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URGENT ADVOCACY ACTION! House FY20 Funding Requests

Emily Taylor

Senior Member
Messages
149
Location
Los Angeles, CA
URGENT ACTION ALERT: SUPPORT A FUNDING INCREASE FOR ME/CFS!
We need YOU to contact your U.S. Representative. Your voice makes all the difference.

Our champions, Congressmembers Lofgren and Eshoo, are currently asking for support for TWO requests that can increase funding for ME/CFS research!
  1. Requesting $9.9 million for ME/CFS programs at the CDC (Labor-HHS committee)
  2. Adding ME/CFS to the Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Program (Defense committee)
Please contact your member of the House of Representatives TODAY and ask them to sign-on to these efforts.

Click Here to Take Action

Advanced Advocates! Check out the Action Alert webpage to take your advocacy to the next level.
 

Emily Taylor

Senior Member
Messages
149
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Links to the letters:
letter to the Labor-HHS Committee
letter to the Defense Committee

Sample Request E-mail:
Support Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) in FY2020

Dear Representative XXXXX,

I am writing to ask you to co-sign two appropriations request letters currently being circulated by Congressmembers Lofgren and Eshoo.

As a constituent impacted by this devastating illness, I care deeply about improving and accelerating the government response that has been called "America's Hidden Health Crisis" by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The first is to Labor HHS in support of $9.9 million for ME/CFS programs at the CDC and for accompanying report language. The second is to Defense requesting the inclusion of report language adding ME/CFS to the list of Congressionally Directed Topic Areas in the Department of Defense’s Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP).

As you may know, ME/CFS is a chronic, complex, multi-system disease characterized by profound fatigue, cognitive impairment, sleep disorders, autonomic dysfunction, chronic pain, and other symptoms often exacerbated by exertion of any sort. ME/CFS goes undiagnosed in about 90 percent of patients.

Increased funding would allow the CDC to continue existing ME/CFS programs as well as conduct an epidemiological study, improve medical education on ME/CFS, and develop an Extension for Community Health Outcomes (ECHO) program.
Much needed funding, focused research, reliable data, and improved medical education will strengthen support for and improve the lives ME/CFS patients across the country. We hope you will join us in urging the Appropriations Committee to provide increased funding for ME/CFS and to include ME/CFS in PRMRP’s authorized topic areas.


Priscilla Kim in Rep. Lofgren’s office at Priscilla.Kim@mail.house.gov, or x53072. The deadline to sign on is COB, Wednesday, March 27th.

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Read the Labor-HHS request here: https://solvecfs.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/FY20-Letter-ME∕-CFS-Funding-Request-Labor-HHS.pdf

Read the Defense request here: https://solvecfs.org/wp-content/upl...ter-ME_CFS-Language-Request-Defense-final.pdf