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Hello, out there! This started out as a specifically KS item, but the post from Mike Claeys seems to indicated that we should ALL be contacting our SENATORS right away, since Udall might actually get to the floor NEXT WEEK. YEAHHHHHHH!!! mary ---------- From: "Parkinson's Action Network" <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Thursday, August 28, 1997 11:37 PM To: Mary Rack <[log in to unmask]> Cc: [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: BROWNBACK/Udall Mary Rack wrote: > > Thanks to all of you who answered my panicked questions yesterday! > > Well, the town meeting was sure an experience. ** > > I went to the mike and thanked Sam for cosponsoring, added a few words about the bill to be sure he knew what I was talking about, and asked how we could help move the process along so the bill reaches the floor this time. > > He said we should expect our extra funding from the doubling of NIH moneys. > > I tried to follow up briefly but got more of the same, so I'll follow up in writing. (And I'll have my husband review the letter to be sure I stay polite.) Oh, and I spoke briefly with Sam's local aide and exchanged cards with her. > > Ah, politics. Co-sponsorship doesn't seem to equal real support. > > Mary > [log in to unmask] > > ** Kinda scary ... 98% of the audience seemed to be to the right of Sam. So, maybe it's even more important to stay in touch with elected officials NOT on one's own wavelength than with those who are. Mary, Welcome to the wonderful world of politics! I would say that cosponsorship usually equalls more support than it does understanding. A decision was made to cosponsor a while back, and it's likely he's forgotten what he'd been told about the bill. But that's ok, all you need to do is exactly what you're planning -- follow-up with the staff and make sure they're aware how important passage of the Udall bill is to you and others in Kansas. *******READ THIS PARAGRAPH PLEASE********* And you need to follow up right away! The Udall bill is likely to be offered next week as an amendment to the Senate Labor/Health & Human Services Appropriations bill, and Brownback and Pat Roberts need to know to support it. Please do what you can to contact them and organize any friends, family or support group members you know to send these guys the message -- "Pass the Udall amendment!" Thanks for all you hard work, and please let me know whenever I can be of any assistance. Sincerely, Michael Claeys Community Outreach Coordinator