crosspost: Urgent Advocacy Alert: Combating Autism Act in Jeopardy

[Guest guest]

Fwd from Autism Speaks

Chairman Barton Stops Combating Autism Act - For Now

The refusal of House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chairman Joe Barton (R-TX)

to move the Combating Autism Act (S.843) from his committee and bring it to the

floor for a vote prior to the pre-election recess is a devastating blow to

people with autism and their families. However, the fight for this critical

legislation continues.

In his unwillingness to act on a bill meticulously crafted over 18 months and

unanimously passed by the United States Senate, Congressman Barton has decided

to put politics before the welfare of our children. Hundreds of senators and

congressmembers from both sides of the aisle have met with families impacted by

autism, been moved by their plight and signed on in support of the Combating

Autism Act. Congressman Barton, on the other hand, allowed his determination to

pass his own “NIH reform” legislation, a bill with almost no chance of passing

the Senate this term, to supersede any concern for the millions of Americans

whose struggles with autism are their everyday reality. His actions also

constitute an attack on his congressional colleagues, preventing over 200

congressional supporters of the Combating Autism Act from fulfilling the wishes

of their constituents.

Autism is an epidemic that now affects one in every 166 of our children, yet

federal funding for autism remains woefully insufficient. The Combating Autism

Act would begin to address this inequity by authorizing $920 million over five

years toward treatment and research into the causes -- genetic, environmental or

otherwise -- of the country’s fastest-growing childhood developmental disorder.

Let Chairman Barton know how you feel! Call Barton today and let him know that

it is unacceptable for an elected official to put personal, political interests

ahead of your family's needs! Call Rep. Barton today at 202-225-2002. Keep

calling until you get through. Let’s jam his phone lines and make ourselves

heard.

Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-IL) has thus far refused to intervene on

our children’s behalf. His Office of the Speaker website states: “At home we put

children first, and Republicans are doing just that in the House. " Ask him to

back that up and put S.843 on the House suspension calendar! Call Speaker

Hastert at 202-225-0600 and ask him to do what’s right for children with autism.

Majority Leader Boehner (R-OH) has been unwilling to stand up to Chairman

Barton! Let him know you expect him to show the leadership it takes to do the

right thing for hundreds of thousands of children and put S.843 on the House

suspension calendar. Call Majority Leader Boehner at 202-225-4000 today and make

your voice heard!

Our fight is far from over! Call all three representatives today and let them

hear the full voice of the autism community. We will speak for our children,

because they cannot.

Thank you for your support! For complete information about the Combating Autism

Act of 2006, or to contact us, go to http://www.combatautism.org/.

About The Combating Autism Act of 2006

The Combating Autism Act of 2006 builds on the provisions of the Children's

Health Act of 2000 and would authorize approximately $920 million in federal

funds over five years to combat autism through research, screening, intervention

and education.

The Combating Autism Act of 2006 is supported by the following autism

organizations:

Autism One

Autism Society of America

Autism Speaks

COSAC

Cure Autism Now

Dan Marino Foundation

Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation

First Signs

Generation Rescue

The Help Group

National Autism Association

Organization for Autism Research

S.A.F.E. Inc.

SafeMinds

Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center

Talk About Curing Autism

TalkAutism

The Deirdre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology

Unlocking Autism

US Autism and Asperger Association