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American Pediatric Society & Society for Pediatric Research Public Policy Council |
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January 2008 Legislative Report |
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OVERVIEW The first session of the 110th Congress was marked by both grand action and great inaction on issues related to children and adolescents. On the one hand, the five-year reauthorization of the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act (BPCA), the Pediatric Research Equity Act (PREA) and the a new pediatric device legislation, the Pediatric Medical Device Safety and Improvement Act, was passed by Congress and signed by the president in September. On the other hand, despite several bipartisan proposals and strong advocacy from the pediatric community, Congress’ failed to override two vetoes to reauthorize the State Child Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). In the final hours of the first session, the 110th Congress settled for an extension of SCHIP with $1.6 billion in funding through March 2009. The following is a summary of recent federal legislative and regulatory activities of interest to the pediatric academic community. We hope that this information will assist you in your advocacy during the second session of the 110th Congress that begins January 15 in the House and January 22 in the Senate. We encourage you to share this information with your colleagues. Members of the American Pediatric Society, Society for Pediatric Research and the Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs are urged to reach out to your members of Congress to advocate for key child health and pediatric-specific issues. The report includes information on the following issues:
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Pediatric Research
PEDIATRIC RESEARCH National Institutes of Heath (NIH)—Appropriations: The President requested $28.858 billion for the National Institutes of Health for FY 2008—a $511 million cut from the FY 2007 funding level. The Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research, which includes the PPC as a participant, spearheaded an effort to increase NIH funding by 6.7% over FY 2007 levels, totaling $30.8 billion for FY 2008. However, despite our best advocacy efforts, the final allocation for the NIH in the FY 2008 omnibus spending bill is $29.9 billion, an increase of $329 million. This is an increase of 1.1% above FY 2007. Of this amount $201 million is transferred to the Global HIV/AIDS Fund. This allocation includes the 1.74% across the board cut made in the omnibus spending bill for all domestic discretionary programs in FY 2008. The FY 2008 National Institute of Child Health and Human Development allocation is $1.254 billion. National Children’s Study (NCS) – Appropriations: Despite the President’s FY 2008 budget proposal to provide no funding for the NCS, funding for the NIH’s NCS in FY 2008 is at the advocacy community’s requested amount of $111 million. This is a big victory for children, adolescents, and pediatric research. The $111 million allocation, in new funds, was a result of the extensive advocacy efforts of the entire pediatric and adolescent medicine community in conjunction with the March of Dimes and the support of members of Congress, such as, Representatives Doris Matsui (D-CA) and Chris Smith (R-NJ) who co-chair the congressional NCS caucus. On January 10, 2008, the National Children's Study announced that its plans to fund 10-15 additional Study Centers to manage Study operations in communities across the country. The RFP release is expected in late January or early February. The due date for proposals in response to this solicitation is anticipated to be on or about April 1, 2008. Additional information on the NCS Pre-Solicitation Notice can be found on the Federal Business Opportunities Web site at http://www.fbo.gov/spg/HHS/NIH/NICHD/Reference-Number-NIH-NICHD-NCS-08-21/listing.html. We will begin to plan our strategy for the coming fiscal year – FY 2009 - in the weeks ahead. National Children’s Study— Research Plan: The NCS Research plan was made available for public review and comment in July 2007. The research plan describes the Study's background, design, measures, and the rationale for those selections in sufficient detail so that readers can understand the basis of the Study and how it will be carried out. In addition, the NCS Program Office sought review of its research plan by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). Members of the NAS review panel include pediatricians Ellen Wright Clayton, MD, JD and Marie McCormick, MD, ScD. The NAS has commenced their review of the plan. It is anticipated to take approximately 6-9 months. Further information and updates on the NCS may be found at: http://www.nationalchildrensstudy.gov. NICHD – name change: Prior to adjournment, Congress approved and the president signed a bill to rename the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) of the NIH the "Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development" in recognition of Mrs. Shriver's role in the creation of NICHD. NIH - Pediatric Research Center Establishment Act: A draft legislative proposal to create pediatric research consortia is awaiting introduction in the second session of the 110th Congress by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Kit Bond (R-MO). There are also efforts underway to identify suitable members of the House of Representatives to introduce a companion bill. The legislation would allow the “Director of the NIH acting through the Director of the NICHD to award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to public and nonprofit entities to pay all of part of the cost of planning, establishing, and providing basic operating support for up to 20 national pediatric research consortia.” The PPC continues to support and will closely monitor the introduction of this pediatric research consortia bill. The PPC will update member societies on the progress of the bill while continuing to reiterate the need for increased funding with new money at the NIH to support overall research overall, including pediatric research. NIH Consultation Meeting on Peer Review with Professional Societies: During the 2007 summer, the Peer Review Working Group of the Advisory Committee to the Director of the NIH hosted a consultation meeting with professional societies on the NIH peer review process. Dr Elias Zerhouni, Director of the NIH, and Drs. Keith Yamamoto and Lawrence Tabak, Co-Chairs of the Peer Review Working Group, were the moderators. Tina Cheng, MD, President-Elect of APA; Renée Jenkins, MD, President of the AAP; Phyllis Dennery, MD, President of SPR; and Elizabeth Goodman, MD, liaison to the AAP’s Committee on Pediatric Research, representing the Society for Adolescent Medicine; and Washington Office staff represented the pediatric and adolescent health community at the meeting. Participants commented on a variety of topics, including who should serve on study sections, how the review process should be structured, how the burden on reviewers can be decreased, and how the plethora of NIH grant mechanisms can be consolidated or simplified to streamline the review process. In a December NIH follow-up meeting several suggestions were made: including, a rolling review of grants similar to journal review might be considered; possibly decreasing the length of the application to 7-pages down from 25 pages; applications from young investigators would receive some priority, consider the elimination of the point scale. Comments on NIH National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) Strategic Plan: In July 2007, NIH National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) published a notice in the Federal Register requesting comments and input as it develops a new Strategic Plan covering 2009 - 2013. The purpose of the plan is to ensure that NCRR remains responsive to the emerging needs of biomedical researchers and provides them with the infrastructure, tools, and training they need to understand, detect, treat, and prevent a wide range of diseases. The NCRR requested input from biomedical scientists, by August 31, to define future needs for shared research resources and technologies that facilitate NIH-supported biomedical research. Widely disseminated in the pediatric community with individual pediatricians encouraged to submit comments through the web site. One of the notable comments expressed was the concern that the Clinical and Translational Science Awards’ (CTSA) current configuration and focus on “institution-specific awards” may bring unintended consequences and potentially jeopardize pediatric clinical research. Following the strategic planning forum held by NCRR in December 2007, the director of the NCRR advised that NCRR had received over 500 comments on their web site. The NCRR’s next step to seek comments on the draft plan by February 2008 and share the NCRR strategic and action plan with the public in May 2008. Additional information on the strategic plan is available online at: http://www.ncrr.nih.gov/strategic_plan/ Stem Cells: For the second time in two years, President Bush vetoed the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007, S. 5, on June 20, 2007. This legislation would expand the number of stem cell lines that are eligible for federal funding and allow federal funding for research using stem cells derived from embryos originally created for fertility treatments and willingly donated by patients. Currently, federal funding for embryonic stem cell research is allowed only for research using embryonic stem cell lines created on or before Aug. 9, 2001, under a policy announced by President Bush on that date. Although an effort was made to add a stem cell expansion provision to the FY 2008 L-HHS-E Appropriations it was not included in the final FY 2008 Omnibus appropriations bill. The next steps at this time are uncertain. Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA): H.R. 493/ S.358 The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) was reintroduced in the House of Representatives and the Senate in January 2007. By an overwhelming vote of 420-3, the House bill passed on April 25. The Senate bill still awaits a vote on the Senate floor. A vote had been scheduled to occur prior to adjournment; however, Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) continues to have a hold on the legislation delaying such a vote from moving forward. GINA prohibits discrimination on the basis of genetic information with respect to health insurance and employment. Its purpose is to establish basic legal protections that will enable and encourage individuals to take advantage of genetic screening, counseling, testing, and new therapies that will result from the scientific advances in the field of genetics. The legislation also prevents health insurers from denying coverage or adjusting premiums based on an individual's predisposition to a genetic condition, and prohibits employers from discriminating on the basis of predictive genetic information. Additionally, GINA would stop both employers and insurers from requiring applicants to submit to genetic tests, maintain strict use and disclosure requirements of genetic test information, and impose penalties against employers and insurers who violate these provisions. The Public Policy Council continues to strongly support genetic nondiscrimination legislation. Agency For Healthcare Research And Quality (AHRQ): The Friends of AHRQ, that includes APS, SPR, and AMSPDC as member organizations, urged Congress to include $350 million for AHRQ in the FY 2008 spending bill. AHRQ received $319 million in FY 2007. The final version of the FY 2008 spending bill includes $335 million for AHRQ. This is an additional $5 million provided for activities to reduce infections for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureas (MRSA) and related infections. There is also a $30 million allocation to AHRQ’s overall budget, consistent with the House and Senate for comparative effectiveness research. At this time there is no serious discussion about the reauthorization of AHRQ. PEDIATRIC DRUGS AND MEDICAL DEVICES The Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act (BPCA) and the Pediatric Research Equity Act (PREA): Congress overwhelmingly approved the reauthorization of BPCA and PREA in 2007. The president signed the Food and Drug Revitalization Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-85) legislation into law on September 27. PREA gives FDA the authority to require pediatric studies of drugs for the on-label indication only, i.e., when the pediatric use for the product would be the same as the designated adult use. When PREA was codified in 2003, it for the first time, established the presumption that certain new drugs and biologics must be tested for children and be produced in formulations (e.g., liquids or chewable tablets) appropriate for children. BPCA provides an incentive to drug manufacturers of an additional six months of marketing exclusivity for conducting pediatric studies of drugs that the FDA determines may be useful to children. Pediatric Medical Device Safety and Improvement Act of 2007: As part of the Food and Drug Revitalization Act of 2007 the Pediatric Medical Device Safety and Improvement Act of 2007 was included and as such was signed into law on September 27. The legislation provides incentives to the medical device industry to produce new pediatric devices by lifting restrictions on profit from the Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE) and creating new consortia to stimulate device development from idea to marketplace. The law gives FDA additional regulatory mechanisms to track pediatric device needs as well as provide increased post-market surveillance for adverse events in children as recommended by IOM. PEDIATRIC WORKFORCE GME Financing for Children’s Hospitals (CHGME)–Appropriations: The PPC, working under the leadership of the National Association of Children’s Hospitals (NACH) in conjunction with the Academy and others, urged the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to increase funding for the CHGME program to $330 million; this is the full authorization level. The final FY 2008 funding level for CHGME is $302 million, an increase of $5 million (3%) above FY 2007 and $192 million more than the president’s original budget request. Title VII Health Professions Program and Title VIII Nursing Professions Program – Appropriations: The APS, SPR, and AMSPDC continue to participate in and support the advocacy efforts of the Health Professions and Nursing Education Coalition (HPNEC), led by the AAMC. The coalition supports adequate funding for the Title VII Health Professions Training Programs and the Title VIII Nursing Programs. This has been a particularly challenging task over the past several years as Title VII has received substantial funding cuts year after year. In FY 2005, Title VII received a final appropriation of $300 million. However, in FY 2006 and FY 2007 funding was slashed. Funding for FY 2008 was approved at the level of $194 million for Title VII, an increase of 5.0 percent and $156 million for the Nursing Programs, Title VIII, an increase of 4.3 percent. Congress has not been the only obstacle to fully funding Title VII. President Bush’s Budget requests have repeatedly recommended funding only the Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students program (SDS)—at $10 million—with no funding whatsoever for the myriad of other programs, including primary care medicine, including pediatrics, that make-up Title VII. This pattern continued in the Administration’s FY 2008 budget proposal and it is anticipated that the same will occur in the president’s FY 2009 budget proposal set to be released on February 4, 2008. Title VII Health Professions Program—Reauthorization: It remains to be seen what action, if any, will take place during the second session of the 110th Congress on reauthorizing Title VII. However, there has been recent interest in the Senate. The pediatric community will begin a dialogue with congressional staff in the coming months to discuss how the Title VII program should look in the future. Higher Education Act Reauthorization (HEA): On September 27, 2007, the President signed the "College Cost Reduction and Access Act" (CCRAA, HR 2669, H. Rpt. 110-317), the budgetary provisions of the current HEA reauthorization. Among the most notable changes, the measure includes a change to the definition of economic hardship deferment. The bill also creates a new income-based repayment and "public service" loan forgiveness program. In a December letter to the AAMC from the Assistant Secretary of Post Secondary Education in the U.S. Department of Education, the letter confirms that the debt-to-income ratio (20/220) qualifying pathway for economic hardship has not been changed. Furthermore, the letter notes that changes in the economic hardship poverty line requirements will expand eligibility for the program. The letter does not indicate any end date for the debt-to-income ratio pathway or the Department of Education's intentions for the upcoming round of negotiated rulemaking. Lenders currently should be offering - and should never have stopped accepting applications for the economic hardship deferment from medical residents that qualify under the debt-to-income ratio. MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH BLOCK GRANT Appropriations: The President’s FY 2008 budget requested $693 million for the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant. This is the same amount the program received in FY 2006 and in the current fiscal year, FY 2007. The Academy as part of the Friends of Title V to request $750 for the program, a request that the House-passed L-HHS-E Appropriations Bill granted. While the Title V Maternal & Child Health Services Block Grant initially saw a proposed increase to $678 million, in order to find common ground with the administration, all programs in the bill were subject to a 1.74 percent across the board cut dropping the MCH health block grant to $666 million for FY 2008. The bill separates some existing funding from a SPRANS (Special Projects of Regional and National Significance) set aside and creates a new line item called Autism and Related Developmental Disabilities. This new line item in the MCHB budget provides $36.3 million for autism and other developmental disorder initiatives that support surveillance, early detection, education and intervention activities as authorized in the Combating Autism Act of 2006. This is an increase of $17 million above FY 2007. The remaining SPRANS funding is $100,937,000 of MCH block grant funding for SPRANS projects. Some of the state grants that are included in this funding are: resources to help women preparing for childbirth and first time parents, oral health demonstration projects, sickle cell community demonstrations, continuing newborn and child screening for heritable disorders, and fetal alcohol syndrome demonstrations. EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES FOR CHILDREN EMSC—Reauthorization: The EMSC program’s authorization expired in late 2005, but the program has yet to be reauthorized. On the first day of the first session of the 110th Congress, Senators Inouye (D-HI) and Hatch (R-UT) introduced an EMSC reauthorization bill, S. 60, the Wakefield Act. It currently has 9 cosponsors. The House version, HR 2464, introduced by Representatives Matheson (D-UT), Capps (D-CA) and King (R-NY) has 68 cosponsors. No floor action has occurred in either chamber but efforts are being made to get this legislation passed and signed by the president in the early part of the year. EMSC—Appropriations: The President’s FY 2008 Budget once again zeroed-out funding for the EMSC program. The final FY 2008 Omnibus spending bill included $19.454 million, a slight decrease from FY 2007 because of the across-the-board cut of 1.74%. ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE Reauthorization of the State Child Health Insurance Program (SCHIP): On August 1, the House voted 225-204 to approve legislation, H.R. 3162, the Children’s Health and Medicare Protection Act (CHIP), which would reauthorize the State Child Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and make changes to the Medicare program. The legislation would increase SCHIP funding by $50 billion over five years. On August 2, the Senate passed, by a vote of 68-31, the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) of 2007, S. 1893/ H.R. 976. The 5-year, $35 billion reauthorization package preserves the enrollment of 1.9 million beneficiaries who would likely lose overage under current funding levels, enrolls 1.6 million SCHIP-eligible children not yet in the program, and expands SCHIP eligibility to 1.1 million more children. The funding increase is offset by 61 cents per pack increase in federal tobacco taxes and a series of SCHIP cuts beginning in FY 2014. Veto and Veto Override: The President vetoed CHIPRA on October 3rd. The $35 billion reauthorization was a compromise between the House-passed $50 billion proposal and the Senate-passed $35 billion proposal. The additional money was funded by a 61-cent per pack increase in tobacco taxes. The bill received a veto-proof margin in the Senate (67-29), but was approximately 13 votes short of a two-thirds majority in the House (265-159). The House failed an attempt to override the veto on October 18. Following that first vote, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, said the House would immediately begin work on another SCHIP bill to send to the Bush and on October 25, House leaders brought up a modified SCHIP bill that they hoped would attract several more Republicans in order to achieve a veto-proof majority. The bill included stricter limits on federal poverty level eligibility, stricter coverage of childless adults, and stricter citizen documentation requirements. The bill passed but failed to sway any additional Republicans. It moved on to the Senate, which passed the bill November 1. The president vetoed the bill on December 12 and a second veto override failed. From October 1 through December, SCHIP was funded through a Continuing Resolution (CR) until Congress finally passed an extension of SCHIP through March 2009. The extension includes an additional $1.6 billion to ensure that those states that may have a shortfall will be funded. It is anticipated that this additional funding will cover the currently enrolled children in SCHIP but will not provide any additional funding to enroll any new children. The president signed this extension on December 29. A third veto override is planned for the week if January 23 when Congress returns. FY 2008 BUDGET & APPROPRIATIONS Continuing Resolution(s): Fiscal year 2008 began on October 1, 2007, with a continuing resolution (CR) – a short –term, stopgap funding bill - to fund the federal government at the same level as FY 2007. Congress passed and the President signed a total of four CR’s to keep the federal government open while it negotiated a final omnibus spending bill. The CRs were necessary because Congress was able to complete only one (Defense) of the 12 appropriations bills, by October 1, 2007, the start of the new fiscal year. This included a veto by the president and a failed veto override despite a large advocacy campaign involving hundreds of health and education organizations, including the pediatric community. Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 (Omnibus spending bill): On December 19, 2007, the House voted, 272 – 142, to send President Bush a year-end-spending bill. The total funding for the 11 appropriations bills that were funded under the four Continuing Resolutions was $555 billion. The prior day, the Senate, by a vote of 76 – 17 completed its work on the omnibus bill, adding $70 billion funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, to avoid another veto by the President. The president signed the omnibus-spending bill – the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008, on December 26, 2007 (P.L. 110-161). The total funding for the Labor/HHS/Education provision in the omnibus spending bill is $144.8 billion, $316 million (0.2%) above FY 2007 and $3.9 billion (+2.8%) above the President’s FY 2008 Budget proposal released in February 2007. An additional $307 million is included for Emergency Funds with $250 million for Low Income Heat and Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and $57 million for World Trade Center responders, residents, and workers. The final spending bill includes $65.4 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services, an increase of $1.3 billion (+2%) over FY 2007 and $2.8 billion (+5%) over the President’s FY 2008 Budget proposal. The FY 2009 budget proposal will be released on February 4, 2008. This is the final budget proposal for the Bush Administration. PANDEMIC INFLUENZA One-Year Progress Report— National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza Implementation Plan: In July 2007, one year after the Bush Administration’s release of its federal pandemic influenza preparedness plan, the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza Implementation Plan, the White House Homeland Security Council reported that 86% percent of the plan tasks that were to be completed by 2007 were finished. The remaining 14% were expected to be completed by the end of the year. The White House reported that the federal government still has limited capacity to detect a disease outbreak and track its progress across the country. The nation also has little extra capacity in its hospitals and other health care facilities to deal with a huge surge in need that would accompany a mass disease outbreak. Further, the government has little ability to ensure that during an outbreak, when many workers would stay home, limited Internet capacity would go to essential work and not to children playing video games. A White House spokesperson also said that a decision had been made to keep U.S. borders open if a pandemic flu outbreak occurs somewhere in the world. The Administration noted that a significant remaining challenge is that the country has grown tired of pandemic flu warnings. More information on the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza can be found at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/pandemic-influenza-oneyear.html. At-Risk Populations Listening Session: Also in summer, the Interagency Committee on Pandemic Influenza’s Work Group on Pandemic Influenza and At-Risk Populations hosted a listening session for non-governmental organizations to seek information about gaps, barriers and best practices for addressing the needs of at-risk populations in State and local Pandemic Influenza plans. The session was moderated by Dr. Daniel Dodgen, Human Services Policy Coordinator in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. Staff from the Washington Office attended the meeting and relayed some of the pediatric community’s concerns regarding children and pandemic influenza, such as the need for further testing on the use of N95 masks by children and the ramifications of prolonged school closure on children’s emotional and physical health and well-being. Pandemic Influenza: Warning, Children at Risk – an issue brief from the Trust for America’s Health and the American Academy of Pediatrics: The Trust for American’s Health (TFAH) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority. (http://healthyamericans.org/). TFAH works on a number of public health related issues including immunizations, obesity, pandemic influenza to name just a few. In late April, TFAH approached the American Academy of Pediatrics to discuss the possibility of doing a report focused on children and pandemic influenza. The intent of the report is to look at a number of issues that have been raised related to children and pandemic influenza but little has been done, such as the use of Tamiflu, N-95 masks, closing schools and child care etc. The outcome of this report was to develop a set of policy recommendations. The report was issued in October 2007. Among the report’s key policy recommendations for reducing the impact of pandemic flu on children are: • The Federal government should ensure that the Strategic National Stockpile includes sufficient pediatric doses of antiviral medications to ensure treatment of 25 percent of the nation’s children and adolescents, or about 18.4 million individuals. • HHS should conduct additional studies on vaccine efficacy in young children, support the development of additional flu vaccine products, and conduct more studies of antiviral agents for infants. • HHS should immediately convene an independent task force to study and make specific recommendations about the use of surgical masks, N95 respirators, and other personal protective equipment by children. • HHS should conduct further studies on the feasibility of prolonged school and childcare center closures, including a more precise assessment of the long-term interruption of the school meals program and how to mitigate the impact on students who rely on them. • Educators and school administrators should be encouraged to get an annual influenza vaccination and should remind families that public health experts recommend annual flu vaccines for 1) all children with high risk conditions who are 6 months of age and older, 2) all healthy children ages 6 months through 59 months, 3) all household contacts and out-of-home caregivers of children with high risk conditions and of children younger than 5 years if age, and 4) all health care professionals. • CDC and state and local health departments should encourage and support seasonal flu vaccination clinics in school settings to maximize flu vaccine coverage rates. This report can be accessed at http://www.aap.org/new/KidsPandemicFlufnl.pdf. 2008 PEDIATRIC ACADEMIC SOCIETIES ANNUAL MEETING • The 2008 annual joint PPC/APA public policy state of the art plenary session and legislative breakfast will be held during the PAS meeting in Hawaii. The plenary session, which I conceived the concept, is tentatively entitled, “Election 2008: A National Agenda For Children and Adolescents.” The panel format will include the presidents of the AAP, APS, APA, SPR, and AMSPDC. The chair of the Public Policy Council, Mike Genel, MD and the chair of COFGA, Mary Anne McCaffree, MD will moderate this session. The intent is to develop a set of principles (perhaps 5 to 7) that can be utilized by the entire pediatric community throughout the 2008 election cycle – platform committee hearings, party conventions, candidate forums etc. that reflects for example, the importance or prevention, an adequate pediatric primary care and pediatric subspecialist workforce, adequate pediatric biomedical and health services research, medical home, the role of the retail clinic and other related issues. • The 2008 legislative breakfast will feature Jennifer Puck, MD, FAAP, of UCSF who will discuss "CTSAs and Pediatric Research: Opportunities & Pitfalls." • For the fourth year an Update on the National Children’s Study also will be provided. Participants are: NIH staff Drs. Peter Scheidt, Alexander and pediatric department chair at the University of Utah, Ed Clarke, MD, one of the seven vanguard sites. 2008 CONGRESSIONAL CALENDAR (110th Congress – Second Session) January 15/22 Second Session of the 110th Congress begins (House/Senate) January 28 President’s State of the Union Address February 18 –22 District Work period – recess March 17 – 21 District Work period – recess May 26 - 30 District Work period – recess June 30 – July 7 District Work period – recess August 11 – Sept. 8 District Work period – recess September 26 Target Adjournment HOW TO CONTACT YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS: Write: The letter remains the most popular choice of communication with congressional offices. However, due to ongoing increased security on Capitol Hill, you must fax or e-mail your letter, in lieu of using traditional mail, in order to avoid extensive lag-time in the receipt of your correspondence (can be up to 2 – 3 weeks). If you decide to write a letter, remember to be courteous, to the point, and include key information and personal examples to support your position. Address only one issue in each letter and, if possible, keep the length to one page. To a Senator: To a Representative:
The Honorable (name)
The Honorable (name) Dear Senator ________: Dear Representative ____: Fax: Fax numbers are available through the Capitol Hill Switchboard (202) 224-3121, or you can look up your members of Congress on “Thomas” the official website for Congress, available at http://thomas.loc.gov/, by going to “House Directory” or “Senate Directory” from the front page. Call: You can contact your Senators and Representative's offices by calling the U.S. Capitol Hill Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. If you do not know who your Representative is, the switchboard operator will be able to direct you to the proper office. Ask to speak to the staff member who works on health care issues. Be prepared to leave a very short message as well as your name and address. You can also call your legislators in their home districts; if you are a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, information about local offices is available on the AAP Member Center website, www.aap.org/moc. You can also go directly to www.senate.gov or www.house.gov for this information. E-mail: All of members of Congress now have e-mail addresses, but there is no set format for them. On some members web sites there is a mechanism to directly email most notably if you are a constituent. We suggest calling the congressional office to get an accurate e-mail address or www.senate.gov or www.house.gov for this information. Be sure to identify, in the subject line, that you are a constituent along with the legislative topic of the email correspondence. HOW TO CONTACT THE PRESIDENT Write:
The Honorable George
W. Bush E-mail: president@whitehouse.gov AAP FEDERAL ADVOCACY ACTION NETWORK (FAAN) The Federal Advocacy Action Network (FAAN) is comprised of all AAP members for whom the Academy has an email address. FAAN alerts are sent when federal legislative efforts require large-scale advocacy efforts by the Academy’s entire membership. Coordinated by the AAP Department of Federal Affairs, FAAN is a network of AAP members who help support federal legislative and regulatory activities from their position as constituents. FAAN members play an important role in passing federal legislation that benefits children and pediatricians. The AAP Department of Federal Affairs gives FAAN members the information and tools needed to persuade their legislators. The Members Only Channel (http://www.aap.org/moc) has tools to make advocacy work easy. Find the names of congressional representatives, contact legislators via e-mail, read about congressional activity, and register to become a Key Contact. If you have questions about the FAAN or if you have not been receiving FAAN alerts, please contact Priscilla Ring, AAP Department of Federal Affairs, pring@aap.org, or (800) 336-5475, ext. 3304. AAP KEY CONTACT PROGRAM If AAP members want to do more federal advocacy than responding to the FAAN alerts, we encourage pediatricians to join the AAP Key Contact program. Key Contacts have an interest in developing a stronger working relationship with their congressional delegation, and usually work on several AAP legislative issues. Key Contacts are contacted on a regular basis (approximately once a month when Congress is in session). Key contacts receive all the latest information and news, advocacy tips and tools, suggestions for improving relationships with members of Congress and more sophisticated advocacy assignments, such as media work and congressional visits (all with help from AAP staff). To sign up to be an AAP Key Contact, log on to http://www.aap.org/moc (Member Login required, use your AAP member id, it can be found on the AAP News or Pediatrics mailing label and click on “Federal Affairs." For more information on the Key Contact program, contact Priscilla Ring, AAP Department of Federal Affairs, 800-336-5475, ext. 3304, or pring@aap.org. *** PUBLIC POLICY COUNCIL MEMBERS APS Myron Genel, MD; Jimmy Simon, MD
*** Report Submitted By: Myron Genel, MD, Chairman Additional information and resource material on these and other pediatric and child health issues are available from: Washington Coordinator Washington Coordinator Please visit the Public Policy Council on the web at www.aps-spr.org January 13, 2008 |
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