Defense Authorization Act

Support Amendment #4369 to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)

Senators Casey and Toomey,

As your constituent and as an MS activist, I urge you to oppose Sections 756 and 898 of FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA, S. 2943), which would unnecessarily burden medical research with bureaucratic red tape.

Please support amendment #4369 led by Senators Durbin and Senator Cochran during floor consideration of S. 2943: to strike this dangerous language from the bill and support continued investments in the medical research programs at the Department of Defense (DoD).

Section 756 would require a determination by the Secretary for every medical research and development project funded by DoD, a burden that does not apply to other DoD-funded research and that would jeopardize funding for activities with broader relevance to the U.S. military (including the health and well-being of military families and veterans, and the efficiency of the military health care system). Please support amendment #4369 to strike Section 756.

Section 898 places unnecessary acquisition compliance and auditing requirements on medical research programs that already serve taxpayers well. It would subject researchers to a level of scrutiny not required for any other federal government research grants (such as those funded by the National Institutes of Health), a level currently reserved for complex, multi-million dollar acquisitions systems -- needlessly delaying research for months or even years. Please support amendment #4369 to strike Section 898.

Senators Durbin and Cochran are leading a bipartisan group of senators from across the country to remove these provisions from the bill so that this life-saving medical research can continue. Please support amendment #4369! It is critical to protect the MSRP so we can move closer to a world free of MS!

Sincerely,

Bring Medical Innovation to the Senate Floor

Message to Senators Casey and Toomey:

Bring the medical innovations legislation to the floor!

Dear Senators Casey and Toomey,

As an MS activist and your constituent, I ask that you help bring the Senate's medical innovations legislation to the floor--and vote YES. The bipartisan policy proposals in this legislation were passed by the Senate's HELP Committee. Of particular importance to people affected by MS and other neurological conditions and diseases, is inclusion and passage of the Advancing Research for Neurological Diseases Act (S. 849).

Emerging therapies offer promise for life-changing diseases such as Alzheimer's, MS, cancer, Parkinson's and others. We are on the cusp of personalized medicine that takes into account a patient's unique genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors; we must ensure research and regulatory institutions keep pace. This pending legislation would streamline and modernize the biomedical research pipeline, and help bring new, safe and effective treatments and cures to Americans.

I am particularly grateful that the medical innovation bill includes S. 849--which would establish a data collection system to track the incidence and prevalence of neurological diseases. This system will provide a foundation for evaluating and understanding aspects of neurological diseases on which we currently do not have a good grasp such as the geography of diagnoses, variances in gender and disease burden--also helping expedite our path to cures.

The Senate's bipartisan advancement of these medical innovation bills has been impressive! The opportunity to enact meaningful legislation this year is within reach. Millions of people living with chronic diseases (and the medical community!) are counting on it. Please bring this legislation including S. 849 to the Senate floor--and vote YES.

Email to Congressman Tim Murphy re: the Recognize, Assist, Include, Support and Engage (RAISE) Family Caregivers Act (H.R. 3099)

As a constituent and MS activist, I urge you to cosponsor the Recognize, Assist, Include, Support and Engage (RAISE) Family Caregivers Act (H.R. 3099). Family caregivers are the backbone of our nation's long-term services and supports, supporting loved ones home for as long as possible and preventing premature admission to costly facilities. However, caregiving takes a toll. Caregivers of people with MS spend more than 24 hours a week providing care; 64% of MS caregivers are emotionally drained, 32% experience depression and 22% have lost a job due to caregiving responsibilities.

The RAISE Family Caregivers Act would require the development of a national strategy to support family caregivers, beginning with an advisory body of representatives from the private and public sectors, and relevant federal agencies. This advisory group would identify specific actions that communities, providers, government, employers and others can take to recognize and support family caregivers; this action plan would be updated annually.

Please help support family caregivers by
cosponsoring the RAISE Act (H.R. 3099) today! To cosponsor, email Scot Malvaney scot.malvaney@mail.house.gov with Rep. Harper or Elizabeth Brown elizabeth.brown@mail.house.gov with Rep. Castor

Response from Congressman Murphy:

Dear Mr. Austin,

Thank you for contacting me with your thoughts on H.R. 3099, the RAISE Family Caregivers Act. I appreciate the opportunity to hear your concerns and to respond. 

There are more than 40 million Americans that selflessly provide care and support for their loved ones suffering from chronic conditions and disabilities. These family caregivers assist aging and chronically ill family members with performing daily activities such as eating, bathing, dressing, transportation, and more. Unpaid family caregivers play a critical role in our nation’s health and long term care system and save American taxpayers billions of dollars in in-home care costs each year. Their continued support is imperative, yet majority of the family caregiving population still lacks the community support and resources needed to care for their loved ones and to lead meaningful lives of their own.     

That’s why I recently co-sponsored the RAISE Family Caregivers Act (H.R.3099), which will establish a federal Commission on Long-Term Care to collect information on family caregiving and develop a national strategy that addresses the disparities and needs of the caregiving population. This comprehensive plan will recognize meaningful actions that the government, workplaces, communities and families can take to greater assist and support family caregivers so they can effectively care for their loved ones and themselves. 

Thank you again for contacting me on this issue and I ask you to stay connected with me and continue our dialogue. If you would like to receive my email newsletter describing important votes and key committee activity, I invite you to visit my website at http://murphy.house.gov and sign up.