Carrie Brought This Proposed Legislation To My Attention

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Dear Friend of CCFA:

We urgently need YOU to come to Washington, D.C. to help us pass the IBD Research Act of 2005 in Congress! Join us November 9-10 for CCFA's third annual "IBD Day on the Hill."

You were selected to receive this communication because of your previous commitment to CCFA and because you live in the district or state of a key Congressional committee member (please see list below).

We will arrange for patients and family members to visit key health committee members in the House and the Senate to discuss with their legislators, first hand, the importance of this Bill and to ask for their support. All patient and family visitors will be trained and briefed by CCFA's advocacy experts before they make their visits.

The deadline for registration is October 1st 2005. To register, click here!

http://tinyurl.com/avrq8

Building on the success of legislation focused on Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis in the 108th Congress, Congresswoman Sue Kelly (R-NY) and Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL) introduced H.R. 3616, the "Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research Act," in the House of Representatives on July 29th.

The IBD Research Act proposes to:

* Dramatically increase research funding at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIDDK) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with a focus on pediatric research.

* Reserve significant funds for the training of new research investigators , including pediatric specialists.

* Require the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop a "National Inflammatory Bowel Disease Action Plan" focused on epidemiology, public and professional awareness, and prevention and to submit a "comprehensive report to the Congress to address the burden of inflammatory bowel disease in both adult and pediatric populations."

All IBD Day on the Hill 2005 event costs, including dinner on Wednesday evening and the breakfast/training session Thursday morning, will be covered by CCFA. CCFA will also provide you with transportation, without cost, from the Hilton Garden Inn, to our conference center, located on Capitol Hill where the programs will be held. Patients and family members are responsible for their hotel and travel costs.

We have a limited number of spaces available, and our goal is to enlist representation from as many of the critical states and districts as is possible. The deadline for registration is October 1st, 2005. Please register soon! If you have additional questions, please feel free to call Amy Friedman at 800-932-2423, ext. 239.


AGENDA

IBD DAY ON THE HILL 2005: NOVEMBER 9TH AND 10TH
Wednesday, November 9th:
4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. -- Registration
6:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. -- Dinner at the hotel

Thursday, November 10th:
7:30 a.m. -- Registration desk opens
8:00 a.m. -- Breakfast buffet opens
8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. -- Training for legislative visits
10:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. -- Legislative visits on Capitol Hill
4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. -- Debriefing: Meet with CCFA representatives at designated area of one of the cafeterias on Capitol Hill; then, head home!


KEY LEGISLATORS

Please note: This is an abbreviated list of key committee members. For a full list, click here.

http://www.ccfa.org/advocacy/committee? ... id=1076605

SENATE:
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

* Mike Enzi (R-WY), Chairman
* Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Ranking Member

Committee on Appropriations
Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies

* Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA), Chairman
* Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Ranking Member

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
Committee on Energy and Commerce

* Joe Barton (R-TX), Chairman
* Michael Bilirakis (R-FL), Vice Chairman
* Charles "Chip" Pickering (R-MS), Vice Chairman
* John D. Dingell (D-MI), Ranking Member

Health Subcommittee on Energy and Commerce

* Nathan Deal (R-GA), Chairman
* Mike Ferguson, (R-NJ), Vice Chairman
* Sherrod Brown, (D, OH), Ranking Member

Committee on Appropriations
Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies

* Ralph Regula (R-OH), Chairman
* Anne Northup (R-KY), Vice Chairman
* David R. Obey (D-WI), Ranking Member


Web site: http://www.ccfa.org/
E-mail: info@ccfa.org
Phone: 800-932-2423

CCFA's mission is to cure and prevent Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis through research, and to improve the quality of life of children and adults affected by these digestive diseases through education and support.