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IAC Express 2007 |
| Issue number 659: April 24, 2007 |
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Contents
of this Issue
Select a title to jump to the article. |
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Please--do it NOW! Call your U.S. senators about signing the immunization
appropriations letter by Thursday, April 26
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Please--do it NOW! Call your U.S. representative about signing the
immunization appropriations letter by Thursday, April 26
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| Abbreviations |
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AAFP, American Academy of Family Physicians; AAP,
American Academy of Pediatrics; ACIP, Advisory Committee on Immunization
Practices; AMA, American Medical Association; CDC, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention; FDA, Food and Drug Administration; IAC, Immunization
Action Coalition; MMWR, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report; NCIRD,
National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases; NIVS, National
Influenza Vaccine Summit; VIS, Vaccine Information Statement; VPD,
vaccine-preventable disease; WHO, World Health Organization. |
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Issue 659: April 24, 2007 |
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1. |
Please--do it NOW! Call your U.S. senators about signing the immunization
appropriations letter by Thursday, April 26
No government funds have been
used to produce this article.
The 317 Coalition is requesting that people who support the U.S. immunization
program contact their U.S. senators and ask them to sign on to a letter in
support of increased funding for the 317 Program for federal Fiscal Year 2008
(FY 2008). The 317 Coalition is a national network of 136 organizations that
advocates for increased funding for childhood, adolescent, and adult
immunization programs.
The text of the coalition's request is reprinted below. The deadline for your
senators to sign on to the letter is Friday, April 27, so you must contact
them before that date.
ACTION ALERT ON NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION FUNDING: We need your help!
BACKGROUND:
Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Gordon Smith (R-OR) have sent a "Dear
Colleague" letter to every member of the Senate asking them to sign
on to a letter to Senators Harkin and Specter, the leaders of the
Senate Appropriations Committee. The letter addressed to Senators
Harkin and Specter is requesting increased funding for the National
Immunization Program at the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention--known as "Section 317" of the Public Health Service
Act.
The more members of the Senate that sign on to the letter, the
better chance the 317 Program will receive increased funding in the
FY 2008 budget.
Following are the names of senators who signed last year's letter
but have not yet signed this year's letter. They are a top
priority, but you should call both your senators right away. Please contact the senators below ASAP if you live in their state or know
them.
Susan Collins (ME)
Patty Murray (WA)
Hillary Rodham Clinton (NY)
Frank Lautenberg (NJ)
Blanche Lincoln (AR)
Barbara Boxer (CA)
Chuck Schumer (NY)
Evan Bayh (IN)
Debbie Stabenow (MI)
Mary Landrieu (LA)
Olympia Snowe (ME)
Following are the names of senators who have already signed this
year's letter. Please contact them to thank them if you live in
their state or know them.
Jack Reed (RI)
Gordon Smith (OR)
Dick Durbin (IL)
Ron Wyden (OR)
Carl Levin (MI)
Ted Kennedy (MA)
Joe Lieberman (CT)
Bob Menendez (NJ)
Jeff Bingaman (NM)
Bernie Sanders (VT)
Chris Dodd (CT)
ACTION NEEDED TO CONTACT MEMBERS OF THE SENATE:
(1) Call your senators and ask them to sign on to the
appropriations letter by contacting Senators Reed's or Smith's
office.
(2) You should not contact Senators Reed, Smith, Harkin, or Specter
about this letter, since they are the members sending and receiving
the letter.
(3) Let your senators know why increased funding is necessary for
your organization in their city or state. Sample talking points are
below.
(4) Be sure they know the deadline to sign on to the letter is
Friday, April 27.
(5) Feedback: If a senator's office indicates a willingness to sign
the letter, let us know by emailing 317@cgagroup.com so that we
can follow up.
(6) Forward this alert to your members and other organizations with
an interest in this program.
CONTACTING A CONGRESSIONAL OFFICE:
(1) The U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 can connect you
with your senators. It is best to call the Washington Office, not
the local district office. If you don't know who your senators are,
you can go online to http://www.senate.gov and look them up by
entering your zip code.
(2) Ask to speak with the staff person who handles the Health and
Human Services Appropriations for the office (specifically the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]). The purpose of
your call is to ask your senator to sign on to the letter on CDC
immunization funding.
(3) When you reach the staffer, very briefly identify your
professional affiliation and work related to immunization.
SENATE TALKING POINTS:
- I am contacting you to ask that the senator sign on to a letter
that is currently being circulated by Senators Reed and Smith.
- The letter is addressed to Chairman Harkin and Ranking Republican
Specter on the Labor HHS Appropriations Subcommittee, and asks
for an increase in funding for the CDC immunization program so
that more underinsured children and adults can receive
recommended vaccinations.
- The letter asks that the 317 Program be funded at $802.5 million
in fiscal year 2008, which is an increase of approximately $295
million over the last fiscal year. The President's budget request
would cut the CDC immunization program in the appropriations bill
by $12 million. Currently the program receives about $519 million
in federal appropriations.
- These funds are awarded to states as grants to purchase
recommended childhood and adult vaccines and to provide support
for the infrastructure needed to deliver the vaccinations.
- (Add a sentence or two about your geographical location's need
for additional CDC immunization funding.)
- Your office should have received the "Dear Colleague" letter from
Senators Reed and Smith. It was sent out March 14. The closing
date for signing on to the letter addressed to Senators Harkin
and Specter is Friday, April 27, 2007. I urge you to ask your
boss to sign this important letter to the Appropriations
Committee.
- I would be happy to fax or email a copy of the letter addressed
to Senators Harkin and Specter if that would be helpful. [IAC
Express editor's note: For a copy of the letter, go to:
http://www.317coalition.org/action/senatedc_031507.pdf]
To visit the 317 Coalition website, go to:
http://www.317coalition.org
For legislative updates and other resources, go to:
http://www.317coalition.org/learnmore
If your organization would like to become a member of the 317
Coalition, contact Amy Souders, Cornerstone Government Affairs,at
asouders@cgagroup.com
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2. |
Please--do it NOW! Call your U.S.
representative about signing the immunization appropriations letter by
Thursday, April 26
No government funds have been
used to produce this article.
The 317 Coalition is requesting that people who support the U.S.
immunization program contact their U.S. Congressional
representative and ask them to sign on to a letter in support of
increased funding for the 317 Program for federal Fiscal Year 2008
(FY 2008). The 317 Coalition is a national network of 136
organizations that advocates for increased funding for childhood,
adolescent, and adult immunization programs.
The text of the coalition's request is reprinted below. The
deadline for your representative to sign on to the letter is
Friday, April 27, so you must call them before that date.
ACTION ALERT ON NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION FUNDING: We need your help!
BACKGROUND:
Representatives Gene Green (D-TX) and John Shimkus (R-IL) have sent
a "Dear Colleague" letter to every member of the House of
Representatives asking them to sign on to a letter to
Representatives David Obey and James T. Walsh, the leaders of the
House Appropriations Committee. The letter addressed to
Representatives Obey and Walsh is requesting increased funding for
the National Immunization Program at the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention--known as "Section 317" of the Public Health
Service Act.
The more members of the House of Representatives that sign on to the
letter, the better the chance the 317 Program will receive increased
funding in FY 2008, so it’s important that you contact your
representative in the House ASAP.
Following are the names of representatives who signed last year’s
letter but have not yet signed this year’s letter. They are likely to
sign again, so therefore they are a top priority. Please contact them
ASAP if you live in their district or know them.
* Louise Slaughter (NY)
* Tom Davis (VA)
* Norm Dicks (WA)
* Mike Ferguson (NJ)
* Corrine Brown (FL)
* Lincoln Diaz-Balart (FL)
* Mark Souder (IN)
* Sheila Jackson-Lee (TX)
* Michael Honda (CA)
* Sanford Bishop (GA)
* John Conyers (MI)
* Bobby Rush (IL)
* Jane Harman (CA)
* Robin Hayes (NC)
* Heather Wilson (NM)
* Luis Gutierrez (IL)
* Ruben Hinojosa (TX)
* Phil Gingrey (GA)
* John Dingell (MI)
* Chaka Fattah (PA)
* Sander Levin (MI)
* Lynn Woolsey (CA)
* Barney Frank (MA)
* Michael McNulty (NY)
* Peter DeFazio (OR)
* Brad Miller (NC)
* Dutch Ruppersberger (MD)
* Julia Carson (IN)
* John Salazar (CO)
* Ron Kind (WI)
* Susan Davis (CA)
* Betty McCollum (MN)
* Jan Schakowsky (IL)
* Melissa Bean (IL)
* Albert Wynn (MD)
* Allyson Schwartz (PA)
* John Lewis (GA)
* Adam Smith (WA)
* Tim Ryan (OH)
* Dan Boren (OK)
* Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (FL)
* Carolyn McCarthy (NY)
* Nydia Velazquez (NY)
Following are the names of representatives who have already signed
this year's letter. Please contact them to thank them if you live
in their district or know them.
* Gene Green (TX)
* John Shimkus (IL)
* Jim McDermott (WA)
* Henry Waxman (CA)
* Raul Grijalva (AZ)
* Howard Berman (CA)
* Bob Etheridge (NC)
* Daniel Lipinski (IL)
* Dennis Moore (KS)
* Steve Kagan (WI)
* Rick Larsen (WA)
* Nick Rahall (WV)
* Leonard Boswell (IA)
* Stephanie Herseth (SC)
* Lois Capps (CA)
* Earl Blumenauer (OR)
* Chris Van Hollen (MD)
* Frank Pallone (NJ)
* Eliot Engel (NY)
* Donald M. Payne (NJ)
* David Price (NC)
* Jim Langevin (RI)
* Charlie Gonzalez (TX)
* Mike McIntyre (NC)
* Michael Michaud (ME)
* Steven Cohen (TN)
* Jim Marshall (GA)
* Tim Murphy (PA)
* David Wu (WA)
* Steny Hoyer (MD)
ACTION NEEDED TO CONTACT MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
(1) Call your representative in the House of Representatives and
ask them to sign on to the appropriations letter by contacting Rep.
Green's or Rep. Shimkus's office.
(2) You should not contact Representatives Green, Shimkus, Obey, or
Walsh about this letter, since they are the members sending and
receiving the letter.
(3) Let your representative know why increased funding is necessary
for your organization in their city or state. Sample talking points
are below.
(4) Be sure they know the deadline to sign on to the letter is
Friday, April 27.
(5) Feedback: If a representative's office indicates a willingness
to sign the letter, let us know by emailing 317@cgagroup.com so
that we can follow up.
(6) Forward this alert to your members and other organizations with
an interest in this program.
CONTACTING A CONGRESSIONAL OFFICE:
(1) The U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 can connect you
with your representative. It is best to call the Washington Office,
not the local district office. If you don't know who your
representative is, you can go online to http://www.house.gov and
look it up by entering your zip code.
(2) Ask to speak with the staff person who handles the Health and
Human Services Appropriations for the office (specifically the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]). The purpose of
your call is to ask your representative to sign on to the letter to
Representatives Obey and Walsh about CDC immunization funding.
(3) When you reach the staffer, very briefly identify your
professional affiliation and work related to immunization.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TALKING POINTS:
- I am contacting you to ask that the Congressman/Congresswoman
sign on to a letter that is currently being circulated by
Representatives Green and Shimkus.
- The letter is addressed to Chairman Obey and Ranking Republican
Walsh on the Labor HHS Appropriations Subcommittee, and asks for
an increase in funding for the CDC immunization program so that
more underinsured children and adults can receive recommended
vaccinations.
- The letter asks that the 317 Program be funded at $802.5 million
in fiscal year 2008, which is an increase of approximately $295
million over the last fiscal year. The President's budget request
would cut the CDC immunization program in the appropriations bill
by $12 million. Currently the program receives about $519 million
in federal appropriations.
- These funds are awarded to states as grants to purchase
recommended childhood and adult vaccines and to provide support
for the infrastructure needed to deliver the vaccinations.
- (Add a sentence or two about your geographical location's need
for additional CDC immunization funding.)
- Your office should have received the "Dear Colleague" letter from
Representatives Green and Shimkus. It was sent out March 12. The
closing date for signing on to the letter addressed to
Representatives Obey and Walsh is Friday, April 27, 2007. I urge
you to ask your boss to sign this important letter to the
Appropriations Committee.
- If you have questions or would like to sign the letter, please
contact Lantie Slenzak in Rep. Green's office at (202) 225-1688 or
Mo Zilly in Rep. Shimkus' office at (202) 225-5271.
- I would be happy to fax or email a copy of both the "Dear
Colleague" letter and the letter to Representatives Obey and
Walsh if that would be helpful. [IAC Express editor's note: For a
copy of the letter, go to:
http://www.317coalition.org/action/housedc_031507.pdf]
To visit the 317 Coalition website, go to:
http://www.317coalition.org
For legislative updates and other resources, go to:
http://www.317coalition.org/learnmore
If your organization would like to become a member of the 317
Coalition, contact Amy Souders, Cornerstone Government Affairs, at
asouders@cgagroup.com
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