [log in to unmask] Please report all visits to PAN. Senate Labor & Human Resources Committee Kassebaum,R-KA Chair Abraham,R-MI Ashcroft,R- MO Coats,R-IN DeWine,R-OH Dodd,D-CN Frist*,R-TN Gorton,R-WA Gregg, R-NH Harkin,D-IW Jeffords,R-VT. Kennedy,D-MA Mikulski,D-MD Pell*, D-RI Simon*,D-IL Wellstone*,D-MN House Sub Committee on Health Bilirakis,R-FL Chair Barton,R-TX Bilbray,R-NV Brown,D-OH Bryant,D-TX Burr,R-NC Coburn,R-OK Deutsch*,D-FL Franks,R-CN Ganske,R-IW Greenwood*,R-PA Hall,D-TX Hastert,R-Ill. Klug,R-WI Lambert Lincoln,D-AR Norwood,R-GA Pallone*,D-NJ Stearns,R-FL Studds*,S-MA Stupak,D-MI Towns*,D-NY Upton*,R-MI Waxman*,D-CA Whitfield,R-KY Wyden,D-OR. An asterisk (* ) indicates agreed to cosponsor. "One man with courage is a majority" - Andrew Jackson