H.R. 762 authorizes $75 million for lupus medical research through the National Institutes of Health (the current level is $43 million). It also authorizes $75 million to establish a grant program that would allow non-profit hospitals and community health centers to provide basic medical care to poor or uninsured lupus patients in medically under-served areas.
Members of Congress are more receptive to cosponsoring this bill when they have received a number of calls, letters or faxes on this issue from their constituents. That's where you can help. Below is a list of U.S. Representatives who have already signed on as a cosponsor of H.R. 762. Check the list to see if your Representative is among the current cosponsors. If you do not know the name of your U.S. Representative, set your web browser to http://congress.nw.dc.us/lfa/congdir.html and enter your zipcode in the box located at the bottom of the page, and then click on "go."
If your U.S. Representative is not on the list of cosponsors, contact his or her office immediately. Even if you have already contacted your Representative previously, do it again if he or she is not already a cosponsor of H.R. 762. You can call your Representative's office by dialing the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121. Give the operator your Representative's name and state. When connected to the office, ask to speak with the staff member who handles health issues, or leave a message with the receptionist. Tell the staff member you want your Representative to cosponsor H.R. 762. We also have created a special email message for the Lupus Research & Care Amendments Act.
Set your web browser to http://congress.nw.dc.us/lfa and enter your zipcode in the box under the heading "Write to Congress." Select the message, "I Urge Congress To Cosponsor the Lupus Research & Care Amendments Act." You can send the message as an email or print the message and send it as a fax or as a written letter via regular mail. You also can make copies of the letter and give them to other family members or friends to mail.
The Senate version of the Lupus Research & Care Amendments Act of 1999 is S. 1163. It essentially is the same as H.R. 762, except it authorizes $40 million for medical services. At the present time, only Senators Bennett (UT), Murray (WA), Schumer (NY) and Torricelli (NJ) have signed on as cosponsors of S. 1163. Ten Senators have indicated they are considering cosponsoring the bill. You can call your U.S. Senators or send an email or letter through the LFA Advocacy Web site using the same URL and phone number listed above.
There is no vote scheduled on either H.R. 762 or S. 1163 at this time. We must recruit additional cosponsors in both the House and Senate before either chamber will consider this legislation. So take action immediately.
We need your help to generate more Congressional support. Join with the Lupus Foundation of America to increase federal funding of lupus medical research.
Current Cosponsors for H.R. 762 As of September 30,1999 Arranged by State and Last Name State, Last Name, First Name
AR, Berry, Marion
AS, Faleomavaega, Enif F.H.
AZ, Hayworth, J.D.
AZ, Pastor, Ed
CA, Berman, Howard L.
CA, Bilbray, Brian P.
CA, Capps, Lois
CA, Dixon, Julian C.
CA, Dreier, David
CA, Farr, Sam
CA, Filner, Bob
CA, Lantos, Tom
CA, Lee, Barbara
CA, Lewis,,, Jerry
CA, Lofgren, Zoe
CA, Martinez, Matthew G.
CA, Matsui, Robert T.
CA, Millender-McDonald, Juanita
CA, Miller, Gary G.
CA, Napolitano, Grace F.
CA, Ose, Doug
CA, Pelosi, Nancy
CA, Roybal-Allard, Lucille
CA, Stark, Fortney Pete
CA, Tauscher, Ellen O.
CA, Thompson, Mike
CA, Waters, Maxine
CA, Waxman, Henry A.
CA, Woolsey, Lynn C.
CT, Gejdenson, Sam
CT, Johnson,, Nancy L.
CT, Larson, John B.
CT, Maloney, James H.
DC, Norton, Eleanor Holmes
FL, Brown, Corrine
FL, Deutsch, Peter
FL, Diaz-Balart, Lincoln
FL, Foley, Mark
FL, Hastings, Alcee L.
FL, Meek, Carrie P.
FL, Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana
FL, Shaw, Jr., E. Clay
FL, Thurman, Karen L.
FL, Wexler, Robert
GA, Bishop, Jr., Sanford
GA, Isakson, Johnny
GA, Lewis, John
GA, McKinney, Cynthia A.
HI, Mink, Patsy T.
IA, Boswell, Leonard L.
IL, Blagojevich, Rod R.
IL, Costello, Jerry F.
IL, Davis,,, Danny K.
IL, Evans, Lane
IL, Gutierrez, Luis V.
IL, Jackson, Jr., Jesse L.
IL, LaHood, Ray
IL, Lipinski, William O.
IL, Phelps, David D.
IL, Rush, Bobby L.
IL, Schakowsky, Janice D.
IN, Carson, Julia
IN, Roemer, Tim
KS, Moore, Dennis
KS, Moran, Jerry
LA, Jefferson, William J.
MA, Capuano, Michael E.
MA, Delahunt, William D.
MA, Frank, Barney
MA, McGovern, James P.
MA, Moakley, John Joseph
MA, Neal, Richard E.
MA, Olver, John W.
MD, Bartlett, Roscoe G.
MD, Cummings, Elijah E.
MD, Gilchrest, Wayne T.
MD, Morella, Constance A.
MD, Wynn, Albert Russell
ME, Allen, Thomas H.
ME, Baldacci, John Elias
MI, Bonior, David E.
MI, Conyers, Jr., John
MI, Kildee, Dale E.
MI, Kilpatrick, Carolyn C.
MI, Rivers, Lynn N.
MI, Stabenow, Debbie
MI, Stupak, Bart
MI, Upton, Fred
MN, Oberstar, James L.
MN, Vento, Bruce F.
MO, Clay, William
MO, Danner, Pat
MO, Emerson, Jo Ann
MO, McCarthy,, Karen
MO, Skelton, Ike
MS, Shows, Ronnie
MS, Thompson,, Bennie G.
NC, Clayton, Eva M.
NC, Etheridge, Bob
NC, Price, David E.
NC, Watt, Melvin L.
NJ, Andrews, Robert E.
NJ, Holt, Rush D.
NJ, Menendez, Robert
NJ, Pallone, Jr., Frank
NJ, Pascrell, Jr., Bill
NJ, Payne, Donald M.
NJ, Rothman, Steven R.
NJ, Saxton, Jim
NJ, Smith, Christopher H.
NY, Ackerman, Gary L.
NY, Boehlert, Sherwood L.
NY, Crowley, Joseph
NY, Engel, Eliot L.
NY, Gilman, Benjamin A.
NY, Hinchney, Maurice D.
NY, Houghton, Amo
NY, Kelly, Sue W.
NY, King, Peter T.
NY, LaFalce, John J.
NY, Lowey, Nita M.
NY, Maloney,, Carolyn
NY, McCarthy, Carolyn
NY, McHugh, John M.
NY, McNulty, Michael R.
NY, Meeks, Gregory W.
NY, Nadler, Jerold
NY, Owens, Major R.
NY, Quinn, Jack
NY, Rangel, Charles B.
NY, Serrano, Jose E.
NY, Slaughter, Louise McIntosh
NY, Towns, Edolphus
NY, Velazquez, Nydia M.
NY, Walsh, James T.
NY, Weiner, Anthony D.
OH, Brown,, Sherrod
OH, Hall, Tony P.
OH, Jones,, Stephanie Tubbs
OH, Kaptur, Marcy
OH, Kucinich, Dennis J.
OH, LaTourette, Steven C.
OH, Ney, Robert W.
OH, Pryce, Deborah
OK, Lucas,, Frank D.
OR, DeFazio, Peter A.
OR, Wu, David
PA, Borski, Robert A.
PA, Brady,, Robert A.
PA, Coyne, William J.
PA, Doyle, Michael F.
PA, English, Phil
PA, Fattah, Chaka
PA, Goodling, William F.
PA, Hoeffel, Joseph M.
PA, Holden, Tim
PA, Klink, Ron
PA, Mascara, Frank
PA, Murtha, John P.
PA, Sherwood, Don
PR, Romero-Barcelo, Carlos A.
RI, Kennedy, Patrick J.
SC, Clyburn, James E.
SC, Graham, Lindsey O.
SC, Spratt, Jr., John M.
TN, Clement, Bob
TN, Ford, Jr., Harold E.
TX, Bentsen, Ken
TX, Frost, Martin
TX, Gonzalez, Charles A.
TX, Green,, Gene
TX, Hinojosa, Ruben
TX, Jackson-Lee, Sheila
TX, Johnson,,, Eddie Bernice
TX, Lampson, Nick
TX, Reyes, Silvestre
TX, Rodriguez, Ciro D.
TX, Sandlin, Max
UT, Cook, Merrill
VA, Boucher, Rick
VA, Davis,, Thomas M.
VA, Goode, Jr., Virgil H.
VA, Moran,, James P.
VA, Scott, Robert C.
VA, Wolf, Frank R.
VI, Christian-Green, Donna M.
VT, Sanders, Bernard
WA, Dicks, Norman D.
WA, Inslee, Jay
WA, McDermott, Jim
WA, Mollohan, Alan B.
WI, Barrett,, Thomas M.
WV, Rahall II, Nick J.
WV, Wise, Jr., Robert E.
Get those e-mails out there folks. This is important.
