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Our support group met with our senatorrs' and congressman's reps Thursday evening, and they had some practical advice for getting the MO passed. In their opinion, it will go nowhere unless we enlist the support of Nancy Kassebaum's committee. It is crucial that we write to them NOW that funds are being allocated. We came up with a letter for those not inclined (or too busy) to write their own. Feel free to use it, but add an original line or two about yourself so it will be classified as a personal letter. Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee Republicans Nancy Kassebaum, Kansas, Chair Bill Frist, Tenn. Mike DeWine, Ohio Slade Gorton, Washington Judd Gregg, New Hampshire James M. Jeffords, Vermont Orrin G. Hatch, Utah Strom Thurmond, South Carolina Democrats Edward Kennedy, Mass., ranking member Jeff Bingaman, New Mexico Tom Harkin, Iowa Christopher Dodd, Conn. Barbara Mikulski, Maryland Paul Simon, Illinois Claiborne Pell, Rhode Island Paul Wellstone, Minnesota Here's our letter. We modified it for those who co-sponsored the bill (Mikulski, Simon, Wellstone, and Pell), thanking them for their support. We also thanked Pell for publicly acknowledging his pd. Dear Senator Kassebaum (or member): As chair (or member) of the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee, you are in the unique position of being able to perform an act of great compassion while at the same time contributing to the spending cvtbacks Congress is so concerned about. I am referring to the Udall bill, which offers a ray of hope for approximately a million and a half Americans who are literally fighting for their lives. Although the bill will allocate $100 million to be spent on information and research, it is a cost effective measure because that amount is far less than the estimated $6 billion needed to sustain patients through SSI, Medicare, Medicaid, and the insurance system. In the past, Parkinson's Disease has been greatly underfunded, receiving only $26 per patient annually, as opposed to $258 for Multiple Sclerosis and $295 for cancer. There are two significant factors that make the Udall bill a good investment for you at this time. The first is that we are close to a cure. The knowledge is there; all that is needed is the funding to make it a reality. The second is that Parkinson's research is applicable to other neurological diseases such asl Alzheimer's and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. These diseases together will place an intolerable burden on the economy in the future as the baby boomers enter middle age and beyond. How wonderful to have the opportunity to eradicate them before they utilize funds that could be allocated to other programs.! One of the reasons PD has not received its fair share of funds in the past is that it has been considered an old persons' disease. This is no longer the case, as many young people have been diagnosed recenly. These people could be leading productive lives and contributing to the economy instead of being forced to live lives of helpless dependency. Your support will make all the difference in the world. Please help us. Sincerely,