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LDA Urges Immediate DC Lyme Bill Action
What Action Needed: Contact your own 2 US Senators today by email or phone. Click here for Senators
You can scroll down list to find your Senators or you can put your state name in the search box in upper right and your 2 senators will come up. Both email contacts and phone numbers are included in this official list.
What to say to Senate offices on phone or in email:
1. Your name and address.
2. Tell Senator XXXXX to co-sponsor S 1503, the Lyme bill.
3. The bill would form a Lyme & Tick-Borne Diseases Advisory Committee in DC with patient representation.
4. The CDC says more than 300,000 new cases of Lyme occur each year.
5. Tell them in a few sentences only how Lyme affects you, your family, friends, neighbors
6. Thank them.
History: The “21st Century Cures Act”, HR 6, passed the US House of Representatives and included the Lyme text of HR 789 (Gibson-NY). HR 6 was sent to the Senate for consideration. LDA supports the Lyme language in the 21st Century Cures Act. However, the Senate can act on HR 6 as is, but it can also amend it, or develop a new bill. The danger in amending the existing “Cures” bill or developing a new bill is the Senate may remove the Lyme language.
Why Action Needed: A bill, S 1503 (Blumenthal-CT), was introduced in the Senate in June. It is a companion bill to HR 665 (Smith-NJ) introduced in the House in February. At this time, because of possible Senate action when Congress comes back in session after Labor Day, we need to take action to get more sponsors onto the Senate version of the bill. If the Senate removes the Lyme language from the 21st Century Cures Act that the House passed, then the Senate might look to incorporate other Lyme language found in a bill that has sufficient Senate support (co-sponsors). The Senate could possibly move the Lyme bill on its own also (called a standalone). We need to be prepared.
Bill Details: See information on bills
Click here for Blumenthal Bill (S 1503)
Click here for Smith Bill (HR 665)
Click here for 21st Century Cures (HR 6)
NOTE BEFORE ACTING: Senators (below) have already signed on. You do not need to contact them.
Sen. Ayotte, Kelly [R-NH]*
Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]*
Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY]*
Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI]*
Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI]*
Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]*
Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE]*
Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA]*
Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME]
Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (sponsor)