Inflammatory Bowel Disease
On November 14, the Senate passed S. Res. 199, which supports the goals and ideals of “Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Week,” Dec. 1-7, 2011, including raising awareness among the general public and health care providers about Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and promoting biomedical research to discover better treatments and a cure. The resolution was introduced by Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV). On December 1, Rep. Ander Crenshaw (R-Fla) introduced an identical resolution (H. Res. 481) in the House. NASPGHAN supported passage of S. Res. 199 and called upon its members earlier this year to contact their senators in support of the resolution.
Additionally, in the House of Representatives, a new congressional caucus has been formed thanks to the efforts to Reps. Jesse Jackson (D-IL) and Ander Crenshaw (R-FL). The Congressional Crohn’s and Colitis Caucus has been established for the purposes of raising awareness of IBD and increasing funding to the National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis research. NASPGHAN looks forward to working with the Caucus to advance its legislative priorities. Please take a moment to contact your representative and ask him/her to join the Congressional Crohn’s and Colitis Caucus.