ACCIÓN DE AUTISMO

AUTISM ACTION
http://www.naar.org/govt/render_leg.asp?intNewsItemID=174

Urge Your Representatives to Support Research
29 June 2004


Last week, both the House and the Senate passed their versions of
the Fiscal 2005 Defense Appropriations bill. Despite our efforts,
the autism community was unable to secure $10 million in funding for
Department of Defense-sponsored autism research in either the House
or Senate Appropriations bills.

Needless to say, we at NAAR are disappointed about this setback, but
are continuing our efforts to pursue this initiative and increase
federal funding. NAAR, our advisors and our cadre of volunteers have
succeeded in uniting the leading autism organizations in support of
our request.

The next step will be a conference of the House and Senate Defense
Appropriations Subcommittees to hammer out a single version of the
bill. Our advisors have urged us to continue to press for inclusion
of autism research funding in conference. Such changes in conference
are common, and both Congressman Christopher Smith (R - NJ) and
Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy (D - NY), who generated our original
letter in support of this initiative, have pledged to continue their
support for autism's inclusion in the DoD appropriation.

What we need to do now:

First, if your Congressman has not yet signed the Smith-McCarthy
letter requesting $10 million in autism research funding to be
included in the FY2005 Department of Defense Appropriations Bill
(names listed below), please urge him or her to do so via email as
soon as possible. Click here to download a revised letter addressed
to the Senate and House Defense Appropriations Subcommittees for
your review and forwarding. When you contact your Representatives,
ask him or her to please contact Caroline DeRosa with Rep. McCarthy
at 202/225-5516 or Nick Manetto with Rep. Smith at 202/225-3765 if
they have any questions about this letter.

Secondly, if you are represented by, or have any contact with any of
the following members of the House or Senate Defense Appropriations
Subcommittees (names listed below), please urge them via e-mail,
phone or fax to include $10 million for autism research in the
conference version of the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill.

Click here to locate your Congressman or Congresswoman in the U.S.
House of Representatives, send an e-mail and urge him or her to
support this request for research.

Click here to locate your Senator in the U.S. Senate, send an e-mail
and urge him or her to support this request for research.

The autism community has been uniquely united in this endeavor, and
we are grateful to all of you for keeping up your efforts despite
the recent setback.

If you have any questions about this request, or about NAAR's
government relations program, please contact me at (888) 777-NAAR.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Glenn R. Tringali

Chief Executive Officer, NAAR

DoD Autism Letter Sign-On List

1. Carolyn McCarthy - Caroline DeRosa (D-NY)

2. Chris Smith - Nick Manetto (R-NJ)

3. Mike Doyle - Mike Mullen (D-PA)

4. Tammy Baldwin - Elizabeth Pika (D-WI)

5. Tim Holden - Ari Strauss (D-PA)

6. Anibal Acevido-Vila - Larissa Ortiz (D-PR)

7. Maurice Hinchey - Wendy Darwell (D-NY)

8. Chris Van Hollen - Phil Alperson (D-MD)

9. Tom Lantos - James Ritchotte (D-CA)

10. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen - Muffy Lewis (R-FL)

11. Eric Cantor - Colleen Maloney (R-VA)

12. Ron Kind - Elizabeth Dunford (D-WI)

13. Max Sandlin - Emily Gibbons (D-TX)

14. Henry Waxman - Karen Nelson (D-CA)

15. Jim Ramstad - Neta Scarpari (R-MN)

16. Shelley Berkley - Sharon von Felden (D-NV)

17. Donald Payne - Kerry McKenney (D-NJ)

18. Vic Snyder - Jonathan Cooper (D-AR)

19. Dale Kildee - Lindsey Beck (D-MI)

20. Pete Sessions - Bobby Hillert (R-TX)

21. Rush Holt - Eric Gordon (D-NJ)

22. Frank Pallone - Kathy Kulkarni (D-NJ)

23. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA)

24. Max Burns (R-GA)

25. Adam Schiff - Paul Kidwell (D-CA)

26. Charlie Norwood - Rodney Whitlock (R-GA)

27. Jerrold Nadler - David Greengrass (D-NY)

28. Rick Renzi - Jim Lester (R-AZ)

29. Dan Burton - Mindi Walker (R-IN)

30. Steve Israel - Deb Darcy (D-NY)

31. Stephen Lynch - Caroline Powers(D-MA)

32. Tom Davis - Amy Westmoreland (R-VA)

33. Donna Christensen - Aranthan Jones (D-VI)

34. Carolyn Maloney - Orly Isaacson (D-NY)

35. Frank LoBiondo - Dana Richter (R-NJ)

36. Nick Lampson - Aaron Schmidt (D-TX)

37. Jan Schakowsky - Polina Makievsky (D-IL)

38. Robert Wexler - Eva Cargill (D-FL)

39. Peter King - Kerry Ann Watkins (R-NY)

40. John Tierney - Abby Wolfson (D-MA)

41. James C. Greenwood (R-PA)

42. Edward Markey(D-MA)

43. Barney Frank (D-MA)

44. Jo ann Davis (R-VA)

45. J.D.Hayworth(R-AZ)

46. Julia Carson (D-IN)

47. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)

48. Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI)

49. Jim Gerlach (R-PA)

50. Richard Baker (R-LA)

51. Tom Allen (D-ME)

52. Joe Wilson (R-SC)

53. Rush Holt (D-NJ)

54. Bob Filner (D-CA)

55. Linda Sanchez (D-CA)

56. Tim Bishop (D-NY)

57. Eliot Engel (D-NY)

58. C.A. Ruppersberger (D-MD)

59. Martin Frost (D-TX)

60. David Wu (D-OR)

61. James Langevin (D-RI)

62. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ)

63. Gary Ackerman (D-NY)

64. Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-CA)

65. Grace Napolitano (D-CA)

66. Robert Menendez (D-NJ)

67. Susan Davis (D-CA)

68. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA)

69. Frank Wolf (R-VA)

70. Christopher Shays (R-CT)

71. Jim Davis (D-FL)

72. Todd Platts (R-PA)

73. Bennie Thompson (D-MS)

74. Joseph Crowley (D-NY)

House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Member List

FAX (202) 225-2822; Phone (202) 225-2947

US Capitol switchboard (202) 224-3121

Jerry Lewis, CA (R - Chairman); C. W. Bill Young, FL (R) David L.
Hobson, OH (R); Henry Bonilla, TX (R); George R. Nethercutt, Jr., WA
(R - Vice Chair); Randy "Duke" Cunningham, CA (R) Rodney P.
Frelinghuysen, NJ (R); Todd Tiahrt, KS (R) Roger F. Wicker, MS (R);
John P. Murtha, PA (D - Ranking Member) Norman D. Dicks, WA (D);
Martin Olav Sabo, MN (D) Peter J. Visclosky, IN (D); James P. Moran,
VA (D) David Obey, WI (D)

Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Member List

FAX (202) 224-4402; Phone (202) 224-7255

US Capitol switchboard (202) 224-3121

Senator Ted Stevens (Chairman) (AK); Senator Thad Cochran (MS);
Senator Arlen Specter (PA); Senator Pete Domenici (NM); Senator
Christopher Bond (MO); Senator Mitch McConnell (KY); Senator Richard
Shelby (AL); Senator Judd Gregg (NH); Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
(TX); Senator Conrad Burns (MT); Senator Daniel Inouye (Ranking
Member) (HI); Senator Ernest Hollings (SC); Senator Robert C. Byrd
(WV); Senator Patrick Leahy (VT); Senator Tom Harkin (IA); Senator
Byron Dorgan (ND); Senator Richard Durbin (IL); Senator Harry Reid
(NV); Senator Diane Feinstein (CA)



Established in 1994, the National Alliance for Autism Research
(NAAR) is the first non-profit organization in the country dedicated
to funding and accelerating biomedical research for autism spectrum
disorders. The organization was established by parents of children
with autism concerned about the limited amount of funding for autism
research. To date, NAAR has committed $21.1 million in grants for
biomedical research projects worldwide that seek to find the causes,
prevention, effective treatments and, ultimately, cure for autism
spectrum disorders. Walk F.A.R. for NAAR is the organization's
signature fundraising and autism awareness event, which is held
annually in numerous communities across the United States.
Additionally, NAAR was instrumental in establishing the Autism
Tissue Program, a parent-led brain tissue donation program for
autism research.


NAAR is a 501(c)(3) organization, contributions to which are tax-
deductible as permitted by law. NAAR's most recent financial
statements are available online. Tax ID 04-3246763