I'm confused.

What about HR2877 - the Gilchrest bill?

Is it best to just be there to make Capitol Hill aware of the need for lyme legislation?.......

Anyone know if both bills are going to move forward?

It would be assumed that people supporting the Kelly Bill would show up at the designated place and time to participate and meet together afterward and have a group photo made.

There is nothing devious or under-handined about that.

I am sure a similar event will be organized by those supporting the Smith Bill.

Any citizen on any given day can go to the Capitol and try to talk to someone at any House member's office.

Those organizing the "Lobby Day" to support the Kelly Bill aren't telling anyone not to do anything.

I need a to go back to school to learn how a bill is introduced. (I know all of the fascinating work gets done in committees thru hearings and listening to experts called in to inform).

I would think it would be possible to get as many who attended Hope to Heal to lobby.........

If indeed it was what should be done in our best interest.

One more time: Two separate bills were put before the house of representatives. The supporters of one bill will do what they can to support that bill. They will organize events, letter writing, phoning, e-mailing, demonstrating, whatever they choose. So will the supporters of the other bill. That is democracy.

I think there has to be some effort put into the timing of a gathering of citizens going to talk to congresspeople and their staff people. That is probably why the event was announced recently.

That and the fact that congress will be going on home to their individual states starting the Fourth of July and probably won't be coming back until they have kissed all the babies in the parade, traveled around the state to all the events they can attend, taken a vacation with their own families etc.

The people who control when a bill is introduced are the congress people who do the introducing. They have to time that as well. This gathering of people to go to Washington and meet and greet and lobby has nothing to do with controlling when the bill was introduced.

There are tons of politics involved here, and we will see lots more.

quote:

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Originally posted by valymemom:
Thanks.

Anyone know if both bills are going to move forward?

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It is my understanding that the bill with the most support will be the one which moves forward.

To be honest I am worried about supporters of #2877 not being allowed there for lobby day. I would think that no opposition could mean that "we are content" with the 2526 as it stands.

I personally am NOT content with the bill as it stands, and I do not like the fact that Kelly has recieved so much money from Insurance while Smith has recieved NONE.

Smith Top contributors:

1 Plumbers/Pipefitters Union $4,000
2 Yesera Corp $3,000
3 Laborers Union $2,500
4 AFL-CIO $1,000
4 Birdsall Engineering $1,000
4 FirstEnergy Corp $1,000
4 Maher & Maher $1,000
8 Engineering & Professional Service Inc $750
8 S&B Auto $750
10 Creter Vault Co $600
10 Food Circus Supermarket $600
12 Duncan Thecker Assoc $300
12 Frey Tediskie $300
12 Hatch, Mott & MacDonald $300
12 Kce $300
12 Lomurro, Davison et al $300
12 McLaughlin, Middleton Assoc $300
12 Ritchie & Page Distributing $300
12 Smythe Volvo $300
12 Viking Village

The top industries supporting Sue Kelly are:
1 Insurance $104,000
2 Real Estate $101,550
3 Securities & Investment $92,220
4 Commercial Banks $55,000
5 Lawyers/Law Firms $45,650
6 Health Professionals $43,475
7 Accountants $33,992
8 Building Trade Unions $32,500
9 Retired $31,050
10 Misc Finance $30,950
11 General Contractors $30,000
12 Transportation Unions $27,750
13 Oil & Gas $21,260
14 Air Transport $20,000
15 Beer, Wine & Liquor $19,000
16 Finance/Credit Companies $18,750
17 Lobbyists $18,000
18 Special Trade Contractors $14,450
19 Public Sector Unions $13,100
20 Crop Production & Basic Processing $12,700
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source:
kelly : http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/indus.asp?CID=N00001020&cycle=2004

This matters, IMO...unless there is strong reason to believe otherwise.

Is there a link to the wording of the Bills?

BTW - I hope everyone interested in Federal Legislation has also made those calls to NY today..if the experienced LL's in NY loose their liscences under the corrupt target of the OPMC, these Bills will be far less productive..

Mo

Lobby Day in Washington was organized by supporters of the Sue Kelly bill. Since the purpose is to support that bill, there really is no reason for supporters of Chris Smith's 2877 bill to go to Washington for that lobby.

If you support 2877, the best thing to do is contact your US Representative and ask them to sign on to the blll.

There may be a Lobby Day for 2877 later on. But certainly calling and writing your legislators about it is a VERY powerful tool.

I urge everyone to read the bills and decide which you think would be best for the Lyme community.