TO: AST Public Policy Staff
Members of the American Society of Transplantation
FROM: AST Public Policy Staff
DATE: June 24, 1999
RE: Help Promote the Increase of NIH Funding

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED: MEMBERS OF CONGRESS NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU REGARDING INCREASED FUNDING FOR THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH (NIH)

Background

As the budget season moves forward, Congress must begin to make difficult choices regarding specific FY 2000 funding levels for a variety of domestic programs, including the budget for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) including the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), and the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). This process has been made more difficult with the passage of the 1997 Balanced Budget Act, which placed "caps," or limits, on overall government spending. Further, the Administration proposed to increase NIH funding for FY 2000 by only 2.1 %. This level is unacceptable and would throw off course the important bipartisan goal set by Congress to double NIH research funding by the year 2003.

As a result, it is imperative that AST members communicate to their Members of Congress regarding the need for increased and sustained funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), specifically for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), and the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).

Action Items:

1. By July 16^th, forward a letter to your Senator or Representative on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies. If your Senator or Representative does not sit on this committee, please forward a letter to Chairman Specter (R-PA) and Ranking Member Harkin (D-IA) in the Senate and Chairman Porter (R-ILL) and Ranking Member Obey (D-WI) in the House. A sample letter is also attached for your convenience. Please personalize the letter by placing the text on to your letterhead and adding information about your involvement in transplantation and the role that research plays in transplantation science that demonstrates the need for increased funding for NIH. The membership list of the House and Senate Subcommittees, which is also attached, will provide you with the Committee members' names, addresses, and phone numbers.

2. Please follow up the letter with a phone call. AST members can contact their Representatives and Senators on the Appropriations Subcommittee by using the phone numbers listed below. Please ask for the staff person who covers health issues. Request that your Member of Congress support a 15% increase in funding for NIH. Tell him/her about the transplants you perform to save lives and how biomedical research makes that possible. Share with them statistics about transplantation and the impact on patients.

Jodi Chappell
AST Public Policy Staff
1200 19^th Street, NW Suite 300
Washington, D.C. 20036
Fax: (202) 857-1115
Phone: (202) 857-5322
June 1999

3. Please forward copies of your letters, and any responses you may receive to:

The Honorable _______________
Address
City, State Zip

Dear Representative or Senator:

As a concerned citizen and member of the American Society of Transplantation, I am writing to ask that you take an active role in providing the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with a 15% increase in funding for FY 2000. Specifically, I am asking that you provide an additional 15% for NIH, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), and the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Your support is crucial.

Medical research remains the best hope to reduce human suffering. The Administration proposed to provide only a modest budget increase of 2.3% for NIH in FY 2000. As a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, please take action that will secure the full 15% budget increase for NIH that will benefit NIAID, NHLBI, and NIDDK.

The American Society of Transplantation is an organization of 1,300 transplant physicians and scientists within the specialties of nephrology, gastroenterology, immunology, cardiology, pulmonology, surgery, and pediatrics who are dedicated to research, education, advocacy and patient care in transplantation science and medicine.

On behalf of millions of transplant patients and their families across the country, thank you very much for your immediate attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,
Member
American Society of Transplantation

Senate Appropriations

Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, Education and Related Agencies

Republicans:

Arlen Specter, R-PA (Chairman)
711 Hart SOB
Washington, DC 20510
phone: 202-224-4254

Ted Stevens
522 Hart SOB
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2354

Thad Cochran, R-MS
326 Russell SOB
Washington, DC 20510
phone: 202-224-5054

Slade Gorton, R-WA
730 Hart SOB
Washington, DC 20510
phone: 202-224-3441

Judd Gregg, R-NH
393 Russell SOB
Washington, DC 20510
phone: 202-224-3324

Jon Kyl, R-AZ
724 Hart SOB
Washington, DC 20510
phone: 202-224-2207

Larry E. Craig, R-ID
520 Hart SOB
Washington, DC 20510
phone: 202-224-2752

Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-TX
284 Russell SOB
Washington, DC 20510
phone: 202-224-59221

Democrats:

Tom Harkin, D-IA (Ranking Member)
531 Hart SOB
Washington, DC 20510
staffer: Sabrina Corlette
phone: 202-224-3254

Ernest Hollings, D-SC
125 Russell SOB
Washington, DC 20510
staffer: Laura Morris
phone: 202-224-6121

Daniel Inouye
722 Hart SOB
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: 202-224-3934

Harry Reid, D-NV
528 Hart SOB
Washington, DC 20510
phone: 202-224-3542

Herbert H. Kohl, D-WI
330 Hart SOB
Washington, DC 20510
phone: 202-224-5653

Patty Murray, D-WA
111 Russell SOB
Washington, D.C. 20510
phone: 202-224-2621

Dianne Feinstein
331 Hart SOB
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: 202-224-3841

House Appropriations

Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, Education and Related Agencies

Republicans:

John Edward Porter, R-Ill.-10 (Chairman)
2373 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
phone: 202-225-4835

C.W. (Bill) Young, R-Fla.-10
2407 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
phone: 202-225-5961

Henry Bonilla, R-Texas -23
1427 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515
phone: 202-225-4511

Ernest J. Istook Jr., R-Okla.-5
2404 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
phone: 202-225-2132

Dan Miller, R-Fla.-13
102 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515
phone: 202-225-5015

Jay W. Dickey, R-Ark. 4
2453 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
phone: 202-225-3772

Roger Wicker, R-Miss.- 1
206 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515
phone: 202-225-4306

Anne Northup, R-Kent.-3
1004 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515
phone: 202-225-5401

Randy Cunningham R-Cal
2238 Rayburn HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
phone 202-225-5452

Democrats:

David R. Obey, D-Wis.-7
2314 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
phone: 202-225-3365

Steny H. Hoyer, D-Md.-5
1705 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515
phone: 202-225-4131

Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.- 8
2457 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
phone: 202-225-4965

Nita M. Lowey, D-N.Y.-18
2421 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
phone: 202-225-6506

Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn. 3
436 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515
phone: 202-225-3661

Jesse Jackson, Jr. D-Ill.-2
313 Cannon HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: 202-225-0773