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As a former Congressional staffer (both the House and Senate, believe it or not!) I can tell you that personal visits in both district and DC offices do add significant weight, especially if you visit as a group! You are all doing terrific work by getting behind this bill. If you do visit a Congressional office and get in front of the health care legislative assistant (LA), ask him/her what YOU can do to help the Congressman/woman work for the bill's passage. Can I testify at a health care hearing? Can I call other members of Congress for you? Can I sign a petition? Can I write you a letter about my story so that you can use it for speeches on the House/Senate floor? This will let the LA know that you are serious about making this happen. Personal visits are GREAT, but don't discount the power of a phone call, too. Congressional office front desks tally the number of calls they get on a particular bill and that information is reported to the appropriate legislative assistant, who advises the boss on how to vote... and those numbers are often reported to the House member or Senator him/herself. It may not change the way they vote, but if they are on the fence it could. And, at least they know how their constiuents feel about it! Tell people you know to call, too! Even non-PDers! They don't need a story. Just make sure that when they are calling members of Congress, that THEY LIVE IN HIS/HER DISTRICT!!! House members are elected to serve their constituents and that's who they listen to! Other callers are either directed to the appropriate House member or disregarded. Callers should simply say, "Hello, my name is Jane Doe and I live in Anytown, USA, which is in the Congressman/woman's district. I'd like him/her to support and vote for H.R. ###, the Udall Bill. This is important funding to help thousands of people who suffer daily from Parkinson's Disease. Please let the Congressman/woman know I called." SNIPPED: ---Leo Fuhr <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > A letter I hand delivered > to a member of Bond's KC office being faxed to the Washington D.C. office > resulting in a phone call to me the next day from a staffer in his DC > office. There is something much more effective about a person who is > challenged with Parkinson's speaking up in person to someone who has > contact with the lawmaker. == Leslie Lillard Walden ([log in to unmask]) w: 617-563-7639 h: 617-424-9126 _________________________________________________________ DO YOU YAHOO!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com