Greetings,

As you know, the Epilepsy Foundation, with your help, has been fighting to restore full funding for the CDC Epilepsy Program that was recommended for elimination in the President's FY 2007 Budget. The House of Representatives has recommended that the program's funding be fully restored at its current level of $7.6 million dollars. The Senate however, while providing supportive language in its report on the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Appropriations bill, cut the program's funding by more than half -- only recommending funding at $3 million. The rationale the Senate staff has offered for its action is that the CDC Epilepsy Program is a House priority and that they will work with us to get the House level of funding in a conference negotiation later this Fall. We need to help the Senate understand that the CDC Epilepsy Program, the nation's sole federally funded community-based services program for people living with epilepsy is a Senate priority too!

Given this funding cut news, the Epilepsy Foundation will be employing a series of activities over the next few months to ensure that we do indeed fully restore funding for the CDC Epilepsy Program for FY 2007. We will be conducting many meetings in Washington, D.C., over the coming weeks and asking our affiliate network in states with key appropriators to make visits at home during the August recess which begins for the Senators Friday August 4.

We appreciate your support and efforts and will keep you informed on the progress we make. We will have action alerts to send to Members of Congress on this issue in the near future, so stay tuned.

For Your Information

The following Members are on the Senate Labor Health and Human Services, Education Appropriations Subcommittee:

Republicans (majority party):

Specter (PA), Chair
Cochran (MS),
Gregg (NH),
Craig (ID),
Hutchison (TX),
Stevens (AK),
DeWine (OH),
Shelby (AL)

Democrats (minority party):

Harkin (IA), Ranking Member,
Inouye (HI),
Reid (NV),
Kohl (WI),
Murray (WA),
Landrieu (LA),
Durbin (IL)

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