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April 2000

AOWAC goes to D.C.

AOWAC Co-Founder, Genevieve Douglass goes to the nation's capital. Genevieve is representing the Lymphoma Research Foundation of America before the Congressional Appropriations Subcommittee hearings for the 2000-2001 Presidential Budget on Thursday April 13, 2000. She will be presenting personal testimony and requesting expanded resources and funding for lymphoma research for Vietnam Veterans and their post-war children, through the Veterans Administration Budget.

Click here to go to the Lymphoma Research Foundation's main site.

Genevieve Douglass' Testimony
Congressional Record

August 2000

U.S. - Vietnam Cooperative Research Program
August 2000
AOWAC Public Testimony by Genevieve Douglass at The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and members of the Ad Hoc Panel on Dioxin  Exposure in Vietnam
Meeting Summary
Panel
Agenda

Advocacy

VA Health Administration
The Committee encourages the Veteran¹s Health Administration to expand its research portfolio on lymphoid malignancies. Recent studies prove that veteran's exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War have an increased risk of contracting lymphoid malignancies. The Institute of Medicine's review committee on Agent Orange has also found an association between Agent Orange and the development of lymphoid malignancies.

The Lymphoma Research Foundation of America is once again advocating for increased funding for lymphoma research through the inclusion of report language in the Fiscal 2001 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS) Appropriations Bill. The Foundation has expanded its advocacy efforts this year and is seeking report language in the Fiscal 2001 VA-HUD (Veteran¹s ­ Housing and Urban Development) and Department of Defense (DOD) Appropriations Bill. We need your help. Please write to your Members of Congress requesting their support for the inclusion of lymphoma specific report language in the Fiscal 2001 LHHS, VA-HUD, and DOD Appropriations bills.

Requesting Participation in our letter writing lobbying efforts.

Your Help is Needed to Obtain Funding for Research from the Department of Defense
Your help is needed to obtain funding for lymphoma research from the Department of Defense (DOD). 

Members of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense have the ability to request funding for specific research programs at DOD.  Within the past decade, the Breast Cancer community has succeeded in securing over $700 million in DOD funding of breast cancer research.  Members of Congress place a great weight on constituent requests, which is why it is vitally important that you get involved in LRFA's lymphoma advocacy efforts.

Should you have any questions or require more information, please contact Genevieve Douglass at aowac@aowac.org .  In the event that you send a letter, please forward a copy to AOWAC as well as any response you receive either by electronic mail  aowac@aowac.org or postal mail, regarding these bills to AOWAC (P.O. Box 92131 Long Beach, California 90809-2131).

Sample Letter

Date

The Honorable (Your Representative's Name)

House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense

Address

Dear Representative (Last Name):

I am writing to you to respectfully request the inclusion of $10 million for lymphoma research at the Department of Defense (DOD).  Recent studies prove that individual exposure to Agent Orange caused an increased risk of contracting lymphoid malignancies.  In fact, since the end of the Vietnam War over 100,000 veterans have died from service-related diseases associated with exposure to Agent Orange.  In 1996, the Institute of Medicine's review committee on Agent Orange also found an association between Agent Orange and the development of lymphoid malignancies.  Because there is a proven link between exposure to environmental toxins and chemical agents and the development of lymphoma, I strongly believe that the DOD should be investing resources into conducting research on this devastating and deadly cancer.

Lymphoma, cancer of the lymphatic system, is divided into Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL).  The two are distinguished by cell type.  It is estimated that approximately 87,200 Americans will be diagnosed with lymphoid malignancies in the year 2000 with a 50% mortality rate.  We are currently making strides in the fight against cancer, as evidenced by the decline in incidence and mortality rates of many primary cancers.  However, NHL is the second fastest growing cancer by rate of incidence and its mortality rate has been increasing faster than all but skin cancer.

Little is known about lymphoma, which includes over 30 different subtypes of NHL and 5 subtypes of Hodgkin's Disease.  Although some lymphomas are treatable for a period of time and may sustain long or complete remissions, for the majority of lymphomas, there are no effective treatments or cures.

As a constituent, I believe it is important for DOD to increase its research portfolio to include funding for lymphoma research.  I look forward to your support on this important issue.

Sincerely,

Your Name

Contact information

Below are listed the names and addresses of members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.  If your Representative is among those listed, please customize and send on your personal stationary the following sample letter which requests $10 million for lymphoma research at the Department of Defense.

2000 House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense :

Previous Events

The First Phase Dedication of the Long Beach Vietnam Veteran Memorial in California

Long Beach Veteran's Day Parade and Vietnam Veterans Memorial Dedication
Saturday, November 11, 2000 at 10am at Houghton Park in Long Beach, Ca.
For more information, please call (562) 570-6137