 |
 |
Just in case anyone missed this yesterday, I thought I would resend it. Please call if you have any questions. Thank you, Bill Turenne NPF/Washington ____________________________________________________________________ HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS STRATEGY (the next step) Following is the text of letters that have been sent by the offices of Representatives Upton and Waxman to each of last year's 254 Udall bill cosponsors. The "Dear Colleague" letter urges each cosponsor to add their signature to the attached letter that will go to Labor HHS Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Porter and Ranking Member Obey, advocating "…a substantially increased investment…" in Pd research in FY '99. It is important that we get a majority of the House to endorse this effort. This will send a strong message to the Subcommittee leadership that the widespread bipartisan support for the Udall bill still exists. Here's what you can do to help. IF YOUR REPRESENTATIVE WAS A UDALL COSPONSOR (H.R.1260) please contact his or her office. Request that your representative respond to Rep. Upton's "Dear Colleague" letter (which they already have received) by immediately contacting Erin Stump or Jane Williams in Rep. Upton's office. Please make every effort to contact your representative's health staff aide. It would also be helpful for you to follow up in a couple of days with that person to see if it has been done. If your Representative happens to be one of the Udall bill's many ardent supporters who would like to do more to help, you might suggest that they write a similar personalized letter to Chairman Porter (and/or any other member(s) of the Labor HHS Appropriations Subcommittee) that stresses the importance of this issue to them personally. This should not be that hard of a sell, since these representatives are Udall cosponsors. However, I cannot stress enough the importance that the success of this letter has to the prospect of securing the level of funding that Pd needs and deserves. PLEASE take the time to work on this action plan. A list of House Udall (HR 1260) Cosponsors is also attached below. You can reach your representative's office via the Capitol switchboard at (202)224-3121. If you have any further questions, do not hesitate to contact Larry Hoffheimer or Bill Turenne at NPF's Washington offices, toll-free at 1-888-331-4NPF (4673). We are here in DC for all of you. ____________________________________________________ Dear Colleague, We are writing to thank you for cosponsoring HR 1260, the Morris K. Udall Parkinson's Research and Education Act of 1997. With your strong support, this bill was signed into law as part of the fiscal year 1198 appropriations measure for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. As you know, this legislation authorizes up to $100 million a year in Parkinson's disease research funding, authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish up to 10 Parkinson's centers across the country to translate breakthroughs in the lab into improved patient care, and provides for the coordination of Parkinson's research efforts. This authorization was an important first step in improving the comparability of the funding available for Parkinson's with that currently being allocated to other serious diseases. Now, we ask you to join with us in cosigning a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations to let them know of our strong support for a substantial increase in our nation's support for Parkinson's research. The letter appears on the back of this page. Again, thank you for your support. If you would like to cosign this letter, please don't hesitate to let us know or to call Erin Stump at 225-3761. Sincerely, Fred Upton Member of Congress Henry Waxman Member of Congress Dear Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member, As cosponsors of HR 1260, the Morris K. Udall Parkinson's Research and Education Act, we are writing to thank you for the emphasis Parkinson's research funding received in the fiscal year 1998 Labor/Health and Human Services/Education Appropriations measure. We are also writing to express our strong support for a substantially increased investment in Parkinson's research in the fiscal year 1999 measure. As you know, Parkinson's disease is a progressive, degenerative disease in a part of the brain that makes an important brain chemical called dopamine. As a result, there is an imbalance in the brain circuits that control movement. Normal movement is so severely impaired that patients have difficulty performing their normal daily activities. Eventually, they become bedridden and require complete nursing care. This disease affects a million U. S. citizens and costs the government an estimated $7 billion annually in medical costs and lost tax revenues. As our population ages, these already substantial numbers and costs will only grow larger. It is imperative, if we are to control health care costs in the future, to find more effective ways to cure or treat devastating diseases such as Parkinson's. This past year, we saw two very significant, promising breakthroughs: the discovery of an abnormality in a gene that causes Parkinson's disease in some families; and the development of an electrical stimulation brain implant that has shown great success in clinical trials in restoring normal or near-normal movements to patients with severe Parkinson's. Investments that bring breakthroughs like these are investments in human potential and in our nation's future as we face the health care needs of an aging population. Thank you for your attention to this request to make the authorization signed into law last year a reality with a substantial increase in our nation's investment in Parkinson's research. Sincerely yours, H.R. 1260 (as of 10/08/97) Alphabetical List of Cosponsors Sponsor: Congressman Upton 254 Total Cosponsors Abercrombie (D-1st-HI) Ackerman (D-5th-NY) Allen (D-1st-ME) Andrews (D-1st-NJ) Bachus (R-6th-AL) Baesler (D-6th-KY) Baker, R. (R-6th-LA) Baldacci D-2nd-ME Ballenger (R-10th-NC) Barrett, T. (R-3rd-NE) Bentsen (D-25th-TX) Bereuter (R-1st-NE Berman (D-26th-CA) Berry (D-1st-AR) Bilbray (R-49th-CA) Bishop (D-2ND-GA) Blagojevich (D-5TH-IL) Blumenauer (D-3RD-OR) Boehlert (R-23RD-NY) Bonior (D-10TH-MI) Bono (R-44TH-CA) Borski (D-3RD-PA) Boswell (D-3rd-IA) Boucher (D-9TH-VA) Brady (R-8th-TX) Brown, C. (D-3RD-FL) Brown, G. (D-42ND-CA) Brown, S. (D-13TH-OH) Burr (R-5TH-NC) Calvert (R-43RD-CA) Campbell (R-15TH-CA) Capps (D-22ND-CA) Cardin (D-3RD-MD) Carson (D-10TH-IN) Chambliss (R-8TH-GA) Christian-Green (D-VI) Clay (D-1ST-MO) Clayton (D-1ST-NC) Clement (D-5TH-TN) Clyburn (D-6TH-SC) Coburn (R-2ND-OK) Condit (D-18TH-CA) Conyers (D-14TH-MI) Cook (R-2nd-UT) Costello (D-12TH-IL) Cox (R-47TH-CA) Coyne (D-14TH-PA) Cramer (D-5TH-AL) Cummings (D-7TH-MD) Danner (D-6TH-MO) Davis, D. (D-7TH-IL) Davis, T. (R-11TH-VA) Deal (R-9TH-GA) DeFazio (D-4TH-OR) Delahunt (D-10TH-MA) DeLay (R-22ND-TX) Dellums (D-9TH-CA) Deutsch (D-20TH-FL) Dicks (D-6TH-WA) Dingell (D-16TH-MI) Dixon (D-32ND-CA) Dooley (D-20TH-CA) Doolittle (R-4TH-CA) Doyle (D-18TH-PA) Dreier (R-28th-CA) Dunn (R-8th-WA) Emerson (R-8TH-MO) Engel (D-17TH-NY) English (R-21ST-PA) Ensign (R-1ST-NV) Eshoo (D-14TH-CA) Evans (D-17TH-IL) Faleomavaega (D-AS) Farr (D-17TH CA) Fattah (D-2ND-PA) Fazio (D-3RD-CA) Filner (D-50TH-CA) Flake (D-6TH-NY) Foglietta (D-1ST-PA) Foley (R-16TH-FL) Forbes (R-1ST-NY) Ford (D-9TH-TN) Fox (R-13TH-PA) Frank (D-4TH-MA) Franks, B. (R-7TH-NJ) Frelinghuysen(R-11TH-NJ) Frost (D-24TH-TX) Furse (D-1ST-OR) Gallegly (R-23RD-CA) Gejdenson (D-2ND-CT) Gephardt (D-3RD-MO) Gibbons (R-2nd-NV) Gilchrest (R-1ST-MD) Gillmor (R-5TH-OH) Gilman (R-20TH-NY) Gonzalez (D-20TH-TX) Goode (D-5TH-VA) Goodling (R-19TH-PA) Gordon (D-6TH-TN) Goss (R-14TH-FL) Green (D-29TH-TX) Greenwood (R-8TH-PA) Gutierrez (D-4TH-IL) Hall, T. (D-3RD-OH) Hamilton (D-9TH-IN) Hastings, A. (D-23RD-FL) Hayworth (R-6TH-AZ) Hefley (R-5TH-CO) Hefner (D-8TH-NC) Hilliard (D-7TH-AL) Hinchey (D-26TH-NY) Hinojosa (D-15TH-TX) Hobson (R-7TH-OH) Hooley (D-5TH-OR) Horn (R-38TH-CA) Jackson (D-2ND-IL) Jefferson (D-2ND-LA) John (D-7th-LA) Johnson, E. (D-30TH-TX) Johnson, N. (R-6TH-CT) Kanjorski (D-11-PA) Kaptur (D-9TH-OH) Kelly (R-19TH-NY) Kennedy, J. (D-8TH-MA) Kennedy, P. (D-1ST-RI) Kennelly (D-1ST-CT) Kilpatrick (D-15TH-MI) Kim (R-41-CA) Klink (D-4TH-PA) Klug (R-2ND-WI) Knollenberg (R-11TH-MI) Kolbe (R-5TH-AZ) Lampson (D-9TH-TX) Lantos (D-12TH-CA) LaTourette (R-19TH-OH) Leach (R-1ST-IA) Lee (D-18TH-TX) Levin (D-12TH-MI) Lewis, Jerry (R-40TH-CA) Lewis, John (D-5TH-GA) Lofgren (D-16TH-CA) Lowey (D-18TH-NY) Lucas (R-6TH-OK) Maloney, C. (D-14TH-NY) Maloney, J. (D-5THCT) Markey (D-7TH-MA) Martinez (D-31ST-CA) Mascara (D-20TH-PA) Matsui (D-5TH-CA) McCarthy, C. (D-4TH-NY) McDade (R-10TH-PA) McDermott (D-7TH-WA) McGovern (D-3RD-MA) McHale (D-15TH-PA) McHugh (R-24TH-NY) McIntosh (R-2ND-IN) McKeon (R-25TH-CA) McKinney (D-4TH-GA) McNulty (D-21ST-NY) Meehan (D-5TH-MA) Meek (D-17TH-FL) Menendez (D-13TH-NJ) Millender-McDonald (D-37TH-CA) Miller, G. (D-7TH-CA) Mink (D-2ND-HI) Moakley (D-9TH-MA) Molinari (R-13TH-NY)* Moran, J. P. (D-8TH-VA) Morella (R-8TH-MD) Murtha (D-12TH-PA) Nadler (D-8TH-NY) Neal (D-2ND-MA) Norton (D-DC) Norwood (R-10TH-GA) Oberstar (D-8TH-MN) Olver (D-1ST-MA) Owens (D-11TH-NY) Oxley (R-4TH-OH) Pallone (D-6TH-NJ) Pascrell (D-8TH-NJ) Pastor (D-2ND-AZ) Payne, D. (D-10TH-NJ) Pelosi (D-8TH-CA) Peterson, C. (D-7TH-MN) Peterson, J. (R-5TH-PA) Pombo (R-11TH-CA) Portman (R-2ND-OH) Price (D-4TH-NC) Pryce (R-15TH-OH) Quinn (R-30TH-NY) Ramstad (R-3RD-MN) Rangel (D-15TH-NY) Reyes (D-16th-TX) Riggs (R-1st-CA) Rivers (D-13TH-MI) Rodriguez (D-28TH-TX) Roemer (D-3RD-IN) Rogan (R-27TH-CA) Rothman (D-9TH-NJ) Roukema (R-5TH-NJ) Roybal-Allard (D-33RD-CA) Rush (D-1ST-IL) Sabo (D-5TH-MN) Sanchez (D-46TH-CA) Sanders (I-AL-VT) Sandlin (D-1ST-TX) Sawyer (D-14TH-OH) Schiff (R-1ST-NM) Schumer (D-9TH-NY) Scott (D-3RD-VA) Serrano (D-16TH-NY) Sessions (R-5TH-TX) Shadegg (R-4TH-AZ) Shaw (R-22nd-FL) Shays (R-4TH-CT) Sherman (D-24TH-CA) Skaggs (D-2ND-CO) Skeen (R-2ND-NM) Slaughter (D-28TH-NY) Smith, Adam (D-9th-WA) Smith, R. (R-2ND-OR) Snyder (D-2ND-AR) Solomon (R-22ND-NY) Spence (R-2nd-SC) Stabenow (D-8TH-MI) Stark (D-13TH-CA) Stokes (D-11TH-OH) Strickland (D-6TH-OH) Stupak (D-1ST-MI) Talent (R-2nd-MO) Tanner (D-8TH-TN) Tauscher (D-10TH-CA) Taylor, C. (R-11TH-NC) Thompson (D-2ND-MS) Thurman (D-5TH-FL) Tierney (D-6TH-MA) Torres (D-34TH-CA) Towns (D-10TH-NY) Traficant (D-17TH-OH) Turner (D-2ND-TX) Underwood (D-GU) Velazquez (D-12TH-NY) Vento (D-4TH-MN) Waters (D-35TH-CA) Watt (D-12TH-NC) Watts (R-4TH-OK) Waxman (D-29TH-CA) Wexler (D-19TH-FL) Weygand (D-2ND-RI) Whitfield (R-1ST-KY) Wise (D-2ND-WV) Woolsey (D-6TH-CA) Wynn (D-4TH-MD) Yates (D-9TH-IL) * = Resigned - 8/1/97. Special election - 11/97.