I received this yesterday from a mailing list:
<<There are some important bills brewing in Washington that will have far-reaching consequences. I have forwarded a notice I received from the NVIC regarding the issues and the background. I hope you will consider becoming informed on these issues, and possibly taking action to voice your concerns to your
representatives.
with best regards,
Dr. Sherri J. Tenpenny
New Medical Awareness Seminars
http://www.NMASeminars.com
Dear Leaders,
Currently there are 3 bills that have been introduced in Washington to "fix" The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP).
HR3741 was introduced by Cong. Burton and Waxman and has 43- co-sponsors.
The bill would:
1. Increase the statute of limitations to six years (currently 3 yrs)
2. Increase the death payment from $250,000 to $300,000
3. Offer a one-time look back provision that would be open for two years for people who missed the deadline.
4. Pay interim costs and fees for attorneys.
SB2053 was introduced by Senator Frist and now has a companion bill in the House that was introduced by Cong. Greenwood.(HR 5282).
The Frist bill was stopped in committee before the last recess but the Greenwood bill could quickly gain momentum and overtake the Burton bill.
The Frist/Greenwood bill has many of the same provisions as the Burton bill
but it removes all liability from the drug companies. Yesterday there was a Senate hearing on the vaccine shortages and Congress was told that it was because of liability. This is a lie because there has not been any liability since 1988 when the compensation program started. The current thimerosal litigation has barely begun. In fact two state courts have ruled that the cases must go through the compensation process first.
The Burton bill will allow parents who didn't get a diagnosis and missed the deadline to enter the compensation program while allowing their attorney the opportunity to represent them and hire experts and collect medical records without having to make the family bear those costs up front. If the program rules against them they would still be legally allowed to bring a lawsuit against the manufacturer.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c107:H.R.3741:
The Frist/Greenwood bill would also force them into the compensation program but would allow no recourse if the compensation case is lost.
http://frist.senate.gov/frameset.html
We have got to do two things:
1. Get more co-sponsors for the Burton bill
2. Stop the Frist/Greenwood bill.
It is up to you to make your federal legislator understand that the vaccine shortages are not from liability problems and it is not fair to cut off the right to go to court.
As a state leader, everyone of your representatives should be signed on as a co-sponsor. If you personally have not made the call or sent the e-mail do it now. Don't ask your members to do something you haven't already done. The best thing you can do is call their health legislative aide and hound them on a daily
basis. This will also let them know that you are in their district. The Burton bill is bi-partisan and supported by Republicans and Democrats.
Use this website to find your representative and then click on their homepage and get their phone number. Call them and stay on them.
http://www.house.gov/htbin/wrep_findrep
Those of you who live in the 9th district of Florida, contact Cong. Bilirakis. The House Energy and Commerce Committee has jurisdiction over this bill. Congressman Bilirakis serves as Chairman of the Health Subcommittee and he has to bring it to the committee for a vote.
http://www.house.gov/bilirakis/
Here is a list of current co-sponsors of the Burton bill:
COSPONSORS(44), ALPHABETICAL [followed by Cosponsors withdrawn]:
Rep Ballenger, Cass - 6/4/2002 -North Carolina
Rep Bentsen, Ken - 6/18/2002 -Texas
Rep Bishop, Sanford D. Jr. - 4/17/2002 - Georgia
Rep Carson, Brad - 6/6/2002 -Oklahoma
Rep Davis, Jo Ann - 2/13/2002 -Virginia
Rep Davis, Tom - 2/13/2002 -Virginia
Rep DeFazio, Peter A. - 9/9/2002 -Oregon
Rep Duncan, John J., Jr. - 2/13/2002 -Tennesee
Rep Ford, Harold, Jr. - 7/12/2002 -Tennesee
Rep Frank, Barney - 6/4/2002 -Massachusetts
Rep Frost, Martin - 2/13/2002 -Texas
Rep Gilman, Benjamin A. - 2/13/2002 -New York
Rep Grucci, Felix J., Jr. - 5/7/2002 -New York
Rep Hall, Ralph M. - 4/9/2002 -Texas
Rep Hall, Tony P. - 6/4/2002 -Ohio
Rep Horn, Stephen - 2/13/2002 -California
Rep Isakson, Johnny - 3/19/2002- Georgia
Rep Kildee, Dale E. - 9/4/2002 -Michigan
Rep Kucinich, Dennis J. - 2/13/2002 -Ohio
Rep LaTourette, Steve C. - 2/14/2002 -Ohio
Rep Levin, Sander M. - 5/23/2002 -Michigan
Rep Maloney, Carolyn B. - 5/7/2002 -New York
Rep McGovern, James P. - 2/14/2002 -Massachusetts
Rep McHugh, John M. - 2/14/2002 -New York
Rep Moore, Dennis - 6/4/2002 -Kansas
Rep Morella, Constance A. - 2/13/2002 -Maryland
Rep Nadler, Jerrold - 2/13/2002 -New York
Rep Norwood, Charlie - 3/19/2002 -Georgia
Rep Paul, Ron - 7/12/2002 -Texas
Rep Platts,Todd Russell - 9/17/2002 -Pennsylvania
Rep Price, David E. - 7/8/2002 -North Carolina
Rep Putnam, Adam H. - 2/26/2002 -Florida
Rep Rivers, Lynn N. - 4/9/2002 -Michigan
Rep Ryun, Jim - 3/6/2002 -Kansas
Rep Sandlin, Max - 9/4/2002 -Texas
Rep Schrock, Edward L. - 6/5/2002 -Virginia
Rep Sessions, Pete - 3/19/2002-Texas
Rep Smith, Nick - 3/4/2002 -Michigan
Rep Watkins, Wes - 6/10/2002 -Oklahoma
Rep Watson, Diane E. - 9/4/2002 -California
Rep Waxman, Henry A. - 2/13/2002 -California
Rep Weldon, Dave - 2/13/2002 -Florida
Rep Wexler, Robert - 6/11/2002 -Florida >>
