CALL TO ACTION 2008 #5 (August 9, 2008)
from Pat Smith, President, Lyme Disease Association, Inc. (LDA)
Lyme & Tick-Borne Disease Prevention Education & Research Act
of 2007 S-1708 / HR-741
Update:
Over the past year and a half, many of you have taken time from your
busy schedules to contact your own Members of Congress and the
appropriate Congressional Committee Chairs concerning the fate of the
Lyme disease bills. You responded with overwhelming support, calling,
writing, and meeting with these Members. Your united support has made a
tremendous difference in the way legislators have responded to our bill.
The House bill has 115 co-sponsors and the Senate has 15. Not too many
legislative offices are unaware of the effects of Lyme disease and
patients. need for a bill which will provide research, education,
surveillance evaluation, and prevention.
We thank you for that bill support and for the updates many of you
provided to us. This patient outpouring has enabled us to continue to
meet in DC with House and Senate members, even over the summer, and to
continue to provide them with scientific materials and patient-related
materials to further help them to reach an understanding about what is
transpiring with Lyme disease diagnosis, treatment, and doctor issues
and the impact on the bills.
Continuing Commitment: Our bill sponsors, Congressman
Christopher Smith
and Senator Christopher Dodd, and many co-sponsors, have affirmed their
commitment to the Lyme community through their sponsorship and support
of the Lyme bills and have indicated they will continue to do so. They
have worked hard to educate their peers about the bills and Lyme issues
we are all facing.
Senator Dodd arranged a briefing of the Senate HELP Committee in April
for the LDA and Dr. Fallon. The House Lyme Disease Caucus (Smith,
Stupak, Holden) helped the LDA arrange a briefing for House Members the
same day. Congressional offices continue to contact us for more
information and to update us on their progress on our behalf. A number
of Congressmen and Senators continue to work with us behind the scenes
on issues that are Lyme-related.
Currently, Congress is in recess. the Senate until Sept. 4, the House
until Sept 8. Congress will then reconvene. However, it then plans to
adjourn for the year on Sept. 26 (House), and the Senate most likely
will adjourn around that time. Basically, that means there are about 3
weeks more of DC sessions scheduled in September for this year's
Congress Members to wrap up their year's busy work schedule.
As always, we encourage patients to contact their representatives with
their personal stories or any Lyme related problems they have
experienced. If you wish to continue educating Congress in anticipation
of the changes which may occur in DC after the election, you can go to
the LDA website www.LymeDiseaseAssociation.org and click the Legislative
link on the top menu or go to the
direct
link.
Once you locate your representatives. contact information and note any
updates posted on the site, feel free to contact your representatives,
especially about the need to support the bill.
As work behind the scenes continues, we will let you know of any further
bill-related actions as we hear about them.
Thanks everyone.
Pat Smith
President
Lyme Disease Association, Inc.
PO Box 1438
Jackson, NJ 08527
888-366-6611 information line
732 938-7215 fax
www.LymeDiseaseAssociation.org