MLA-Phil » Stephanie Ferretti

ACTION ALERT NLM FUNDING

Stephanie Ferretti — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:06:39 +0000

On Thursday, July 22nd, the Senate Labor, HHS, Education Appropriations Subcommittee is expected to mark up its Fiscal Year 2011 funding bill.

Please take immediate action to contact your senator and ask them to support NLM’s FY 2011 funding. The attached action alert provides background information, including MLA and AAHSL’s funding recommendations, and information about how to contact your House member.

To find your senator, please go to http://www.senate.gov/ and enter your zip code. Phone numbers for all congressional offices are also listed here. Calling works best, but if you prefer communicate via e-mail.

Participate in Capitol Hill Day

Stephanie Ferretti — Mon, 17 May 2010 12:54:33 +0000

Connect with your representatives during Capitol Hill Day on May 25. The Governmental Relations Committee has prepared fact sheets/talking points and other resources on two key issues: funding National Library of Medicine programs and services in fiscal year 2011 and supporting the Federal Research Public Access Act. Members participating in the Hill visits are encouraged to review these materials before the orientation.

Action Alert-Federal Research Public Access Act

Stephanie Ferretti — Mon, 03 May 2010 19:41:31 +0000

“The Federal Research Public Access Act” (FRPAA), introduced as H.R. 5037 would require federal agencies with annual extramural research portfolios over $100 million to develop public access policies relating to research conducted by employees of that agency or from funds administered by that agency. This builds upon and refines the work done by the NIH [through the NIH Public Access Policy] and requires that the Federal Government’s leading underwriters of research adopt meaningful public access policies.

MLA and AAHSL support FRPAA because:

Increased access to federally funded research accelerates scientific discovery. With improved access to science, researchers can improve their work and expect their work to have a greater impact.

Actions You Can Take

Phone calls are recommended, but you may also e-mail your member of Congress this information.
Find your House member and their contact information by going to www.house.gov.
Ask for the staff member that handles health care issues.
If your House member is a co-sponsor of the legislation, please thank them for introducing this bill. Co-sponsors are: Representatives Mike Doyle (D-PA), Henry Waxman (D-CA), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Gregg Harper (R-MS), Rick Boucher (D-VA), and Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA).
Emphasize that the MLA and AAHSL strongly support this legislation because public access to health information is vital to a healthy nation and improved medical research. Let them know that expanding public access will also preserve health information for generations to come.

Obama signs one-year extension of Patriot Act

Stephanie Ferretti — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:11:10 +0000

Update from the AP:

President Obama has signed a one-year extension of several provisions in the nation’s main counter terrorism law, the Patriot Act. Provisions in the measure would have expired on Sunday February 28th without Obama’s signature Saturday….

His signature comes after the House voted 315 to 97 Thursday to extend the measure. The Senate also approved the measure, with privacy protections cast aside when Senate Democrats lacked the necessary 60-vote supermajority to pass them.

Fiscal year 2011 Budget Released

Stephanie Ferretti — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:46:25 +0000

President Obama released his budget for Fiscal Year 2011 for the Department of Health and Human Services, including NIH and NLM. The budget provides a $1 billion increase for NIH and a $21 million increase for NLM. While the CDC’s total FY 2011 budget request shows a $100 million increase, the funding for CDC’s core programs actually received a $132 million cut. The vast majority of CDC’s programs were either cut or level funded.

Prepared from statements by Health and Information Counsel to MLA and American Public Health Association.