Chairman Barton Stops Combating Autism Act - For Now

This came to me via e-mail. I don't think any party can claim to put children first when their leadership tries to kill a bill with over 200 co-sponsors.

Chairman Barton Stops Combating Autism Act - For Now
Remaining Hope with Boehner/Hastert

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton (TX) will not consider the Senate-passed Combating Autism Act in the House this session. He remains steadfastly unmoved and unimpressed by over 200 House members and a unanimous Senate. Without regard to the merits of our bill or the desperate state of our children, he indicated he would not even consider it without passage of his NIH Reform bill—an impossibility this Congress. In the end, his personal legislative agenda outweighed the needs of hundreds of
thousands of children with autism. He would only consider a bill devoid of any NIH provisions, including environmental research, and that is unacceptable to the autism community.

Let Chairman Barton know how you feel! Call Barton today and let him know that it is unacceptable for our elected officials to put personal, political interests ahead of your sick children! 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 (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 John Boehner (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, go to www.combatautism.org.