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Senator Nancy L. Kassebaum, 302 Senate Russell Office Bldg, Washington, DC 20510 PHONE:202-224-4774 FAX 202-224-3514 - Tell your personal story, tell of the unfair current distribution of fed. research funding - PD gets only $26/person afflicted while cancer, MS & heart disease gets $100 or more. Aids gets over $1000/person afflicted. Tell her clock is ticking. PD is a degenerative disease. Tell her it makes fiscal sense. PD costs a conservative $6 billion a year (recent estimates as high as $25 billion a year) Fiscal conservative PA Sen. Santorum cosponsored but we don't have Kassebaum's vote. Tell her that setting up 10 centers should be efficient as there are many more centers than 10 already in place not requiring start up costs. One is in Kansas, her home state, directed by Dr. William Koehler. Contact members of the House-Senate Appropriations Copmmittee and urge the largest possible increase to the NIH, with a special emphasis on a Parkinson's research initiative as the Senate has provided. Tell them of the potential for breakthrough therapies and the huge savings that will occur as a result of reduced disability. House-Senate Conference Committee 1996 Labor-HHS Appropriations - Senate Members: (* indicates already co-sponsor) Republicans: *Arlen Specter(PA)Chairman, *Mark Hatfield(OR),*Thad Cochran(MS),Slade Gorton(WA), Connie Mack(FL),Christopher Bond(MS),Jeames Jeffords)VT), Judd Gregg(NH). Demostrat: Tom Harkin(IA)Ranking, Robert Byrd(WV), *Ernest Hollings(SC),*Daniel Inouye(HI), Dale Bumpers(AR), Harry Reid (NV), Herbert Kohl(WI). House Members: Republicans: John Porter(IL) Chairman, Bill Young(FL), Henry Bonilla(TX), Ernest Istook (OK), Dan Miller (FL), Jay Dickey(AR), Frank Riggs(CA), Roger Wicker(MS). Democrats: David Obey(WI) Ranking, Louis Stokes(OH), Steny Hoyer(MD), Nancy Pelosi(CA), Nita Lowey(CA). Fact sheets on research potential and cost burden of Parkinson's on the nation can be obtained from the Parkinson's Action Network ([log in to unmask]) or by calling 1-800-850-4726. Regional coordinators and district coordinators are needed to help grassroots efforts to write letters, call and visit legislators. We need people from across the country to contact committee chairs: Senator Nancy Kassebaum(R-KS), Chair of the Senate Labor Committee, and Congressmen Thomas Bliley(R-Richmond, VA) and Michael Bilirakas(R-Tampa, St. Petersburg, FL) who serve as House Commerce Committee Chair and House Health and the Environment Subcommittee Chair respectively. Fact sheets on the Mo Udall bill, sample letters, help with writing, working with your support group or other tips can be obtained from the Parkinson's Action Network 1-800-850-4726. I am a regional coordinator for Kentucky - if you (anyone) want to help in KY - let me know! have support groups in Lexington, Owensboro, Elizabethtown, Paducah, Stanford KY writing and working on Senator McConnell and representatives - need help. YOU ASKED - I haven't forgotten you original question - ask I write I am tracking E-mail addresses for legislators - will post again!