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Act now - thank US Senator Ed Markey who has offered to be ME's advocate

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
Edit: the email address in the article below doesn't seem to work, @RivkaRivka.

Rivka Solomon did a stellar job on Thursday in getting Senator Ed Markey to offer to be a champion for ME in the US Senate, to put pressure on the NIH to get more funding.

She wants people to write immediately to thank him, to apply positive pressure to keep his enthusiasm up and hold him to his promise.

Details in this article (including some text for you to send if you like) and here's Rivka in action.


Can't hurt to write from overseas either, I'm thinking!

Edit: It will carry extra weight if you're from Massachusetts, because you'll be his constituent! But I've written to him, even from the UK. Let's let him know what a big deal this is, and how grateful we are.
 
Last edited:

Denise

Senior Member
Messages
1,095
I think most US senators and representatives limit who can contact them (using the online forms) to their constituents.

In a case like this, the focus is healthcare/research funding so it might be easiest to contact Sen. Markey's health legislative aide. ( avenel underscore joseph at mail dot house dot gov )
 

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
Is anyone in touch with @RivkaRivka, or has a log-in so that they can post on that #MEAction article? This is a very good advocacy idea indeed and it would be a shame if we couldn't support it as fully as it deserves because of these issues. Maybe Rivka could touch base with Senator Markey or his team to ask how he'd prefer people to thank/contact him?
 

RivkaRivka

Senior Member
Messages
368
Hi everyone! Thank you so much for your kind words!

I sincerely apologize for an incorrect email address going into the article that is linked above, the article asking people to email the Senator.

Update: Apparently the senator does not have an email address?!

Besides, we have now heard that they weigh phone calls much more heavily than an email or their "contact us" form. And it takes about 30 seconds to call.

His number is 202–224-2742, and just say to his receptionist: "Senator Markey: Thank you for promising in Northampton to advocate for M.E. Millions of disabled Americans with ME desperately need a champion to fight for them on Capitol Hill." Or something like that.

Please ask your friends to call too.

If you cannot call, then please do use the "contact us" form on his website. (I heard a couple of people from around the country who do not live in Massachusetts are using any ZIP Code for Massachusetts they can find.)

Thank you!

-- Rivka
 

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
Besides, we have now heard that they weigh phone calls much more heavily than an email or their "contact us" form. And it takes about 30 seconds to call.

His number is 202–224-2742, and just say to his receptionist: "Senator Markey: Thank you for promising in Northampton to advocate for M.E. Millions of disabled Americans with ME desperately need a champion to fight for them on Capitol Hill." Or something like that.

Please ask your friends to call too.

If you cannot call, then please do use the "contact us" form on his website. (I heard a couple of people from around the country who do not live in Massachusetts are using any ZIP Code for Massachusetts they can find.)

Hi Rivka - thanks so much for putting this question to the senator at the meeting. You did a really great job and it's exciting that he made this offer.

Given that you've got some updates on the best channels for people to use to advocate to Senator Markey, I wonder if it's worth your putting out an update to the action via the daily #MEAction newsletter? That way, you'd maximise the number of calls.
 

RivkaRivka

Senior Member
Messages
368
Hi Rivka - thanks so much for putting this question to the senator at the meeting. You did a really great job and it's exciting that he made this offer.

Given that you've got some updates on the best channels for people to use to advocate to Senator Markey, I wonder if it's worth your putting out an update to the action via the daily #MEAction newsletter? That way, you'd maximise the number of calls.

@Sasha thanks for the suggestion. MEAction did edit the original article to reflect all these changes just a few hours after the original article went out. So I think we might be OK. But I can ask them.