Contacting Your Elected Officials
Tips to Communicate with Congressional Officials
 Identify yourself as a constituent and ask to speak with the legislator’s Health Care Legislative Assistant.- Tell the aide that you are a member of the Scleroderma Foundation and ask the legislator to cosponsor the Scleroderma Research and Awareness Act - H.R. 1672 (House) or S.649 (Senate).
- Briefly tell him/her your personal story about scleroderma.
- Explain that H.R. 1672 and S. 649 do not call for any new spending, but will increase federal support for scleroderma research and begin, for the first time, a public awareness campaign on scleroderma through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- Give the aide your contact information and ask to be informed about the actions of the legislator on this key issue.
- Finally, remember to THANK the person you speak to for their time and attention!
Quick Facts About Scleroderma
- Briefly explain what scleroderma is. Use the following five quick facts:
- Scleroderma is a chronic, disabling and, often, fatal autoimmune disease
- Scleroderma causes damage to one or more of the body’s organ systems, including the skin, heart, lungs, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract and blood vessels
- Approximately 300,000 people in the United States suffer from scleroderma
- The cause of scleroderma is unknown
- There is no known cure
Sample Email Message
Dear Representative / Senator NAME;
I am a constituent living in (INSERT YOUR CITY, STATE, ZIP CODE – you do not have to put your street address), and I am writing today to ask you to support the Scleroderma Research and Awareness Act (H.R. 1672) (S.649).
This bill allows for the following:
- expands federal support for research on scleroderma at the National Institutes of Health
- Increases awareness of scleroderma among the general public and healthcare providers through allocations to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Supports the training of new scleroderma researchers
Scleroderma is a chronic, disabling and often fatal autoimmune disease that causes damage to one or more the of body’s organ systems, including the skin, heart, lungs, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract and blood vessels. Approximately 300,000 people in the United States suffer from scleroderma, affecting women three-to-four more times often than men, but men and children also suffer from this disease. The cause of scleroderma is unknown, and there is no cure.
(INSERT A BRIEF PARAGRAPH ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL HISTORY WITH SCLERODERMA)
Thank you for reading this message. I hope I can count on your support of this important bill. Please keep me informed of your actions related to this bill.
Very truly yours,
NAME
Address
Email Contact
Calling Your Leaders
The best way to reach your elected officials in the House and in the Senate is to call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 225-3121. An operator will connect you to your Representative or Senator's office.
If you do not know who your representative and/or senators are, the Capitol operator can assist you. Find the contact information for your House leaders or your Senators at www.congress.org. Just enter your ZIP code. Phone numbers for all congressional offices are also listed on the website.
Thank Your for Taking the Time to Call or Email Your Leaders
If you have any questions, please contact the Scleroderma Foundation at (800) 722-HOPE (4673). |
