One of our advocates got to talk to her Senator at a recent event!
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Here is what she had to say:
In my town of Meadville, I had the privilege of listening to Pennsylvania’s US Senator Bob Casey speak at a gathering. I also had the extreme privilege of personally thanking him for supporting the Lymphedema Treatment Act.
I was able to tell him how especially difficult lymphedema is for me now that I am on Medicare and just one of my leg garments costs $350, for which I must bear the complete cost. He was very attentive to my concerns, and appreciative of my comments.
As Lymphedema patients, we must continue to advocate for ourselves by contacting our federal representatives, and by voting for candidates who will support us, by passing the Lymphedema Treatment Act.
~ Mary Kay, Meadville
If you’ve been following our advice on how to find out about Town Halls and other public events where you can connect with your members of Congress, keep checking. The Senate is in recess until September 6th and the House until September 13th, and these events are often announced with only a few days’ notice. All House members and one-third of the Senate are up for reelection this fall, and they will be eager to connect with voters.
Speaking with members who are already cosponsors is just as important as meeting with members who are not supporting the bill yet! We need cosponsoring members to help us ensure that the bill gets a vote in the full House and Senate by the end of the year, and to vote for it when that time comes. If the bill is not signed into law during this Congress, then we have to start all over in the next Congress!
You can also request to meet with your members of Congress and/or their staff at their nearest district, and it’s easier than you might think! Every House member has at least one district office, and Senate members have multiple around the state.
Just follow these easy step-by-step instructions for scheduling, preparing for, and executing your meeting. If you would like assistance with any part of this process, just reply to this email, and we’d be happy to help. Thank you for your continued advocacy!
Heather Ferguson
Founder & Executive Director
Lymphedema Advocacy Group
LymphedemaTreatmentAct.org
If you haven’t seen it yet, this 5-minute video will bring tears to your eyes!
It has excerpts of members of Congress speaking in support of the Lymphedema Treatment Act before it was voted on and unanimously passed out of the House Energy & Commerce Committee on July 13th:
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