Does YOUR U.S. Rep Support Psoriasis Research?

[jshearer]

The government's $28 BILLION medical research budget is up for grabs, and you can help ensure that psoriasis gets its fair share.

As a result of our Capitol Hill Day, Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) and Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Penn.) are leading the charge to increase psoriasis research funding. Please contact your U.S. representative (http://www.capwiz.com/psoriasis/issues/alert/?alertid=7637081&type=CO) and request that he or she sign Rep. Lynch and Rep. Murphy's "Dear Colleague" letter supporting psoriasis research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

In early June, Reps. Lynch and Murphy will send this "Dear Colleague" letter to the two powerful members of the House of Representatives who control funding for the NIH. The more signatures on this letter, the more Congress will recognize the importance of funding psoriasis research.

Please contact your U.S. rep NOW! (http://www.capwiz.com/psoriasis/issues/alert/?alertid=7637081&type=CO)

Thanks,
Joey

[MikeK]

That was easy!

Thanks, Joey!

Mike

[ouchyk]

Bump for today, please help yourself by asking your representative to sign on.

[jshearer]

Making a short phone call is another important way of communicating with Congress. Every congressional office receives dozens, if not hundreds, of phone calls from their constituents every day. If you are patient and polite, your phone call can be VERY EFFECTIVE. Below is an outline and talking points for an effective phone call.

You can find your representative and his or her phone number HERE (http://capwiz.com/psoriasis/dbq/officials/). Note: this message is not for senators, only for members of the House of Representatives.


When the receptionist answers:

● My name is [YOUR NAME]. I am constituent from [CITY, STATE].

● I’m calling to speak to the Representative’s “health staffer.”
-If staff person is not available: “Could you please put me through to voicemail?”


When staff person answers or you get to voicemail:

● Hi, this is [YOUR NAME] from [CITY, STATE].

● I am calling to personally ask that the Representative sign on to the “Dear Colleague” letter supporting psoriasis research funding, dated May 18, that Congressman Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) and Congressman Tim Murphy (R-Penn.) are co-leading.

● NIAMS spends about $5 million, or only about $1 per American with psoriasis, on research for a disease which costs more than $4 billion annually to treat.

● (OPTIONAL) The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) supports the vast majority of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis research at the NIH. However, since 1995, while NIH funding has increased 99 percent, even after inflation, funding for psoriasis at NIAMS has decreased 9 percent.

● An estimated 12,000 people in the Representative’s district have psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis.

● For more information, or to sign onto the letter, please contact Caroline Powers in Rep. Lynch’s office at 5-8273 or Michael Baxter in Rep. Murphy’s office at 5-2301

● The deadline to sign on to this Dear Colleague is Tuesday, May 31.

● My phone number is [YOUR PHONE NUMBER].

● Thank you very much. I hope the Representative will support psoriasis research.


REMEMBER TO SHARE WHAT YOU LEARN FROM YOUR REPRESENTATIVE WITH THE NATIONAL PSORIASIS FOUNDATION.