THINKERS!
URGENT REQUEST FROM THE AUTISM POLICY REFORM COALITION
The House subcommittee on Health will be considering the Combating Autism Reauthorization Act today at 2:00 PM. The bill was submitted just a couple of weeks ago. It is clear that it is being rushed through: there has been no hearing allowing for parental input, and there are far fewer co-sponsors than the last time this went to the subcommittee. That indicates that they are interested in short circuiting the Coalition, YOUR voice in Washington.
Help us STOP the progress of this BAD bill!
PLEASE CALL as many of the following as you can and ask them to table the bill until they can get real input from the community:
John Barrow – GA 202-225-2823
Joe Barton – TX 202-225-2002
*Gus Bilirakis – FL 202-225-5755
*Marsha Blackburn – TN 202-225-2811
*Michael C. Burgess – TX 202-225-7772
G. K. Butterfield – NC 202-225-3101
Lois Capps – CA 202-225-3601
Bill Cassidy – LA 202-225-3901
Kathy Castor – FL 202-225-3376
Donna M. Christenson – VI 202-225-1790
John D. Dingell – MI 202-225-4071
Renee Ellmers – NC 202-225-4531
Eliot L. Engel – NY 202-225-2464
Phil Gingrey – GA 202-225-2931
Gene Green – TX 202-225-1688
Morgan Griffith – VA 202-225-3861
Brett Guthrie – KY 202-225-3501
*Leonard Lance – NJ 202-225-5361
*Jim Matheson – UT 202-225-3011
*Tim Murphy – PA 202-225-2301
Frank Pallone, Jr. – NJ 202-225-4671
*Cathy McMorris Rodgers – WA 202-225-2006
Mike Rogers – MI 202-225-4872
John Sarbanes – MD 202-225-4016
Jan Schakowsky – IL 202-225-2111
*John Shimkus – IL 202-225-5271
Joe Pitts – PA 202-225-2411
Fred Upton – MI 202-225-3761
Ed Whitfield – KY 202-225-3115
Henry A. Waxman – CA 202-225-3976
* Co-sponsors of the bill.
Please say something like the following: “The Health subcommittee will be asked to vote on a bad version of CAA reauth today. There has been no hearing, and the bill has 1/4 the number of co-sponsors as when put to a vote before. It’s being rushed because a large segment of the autism community rejects it, as was reported in The Hill last Wednesday. Please vote no on continuing to waste tax dollars on a set of programs which, in 14 years, hasn’t prevented a single case of autism or delivered even one new or improved treatment.”
This is a great opportunity to let those who will be key in drafting YOUR legislation know how unhappy you have been with what autism policy HASN’T accomplished. Let your voice be heard!
If you haven’t checked out the Coalition’s website yet, take a look at our position paper, and then stop by and donate what you can toward this important effort. (Donations are not tax deductible.)
~ Professor
P.S. If you haven’t got time to call, email is good too. Send the following email to [email protected] for any staffer listed below.
“The Health subcommittee will be asked to vote on a bad version of CAA reauth today at 2 p.m. There has been no hearing and the bill has 1/4 the number of co-sponsors as when put to a vote before. It’s being rushed because a large segment of the autism community rejects it, as was reported in the Hill last Wednesday.
Please vote no on continuing to waste tax dollars on a set of programs which, in 14 years, hasn’t prevented a single case of autism or delivered even one new or improved treatment.”
Rep. Joseph Pitts – PA, R
Staffer is Monica Volante
Rep. John Barrow – GA, D
Staffer is Hill Thomas
Rep. Tim Murphy- PA, R
Staffer is Scott Dziengelski
Rep. Janice Schakowsky – IL, D
Staffer is Waverly Gordon
Rep. Phil Gingrey – GA, R
Staffer is David Pulliam
Rep. Gene Green – TX, D
Staffer is Kristen ONeill
Rep. Brett Guthrie – KY, R
Staffer is Megan Jackson (prefers email)
Rep. Jim Matheson – UT, D
Staffer is Joel Bailey
Rep. Bill Cassidy – LA, R
Staffer is Rob Walton
Rep. Kathy Castor – FL, D
Staffer is Elizabeth Brown
Rep. Donna M. Christensen – D, VI
Staffer is Brit Weinstock
Rep. John D. Dingell – MI, D
Staffer is Greg Sunstrum
Rep. Eliot L. Engel – NY, D
Staffer is Catherine Barnao
Rep. Joe Barton – TX, R
Staffer is Kristen Rosenthall
Rep. Gus M. Billirakis – FL, R
Staffer is Thomas Power
Rep. G.K. Butterfield – NC, D
Staffer is Saul Hernandez
Rep. Lois Capps – CA, D
Staffer is Julie Schwartz
Rep. John Shimkus – Il, R
Staffer is Chris Sarley
Rep. Frank Pallone – NJ, D
Staffer is Tiffany Guarascio
Is it too late? I just saw this.
Unfortunately, yes. The bill passed out of the subcommittee today and was sent on to the full committee. There will be plenty of opportunities, though. We’re definitely the “little guy,” and it would have been shocking (but wonderful) to be able to disrupt the momentum enough to get the bill tabled.
I called!
Wish I could phone too. Instead, I will be lighting candles in Canada and visualizing hundreds of parents phoning so that your voices will be heard.
I went on their fb pages too and posted!! 😉