POLITICAL ACTION: Have you contacted lawmakers about federal Lyme legislation?

Click Above to Share Article

It's time to re-focus attention on garnering support for the Lyme research bill. And you can help.

Action Alert from LDA, CALDA and Time for Lyme:

PROGRESS- MOVING FORWARD

Our coordinated efforts to contact members of the U.S. House and U.S. Senate Appropriations Committees were a huge success, with an end result of "chronic Lyme disease" and "persistence" being included in both the House & Senate Appropriations bills.

We also combined our efforts to successfully have the CT Doctor Protection bill signed into law and have been working diligently with key officials at the federal and state levels to enlist support and advance the Lyme Community's position.

With these major actions well on the way or behind us, we need to refocus attention on garnering support for the federal bills introduced earlier this year by Congressman Christopher Smith and Senator Christopher Dodd, the Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Prevention, Education, and Research Act of 2009.

In May 2009 there were 42 House members cosponsoring HR 1179. We've more than doubled that number in the past six months− 86 House members from 30 states currently cosponsoring.

The Senate bill (S-1352) has seven Senators cosponsoring. We still need many more cosponsors before action is taken on the bills.

OPPOSITION CONTINUES

As patients continue to struggle with their immediate health care concerns, the IDSA has stepped up its efforts to try to silence treating physicians and patient voices in DC.

It does not want legislation promoting research which can help answer questions regarding diagnosis and persistence but continues to promote "no chronic Lyme" without adequate scientific backup for that position.

IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED

We need you to call your federal representatives to combat aggressive moves to halt the bills.

We MUST enlist our Congressmen's support and ensure they are not swayed by the IDSA's and other opponents' rhetoric!

Go to LDA's LEGISLATION PAGE for a listing of U.S. Senate and U.S. House Members and contact information by state.

http://www.cwork.com/

A link for sample blurbs and letters is located at the top of the page.

Please contact your own US House Member and your two Senators today. Tell them you want them to sign onto the bill as a co-sponsor.

THANKS TO ALL

The LDA, CALDA and Time for Lyme thank all of you for your cooperation with the federal efforts. Working together, we have made and can continue to make a difference for Lyme patients everywhere.