Congress

[Guest guest]

From: " Jill McWhinnie " <mcwhinnie@i...>

Date: Wed Oct 3, 2001 3:24 am

Subject: Fibroid tidbits

> Carla, I think the new format for Fibroid Tidbits looks great. Sounds

like

> NUFF is making progress with the new comittees that have been

established.

> Is there any progress with the legislation? What is the next step if

the

> bill is to progress further? Comittee hearings? I'm not American so

> unfortunately I can't write to my Congressperson in support of it. But

I do

> appreciate your lobbying efforts since they will ultimately benefit

all

> women with fibroids if research funding etc is made available.

Jill,

Thanks for the comments on the new FT design. In terms of legislation,

I would say that most of everything not directly related to terrorism,

military defense, or helping the airlines, etc. has gone " on hold " in

Congress here. I wouldn't expect business in Congress to return to

other items until after the new year. Even the appropriations budget

for 2002 Health and Human Services was delayed in approval and a

resolution passed to extend the current budget another month (I think

that's what happened) -- hopefully they'll have more time to deal with

it within another month.

I took on this effort with visiting members of the House and Senate as

an adjunct to attending a medical conference both this time and last

time I visited. Not really an all out concerted lobbying effort -- more

a personal sideline of something I wanted to do while " in town. " My

publisher was kind enough to donate copies of my books to give as gifts

to all the Senate offices on this last trip -- and some have already

sent me thank you cards. I felt a strong receptivity to my visits and

am hopeful for support on increased funding regarding this issue. Just

not anytime this year.

And, it will take a whole lot of other people doing what I chose to do

-- calling and simply talking to Congressional staff -- before the issue

has the attention it so deserves. Oh, and after the start of next year,

a lot of the staff I spoke to will be gone with new replacements doing

their job. That's simply the nature of working in these offices as

either staff or interns. So, if the calls or letters people wrote this

year didn't get to the Congressperson, it's worth trying again next year

with the new staff. Eventually, if enough people keep pushing the

envelope on the issue, something will happen in our favor. But it will,

no doubt, take time.

Lobbying Congress must be a unified effort by constituents. A personal,

one woman campaign is not worth a whole lot by itself. Others must

speak up and join in. And, *lobbying* per se is not within the mission

goals of NUFF. It's a separate activity outside of our 501©(3)

charter and money from NUFF (as if we actually HAVE any money!!! -- we

don't yet!) simply cannot be allocated to this effort. (Well, I think

that technically it can -- but it's just better to separate this kind of

activity into another arm of IRS jurisdiction.)

It's complicated, time consuming, not supported broadly enough by

members of the public calling or writing yet, and sometimes downright

discouraging. But, I do believe things will change. Wouldn't have

headed down this road if I didn't believe this. Everyone must pitch in

though. That's really the bottom line. I can't do it alone.

Carla