Hi, all.

A bit of an off-topic request (but this is General Chat after all), so I hope you will not mind too much.

As some of you know, a family member has been dealing with Lyme Disease for a few years now. The issue is complicated because the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme is still a medical unknown. Partly because research for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases is grossly underfunded compared to other, more well-known diseases like cancer and HIV.

This year, two bipartisan bills S.1657 Tick Act and the H.R. 3073 Tick Act were introduced in the Senate and the House to change this situation. A number of Senators and Representative have now co-sponsored the bills (Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Mitt Romney, and Susan Collins, for example)

The Senate bill was renamed the S.1657 Kay Hagan Tick Act (after former Senator Kay Hagan who recently died from complications of a tick-borne disease) and it unanimously passed the bi-partisan committee to which it was assigned and we need Senator McConnell to bring it up for a vote.

The House version H.R. 3073 is still in committee and delayed. We have started a Change.org petition to request our Senators and Representatives to speed up the process of action on these bills.

My ask: I would like for you all to please check out and sign this petition: https://www.change.org/p/u-s-senate-pas ... -cure-lyme.

No money needs to be donated - merely your support with a signature, although a call to your State Senators and district Representatives (or e-mail on their websites at Senate.gov and House.gov) will not hurt either!

Time is of the essence and the quicker we can push the issue, the quicker funds could be allocated to research to find cures! Ideally before this Session of Congress adjourns in a few more weeks.

Thanks for reading and we appreciate your support!

Z

Done! I have a cousin that has been suffering with Lyme disease for years.

Done. I have a co-worker that's been fighting for a couple of years too.

Thanks all!

Z

done

Thanks to everybody who has signed! We have exceeded 1100 signatures so far ...

Z

Done!

Awesome! We are over 2050 folks now.

Thanks much, all!

Z

Thanks to everyone who helped out with signatures. We collected about 2750 supporters.

Yesterday, the House and Senate included the appropriations for these Acts into the Federal budget and passed that! It is heading to the WH for signature ...

Again, thanks much!

Z

And ... Trump has signed the appropriations bill for 2020. Good Stuff™!

So ... the next step is to get that money properly spent with oversight. I may be "walking the Hill" in February to see Sen and Reps for this.

Thanks all!

Z