Grow a Down Syndrome Caucus: You Can Do It!

This just in from Abby, aka Guestivista No. 2.  She needs our help to expand a newly forming Congressional caucus on Down Syndrome.  Who me?  Expand a caucus in DC?  Yes me - and yes you.  Just ask your U.S. Senators and Representative to join - it's easy.  If they don't hear from their constituents, they won't know we care.  It's as simple as that.  Like my husband, they are not mind readers.  Always eloquent, Abby writes:

We have talked here before about the fact that it often takes a personal connection for an issue to drive us to action. That has certainly been true for me with issues around disability rights. If someone had asked me 22 months ago if I was “for” securing better rights, opportunities and education for people with disabilities, I would have said, “Absolutely!” and I might have even given a few bucks to the cause. But I wouldn’t have done much else about it.  And then my daughter entered my life, Down syndrome was diagnosed, and I have been swept into action in a way that surprises me every day.

I recently got a phone call from the office of Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a U.S. Representative from Eastern Washington, announcing the launch of the Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus, a wonderfully bi-partisan group of U.S. Representatives who are parents or family members of people with Down syndrome. It turns out politicians are people too, and sometimes it takes that same personal experience to get an issue in the limelight. Last summer Congresswoman Rodgers had a baby boy who had Down syndrome. I made repeated efforts to contact her to congratulate her on the birth of her son. I finally made contact with her office this spring and have had an ongoing conversation about the start-up of this new group in Congress.

Here is a piece of the email I received yesterday from a legislative aide:

The purpose of the Caucus is to serve as a resource for increasing public awareness of Down syndrome and identifying ways that Congress and relevant departments and agencies of the Federal government can help meet the needs of individuals with Down syndrome.  The CDSC will promote public policies to enhance the quality of life of individuals with Down syndrome by: (1) raising expectations and improving outcomes in education; (2) eliminating barriers to economic opportunity in employment and in programs that promote savings and investment; and (3) promoting and funding research that accelerates the development of effective treatments and therapies.

In addition, the Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus will be holding a briefing on 5.8.08 to discuss where we are in terms of Down syndrome research.  A representative from the National Institutes of Health will be attending as well as Dr. Bill Mobley, the Director of the Neuroscience Institute from Stanford Medical School.

While it’s a little scary to see “U.S. Gov.” on your caller i.d., it is also pretty exciting to have a direct line to a Congressional office!  I am looking forward to working with my fellow Northwest Downs Syndrome Association members to help this new caucus pave its way through the issues affecting my daughter and the other 350,000-plus individuals with living with Down syndrome in the U.S.

Let's help Abby, Mamas: NWDSA is working hard to get the word out to other members of Congress that the Caucus is forming.  If you have five minutes to spare and think this issue deserves more attention, I ask you to pick up your phone and call your representatives and urge them to learn more about this issue, to join the caucus.  It's a snap, mamas: you can quickly e-mail Sen. Wyden, Sen. Smith and your Representative in Congress if phoning isn't in the cards.  Better yet, let your fingers do the walkin' and your real voice do the talkin':

• Sen. Smith @ 503.326.3386
• Sen. Wyden @ 503.326.7525
• Rep. Blumenaeur @ 503.231.2300 (3rd District)
  
• Rep. Wu @ 503.326.2901 (1st District)

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The Representative herself on YouTube about the new bi-partisan caucus: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfNAiBj-Hvs