Posted by Allison on June 25, 2003 at 14:23:36:
JDRF Washington Report
Vol. 6, No. 13
June 25, 2003
SENATOR COLLINS TO OFFER AMENDMENT TODAY ON ISLET TRANSPLANTATION – CALLS ARE NEEDED TO EVERY SENATE OFFICE!!!
We have just learned that Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) will offer an amendment on the Senate floor today to the Medicare Prescription Drug bill to create a five-year Medicare demonstration project to test coverage of pancreatic islet cell transplantation for individuals with juvenile diabetes and kidney failure. This is an important piece of “The Pancreatic Islet Cell Transplantation Act of 2003” (S.518/H.R.1068) introduced earlier this year by Senator Collins in the Senate and Representative George Nethercutt (R-WA) in the House. We need a flood of calls into every Senate office today to ask for each Senator’s support of the amendment. Talking points are included below for your use and distribution.
Late last week, Representative Diane DeGette (D-CO) offered the same amendment during the House Energy & Commerce Committee’s consideration of its Medicare Prescription Drug bill. The Committee accepted the amendment, and now we are working with staff to ensure that the provision remains in the bill when the Energy & Commerce Committee and the Ways & Means Committee – which also passed a prescription drug bill – merge their two bills into one bill to bring to the Senate floor.
Tremendous momentum for the “The Pancreatic Islet Cell Transplantation Act of 2003” was generated yesterday during JDRF’s Children’s Congress Senator Collins, Chair of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, hosted a hearing where Mary Tyler Moore, six Children’s Congress delegates, an islet transplant recipient, and leading researcher told their personal stories and discussed the promise of islet transplantation. Later that day, all 200 delegates met with their Senators and staff and Representatives to ask for support for the islet legislation.
Talking Points:
- I am calling because Senator Collins is planning to offer an amendment today on the Senate floor to the Medicare Prescription Drug bill.
- The amendment would create a five-year Medicare demonstration project to test coverage of pancreatic islet cell transplantation for individuals with juvenile diabetes and kidney failure.
- I want to personally ask that Senator ______ support this important amendment.
- This amendment will help to advance the most promising breakthrough in juvenile diabetes research since the discovery of insulin in 1921.
- The amendment is part of “The Pancreatic Islet Cell Transplantation Act of 2003” which has nearly 40 cosponsors (see list below to determine if your Senator is a cosponsor).
- Can I count on Senator ______ to support this amendment?
To find the contact information for your Member of Congress, you can visit the JDRF website at www.jdrf.org and clicking on "Legislative Action." Then select "Determine your Member of Congress" from the menu at the left and follow the instructions.
COSPONSORS of S.518 (42)
Sen Alexander, Lamar - 6/5/2003 [TN]
Sen Allen, George - 3/17/2003 [VA]
Sen Biden Jr., Joseph R. - 4/3/2003 [DE]
Sen Bingaman, Jeff - 3/27/2003 [NM]
Sen Bond, Christopher S. - 5/12/2003 [MO]
Sen Boxer, Barbara - 6/24/2003 [CA]
Sen Breaux, John B. - 3/5/2003 [LA]
Sen Bunning, Jim - 3/6/2003 [KY]
Sen Chafee, Lincoln D. - 4/3/2003 [RI]
Sen Chambliss, Saxby - 3/20/2003 [GA]
Sen Clinton, Hillary Rodham - 6/18/2003 [NY]
Sen Cochran, Thad - 5/12/2003 [MS]
Sen Coleman, Norm - 6/24/2003 [MN]
Sen Corzine, Jon - 6/11/2003 [NJ]
Sen Craig, Larry E. - 5/1/2003 [ID]
Sen Daschle, Thomas A. - 3/18/2003 [SD]
Sen Dayton, Mark - 3/17/2003 [MN]
Sen Dodd, Christopher J. - 6/11/2003 [CT]
Sen Domenici, Pete V. - 5/12/2003 [NM]
Sen Dorgan, Byron L. - 3/25/2003 [ND]
Sen Durbin, Richard J. - 5/22/2003 [IL]
Sen Ensign, John E. - 6/4/2003 [NV]
Sen Feingold, Russell D. - 6/24/2003 [WI]
Sen Fitzgerald, Peter - 5/5/2003 [IL]
Sen Graham, Lindsey O. - 6/11/2003 [SC]
Sen Hagel, Chuck - 5/5/2003 [NE]
Sen Harkin, Tom - 4/3/2003 [IA]
Sen Inhofe, Jim - 3/17/2003 [OK]
Sen Kerry, John F. - 6/10/2003 [MA]
Sen Lieberman, Joseph I. - 6/23/2003 [CT]
Sen Lincoln, Blanche - 3/18/2003 [AR]
Sen Lott, Trent - 3/10/2003 [MS]
Sen McCain, John - 4/2/2003 [AZ]
Sen Mikulski, Barbara A. - 6/23/2003 [MD]
Sen Miller, Zell - 3/5/2003 [GA]
Sen Murray, Patty - 3/5/2003 [WA]
Sen Nelson, E. Benjamin - 6/19/2003 [NE]
Sen Reed, John F. - 4/1/2003 [RI]
Sen Schumer, Charles E. - 6/19/2003 [NY]
Sen Sessions, Jeff - 6/4/2003 [AL]
Sen Smith, Gordon - 3/24/2003 [OR]
Sen Warner, John W. - 6/9/2003 [VA]