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from Mike Claeys, Parkinson's Action Network "Senate Joins House in Passing Udall Bill" At about 3:00 pm the Senate closed its vote on the fiscal year 1998 Labor, Health & Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations conference report. The final tally was 91 aye's, and 4 nye's. With that vote, the Congress of the United States has unambiguously endorsed an aggressive and focused initiative to find a cure for Parkinson's disease: the Morris K. Udall Parkinson's Research and Education Act. When President Clinton signs the Labor/HHS conference report (within the next few days) the Udall bill will officially become the Udall Law, and the worldwide Parkinson's community, whether they all are aware of it or not, will have taken a significant step towards realizing the cure. This is a truly momentous achievement--particularly given what the community has overcome to get here. As with any accomplishment, those responsible make up a long list. At the top has to be Mo Udall and his family, for making his struggle visible, and for providing an inspiration for all to rally around. The Udall bill's Congressional sponsors, Senators Paul Wellstone and John McCain, and Congressmen Fred Upton and Henry Waxman, without whose leadership and commitment this victory would not have been possible. Former Senator Mark Hatfield, the bill's original author, also deserves tremendous credit for his vision and leadership. Every Senator and Representative who signed their name as a cosponsor and went on record for making Parkinson's a higher priority deserves our thanks. The dedicated members of the research community, who spend their lives trying to save others, and played a crucial role by helping convince Congress of the merit and promise of Parkinson's research. Most importantly, though, the credit goes to every member of the nationwide grassroots advocacy campaign--the real heart and political muscle of this movement. From those who mailed in letters and postcards, to those who doggedly walked the halls of Congress, everyone contributed to this victory--a victory that did nothing less than change the way our government and our nation view Parkinon's disease. The Parkinson's Action Network will continue to provide updates to the Listserve, and by Friday, November 14 we will send a mailing to our entire mailing list recapping the Udall bill passage, commenting on its significance and putting this event in context with our ongoing quest to find the cure as fast as humanly possible. Please direct any questions, comments or requests to our toll-free line (800) 850-4726, our fax line (707) 544-2363, or our email "[log in to unmask]" Congratulations to one and all!!!"