Call Congress Today to Support Medical Research

I am writing to ask you all for your help.  This week the House of Representatives will take up an ammendment to add $7 billion to the House Budget Resolution for Health and Education.  This ammendment mirrors a similar one passed in the Senate previously.  That ammendment passed the Senate because enough of us called, wrote, asked nicely... and convinced all Dems and a few Repubs to beat back the "Compassionate Conservative" agenda of the Republican leadership.  But now we have our work cut out for us in the House.  Our victory in the Senate, though, proves that we can win this.  Please visit this site to easily send an email to your Rep., or for those of you who are more acquainted with your Rep (and their staff), please call today and ask that they support Rep. Mike Castle's (R-NH) ammendement to the House Budget Resolution.  

The passage of this ammendment will add back money sorely needed at the NIH, Center for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health agencies.  I am a cancer researcher, and so I realize this diary is a bit self-serving, but I hope most of you will agree that strong science programs in the US is an important investment that is well worth the cost.

Consistent funding for medical research is extremely important for the long term physical and economic health of this nation.  You can not just turn funding on and off.  Research moves slowly, but surely forward each day.  It cannot be interrupted for stretches of time without setting back discovery for years, if not generations.  It is difficult work, but so rewarding over time.  We have made such progress in the last decade in my field of cancer research, as one example.  We are so close to being able to develop treatments for cancer patients as well as preventative therapies for those at risk of developing future cancers.  And these treatments will be based on a real understanding of the molecular basis of the disease.  But this important work cannot be slowed down now.  Please take action to today to ask your Rep. to support the ammendment to extend funding for Health and Education.  This is money so well spent and it will save money and lives in the long run.

•  These funds will also support

  health care education and student loans.

  This is a very important topic.

  by enough on Tue Apr 04, 2006 at 08:29:52 AM PDT