Hi folks, If we want to finally get a cure for this horrible illness,we MUST to start making noise in the US Congress . We have a good bill there, and we desperately need it to pass.
We need to get them to pass bill S.1479/HR.3427 to get funding for research in Lyme disease - for preventiion and diagnosis AND research in treatment of CHRONIC Lyme Disease. (S.1479 is the number of the bill in the Senate and HR.3427 is the number of the SAME bill in the House.)
This bill is supported by the entire Lyme disease community. It is sponsored by Reps. Sue Kelly and Chris Smith.
This jointly sponsored bill is intended to replace the two separate bills previously introduced in the House of Representatives by each of these Congresspeople.
However, bills don't get removed once they are introduced, so, technically there are three Lyme bills in the House of Representatives.
So its important to use the correct bill number when contacting legislators to ask them to cosponsor the bill behind which Lyme groups have united. Don't just write "Lyme disease bill."
WHAT TO DO; 1) Between now and Thanksgiving, please contact your US Senators and House Representatives and ask him/her to co-sponsor bill S.1479/HR.3427
3) BELOW are sample letters for each house of the legislature. Please contact your legislators and ask them to co-sponsor the bill.
The best method is probably to fax a letter and then call a few days later to make your case. But no matter whether you call , email, fax or write the important thing is to keep on top of it by checking and talkiing to the legislator's health aide.
4) Please get the letters out before Thanksgiving when the legislature goes home.
5 ) If your legislator does not sign on as a co-sponsor by Congress' vacation after Thanksgiving, the make an appointment with him/her during the time after that when they will be in their local offices.
Thanks, Ellen
SAMPLE LETTERS FOR HOUSE AND SENATE:
SAMPLE SENATE LETTER:
Date______
The Honorable (full name)
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Fax # if you fax it
Dear Senator (last name),
I am writing to you today with an important request. Please co-sponsor S.1479 (Dodd/Santorum) which was introduced on July 25, 2005 and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.�The bill has the support of 90 Lyme groups across the country. It addresses many aspects of Lyme disease research, surveillance, prevention and education which are desperately needed to help those already infected with Lyme disease and to prevent the spread of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases throughout the state, and in fact, throughout the country.�
The companion House version is�HR 3427 (Smith/Kelly),�introduced on July 26, 2005
Lyme disease has adversely affected my family.�(May add 2 or 3 sentences if desired KEEP BRIEF).�
To help my family, Lyme disease patients across the country, and the thousands of others who will be affected in the future, I am asking you, my senator, to sign onto S. 1479 as a bill sponsor.
� I am writing to you today with an important request. Please co-sponsor H.R.3427 (Smith/Kelly) which was introduced in the house on July 26, 2005 and referred to Subcommittee on Health.��Prior versions of Lyme bills were introduced earlier this year in the House; however, the parties involved in introducing those bills have united to introduce HR 3427, which has an identical companion version introduced in the Senate, S.1479.�The new companion bills have the support of 90 groups in the Lyme community.�H.R. 3427 addresses many aspects of research, surveillance, prevention and education which are desperately needed to help those already infected with Lyme disease and to prevent the spread of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases throughout the state, and in fact, throughout the country.�
Lyme disease has adversely affected my family.�(May add 2 or 3 sentences if desired KEEP BRIEF).�
To help my family, Lyme disease patients across the country, and the thousands of others who will be affected in the future, I am asking you, my senator, to sign onto S. 1479 as a bill sponsor.
Thank you for your kind assistance.� I look forward to your support of this important bill.
Sincerely,
Your Signature
Printed Name
Address
Phone
Email
Posted by NP40 (Member # 6711) on :
The following link has all the e-mail addresses for your elected reps and senators.
Do you think we have a chance for this to be passed?
Posted by cecy (Member # 8215) on :
Thanks. Will do.
Posted by WildCondor (Member # 434) on :
DONE!
Ellen, you are the Queen of good karma...we all love you, and again, THANK YOU X 1,000,000,000
Posted by Ann-OH (Member # 2020) on :
Here is my quick and easy method, posted earlier. Ann - OH
[quoting myself!] Really easy to do! Short and sweet! The number of e-mails counts and these short messages will get the point across quickly. Ann - OH
For Senate go to http://www.senate.gov/ to get the e-mail address of your 2 senators. cut and paste this Senate bill message in your e-mail. Be sure to sign with your name address and ph. # (if the form doesn't already require it.)
[message] Please support S1479 (sponsored by Senators Dodd and Santorum) by becoming a co-sponsor of this bill for Lyme and Tick-borne Disease Prevention, Education, and Research. Lyme disease is becoming an epidemic in our country and help is needed now. Thank you
For For House go to http://www.house.gov/ to get the e-mail address of your one representative. (you can e-mail any other rep from your state, too! Be sure to sign with your name address and ph. # -if the form doesn't already require it.)
Cut and paste this House Bill message in your e-mail:
Please support HR 3427 (sponsored by Representatives Smith and Kelly) by becoming a co-sponsor of this bill for Lyme and Tick-borne Disease Prevention, Education, and Research. Lyme disease is becoming an epidemic in our country and help is needed now. Thank you
Posted by ellenluba (Member # 1707) on :
YAY ANN!!!
Thanks for this short version. Concise is not my strong point. Ellen
Posted by cantgiveupyet (Member # 8165) on :
Does anyone know how close they are to passing these bills?
Posted by Ann-OH (Member # 2020) on :
Here is the latest status on the two bills. I will post a list of the members of congress who have already signed on as co-sponsor in another post. Ann-OH
3. H.R.3427 : To provide for the expansion of Federal efforts concerning the prevention, education, treatment, and research activities related to Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, including the establishment of a Tick-Borne Diseases Advisory Committee.
Sponsor: Rep Smith, Christopher H. [NJ-4] (introduced 7/26/2005) Cosponsors (13) Committees: House Energy and Commerce
Latest Major Action: 8/5/2005 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
4. S.1479 : A bill to provide for the expansion of Federal efforts concerning the prevention, education, treatment, and research activities related to Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, including the establishment of a Tick-Borne Diseases Advisory Committee. Sponsor: Sen Dodd, Christopher J. [CT] (introduced 7/25/2005) Cosponsors (4) Committees: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Major Action: 7/25/2005 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Posted by pq (Member # 6886) on :
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Posted by map1131 (Member # 2022) on :
I wrote my state senator back in Sept just a few days prior to Hurrican Katrina and them being called back early to handle hurricane matters.
I knew with everything going on it would be awhile before I heard back from him.
Today when I got the mail there was letter from KY Senator Mitch McConnell addressing my letter to him about lyme. I cried and cried because I felt I made a difference in this fight on lyme disease. He stated "As this bill moves through the legislative process, please rest assured that I will keep your support of lyme disease research foremost in mind."
My main point in my letter to him was that this is not just a medical problem in the Northeast states. This debilitating disease was effecting many in the state of Kentucky and I personally had met or talked with about 100 people in this state effected by lyme disease in the last 6 years.
He spoke in his letter about the CDC and NIH and money given to them research on Infectious Disease such as lyme. I think I need to let him know without the proper education at the highest levels of CDC & NIH and education of our medical community the "We don't have lyme disease in Ky." will continue.
Oh well, I did something and I plan to continue in some form supporting the cause.