AUTISM HEARING IN CONGRESS
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29th AT 2:00 PM
RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING – RM 2154
PARENTS AND ADVOCATES:
PLEASE ATTEND, GET YOUR CONGRESSMAN TO ATTEND AND SPREAD THE WORD. COME TO WASHINGTON. BRING YOUR CHILDREN.
On Thursday, November 29th at 2:00 pm, The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will hold a hearing regarding the federal response to autism over the past decade. EBCALA, SafeMinds and many individual parents have worked hard to make this happen. Our understanding is that two panels are scheduled – one of government witnesses and one of public witnesses, including SafeMinds. Canary Party Chairman, Mark Blaxill, will testify on behalf of SafeMinds.
Do you think the federal government is doing enough about autism?
Do you think the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee has helped your family?
Do you think federal policies have prevented new cases of autism?
Have you seen results from the government’s hundreds of millions of dollars in research spending?
If you answered “No” to these questions, here’s what you can do to help:
1. Attend the hearing if possible. Bring your child or children if you can. Let’s try to make the hearing “standing room only”. Be visible.
2. Contact your Congressman right now. Committee members are listed below and it is critical that they attend the hearing. If yours is on the list, make sure you contact their office (leave a message) and ask that they attend. Other Representatives can be found athttp://www.house.gov/representatives/find/. Ask them to attend the hearing and stay for the entire meeting. If they cannot, ask them to send staff. If you are going to Washington, ask for an office meeting, before or after the hearing, to talk about your family’s needs and concerns. Or meet with them Thanksgiving week when they are home in your district. Remember they work for you and this is the first time in 10 years that Congress has provided oversight of autism activities. Encourage them to get involved in the House Autism Caucus long term.
3. Ask your Representative to make sure this is the first of numerous hearings investigating autismand affiliated issues. We don’t just want attention, we want solutions! This is especially critical if your Representative is on the committee. We need new champions to carry on after Congressman Burton retires.
4. Individuals and organizations are able to submit written testimony to the hearing. If you are a member of a local autism organization, encourage them to participate by submitting a written statement. Statements become part of the formal record of the hearing. To submit testimony, you may fax it directly to the Committee at (202) 225-3974, or e-mail it to Beth Clay at beth@bethclay.com and she will ensure it is delivered to the Committee.
5. Ask C-Span to televise the hearing. Call 202-737-3220 and politely ask that they televise the hearing on C-Span 3 which covers hearings. Tell them that this is an important issue that deserves more attention and why it affects you personally.
6. Thank Congressman Burton for his advocacy over the years and for pushing for this hearing to happen by sending him an e-mail at http://burton.house.gov/contacts/new or calling his office at 202-225-2276. You may also fax him at his Indiana Office at (317) 846-7306 or his DC office at Fax: (202) 225-0016
Stay tuned for more updates including the names of those who are testifying, materials to share with your Representatives and further details.
Thanks for your help in making this a meaningful event!
Below are the members’ names, DC Phone, DC FAX and the link to their e-mail Contact Form
Darrell Issa (R-CA) [Chairman] 202-225-3906 202-225-3303
http://issa.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&vi …
Dan Burton (R-IN)
202-225-2276 202-225-0016 http://burton.house.gov/contacts/new
John L. Mica (R-FL)
202-225-4035 202-226-0821 https://mica.house.gov/contact-form
Todd Russell Platts (R-PA)
202-225-5836 202-226-1000 http://www.house.gov/platts/email.shtml
Michael R. Turner (R-OH)
202-225-6465 202-225-6754 http://turner.house.gov/Contact/
Patrick McHenry (R-NC)
202-225-2576 202-225-0316 http://mchenry.house.gov/Contact/zipauth.htm
Jim Jordan (R-OH)
202-225-2676 202-226-0577 http://jordan.house.gov/Contact/
Jason Chaffetz (R-UT)
202-225-7751 202-225-5629 https://chaffetz.house.gov/contact-me/email-me
Connie Mack (R-FL)
202-225-2536 202-226-0439 https://mack.house.gov/?p=Email
Tim Walberg (R-MI)
202-225-6276 202-225-6281 https://walbergforms.house.gov/contact-form
James Lankford (R-OK)
202-225-2132 202-226-1463 https://forms.house.gov/lankford/webforms/zipauthen_c …
Justin Amash (R-MI)
202-225-3831 202-225-5144 https://amash.house.gov/contact-me/email-me
Ann Marie Buerkle (R-NY)
202-225-3701 202-225-4042 https://buerkle.house.gov/contact-me/email-me
Paul A. Gosar (R-AZ)
202-225-2315 202-226-9739 https://gosar.house.gov/contact-me/email-me
Raul Labrador (R-ID)
202-225-6611 202-225-3029 https://labradorforms.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=5 …
Patrick Meehan (R-PA)
202-225-2011 202-226-0280 https://meehanforms.house.gov/email-me
Scott DesJarlais (R-TN)
202-225-6831 202-226-5172 http://desjarlais.house.gov/Contact/
Joe Walsh (R-IL)
202-225-3711 202-225-7830 https://walshforms.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=58&s …
Trey Gowdy (R-SC)
202-225-6030 202-226-1177 http://gowdy.house.gov/Contact/
Dennis Ross (R-FL)
202-225-1252 202-226-0585 https://dennisross.house.gov/Contact/
Frank C. Guinta (R-NH)
202-225-5456 202-225-5822 https://guinta.house.gov/contact-me/email-me
Blake Farenthold (R-TX)
202-225-7742 202-226-1134 https://forms.house.gov/farenthold/webforms/zipauthen …
Mike Kelly (R-PA)
202-225-5406 202-225-3103 https://kelly.house.gov/contact-me/email-me
Minority Members
Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) [Ranking Member]
202-225-4741 202-225-3178 https://cummingsforms.house.gov/contact/message-form. …
Edolphus (Ed) Towns (D-NY)
202-225-5936 202-225-1018 https://towns.house.gov/contact-me/email-me
Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY)
202-225-7944 202-225-4709 https://maloney.house.gov/contact-me/email-me
Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC)
202-225-8050 202-225-3002 https://forms.house.gov/norton/webforms/issue_subscri …
Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH)
202-225-5871 202-225-5745 http://kucinich.house.gov/Contact/Starter.htm
John F. Tierney (D-MA)
202-225-8020 202-225-5915 https://forms.house.gov/tierney/webform/issue_subscri …
William Lacy Clay, Jr. (D-MO)
202-225-2406 202-226-3717 http://lacyclay.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=90§ …
Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA)
202-225-8273 202-225-3984 https://lynch.house.gov/contact-me/email-me
Jim Cooper (D-TN)
202-225-4311 202-226-1035 https://forms.house.gov/cooper/webforms/issue_subscri …
Gerald E. (Gerry) Connolly (D-VA)
202-225-1492 202-225-3071 https://connollyforms.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=1 …
Mike Quigley (D-IL)
202-225-4061 202-225-5603 https://forms.house.gov/quigley/contact-form.shtml
Danny K. Davis (D-IL)
202-225-5006 202-225-5641 https://forms.house.gov/davis/webforms/issue_subscrib …
Bruce Braley (D-IA)
202-225-2911 202-225-6666 http://braley.house.gov/contact
Peter Welch (D-VT)
202-225-4115 202-225-6790 http://www.house.gov/formwelch/issue_subscribe.htm
John Yarmuth (D-KY)
202-225-5401 202-225-5776 http://yarmuth.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=124§ …
Chris Murphy (D-CT)
202-225-4476 202-225-5933 https://forms.house.gov/chrismurphy/webforms/issue_su …
Jackie Speier (D-CA)
202-225-3531 202-226-4183 https://forms.house.gov/speier/webforms/email_jackie. …
Read the full announcement here: http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=b62698a50aececa2aded9f56b&id=e7bd4cbc4b&e=9670c4d4f3