justinreilly
Senior Member
- Messages
- 2,498
- Location
- NYC (& RI)
http://www.occupycfs.com/2014/04/02/congress-we-need-an-rfa/
I am very happy to report that an effort is underway to secure Congressional support for a $7-10 million RFA for ME/CFS funding at NIH. And there is something YOU can do to help!
Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and 10 of her colleagues have signed a letter to Dr. Francis Collins, Director of NIH, asking him to follow the recommendation of the CFS Advisory Committee and allocate $7 to 10 million for an RFA. This would be money set aside for ME/CFS research (currently no money is guaranteed to ME/CFS). I’ve posted a copy of the letter for you to read and take to your own Congressman/woman.
What you can do:
I’m not responsible for getting this ball rolling, but it’s nice to see. I’ll be calling my Congressman tomorrow, and I hope you will too.
- Read the letter, and if your Representative has already signed then call his/her office to say thank you! This is very important because these offices track the feedback they receive. So call your Congressman’s office, and say: “I (my family/friend/etc) am a constituent, and I want to thank the Congressman for his/her support of research into the medical condition myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).”
- Thank Dr. Ben Gutman, the aide in Congresswoman Lofgren’s office, for making this happen. Email him at ben.gutman AT mail.house.gov.
- If your Representative has not signed the letter, then ask him/her to do so! Call the office, identify yourself as a constituent, and briefly tell them why ME/CFS research is important to you. Then ask that your Congressman/woman read the letter and consider signing. You can share both the letter and the introductory email (which begins “Dear Colleague”) with the office, because that email provides the context and contact information if they have questions. Do not worry if you only speak to a staff person and not your Representative. Congressional staffers are influential. Tell them that you will call back to follow up in 2-3 weeks – and then remember to do it.
- Report results. If your Congressman/woman signs the letter, then please let me know. Just post the name, state and Congressional district here. And if he/she did not sign, politely ask why and report that reason and the Representative’s name here, too.