Senate Action! Deadline Monday May 25

[Emily Taylor]

Tell Your Senator to SUPPORT INCREASED FUNDING FOR POST-VIRAL-DISEASE RESEARCH INTO ME/CFS!
Thanks to your hard work during ME/CFS Advocacy Week, the U.S. Senate is currently circulating our request to include ME/CFS research funding in the next COVID-19 package.
Ask your Senator to sign-on to this effort today!

Our champion, Senator Ed Markey, is leading our initiative to include ME/CFS research funding in future COVID-19 response legislation. If successful, this request would bolster ME/CFS research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by including an additional $60 million for expanded research opportunities looking at connections between ME/CFS and COVID-19 survivors.

ME/CFS epidemics have historically followed viral outbreaks and experts are estimating significant surges in ME/CFS cases following the COVID-19 pandemic. It is essential that as many Senators as possible join this action in a united voice to call for increased funding for post-viral-disease research into ME/CFS.

Please contact your Senators TODAY and ask them to ask them to sign-on to this effort.

 

[frozenborderline]

Everybody please do this! Markey is one of our few allies in the Senate and for the first time in awhile were not just talking about symbolic resolutions, it's very significant amounts of money

 

[frozenborderline]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1260333073591406592

 

[andyguitar]

it's very significant amounts of money

Enough to be a game changer!

 

[Emily Taylor]

For folks who are able/interested in taking additional action, here's a sample email you can send to Senate offices and staff. If you'd like to get the contact information of your Senator's DC health staffer, email me at ETaylor@solvecfs.org - Let me know what State you live in and I will send you the email address for the right person.


Dear [NAME],
Thank you again for connecting with our team on April 21 about ME/CFS and COVID-19. We are so grateful for your time, especially during this turbulent crisis.
Following up on our previous conversation, I am pleased to share that Senator Markey is leading a sign-on letter to fund research initiatives on ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome) and COVID-19 survivors.
Up to 80% of cases of ME/CFS are initiated by a viral infection. And some researchers are predicting as many as 10% of COVID-19 survivors will still have symptoms in 6 months. In light of building evidence, I urgently urge Senator [LAST NAME] to support research and sign Senator Markey’s letter about ME/CFS and post-viral disease research.
You can review the letter at: https://solvecfs.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/COVID-19-ME.CFS-Markey-Letter-Support.pdf
Please contact Brianna Battle in the office of Senator Markey at: Brianna_Battle@markey.senate.gov by end of day Monday May 25 to confirm the Senator’s interest.
Thank you again for your time and support.
Sincerely,
{YOUR NAME}

Additional Materials that may be helpful:
· COVID-19 Recommendations from Solve M.E. (PDF) – an issue overview of post-viral ME/CFS following COVID-19
· “What does COVID-19 portend for ME/CFS?” (PDF) – Dr. Mady Hornig, Associate Professor of Epidemiology, Columbia University Medical Center
· “Will There Be a Post-COVID-19 Form of ME/CFS?” – Dr. Anthony Komaroff, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Senior Physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Editor in Chief, Harvard Health Letter
· FY 21 House Appropriations Letters ME/CFS – LHHS & DEFENSE (PDF)

 

[Emily Taylor]

Congrats team! Great success - bi-partisan support from 12 members of congress!

https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/...unding-in-upcoming-coronavirus-relief-package

 

[frozenborderline]

So is this merely symbolic or is that funding going to happen. Also why are we asking as a community for such low amounts? 15 million a year does not give me hope. If we truly have allies in Congress they should understand that...