Reminder - Parents, get those phones and faxes ringing!

Parents, if you didn't get your letters faxed this weekend, we need you to phone or fax today. We hear that the Senate Appropriations Committee met over weekend and are making decisions now. Make sure your opinion is heard as they make decisions about your child! Here is the action alert we sent on Friday with all the information you'll need. Please phone or send your faxes now!

IT'S STARTING.

Parents, Caregivers, and Friends;

All the work we have done in the past few years to fight Frist is coming to a head.

With this past election, those who are supported most by pharmaceutical companies have more ammunition than ever before. It's time to pre-empt their inevitable attempt to remove our children's rights once again.

Here’s what we think is going to happen:

- Most likely, Frist will run for President in 2008. This means he will try to keep his name as far away from the controversy as possible. He doesn't want to anger us, but will indeed have someone do his dirty work for him as we've seen in the past. This person's name is Judd Gregg. He's a Senator with ties to pharma, and he wants all of your Thimerosal cases to be shoved six-feet under.

- A large three-in-one bill is currently under construction. Political sources say this bill will come before Committee next Wednesday. This bill already contains language that allows an ADDITIONAL $2.3 million (on top of the already $4 million) to the Department of Justice to SPECIFICALLY fight Thimerosal cases. In fact, read the language below. This particular bill just passed in the House, and will likely pass in the Senate. We feel that Frist's inevitable legislation (provision or stand-alone bill), possibly under the guise of a different handler, will be a one-two punch.

- Basically, they're assigning $ 2.3 million to fight the cases, and after that, Frist, or whomever his alias will be, will introduce legislation to once again block the cases altogether. We fear he will attach his language to the large aforementioned bill.

HELP, HELP, HELP, HELP! WHY? Because without Thimerosal cases going through, several things will happen, including the following:

- The truth will never emerge. Forget it. Without the truth, large sums of money for government research on 1) Vaccinations and their effects on the immune system and 2) Detoxification of heavy metals and re-growth of neurons will never happen, and medical professionals will never know how to properly treat our children.

- Pharma will never have incentive to prevent such gross negligence ever again.

- Families who are bankrupt or can't afford care for their child(ren) to reach their fullest potential will never get what's entitled to them.

We can sell t-shirts all day long, but we'll never have enough money to help all these families get the care they need. This is why so many of us fight for these cases. Remember, without money/resources needed in order for a child to progress, there is little hope.

WHAT YOU CAN DO...AND WE NEED IT NOW MORE THAN EVER!:

WRITE, WRITE, WRITE, SEND, SEND, SEND!

When? Before next Wednesday, Nov. 17th!!

It's very easy. Take our letter (below) or create your own. Then click here, find your representatives in both the Senate and House, then fax or e-mail (fax preferred) your letter. Parents, if you really want to jump in feet first, call your Senator and Congress Persons. Ask for the health staffer. Tell them your plight and your fears of Frist and his gang trying to take away your child’s civil rights. Ask for their help. Tell them you will be calling from time to time to check in. Then, send your letter by fax as a follow up to your phone conversation. Also, if possible, send your faxed letter to the following key Senate/Congressional members. All of the following were instrumental in helping our community overturn the Homeland Security Provisions:

Senator Ted Kennedy
317 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202/224-4543
FAX: 202/224-2417

Senator Harry Reid
528 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3542
Fax 202-224-7327

Senator Hilary Clinton
476 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-4451
Fax (202) 228-0282

Senator Chris Dodd
448 Russell Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Tel. (202) 224-2823
Fax. (202) 228-1683

Senator Susan Collins
172 Russell Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2523
Fax (202) 224-2693

Senator Olympia Snowe
154 Russell Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-5344
Fax (202) 224-1946

Senator Lincoln Chafee
141A Russell Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2921
Fax: (202) 228-2853

Senator Tom Daschle
509 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2321
Fax: (202) 224-7895

Senator John McCain
241 Russell Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone (202) 224-2235
Fax (202) 228-2862

Senator Debbie Stabenow
702 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Fax (202) 228-0325

Edwards, John (D - NC)
225 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-3154
Fax (202) 228-1374

Congressman Dave Weldon
2347 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-3671
Fax: (202) 225-3516

Congressman Dan Burton
2185 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-2276
Fax: 202-225-0016


Dear (Your Congressman) or (Your Senator);

As both a voter and caregiver of a vaccine-injured child, I feel very strongly that my child's rights are about to be jeopardized once again.

For three years, Senators Bill Frist and Judd Gregg have worked more on behalf of pharmaceutical companies than America's children. Frist's ominous language that blocks legitimate vaccine cases has shown up frequently through the years, including the notorious rider, which appeared within the Homeland Security Act in the dead of night. They will stop at nothing to help their pharmaceutical friends.

Recently, a bill (HR 4754) that allows the Department of Justice $2.3 million in additional funds ($4 million total) to fight my child's Thimerosal case, passed in the House and is sure to pass in the Senate. It is my feeling that even more Thimerosal language is on the way.

As a voter, I am asking you to be on the lookout for such language that will remove my child's rights to fair litigation. The upcoming Appropriations Bill will be a perfect opportunity for those against the civil rights of the vaccine-injured to act.

The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP) was designed to help families like mine care for their injured child. My child was not only injured by vaccines, but may never live independently and struggles everyday to live a normal life. Who will help? The government promises that if any child is injured by a vaccine, they will receive care. My child has not. Now Senators Frist and Gregg are likely to once again try to add legislation to make sure that all of these vaccine-injured children lose their civil rights.

Thousands of families of special-needs children are going bankrupt, and many are selling their homes just to pay for care that insurance does not cover. Moreover, these lawsuits give our children the voice that was taken away. The right to have fair litigation. The right to have compensation for care. Why do these Senators continue in their attempts to remove these rights when three out of every four NVICP cases are thrown out in the first place?

Senator Frist continues to call my child's hope of having good care "frivolous" and will tell you that vaccine-makers have left the market for fear of liability. Both are untrue. The OMB has reported numerous times that vaccine-makers have not left the market, yet have merged with other manufacturers. This is why they are fewer. Their words are full of trickery to help their own special interest.

Please be on the lookout for language that removes the rights of the vaccine-injured, and please do not support anything that allows pharmaceutical companies more favors than your constituents. Especially those who cannot speak for themselves.

Sincerely,

(your name)



Parents, HERE IS THE BILL LANGUAGE adding DOJ Funds if you would like to read it:

H.R.4754

DEPARTMENTS OF COMMERCE, JUSTICE, AND STATE, THE JUDICIARY, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS BILL, FISCAL YEAR 2005.

The House has passed it's version of the bill. The Senate bill is ready for Senate floor consideration.

Both House and Senate versions include a $2.3M plus up for the DOJ to fight the thimerosal claims - this brings the total to $6.3M for DOJ to litigate against these claims - funding an additional 13 persons at DOJ. (The House and Senate also include another $3.4M for the operations of the court of federal claims in this bill.)

See below for excerpts:

Following are the excerpts from the report accompanying the HOUSE bill.
H.R. 4754, House Report 108-576)

VACCINE INJURY COMPENSATION TRUST FUND
The Committee recommends $6,333,000 for the Vaccine Injury Compensation Trust Fund to cover the Department of Justice's expenses associated with litigating cases under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986. This amount is $2,348,000 above the enacted level and the same as the request. The recommendation includes a program increase of 13 new positions and $2,305,000 to address the exponential growth in vaccine injury claims alleging injuries caused by thimerosal.

VACCINE INJURY COMPENSATION TRUST FUND
The Committee recommends a reimbursement of $3,471,000 for fiscal year 2005 from the Special Fund to cover expenses of the Claims Court associated with processing cases under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986. This amount is $312,000 above the amount available in fiscal year 2004 and the same as the request. The recommendation provides for one additional special master and staff needed because of an increase in case filings.


Following are the excerpts from the report accompanying the SENATE bill.

THE NATIONAL CHILDHOOD VACCINE INJURY ACT
Appropriations, 2004 $3,985,000
Budget estimate, 2005 $6,333,000
Committee recommendation $6,333,000
The Committee recommends a reimbursement of $6,333,000 for legal costs.
The recommendation is $2,348,000 above the fiscal year 2004 funding level and identical to the budget request. This account covers Justice Department expenses associated with litigating cases under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986.

VACCINE INJURY TRUST FUND
Appropriations, 2004 $3,159,000
Budget estimate, 2005 $3,471,000
Committee recommendation $3,159,000

The Committee recommends an appropriation of $3,159,000. The recommendation is identical to the fiscal year 2004 funding level and $312,000 below the budget request.

Parents, Grandparents and all other loved ones - We need those fax machines spitting out letter after letter after letter! We need to send the message: DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT TAKING AWAY OUR CHILDREN’S CIVIL RIGHTS!