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From the Friends Committee on National Legislation website: "Members of Congress will be returning home to their districts from February 19 to 27 to meet with constituents and hear their views about Iraq and other key issues. Members of Congress tell us that three voters meeting with them in their home district is more important than 50 people meeting with them in Washington. ... "
You may want to take advantage of this opportunity to meet with your Senators and Representatives to introduce yourself and make her/him aware that the legislation passed directly affects the lives of individuals whose lives have been affected by brain tumors.
You can provide advance notice that the Hidden Under Our Hats - National Brain Tumor Awareness Project will be at the Upper Senate Park May 2 and 3rd and that advocates will be contacting their office again during Brain Tumor Action Week.
Issues identified by the North American Brain Tumor Coalition in 2004 included fostering a strong brain tumor research program at the National Institutes of Health, a waiver of the 2 year waiting period for Medicare coverage for individuals awarded Social Security disability and support for the Genetic Non-Discrimination Act. To view the position papers from last year, please go to
http://www.nabraintumor.org/MSWord/BTAW-phone-web-conference.doc
For information on your Senators and Representatives, including address and phone number for local office http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/
for tips on meeting with elected officials which would also apply to visits in their home districts http://www.congress.org/congressorg/issues/basics/?style=visit
If you have an interest in scheduling an appointment with your Senator(s) and/or Representative in February, please reply so that like minded folks from the same state can be in touch with one another. Members of local support groups may want to go together.
If three appointments with three officials sounds like too much, consider meeting with only one. It's about building relationships one person at a time. If if a physical appointment is not possible, give the Senators' or Representative's home office a call during this time.
I have actually heard that it is more likely that you will meet with your Senator(s) or Representative in their home office than in Washington where advocates usually meet with the legislative aide for health issues. Senators and Representatives want to be responsive to the concerns of the people of their State who elect them.
If you are from Colorado and would like to meet with Senator Allard, Senator Salazar or Representative DeGette, ,lease email me directly.
Thank you again for your ongoing interest in advocacy.
Also a reminder that you can register online for BTAW 2005 at http://www.nabraintumor.org/registration05.php
Let's make the difference. keep on getting louder
Peace, joy, friendship, hope and healing,
Cindi
meningioma right cavernous sinus encasing carotid artery, diagnosed Nov. 1999, gamma knife Dec. 28, 1999 Rocky Mountain Gamma Knife Center, stable MRIs since,
most recent December 2003 Denver, Colorado
Please contact me if you are or want to become a brain tumor issue advocate.
"Life is short and we do not have too much time to gladden the hearts of those who travel with us, so be swift to love and make haste to be kind." Henri-Frederic Amiel (1821-1881)