List Family,
It's not too late to call and write or e-mail your representatives and
senators reminding them that the Labor/HHS appropriations bill for FY2000
is still pending and that you expect them to support increased funding for
NIH as per the sample script or pattern Nina Andres sent to the list(see
below).
On Friday, 9/10/99 I called my senator and my representative and visited
with the health legislation aids about my concern that promises of
increased funding for parkinson's focused research be in the language of
Labor/HHS. I also sent letters to each office today referring to the phone
calls and asking for confirmation of what the rep/sen does about this
request of mine. Your sen/rep doesn't have to be on the appropriations
committee to have influence...he/she may know someone on the committee and
can call that person to pressure for this pd research. This is something
you CAN do to press for a cure/cause for this disease that we have. Make
that call and write that letter/e-mail TODAY.
Thanks,
Jeanette Fuhr 48/47/44?
----------
Camilla wrote in part:
Friends -- Nita Andres has made it very easy for us to know where to put
pressure for full funding of the Udall Bill, which was SUPPOSED to provide
money for PD research. As you know, it was passed by Congress, but the
money which was "approved" has not yet been "appropriated", so can't be
spent !
The sample below (from Kelly Abbett,PAN),can be used either as a telephone
script or pattern for a letter to the committee members Nita has listed.
*********
Guideline Telephone Script for FY 2000 Appropriations (modify for letters)
Hello. I am a constituent and a Parkinson's disease advocate. May I
please speak with the staff person who handles health care issues?
[Yes, voicemail is fine if the person is not available].
My name is ____________ and I am calling to urge
[Senator/Representative] ____________ to support much needed funding
increases for Parkinson's disease during consideration of the fiscal
year 2000 Labor/ HHS Appropriations bill.
As you probably know, in 1997 Congress overwhelmingly adopted the
Morris K. Udall Parkinson's Disease Research Act, historic legislation
authorizing the National Institutes of Health to devote up to $100
million per year for Parkinson's-focused research. To date NIH has not
fully funded the Udall Act ó despite promising research and a
compelling national need.
I urge your boss to act this year to follow through on the promise of
the Udall Act by supporting funding increases of $50 million for
Parkinson's research at the National Institute of Neurological
Disorders and Stroke and $25 million at the National Institute of
Environment Health Science for FY 2000. To provide the resources for
these much needed increases, I ask the [Senator/Representative] to
support the effort to ensure that the NIH budget is on track to double
over five years.
Please urge your boss to act this year on these important increases by
writing a letter or talking to the Chair of the Appropriations
Committee. Time is not neutral for people with Parkinson's ó the
disease is progressive, chronic and absolutely relentless ó and we
can't afford to wait any longer. Researchers have described
Parkinson's as the "most curable neurological disorder" ó but finding
the cure in time for those currently suffering requires the additional
funding authorized by the Udall Act.
[For Representatives Only] Please also ask your boss to consider
joining the Congressional Working Group on Parkinson's Disease led by
Representatives Carolyn Maloney and Fred Upton.
Thank you. Can I count on hearing back from you about the outcome of
the fiscal year 2000 Labor/HHS Approriations bill mark-up? [Give the
staff person your name, address, and phone number so that s/he can
follow up with you.]
[If any questions arise that you do not feel comfortable answering, ask
the staff person to call the Parkinson's Action Network at
800-850-4726.]
*********************
PLEASE step up to the plate and hit a homer for us all--as Nita said, no
one else will do it --it's up to us!
*******
>Date: Thu, 02 Sep 1999 22:19:26 -0500
>From: Nita Andres <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Udall Bill
>> All of this comes from the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human
>> > Services,and Education
>> >
>> > > I am writing this mostly for those who do not have internet access.
>> > >
>> > > Folks no one is going to do this for us, so-
>> > > House committee on appropriations
>> > > Republicans 202-225-3508
>> > > Democrats 202-225-3481
>> > >
>> > > IL (R-10) John Edward Porter chairman
>> > > FL (R-10) C.W. Bill Young
>> > > TX (R-23) Henry Bonilla *
>> > > OK (R05) Ernest J. Istook, Jr.
>> > > FL (R13) Dan Miller
>> > > AR (R04) Jay Dickey
>> > > MS (R01) Roger F. Wicker
>> > > KY (R03) Anne M. Northup
>> > > CA (R-51) Randy "Duke" Cunningham
>> > > * Some of the local activists state that
>> > > they don't know of any activists in this district.(Bonilla)
>> > > He has offices in San Antonio, Laredo, Del Rio and
>> > > Midland. There has to be someone out there to write or call him.
>> > > WI (D07) David R. Obey
>> > > MD (D05) Steny H. Hoyer
>> > > CA (D08) Nancy Pelosi
>> > > NY (D18) Nita Lowey
>> > > CT (D03) Rosa L. DeLauro
>> > > IL (D02) Jesse L. Jackson,Jr.
>> > >
>> > > If you don't see your representative's name , write. call, e-mail or
>> fax
>> > > him/her and ask that he/she contact the chairman and ask for
>> > > support of the Udall bill.
>> > > Call his/her local office his/her address, etc.
>> > >
>> > > Senate committee on appropriations
>> > > Republican's phone #
>> > > 202-224-7230
>> > > Democrat's phone #
>> > > 202-224-7288
>> > >
>> > > PA (R) Arlen Specter-chairman
>> > > MS (R) Thad Cochran
>> > > WA (R) Slade Gorton
>> > > ID (R) Larry Craig
>> > > TX (R)Kay Bailey Hutchison
>> > > AK (R) Ted Stevens
>> > > AZ (R) Jon Kyl
>> > > NH (R) Judd Gregg
>> > IA (D) Tom Harkin
>> > > SC (D) Ernest Hollings
>> > > HI (D) Daniel Inouye
>> > > NV (D) Harry Reid
>> > > WI (D) Herbert Kohl
>> > > WA (D) Patty Murray
>> > > CA (D) Dianne Feinstein
>> > >
>> > > If you do not see your senator listed here write your senator and
ask
>> > > that he/she write Chairman Specter and ask for funding of the Udall
>> > > bill.
>> > >
It's time to INSIST, folks---
Camilla Flintermann,
<[log in to unmask]>
http://www.newcountry.nu/pd/members/camilla/one.htm My Home Page
" Knowing when to insist, and when to let be,
is,perhaps, a lifetime learning experience ."
--Mary McCurry
