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| Thu, 10-05-2006 - 6:08pm |
Combating Autism Bill Endangered
A bill to support new funding for autism research and screening may not make it through Congress. According to Combat Autism, a coalition of several national autism organizations, "House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton (TX) will not consider the Senate-passed Combating Autism Act in the House this session."
The bill includes funding to support a massive increase in autism-related government activities. If passed, the bill would:
Double NIH spending on autism research.
Empower the Director of the NIH to act as an "autism czar" - developing an annual research budget on autism, based on the best science, and requiring that budget be reported to Congress.
Create a screening program in all 50 states for the early identification of children with autism - short of a cure, early identification leading to early intervention with behavioral services provides the best available outcomes for autistic kids.
Fund the efforts of the Autism Treatment Network to identify the best medical practices in the treatment of autistic kids.
Continue funding of the epidemiological and public education programs on autism at the CDC.
Authorize, overall, nearly 1 billion of federal spending on autism over the next 5 years - a multi-front war on autism from public awareness and early diagnosis to basic biomedical research.
If you're interested in supporting the bill, take a look at the Combat Autism website, or call your local representatives.
Wednesday October 4, 2006 | comments
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Be sure to read the followin too...........
When you are finished, call! I did and boy do I hate politicans
Chairman Barton Stops Combating Autism Act - For Now
The refusal of House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chairman Joe Barton (R-TX) to move the Combating Autism Act (S.843) from his committee and bring it to the floor for a vote prior to the pre-election recess is a devastating blow to people with autism and their families. However, the fight for this critical legislation continues.
In his unwillingness to act on a bill meticulously crafted over 18 months and unanimously passed by the United States Senate, Congressman Barton has decided to put politics before the welfare of our children. Hundreds of senators and congressmembers from both sides of the aisle have met with families impacted by autism, been moved by their plight and signed on in support of the Combating Autism Act. Congressman Barton, on the other hand, allowed his determination to pass his own “NIH reform” legislation, a bill with almost no chance of passing the Senate this term, to supersede any concern for the millions of Americans whose struggles with autism are their everyday reality. His actions also constitute an attack on his congressional colleagues, preventing over 200 congressional supporters of the Combating Autism Act from fulfilling the wishes of their constituents.
Autism is an epidemic that now affects one in every 166 of our children, yet federal funding for autism remains woefully insufficient. The Combating Autism Act would begin to address this inequity by authorizing $920 million over five years toward treatment and research into the causes -- genetic, environmental or otherwise -- of the country's fastest-growing childhood developmental disorder.
Let Chairman Barton know how you feel! Call Barton today and let him know that it is unacceptable for an elected official to put personal, political interests ahead of your family's needs! Call Rep. Barton today at 202-225-2002. Keep calling until you get through. Let's jam his phone lines and make ourselves heard.
Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-IL) has thus far refused to intervene on our children's behalf. His Office of the Speaker website states: “At home we put children first, and Republicans are doing just that in the House." Ask him to back that up and put S.843 on the House suspension calendar! Call Speaker Hastert at 202-225-0600 and ask him to do what's right for children with autism.
Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) has been unwilling to stand up to Chairman Barton! Let him know you expect him to show the leadership it takes to do the right thing for hundreds of thousands of children and put S.843 on the House suspension calendar. Call Majority Leader Boehner at 202-225-4000 today and make your voice heard!
Our fight is far from over! Call all three representatives today and let them hear the full voice of the autism community. We will speak for our children, because they cannot.
Thank you for your support! For complete information about the Combating Autism Act of 2006, or to contact us, go to http://www.combatautism.org/.
About The Combating Autism Act of 2006
The Combating Autism Act of 2006 builds on the provisions of the Children's Health Act of 2000 and would authorize approximately $920 million in federal funds over five years to combat autism through research, screening, intervention and education.
The Combating Autism Act of 2006 is supported by the following autism organizations:
Autism One
Autism Society of America
Autism Speaks
COSAC
Cure Autism Now
Dan Marino Foundation
Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation
First Signs
Generation Rescue
The Help Group
National Autism Association
Organization for Autism Research
S.A.F.E. Inc.
SafeMinds
Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center
Talk About Curing Autism
TalkAutism
The Deirdre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology
Unlocking Autism
US Autism and Asperger Association
