Ask Your House Member to Support Mitochondrial Disease Research in Appropriations

BE AN ADVOCATE IN THREE EASY STEPS 

1. Input your address and email in the form to the right and click "next."
2. Review the autopopulated letter to your House representative to the right. Feel free to customize it with your own experience, if desired. 
3. Once you're ready, hit "send email" to get the letter to your Congressional office.

About the Ask
The bipartisan Congressional Mitochondrial Disease Caucus is circulating a Dear Colleague letter in the House of Representatives urging continued federal support for mitochondrial disease research (see below). We need your help asking your Representative to sign on.

The letter, led by the Caucus Co-Chairs, asks the House Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, and Defense to continue supporting critical mitochondrial disease research.

Department of Defense – Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP)
The letter urges Congress to retain mitochondrial disease research within the CDMRP. To date, the Department of Defense has awarded approximately $70 million for mitochondrial disease research. These investments have helped scientists better understand the genetic causes of mitochondrial disease, its effects on respiration and brain function, and the development of targeted therapies. 

National Institutes of Health (NIH)
The letter also asks Congress to encourage the NIH to expand its commitment to mitochondrial disease research by fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and issuing at least one dedicated primary mitochondrial disease research center award.

Deadline for offices to sign the letter: March 18

Please note: This Dear Colleague letter is only open to members of the House of Representatives. We are making separate individual requests to Senators to prioritize these funding requests with the Senate Appropriations Committees.

If congressional staff have questions or would like to sign the letter, they should contact:

• Bella Edo, Office of Rep. Jim McGovern
  [email protected]

• Clare Dentner, Office of Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick
  [email protected]

(Please note that the Dear Colleague links below are only accessible to congressional staff.)