Lyme Disease Association

Authors Amy Tan, Jordan Fisher Smith, E. Jean Carroll, and Rebecca Wells ask you to take action now. On Monday, July 25, 2005, Senator Christopher Dodd (CT) for himself and Senator Rick Santorum (PA) introduced into the US Senate S.1479 entitled "Lyme and Tick-Borne Prevention, Education, and Research Act of 2005". The Dodd/Santorum Bill will go a long way in getting a much needed and higher level of resources dedicated to Lyme disease, as well as providing numerous measures to help ensure that resources are expended effectively to provide the most benefit to Lyme and other tick-borne disease patients. (See http://thomas.loc.gov/ for text)

On Tuesday July 26, 2005, Congressman Christopher Smith (R-NJ) a longtime friend of the Lyme community for himself and for Congresswoman Sue Kelly (NY) introduced the identical companion bill (H.R.3427) into the U.S. House of Representatives. (See http://thomas.loc.gov/ for text)

Authors & Lyme Advocates Ask For Your IMMEDIATE action to help these bills become law.

Both bills focus on research but also contain an effective advisory committee that will have input into the expenditure of the monies and provide the Lyme community a strong public voice and balanced scientific viewpoint in regard to tick-borne diseases in Washington, DC. The committee will include a selection of doctors and scientists who support chronic Lyme disease and also patients and representatives from patient advocacy groups. The new bills will:

• Increase the amount of Lyme research funding available by $100 million over 5 years.
• Ensure mandatory research goals, better surveillance and improved prevention programs.
• Ensure that committee is balanced & represents diversity of scientific viewpoints on issues.
• Provide for outcomes research, including treatment studies.

YOU MUST ACT NOW! DO NOT PUT THIS LETTER DOWN WITHOUT ACTING. DELAY CAN COST US THIS MUCH NEEDED BILL.

Please fax, email, or call your Senators and Representatives today. Tell your Representatives in the House that you strongly support H.R.3427 and you’re counting on their support. Also tell your Senators that you strongly support S.1479. Use the sample letter enclosed or write your own and include a paragraph about how Lyme affects your family. See your telephone directory or http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/ for names/addresses of congressmen. Please visit the LDA website at www.LymeDiseaseAssociation.org for current updates. See http://thomas.loc.gov/ for bill text.